pull over?

[Guest Close medtranz]

Silly question.If you are enroute to a call,say an mva. You are in a rescue rig or a pumper equipped as both, lets say an ambulance ends up behind you enroute to the same call.How many of you would pull over and let ems proceed? How many would just keep going and not pull over?

------------------
When the goin gets hot I go to work !!

[Guest Close Firelover]

Well, that's a though one. I don't think that I would pull over because if extracation is required, what is EMS going to do other than wait. But I guess that it all depends on the call, and what's going on... I mean sometimes EMS will just over take on the right hand side, but advises the driver before doing so.....

tuff call.....



------------------
Joel

If you sent us to HELL, WE'D PUT IT OUT!!

**And of course these are only my opinion and only mine. Don't take it out on anyone else but me.**

[Guest Close FFD#30]

Why confuse the public by pulling over??? Seriously, if you are enroute to the same call what is the difference? True ambulances are faster but you are supposed to be getting there in a safe manner. On a 4 lane road the faster truck can pass you if there is minimal traffic and the slower truck can get in the right hand lane safely with no cars in the way.

[Guest Close BucksEng91]

Of course you wouldn't pull over. Both apparatus are going to handle the same emergency, both are going at "emergency speed", a safe rush in other words. If EMS gets there 30 seconds before the rescue or rescue pumper, do you seriously think that there will be a substantive difference in the quality of care the patient(s) will receive or their chances of living?

This is, no offense intended to the original poster, a silly question, a non-issue.

------------------
J. Black

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of any organization with which I am associated.

[Guest Close NCFiremedic]

I guess I'm lucky. When at the paid (Fed Fire)job we don't have to worry about the ambulance passing us. More like the new (Change over every three months) crew in the ambulance even finding the scene.
In the Volunteer Co I'm with, both trucks roll out of the same station. Our policy is to let EMS roll out first (It's a combo Dept and Ems crew ussaully stays at the station, Rescue folks come from home to man the truck).

------------------
Running a code is easy.
The hard part starts when you bringem back and have a 30-40 min transport

[Guest Close Engine69]

Our department (paid-by-the-call) rolls the squad out the door first. If the truck was on the road ahead of the squad, we would likely let the squad pass if there was no traffic to deal with. That way, the squad can arrive on the scene and pull ahead of the crash and allow the truck to stop short of the crash to protect the scene. If the truck got there first, the squad may have some difficulty in getting around it.

[Guest Close CLWFWFD]

NO WAY!! As a matter of fact in our city more than likely they don't know the territory and are following us.

[Guest Close ALSfirefighter]

Unless we are on a 2 lane roadway I would say no, and from both perspectives (as my other brothers/sisters have posted. Pulling over could create a serious safety issue with another vehicle having to go around into head on traffic. There is one statement I would have to disagree with in my opinion, and isn't meant to bash the poster, but any Fire/EMS, or just EMS personnel who just "wait" for the Tools to arrive need to be yanked. There are many things that can be accomplished before the truck/engine/rescue/squad gets there, unless there is an obvious hazard (power lines). And while its 1 in a 100 there are several conditions in which 10 seconds can make a difference. But again, it all comes down to risk vs. benefit. I've always taught, and was taught that the hardest part of any emergency, is getting there.

============================================
The above is my opinion only and doesn't reflect that of any dept/agency I work for, deal with, or am a member of.

[Guest Close DWSD]

if your responding in your personal car with a "courtsey light" should you pull over if fire apparatus, ambulance or cop pulls up behind you and also responding to the same call?

[Guest Close hink8918]

I don't know if I would let EMS pass.
there would be some questions I would ask first.

1) Is it safe? never pass on the right.
2) what type of call is it?
>multipal vehical and injury?
>has a chief given an onscene report?
>again is it safe? > is EMS gonna get there any faster then the engine/rescue company?
3) is there a policy for this? if yes what is it

[Guest Close Ten8_Ten19]

Yes, I'd let them pass. They can normally travel faster than the BRT I'm driving and if at all possible I want medics on scene when I start extrication. Since we share a frequency I can invite them to pass when road and traffic conditions allow. Properly coordinated neither of us loses speed. I could get knocked back to 35 or 40 mph in some hilly areas of town, why would I want to keep in front of them?

[Guest Close Nick SBFD 6]

If all three agencies (police, fire, rescue) are going to the same call, than there is no reason to pull over for each other REGARDLESS of the situation. The time the ambulance would gain by the time you got the BRT stopped would be minimal at best. Same goes for police vehicles, they go a hell of a lot faster than us, but it isn't helping those on the other end if we have to stop to let the police car or ambulance go by.

just my opinion,
-Nick

[Guest Close 391HD]

I assume the units are running with lights and sirens in this scenario.

If the larger apparatus are holding up other faster responding units, then why are lights and siren used?

Many points have been made in the responses that it doesn't make any difference if EMS doesn't get there first. Obviously, there is no need to have these vehicles equipped with lights and sirens either.

I think common sense, rather than egos, goes along way.

[Guest Close ALSfirefighter]

DWSD,

Yes they should. This to me is a totally differenct scenario. Courtesy lights are just that. They have no right of way privlidges, so if they come up to an intersection they have to yield anyway.

============================================
The above is my opinion only and doesn't reflect that of any dept/agency I work for, deal with, or am a member of.

[Guest Close Colin S]

No, just keep going as long as the other vehicle is keeping a safe didstance behind you. If the other unit is riding your butt and being a safety hazard then let hime pass, rather than causing a saftey problem. But if this happened if would be on the phone after the call about the other persons unsafe drving practices.

As for PD we are taught to always yeild to them and in fact the only time I have encountered this is going to calls where I wanted PD to get there first.

POVs should always yeild is my feeling.