Ems Evoc

[Metsfan4790]

Does anyone have advice, tips, or experience to share when it comes to EMS/Ambulance EVOC?

[MDEMT280]

Don't crash.




Um... I guess my biggest tips would be the following:

* Don't forget about the people in the back. You can't drive the same way you would drive your personal car, or even the same way you would drive with both people up front.
* Don't forget about higher center of gravity, and a heavier vehicle, which means a longer braking distances, and an increased chance of roll-over.
* Just because the front of your vehicle fits doesn't mean the rear will, esp. with Type 3 rigs with a narrower chassis front and wider box.
* Related note: If you do have a wider rear box and/or a longer wheel base, be careful about clipping curbs or other vehicles when turning. You may have to take turns wider in order to clear a turn, especially if you have a crappy turning radius on your rig.
* Seatbelts, seatbelts, seatbelts, seatbelts, and seatbelts.
* Red light means stop.
* You're asking for the right of way, but you don't automatically have it. The lights and sirens do not place a magical shield of invincibility around your vehicle.
* Make sure all exterior compartments are secure before moving the vehicle - from the station, from the scene, from the hospital.
* If you have a back-up camera, don't forget to use your mirrors anyway. Don't get tunnel vision.
* Use a spotter whenever possible for backing.
* It's not your emergency. Arrive alive.
* Turn signals. Use them. That's why they're there.
* Headlights/taillights on for visibility.
* An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - do your preventive maintenance, pre-trip inspections, etc. on your rig, and if something is broken, get it fixed, or put the rig out of service if it's a critical issue.

Yeah, that's all I can pull off the top of my head right now.

[Hockey9019]

Oh my favorite thread!


1. DRIVE LIKE EVERY PERSON OUT THERE IS AN IDIOT AND CANNOT DRIVE




AND MY BIGGEST ONE....

If you can see upcoming potholes, train tracks, speed bumps etc...and I am working on a patient.....LET ME KNOW!!!!.....




EDITOh yeah...remember this...you DID not put the person in the situation they are in....

[WhiteLite]

I took my Class 2 and Class 3 EVOC tests in northern VA about 4 years back. I don't have much to add to what's been said.

If you are able, try to practice in what you will be testing before the test date. Being familiar with the equipment is very helpful since most people don't drive large trucks everyday.

Also, if you don't test first, watch the other people testing and try to learn from their mistakes. Other than that, the first two posts were more than adequate.

As a side note, in VA, ambulances must stop at all railroad crossings, regardless of the signals. Not sure if that's the same in other states or not. :D Good luck.

[MDEMT280]

As a side note, in VA, ambulances must stop at all railroad crossings, regardless of the signals. Not sure if that's the same in other states or not. :D Good luck.

Ah, valid point. Stop, look, listen, ESPECIALLY at unsignalled grade crossings. In a freight train vs. ambulance matchup, it's freight train FTW, every time.

[noelchabanel]

We don't have any required testing for all ambulance drivers in NH, so I have no advice on that--other than that you may want to practice backing up with mirrors, set up a slalom course in a big open area if you can, and practice backing up along curbs and into parking areas--with someone who knows what they are doing for course!! It is harder than you'd think with the enormous box in the back.

Once you pass, you'll want to keep a few things in mind for when you start going on calls. I got my EMT-B cert.this summer, so it's still fresh in my mind. Here are a few ideas for you: Get your own stethoscope, you don't know whose ears the ones on the truck have been in. They have nice sets with BP cuffs and a carrying case on Bound Tree dot com for under $30. Get orange or something so no one can accidentally take yours. (We have neon pink trauma shears on our trucks ;-) and no one takes them) I also got a nice pair of leather fire boots for extrications on Ebay on the cheap. Practice taking vitals on whoever will let you, wife, kids, trips to grandmas, people in line at the bank...it is really hard to do in the back of a moving truck, even on a paved road with a stable and friendly patient. Practice makes perfect. My entire family has sore arms. And make sure you know how the stuff on your truck works by practicing on actual people (stair chair, extrication tools [may not want to try this particular tool out on people!], blood glucose monotor, EKG monitor etc) before you have to really use it, my department is very good about that, and it has helped a lot already. I stay overnight and experiment with stuff on my on-call nights, take my own blood glucose, O2sat, auto blood pressure, etc. if no one is around to practice on. Good luck, it's very rewarding, I am glad I got into it and don't know why I didn't do it sooner.