Police are a frequent, and usually appreciated, presence on EMS calls. Unless there is a formal, collaborative training opportunity new police officers may not understand the nuances of EMS, where to find things in the ambulance, and how to best assist EMS providers.
We shared 7 EMS and ambulance tips for new police officers and then asked readers to share their additional tips for law enforcement to better assist EMS. There were a significant number of comments about an intoxicated person being given the choice of “hospital or jail.” We wonder if police officers find this as unpalatable of a solution for public intoxication as EMS providers. It also points to a clear need for a collaborative solution.
What do you want new cops to know about EMS and the ambulance?
Posted by EMS1 on Tuesday, April 7, 2015
1. Don’t offer patient/suspect hospital or jail; it’s not a choice
“Stop calling EMS for the drunk and disorderly … and stop giving them a choice of going to jail or going to the hospital.” — Eric “Doc” Liddy
“Dont threaten a drunk patient with “hospital or jail,” the hospital doesn’t have a drunk tank.” — Krystle Garner
“A drunk doesn’t need a ambulance ride to the hospital if there is no other medical emergency. It’s a waste of resources. Take them home or jail for the night for safety.” — Robert Nash
“Let us make the medical decisions for the patient. It’s what WE are paid and trained to do. Threatening them with hospital or jail does nothing but cause frustration for us as well as the over saturated ER.” — Andy Jenkins
2. Drive smooth and steady
“If needing to drive the ambulance because both medics are in the back treating, steady speed and easy corners are excellent!” — Douglas Bell
3. Close the road
“When we ask to close a road or part of the road. Close the dang road. It’s hard to move patients with cars zipping by your ass at 50 miles an hour:” — Aaron Householder
“I’ll tell you when to reopen a road to traffic; this is not negotiable . If you open the road before my crew is clear of the scene and one of my kids gets hurt we are gonna have a problem!” — James Stambaugh
4. Ambulance; the inside and outside
“Don’t EVER use OC spray in the rig. It wasn’t good! My partner looked like a freaking Labrador driving to the hospital with his head hanging out the window. We spent hours doing decon.” — Steve Miller
“My only problem would be don’t use pepper spray in the back of the ambulance. It’s not fun cleaning it out but other than that we’re all family and we need to stick together.” — Ryan Grier
“Do not spray mace or pepper spray INSIDE THE AMBULANCE!” — Sanford Fraiser
“If it is summer time and dark, do NOT open any door, stand there, and talk. I will be killing bugs and cursing you all the in and beyond. Get in and close the door if it can’t wait, or stay out (with the door shut) and get your questions answered later if it can wait.” — Brad Wyman
“If you hit the back doors of the rig like you see on TV, I’m going to get out and make sure I didn’t hit someone, not race off towards the hospital.” — John Vassell
“Don’t tap on the door for us to go after we load the patient and you close our door. This is for TV only. We leave when we are finished with necessary treatment.” — Jim Landrith
“I don’t get in your police car without asking ... DON’T get in my bus without asking!” — Dan Delage
5. We are a team
“We’re on the same team.” — Charles Lewis
“Don’t be afraid to help move the patient. We always can use the help. Patients dont always bite, and we have gloves.” — Kyle Barrett
“Just don’t shoot me. I can handle the rest.” — Tim Smith
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate
“If you get there first and I walk up and ask what’s going on, don’t tell me to get the cot. Tell me whats going on.” — Robert Lindahl
“Thank you for doing a job that I doubt I could do. But please, if I am talking to the patient, it would be nice if you were not. You can get a statement at the hospital or after I finish my refusal. I’ll even hang out on scene and let you talk to them in the back, instead of the side of the road.” — Nate Boyce
“Don’t try to talk to the patient while I’m doing my assessment or interventions … it can wait until I’m done and I will happily stay on scene for a bit longer so you can do what you need to. Talking over me and/or my patient or interrupting will get you nowhere but outside the rig quickly.” — Jason Little
“We’re all on the same side! Let’s open up a dialogue so we both know what each other needs, [it] clears up a lot of misunderstandings before they become conflicts.” — Illa Brown
7. Cruiser parking
“Don’t park your car right in front the house; that’s where we need to park!” — Tera Jo Lee Miller
“Please use good judgement when parking your vehicle at a scene. We wouldn’t park in front of the main bank entrance if it was being robbed; please try to remember that we shouldn’t have to walk a block with our cardiac arrest patient to get to the ambulance.” — Bryan Peterson