Ambulance drivers

mrputney08

Psst, ..don't tell anyone, but a paramedic once told me that sometimes, maaaybe sometimes.. they just want to get home for tea...so.... nee naa nee naa nee naa nee naa.. ! (I didn't tell you this, you heard nothing ok).

pullenuk

I knew a Fire Engine driver who once (they aren't actually supposed to do this!) was on call to a very young child stuck in a building. There was already a fire officer at the scene and basically the situation was urgent. The child had maybe seconds to get out of the building. Trouble was the engine had to go down a narrow street to get to the scene, blocked by cars parking both sides and not leaving enough room. Instead of instructing his fellow fire-fighters to get out and bump the cars out of the way, he simply drove on, hitting any unlucky car just to get there. The child was saved but it was extremely lucky.

Sadly for him, he was threatened with court action over dangerous driving and damaging cars. (was dropped however which was lucky)

Who fault this?

So when I do my deliveries (its the same vehicle as an ambulance) I always park in a way where a ambulance fire engine can get passed. Some customers who suggest where I park need to shut up and learn how big a ambulance and fire-engine is.

Bit more on topic, I was driving pass an accident scene, which an ambulance quickly left. I was only just behind it and was even keeping up with it as it wasn't even doing the speed limit. (It was a biker involved so I'm assuming the slow speed on blue lights was a bad sign). I was driving all the way back to town (where it was also going) but the driver turned the back blue lights off so I can see where I was going but left fronts on. No siren used until it got to junctions. There was loads of cars behind me who simply didn't even realise I was following an ambulance until he turned the back blue lights on going pass junctions.
Sadly the biker died, as it was reported in the newspaper. It was scary to be following the ambulance who was clearly fighting to save his life. I have nothing but respect for these people.

shaun_from_Africa

Horseunderwater wrote: »

This is what I was taught when going through PCV test back in 98.
POLICE are the only drivers who can automatically go through a red light on blues n twos.
Fire/Ambuances have priority to do so on the way to the emmergency, but should proceed with caution at all times through any major junction etc.

This has now changed (in 2002) and there is no difference between what any of the emergency services are allowed to do with regards to going through red lights, and the police have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as ambulances and fire engines.

Hanky_Panky

Overall I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who works for the emergency services.

The other day though whilst out cycling for (what seemed like) no particular reason at all the driver flicked on his siren just behind me. It didn't repeat, there was plenty of room to overtake, no other cars, carried on driving past at normal speed. Frightened the fricken life out of me - nearly needed their service !!

skivenov

Normally they're told to treat a red light as a give way.

To be fair, driving a larger vehicle isn't all it's cracked up to be
Add on, driving to an advanced standard isn't easy.
Add on response driving (very not easy)
Add on driving with the patient in the back's welfare in mind

Roll that all together, and it's a hell of a job. My job's a peice of !!!! and I still make mistakes sometimes, so they're going to make the odd one now and then.

dacouch

Hanky_Panky wrote: »

Overall I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who works for the emergency services.

The other day though whilst out cycling for (what seemed like) no particular reason at all the driver flicked on his siren just behind me. It didn't repeat, there was plenty of room to overtake, no other cars, carried on driving past at normal speed. Frightened the fricken life out of me - nearly needed their service !!

If it was a "Whoop Whoop" then they were just telling you that's da sound of da police.

Nilrem

pullenuk wrote: »

I knew a Fire Engine driver who once (they aren't actually supposed to do this!) was on call to a very young child stuck in a building. There was already a fire officer at the scene and basically the situation was urgent. The child had maybe seconds to get out of the building. Trouble was the engine had to go down a narrow street to get to the scene, blocked by cars parking both sides and not leaving enough room. Instead of instructing his fellow fire-fighters to get out and bump the cars out of the way, he simply drove on, hitting any unlucky car just to get there. The child was saved but it was extremely lucky.

Sadly for him, he was threatened with court action over dangerous driving and damaging cars. (was dropped however which was lucky)

Who fault this?

IIRC our town has a few streets that fit that description.
I think the local fire brigade ended up putting a large notice in all the local papers saying effectively "leave room for us, we don't have a chance of getting down these streets without damaging cars, and if it comes down to it, we will.".
I think they also leafleted every house in the areas, and the local council had fun with enforcing the parking restrictions, repeatedly for a while.

I don't think it was that blunt, but it was basically a warning that they couldn't get to some parts of the town with the parking as it was, and may end up damaging cars if it came down to it.

I suspect that if it's the only possible way to get to a fire, they'd have some exemption for causing necessary damage due to inconsiderate/illegal parking.

rubble2

Interesting info about emergency vehicle drivers being told to switch of sirens when stuck behind cars at a red light, obviously doesn't apply in my town. Just today I saw an ambulance with lights and sirens on sitting behind a car driven by a little old lady which was stopped at a red light controlling a junction and a pedestrian crossing. Not only did they keep the siren on but they were sounding their horn as well until they bullied the driver to go through the red light in order to get past

pullenuk

rubble2 wrote: »

Interesting info about emergency vehicle drivers being told to switch of sirens when stuck behind cars at a red light, obviously doesn't apply in my town. Just today I saw an ambulance with lights and sirens on sitting behind a car driven by a little old lady which was stopped at a red light controlling a junction and a pedestrian crossing. Not only did they keep the siren on but they were sounding their horn as well until they bullied the driver to go through the red light in order to get past

Likely in that case it was very urgent could well be someone dying.

chewynut

I'd hate to see what would happen if there was a serious fire round my area. At night the roads are clear but during the day people park on both sides of the road. I have four different routes I could take to get to work and it's like playing Russian Roulette with which road I'll actually be able to get down that day. I feel sorry for the poor bus drivers that have to get down there twice an hour!

Anyway, to get to my actual point, we were part of a massive motorcycle event called RTTW at the weekend. We were on the motorway when an ambulance comes charging up the fast lane. There was a car already there and this poor car couldn't go anywhere since the next lane was chocka. But rather than slow down to let the car get out of the way when it was safe to do so, this silly ambulance went right up his bumper. On the motorway going 70mph. I got a pretty good view of it and there couldn't have been a foot between the car and ambulance.

I get that the driver needs to save lives but at what point do you draw the line between saving a life and causing a pile up - a nasty pile up at that since you'd got a bus in another lane and a whole column of motorbikes.