Ambulance Lights But No Siren...

[Dave M]

There are three levels of response;

Code 1 (No light and no sirens proceed at the same rate of speed as evryone else on the road and observe all laws.

Code 2 (lights and "sirens" but still observing speed limits etc..) Lights and sirens are to give you a clear path through traffic.

Code 3 (lights and siren and up to but no more than 15 miles over the speed limit).

Now for that dreaded left turn lane situation. I'm first going to take control of the intersection using a thing called the whale and phaser sounds. Now every time is different 9 out a 10 times I'm going to use my PA to get through sometimes I'll go into the on-coming lane of traffic while telling the cars DO NOT MOVE. This is only when I know the on comming traffic has a red light. Most Emer. drivers are very cognitive of the fact that we can freak out a driver and make them pull into traffic which can cause a wreck.

My understanding as an ambulance driver is that if you have the lights on you should have your siren on as well.

Now with that said many drivers, myself included, may not always follow this rule/law. Reasoning is that at 4 am we try not to disturb the people in a neighborhood if the transport is not critical.

"""In California I was taught that all traffic must pull over and come to a stop for an emergency vehicle in response mode. It is not up to the drivers to judge what's enough room for the vehicle ... we don't know what it's doing."""

Thank you Kathy we love you.. There's a lot going on in that truck, everything from on the phone or radio to the receiving facility to having to make stops to apply the AED, starting an IV etc...

The only thing I can say about the asshole that passes you when you pull over is he will probably get to see first hand what goes on in the truck someday. As we say "he's a transport just waiting to happen"

I've had people cut me off and flip me off while I was code 3. Always remember it could be your family member in there or worse you.

One last thing the highest Medic/patch on the truck calls the code.. usually a paramedic.


Blessings,
dave


"Sometimes your the bug and sometimes your the windshield"