# PLEASE stop when calling 911 about car accidents



## Scott (2 Jan 2010)

Ladies and gents, in this age of mobile phones and during this season of snow and ice emergency services are frequently activated for legitimate emergency events where life and death are sometimes seconds apart. Often we are alerted to car accidents by a passer by and their mobile phone and we wish to continue to see this sort of thing happen, of course. 

In my neighborhood, where I volunteer as a firefighter, we cover approximately 25 kilomteres of four lane highway in our own district and provide support to four other fire departments for the JAWS of Life service for their bits of highway and secondary roads. So when someone hits the rhubarb  on icy roads we have to first get ourselves to the fire station on the same icy roads that someone just bailed off of and then drive emergency apparatus over said icy roads to the same spot where someone hit the tools, see where I am going here? It's dangerous.

So, it gets a little frustrating when we get a call, get to the station and then drive all over hell's half acre only to find out that the car accident is nowhere to be found (which we are happy about, of course) because someone called it in on their cellphone but couldn't be arsed enough to stop and see if people are okay. Yeah, you're doing a service but you should think about the service you are doing and the ramifications of your being in too much of a hurry to stop your car and make a safe cell phone call on roads that already saw someone slide off of them.

And not only do we face the risk of tackling these roads but you face risk as well. Why? Because if your house catches fire or you slide off the road while we are chasing another, non existant, accident guess where that leaves you? It leaves you waiting for another department to respond to your legitimate emergency while we chase geese. And it CAN happen.

According to a cop buddy of mine (and I'd love to have someone expand on this for me if you have the legit info) they do have the means to charge you for such a thing. Leaving the scene or something tied to that? As said, I get this second hand and the conversation was a while ago. But is that what it has to come to? 

So please, if you witness or come across a wreck on the roads: stop safely, call 911 if it is needed and wait to see if you are needed to help.

Thanks


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## PuckChaser (2 Jan 2010)

I'm actually surprised people called 911... I've seen cars blow right past an accident they witnessed without even stopping or pulling out a phone.


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## medaid (2 Jan 2010)

ZC can correct me if I'm wrong. The idea of "leaving a scene of an accident" is governed under the Motor Vehicle/Highway Acts of the Province. Basically it applies to those who have been involved in an accident and leaving it without either due care to make sure all is alright, or attempting to flee from LE after the fact. 

By-standers who call 911 cannot be charged for attempting to render aid, unless it was done with malicious intent (i.e. mischief, then it's a dual offence under the Criminal Code), as the by-stander is covered by the Provinces' Good Samaritan Act.


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## mariomike (2 Jan 2010)

I never heard of a Call Originator getting in trouble, unless it is a Malicious False Alarm. 
Where I worked, of about 425,700 calls processed by ( Metro Toronto ) Ambulance per year, there are only about 179,600 transports. Many of those are Frequent Flyers.
Sometimes, it was enough to simply show up. 

As for stopping to see if people are okay, although there is no law that requires you to do so, it's the decent thing to do. But, it's also up to you to decide if the risk to your safety, and maybe your family as well, is worth it. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. By all means, report what you saw. Even if the information you provide is less than complete. 
A lot of Good Samaritans, have become casualties themselves in secondary collisions. 

If interested, regarding Duty to Rescue in Canada:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_to_rescue#Canadian_law


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## pbi (6 Jan 2010)

I have to agree with Scott;s frustration. When I was a volunteer firefighter in Virginia, I experienced this kind of thing a couple of times. One night we got toned out for a motor vehicle accident on I-95 (a few minutes from our station). We rolled out and went blasting north up the thruway, looking for the accident scene. After a few minutes of seeing nothing in either lanes, we were about to call it off when we rounded a bend and saw the emergency vehicles in the southbound, nowhere near where we thought. Fortunately other companies and EMS were already on scene, so no loss, but it meant that our company was needlessly out of its "first due" area.

I have come to the conclusion over the years that many civilians drive around with a very limited idea of where they actually are, or what direction they are travelling in.


Cheers


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## Scott (7 Jan 2010)

Interesting point, pbi. Indeed, most people don't really give a toss about those funny signs with numbers on them denoting speed, let alone the ones with distance markers on them and thus would have no idea how important they are to getting help to the right spot. Any emergency responder living near me will know the maddening instance of being called out to *the wrong highway* because someone thinks they are somewhere they are not, or traveling through two districts because info is updated and you're already on the road and will make it faster so why stand down? 

Callers from cellphones can be a blessing and a curse. I have chased car fires that were in another part of the province and I have also navigated logging roads to find a four wheeler upset with a kid hurt. Don't get me wrong, I am not bitching about it too much because we'd rather get a call than no call because the one that someone drives by and ignores will be the real deal, you know?

True story: the other night a call came in for a "possible house on fire" located "somewhere between" two of the streets in my town. Being that these streets are handy my house (I live on one of them) I first took a long look at my place to make sure it wasn't burning then headed for the station all the while scanning for this "house on fire" It turns out that a drive-by caller saw someone having a bonfire (a big one, granted) and decided to alert us. Did you read that correctly? They thought they saw a house on fire but could not stop to even check if there were people inside. They simply called 911 and figured their job was done.

What happened was this: we respond to the station set to roll with everything we have and three other stations are responding to send us additional pers and apparatus AND two more stations are put on standby in case it all goes for shit. All because someone thought they saw a house on fire. Hey, I am biased. I would stop. But I am a fireman. But I know my Dad would stop too and he's never been. 

I reiterate - take five minutes out of your day, pull over (only if it is safe) and check things out. Someone will thank you for it. If I don't I will at least be thinking it, you can bet on that.


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## forumdood007 (10 Jan 2010)

I work as a calltaker/dispatcher in a 911 center and to be sure, there are policies regarding all emergencies. For us, we dispatch Police and Fire at the municipal level and EHS handles ambulance dispatch at another location, at a provincial level. The 911 system is also run by the Province. All that said, calls for MVAs must be dealt with like this: if there are no injuries, serious leaks, criminal activity and the vehicles are drivable....the drivers exchange info and report the accident to the local police station to obtain an accident report for insurance purposes. No emergency services attend. If there is a need for a tow truck, someone refuses to exchange info, a driver is impaired etc, Police attend. Police do not determine fault, you pay your insurance company for that. If there are injuries, Police, EHS and Fire respond. A passerby can call 911 or the local non-emergency number for Police but will be asked to provide information on the scene they are seeing. We must remember that emergency vehicles, especially fire trucks, traveling at a high rate of speed, are doing so at high risk to themselves and everyone on the road. It is best to determine if it is necessary, after all, it's all about common sense.


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## mariomike (11 Jan 2010)

forumdood007 said:
			
		

> We must remember that emergency vehicles, especially fire trucks, traveling at a high rate of speed, are doing so at high risk to themselves and everyone on the road.



Not all of us choose to put everyone on the road, as well as ourselves, at high risk. But I agree, there are plenty who do.
Edit to add: I'm mostly just a pedestrian now. I no longer drive for a living.


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## Sheerin (13 Jan 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3uoVOOlT2s&feature=related  this happens far too often.  
Not becuase of people making bad 911 calls, rather it's crews not really thinking when they're responding.


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## mariomike (13 Jan 2010)

Sheerin said:
			
		

> Not becuase of people making bad 911 calls, rather it's crews not really thinking when they're responding.



I agree with you 100%.
A trick I used when I felt the adrenalin start, was to imagine *what if a child ran out into the street*?


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## zipperhead_cop (18 Jan 2010)

Well, now that its unlawful to use your cell phone when driving, maybe we won't get those calls anymore?  ;D
Several things in play:
1.  There is a shocking number of people who do not know how to call EMS of any sort on a non-emergency line.  
2.  Some policies require all three services to roll when an accident is on a 400 series highway unless otherwise told (very aggravating).
3.  Bingo hall recruiting ensures the most unmotivated people work as call takers and ask the least number of questions.  Among questions not asked is usually a way to call back the original caller.  
4.  Some collisions (for God's sake, don't call them "accidents" unless a dead tree fell into the roadway.  They are rarely "accidental") fix/clear themselves if you ignore them long enough.  
5.  Single MVC's at night almost always are alcohol involved.  They don't tend to stick around either.  And if anyone thinks it's clever to call in a stolen auto report the morning after your car was found in a ditch/porch/night club, forget it.  

For my part, if it is an injury collision that is deemed so by my dispatcher I'm going at about 50% top speed.  If we are getting multiple calls in from people losing their minds on the cell phones, that is a solid one.  You are still only going to get about 80% from me though.  100% is only for officer needs assistance.


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## mariomike (18 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> 1.  There is a shocking number of people who do not know how to call EMS of any sort on a non-emergency line.



I posted the number of calls processed by T-EMS versus the number of transports. Just showing up seems to be enough for some people. They don't want a ride.  In recent years, TFS has started coming on a lot of ambulance calls.:

" “Maisie,” an elderly Toronto woman whose chain smoking often leaves her gasping for air, is so well-known to the firefighters at the nearby station that when her address is announced on the loudspeaker, they all bellow her name. They lumber up the dark stairwell to her squalid apartment as often as three or four times a night. On this particular occasion, they listen to her breathing and give her oxygen. After the paramedics arrive, her colour improves. She signs a waiver, refusing to allow EMS to take her to hospital. On his way out, the fire hall captain empties an ashtray, and places a few dirty dishes in the sink."
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:qdm6J5Up-_cJ:www2.macleans.ca/tag/toronto-fire-service/+toronto+fire+dishes&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a


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## mariomike (19 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> 3.  Bingo hall recruiting ensures the most unmotivated people work as call takers and ask the least number of questions.



When I joined, if you wanted to dispatch Metro Paramedics, you had to have served as a Metro Paramedic a minimum of five years. Communications was a good job. It paid the same as the street, and was clean, inside work with no heavy lifting. Now it's almost 100% civilians in there.
Back in the early 1970's we had about 15-18 Dispatchers. We now have at least 112 Dispatchers. That's not including Supervisors. The geographic area remains the same 243 sq miles. Call Volume has skyrocketed.

I should like to add, that as far as Dispatchers go, they have my respect. It's not an easy job.


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## Bass ackwards (19 Jan 2010)

mariomike said:
			
		

> I should like to add, that as far as Dispatchers go, they have my respect. It's not an easy job.



Thanks Mike.


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## mariomike (20 Jan 2010)

I've listened to some "Greatest Telephone Hits" on tape, Bass ack. The ones where they had to stay on the phone with the Caller until we got there. I bet you preferred dispatching more than call taking!
Worth every penny, in my opinion.


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## Bass ackwards (20 Jan 2010)

The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of superb people on either end of the radio and, occasionally, unfortunately, you'll also find some real losers in that mix. 

Ditto for the phones. 
And for damned sure, not every one who calls in is a polite, observant, sober, thoughtful individual. 
Far too many callers simply demand "just send someone!" when you ask for further details. Still others -after years of watching shows like _Rescue 911_- believe that when you call 911, a cruiser/ambulance/firetruck suddenly materializes out of the mist and automatically solves whatever problem they've gotten themselves into.
Such people are lawsuits waiting to happen because they are incapable of realizing that:
Yes, your stupidity _can_ get you killed -no matter how good the call takers and responders are. 
For that reason, I and most of the Emergency Services communicators I knew, cordially detested that show. 

So to go back to the OP's point:
Scott, I'm afraid you're preaching to the choir. Most of the people reading this are military, ex-miltary, EMS, LEOs, or otherwise have some training or at least an interest in such things and would likely be of some use at an accident scene (it'd be interesting to poll the membership to see how many people carry well-stocked first-aid kits, blankets, fire extinguishers, etc in their personal vehicles). 
But, if this gets through to even one youngster or civilian who otherwise would not have thought of such things, then kudos to you for bringing it up.
Stay safe.


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## mariomike (20 Jan 2010)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> Far too many callers simply demand "just send someone!" when you ask for further details. Still others -after years of watching shows like _Rescue 911_- believe that when you call 911, a cruiser/ambulance/firetruck suddenly materializes out of the mist and automatically solves whatever problem they've gotten themselves into.



Reminds me a little of what Dennis Smith wrote in "Report from Engine Company 82": 
"If you pick up the telephone receiver in this town you may, or may not, get a dial tone. If you get on a subway you may, or may not, get stuck in a tunnel for an hour. The wall socket in your apartment may, or may not, contain electricity. The city's air may, or may not, be killing you. The only real sure thing in this town is that the firemen come when you pull down the handle on that red box."


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## Bass ackwards (20 Jan 2010)

Ha. It's been quite a while since I read that worthy tome.

The flip side of these non-info calls, is when you get a fender-bender at a major intersection or on the highway at rush hour. 
Then, _everybody_ calls it in on their cellphones. So what we had -in my situation at least- was three people answering phones and twenty-odd people calling 911 at the same time. PLUS whatever else is going on that people are calling about.
Some comm centres have some sort of warning system to let you know there's a 911 call  waiting when all your phones are busy. This is usually a strobe light or audible alarm of some sort (or both) and makes you feel like you're in a nuclear generator station in the midst of a meltdown.

For added charm: 
By the time you get to the eighth or ninth caller, who's been listening to an "all our lines are busy" recording for two or three minutes - when you finally _do_ get to them, you are very likely to hear...
"Well. It's nice to see you're finally awake."


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## mariomike (20 Jan 2010)

I know it's a very demanding, and at times stressful job. I had a bit of bad luck on a call years ago and was admitted to a burn unit. When I got out, I had to work Modified Duty for a while. The Dept put me in the Communications Centre and I was very thankful they did. They were very kind to me, and it was an opportunity to learn how things worked in "the fishbowl". I had a great time in there!


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## Bass ackwards (21 Jan 2010)

Back when police comm centres were still staffed by coppers, there used to be the three "INs" of winding up in communications:
IN sh!t
INcapacitated
INcompetent

Needless to say, things have changed. Sure it's a tough and sometimes crappy job, but lots of people have tough, crappy jobs. Heck, a lot of the people _here_ can include "having people try to kill me" in their job descriptions. That's probably no fun at all. A friend emailed me a picture of a veterinarian, wrapped in plastic, with his entire upper body inserted into the back end of an elephant at a zoo.
Now _there's_ a job that's gotta really suck.

It's all relative...


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## mariomike (21 Jan 2010)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> Back when police comm centres were still staffed by coppers, there used to be the three "INs" of winding up in communications:
> IN sh!t
> INcapacitated
> INcompetent



I think the police, and EMS, changed Communications from an assignment for Police Officers and Paramedics to a Direct Entry position for civilians hired off the street to save money.  There was an unsuccessful Human Rights complaint against the City of Vancouver regarding this:
"the mostly female police dispatchers, who are civilians, are paid 40 percent less than the mostly male contingent of fire department dispatchers, who are firefighters.":
http://www.straight.com/article/dispatchers-lose-case?#
Vancouver EMS dispatchers were not included because they are provincial, not city, employees.   
This is a story ( with some interesting comments! ) regarding TFS dispatch. It's in the same HQ as T-EMS, but they are two separate worlds ( and floors ) apart:
http://www.thestar.com/article/646628

Not sure why the reporter called it "a tired industrial complex". It's been a beautiful place since 1981. TFS joined us in 1998.

As I said, they treated me with nothing but kindness when I was in there. Even though I was not qualified to answer phones or dispatch, they made sure that I was involved in the process. They made me feel useful at a time when I needed a job to do, rather than sit at home.
That was back in the paper and pencil days, before computers! The telephone call receivers would time stamp the work ticket on a machine, then put it on a high speed conveyor belt with tracks to the specific radio desks up front. Each desk had it's own ticket rack and coloured status buttons. I can't remember what the colours meant, but they all meant something. I have sincere admiration for the work that they do. Then and now. They have a "third ear". One ear for the phone, one for the radio and the third for the room. Their eyes are in constant motion.
Since then, things have changed. 9-1-1 and cell phones have skyrocketed call volumes. There are now multiple callers for the same incident, but they each have to be processed. There's also Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS). Pre-arrival instructions could include how to do CPR, the Heimlich Manoeuvre or how to deliver a baby. Dispatchers also have to work with a translations service, Poison Control, HAZMAT, TTC, swimming pools etc.
Used to be the about the only question was, "Where do you need it?" and not much else. Most calls were either "medical emergency" or "Unknown problem - see the wo/man".

P.S. I know you will be offline for a while Bass. Thanks for your posts, and have a great time!


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Jan 2010)

IMO, all call centers should be supervised by a full time, qualified member of the branch they are dispatching for.  IE) a police sergeant in our comms center.  The civilians rarely "get" how it is on the street most times.  Even if they are inclined to be helpful (which they frequently are not) the really don't know the right questions to be asking.  Nothing pisses me off like getting dispatched by the MDT to a break in report where they haven't so much as bothered to ask the name of the complainant!  

Also, IMO, the MDT's (Mobile Data Terminals aka computer in the car) have cause skill regression in the dispatchers.  When I was first on the job we didn't have the MDT's.  The dispatchers would be running address history, complainants and suspects on CPIC, looking for related calls.  Now, since we have the ability to get all that ourselves they are content to clear the call off their screen and let us do all the digging.  I don't mind getting stuff on my own, but don't get pissy when I need an assist and I simply am asking you to do your job!


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## mariomike (21 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> IMO, all call centers should be supervised by a full time, qualified member of the branch they are dispatching for.



Where I worked, if you are qualified and experienced in both Operations and Communications, you are truly Golden. You can pretty well write your own ticket. But, those people are very rare now. Even the short time I spent in Communications as a "helper" would not be allowed now.  Main reason being the two Divisions are in different unions. If like most of us, you are only qualified in one Division, you will never be allowed to Supervise the other.  
TFS only has the one union, so they can, and do, transfer within either Division.
TPS also only has the one union, but, unlike Fire, it is split into Uniform ( sworn Police Officers ) and Civilian ( Dispatchers ).


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## zipperhead_cop (22 Jan 2010)

Not so much as to supervise the civilians.  That should be done by one of their own.  But be there to vet the calls.  Be able to say "No, we are not sending a unit to that".  Or make the big people decision to clear a call without a unit attending, like a 6 hour old noise complaint with no call backs.  Or when a hot call comes in, tag up with a non-engaged call taker/operator and start digging for useful info in records, or prompting useful questions with the call taker (like: what is your name?)
Stuff like that.


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## mariomike (22 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> Be able to say "No, we are not sending a unit to that".



We could never say that. There's been too many lawsuits.
"If you have any doubts about whether you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. The ambulance will take you to the appropriate emergency department." Those are the exact words advertised by T-EMS. They are in red ink.  
You call, we haul.   
The Call Receiver must inform the caller that, "The ambulance is on the way." That is, they already have the ambulance rolling on a pre-alert.  They will be updated en-route. I think it's hard for some callers to understand that while they are being interrogated by the Call Taker and receiving pre-arrival instructions, the pick-up location has already been sent to a Radio Dispatcher who has started an ambulance. 
Clock stopping Response time is the big thing. So is Unit Hour Utilization UHU.
Sometimes the caller just gives the location and hangs up. But you still have to go.
Once you get there, if nobody wants a ride, you have to do an "Aid to Capacity". That is, the patient(s), the parent or substitute decision maker has to answer three questions:
1) "What is wrong with you?"
2) "What could happen if I don't help you?"
3) "What will you do once I leave?"
After that, you have to do a "Refusal of Service: "I have been advised that I should have treatment and that treatment is available immediately. I refuse such treatment and transportation to hospital having been informed of the risks involved. I assume full responsibility arising out of such refusal."
You have to get the patient, parent or substitute decision maker to sign that, along with their name and address. Then the First Witness. Then the Second Witness. Then both crew members. 
Of course, they usually tell you to shove it up your ......
You get a lot of refuse to go calls, because the Call Originator is very often a third party who isn't going anywhere themselves, but demand someone else go! hahaha 

You mentioned those accidents collisions on the 400 series highways. The OPP usually go to them, but you likely do too. You know how it is. Multiple vehicles involved, which means plenty of potential patients. Even though most are wandering around in live lanes arguing about whose fault it was, checking property damage and talking on their cell phones. Because of the inevitable insurance claims ( off work with whiplash, headache and sore back ), you have to handle all the occupants of all the vehicles involved by the book. Which means K.E.D., collar and backboard. 
Each year, T-EMS receives about 2,500 requests for information. They release about 700 Ambulance Call Reports, Dispatch Reports, Incident Reports, audio recordings and Statutory Declarations from Paramedics. Mostly to those ambulance chasers Personal Injury lawyers we see on the TV ads. 
"Not documented means not done" is the medical-legal maxim.

Getting back to stopping at accidents. Reminds me of a multi-car P.I. we attended with the bus on the 401 at Yonge. The OPP later called our office about a car - undamaged - at the scene. They knew who the car was registered to, but there's no record of her at NYGH. She's a wife and mother, the family is going nuts and she's MIA. They figure we must have screwed up. That thought crossed our minds too! A couple of days later a guy walking his dog under the Hogg's Hollow Bridge finds a woman's body. Later ID'd as our missing lady. Back then there was just basic night lighting and simple guard rails for 6 collector lanes and 8 express lanes. Turns out she was a Good Samaritan who somehow got knocked off the overpass without anyone noticing!


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## zipperhead_cop (23 Jan 2010)

Yeah well, you're an ambulance guy.  You see things differently.  By and large, _we_ don't give a fig what is going on at these idiotic calls unless they are deserving people who actually need help.  Two crack heads knife each other over the last rock?  Couldn't possibly care less.  YOU have to go and take extreme measure to save their stupid, welfare, diseased, useless lives.  Us?  We take some pics and stand by to have them lie on the stand about what happened.  
You can't tell me you didn't want to tell someone to go frag themself becasue they were claiming a stroke but you knew bloody well that they just wanted a free ride to the hospital and a shove to the front of the line just to get a free bottle of extra strength Tylenol.  How many waste of time CAT-scans have you seen?  
I guess the difference is that if our lame calls are ignored they rarely end up in someone ill or dead.  Paramedics are a different deal.


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## mariomike (25 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> You can't tell me you didn't want to tell someone to go frag themself becasue they were claiming a stroke but you knew bloody well that they just wanted a free ride to the hospital and a shove to the front of the line just to get a free bottle of extra strength Tylenol.  How many waste of time CAT-scans have you seen?



Don't forget the drunks. All night long running a shuttle service for them. 
To show the increase in demand: In 1967 there were 45,000 calls in Metro. By 2005, it was 238,306 and rising steadily.


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## Sheerin (25 Jan 2010)

I find most of our 'clients' who are looking just for a ride don't even bother with making up some medical reason to be chauffeured to the emerg.  They know that regardless of what they say, they'll make it to the hospital.

It can be incredibly frustrating.


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## zipperhead_cop (26 Jan 2010)

IMO, unless you are unconcious, or suffering from a trauma wound or diagnosed heart failure in progress (as shown on a paramedics heart monitor) you should have to pay $20 to even get to talk to the triage nurse.  That would weed out 80% of the useless baggage.  If you are actually sick or your kid is, you can find the money.  Make the $20 100% refundable on your Ontario tax return.  
The money can be collected by the paramedics prior to their transporting as well.  Otherwise, via con Dios dickweed.


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## mariomike (26 Jan 2010)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> The money can be collected by the paramedics prior to their transporting as well.  Otherwise, via con Dios dickweed.



Ambulance crews have never collected money in this city. It wasn't our job to argue with people we were sent to help. ( Even if some plenty were dickweeds. hahaha! )
The hospitals send the bill in the mail. It's $45 for residents with OHIP. Private insurance will cover that. Welfare and D.O.A.'s are free. If the M.D. feels you did not need the ambulance, the hospital can bill you $240. There is no charge if you receive treatment from Paramedics, but refuse to go to hospital. 

There is something new called "Community Referrals by EMS: CREMS. I will just copy/paste. Sounds like a good idea for some of our lonely shut-ins. Remember the "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" lady on TV? They are nice people, but they are also the ones who keep the phones ringing off the hook.

"Community Referrals by EMS or CREMS is a simple procedure that enables paramedics to link at-risk and in-need people to health care and support services in the community. 
Paramedics responding to 911 calls often discover that their patients need additional care that is outside the current scope of paramedic practice. Most of that care and support is available in the community but the problem is inadequate linkage of patients to the organizations that provide the services.
Paramedics can successfully link people to the care and support that they require by making a Community Referral by EMS or CREMS. That linkage can have a profound impact on people’s health and their quality of life.
The original pilot of the Community Referrals by EMS or CREMS program in a small area of Toronto proved to be very successful. In addition to establishing and improving care for people in the community, *there was a noticeable impact on EMS resource utilization."*
http://www.torontoems.ca/main-site/news/temsTV-index.html

P.S. The new Staging rules came out today, Bass. That will be a lawsuit for sure. Maybe an Inquest too. Two Dispatchers, Two Paramedics and one Supervisor Superintendent were suspended for one call! That must be a record!
http://www.toronto.ca/emssoprecs/
http://www.toronto.ca/your_health/pdf/ems-MoH-LTC-report.pdf


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## mariomike (4 Feb 2010)

Scott and Zipperhead-Cop's good advice on this subject reminded me of some of the time wasters I have been sent on. Strangely enough, most happened after we changed our call-in number from 489-2111 to 911.

Drive by callers who don't stop are a problem. And not just for car wrecks. Motorists will call in for piles of clothes and sleeping bags under overpasses and the ravines, etc. That can be seen from a highway. The locations given are often not very specific, because they are off road.  We used to get a lot of those calls from the Gardiner Expressway at Sunnyside, before they "evicted" them. Rosedale Valley was another. When you got there, if there was nobody home, you would usually try to scatter the debris a bit, so drivers would stop calling.
Maybe they thought they were doing something nice for society by calling and sending us on a wild goose chase.

Got a call from a borderline obese gent about 60 years old living in an old style apartment building. The elevator was out of service. So he called 911. Tells us he wants to go get checked out for something or other at a hospital. 
OK, glad to be of service. Had to carry him down all those flights of stairs. We get to the lobby of his building. He hops off our stair chair, says he changed his mind about going to the hospital, walks to his car, gets in and drives off to somewhere. Probably dinner and a movie. "Refused to go - refused to sign", so no charge. We called them "courtesy calls".  

Friends and neighbours used to drive each other get to the hospital, if they weren't in severe distress. Not anymore.
Just a few, of many, many, examples. I didn't really mind, because I was happy to have a job and liked helping people, but it does make you wonder of the cost of it all. 
Anyway, here is a story from CNN. Sorry it is from south of the border, but the story sounds pretty familiar.
"911 abuse: Calling with the sniffles
Chronic abuse of 911 for non-emergency issues is wasting billions of dollars every year and overwhelming the safety net of health care. And taxpayers are left with the tab":
http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/24/news/economy/healthcare_911_abuse/index.htm?postversion=2009082407


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