Question for the Ambos...

[GOLDIE]

what do you do if going though an intersection no pick up and a car coming though the intersection does not see you stop or try to get out off the wayy with no pickup you are going to be in trouble.

Yes you have to do it safely but you also need to know you have the power there to get you out of trouble if needed.
The mercs have enough but the smaller but still as heavy commodores and the falcons when they used them dont.
The f trucks although big are the best for this type of work they also can carry two patients in comfort aswell as all the gear needed to do the job


Ian

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by GOLDIE

what do you do if going though an intersection no pick up and a car coming though the intersection does not see you stop or try to get out off the wayy with no pickup you are going to be in trouble.

Yes you have to do it safely but you also need to know you have the power there to get you out of trouble if needed.
The mercs have enough but the smaller but still as heavy commodores and the falcons when they used them dont.
The f trucks although big are the best for this type of work they also can carry two patients in comfort aswell as all the gear needed to do the job


Ian

Generally I am crawling at about 5kph through the intersection, myself and my partner making sure 100% that everyone is stopped, if I have an accident whilst running a red or a stop sign it is MY fault regardless, so drivers should be making sure everything is 100% clear before proceeding. There have often been times I have had to stop because of morons, and they annoy the crap out of me, but at the end of the day I might have lost 2 seconds but I have not had to floor it because I find they are suddenly coming at me. Any commodore or falcon will accel at the same rate as a loaded sprinter. Everything is about safety and your surroundings, not speed or power. First thing taught when we were doing our training to be able to drive priority ones. You should never as a good driver be in an emergency situation yourself. At the end of the day everyone has a different driving style. Mine is steady and safe as with most paramedics I work with, but we do have 1 or 2 that think as fast as you can is the best way and I can tell you now being with them is scary.

[Bobman]

Ambulance Victoria had an issue with the Mercedes Sprinters (316 model) that would not gear down/up properly at intersections and it was highly publicised that lives were at risk (including the paramedics).

I've also heard that the first of the newer (current shape) 315 models a few years ago were under-powered, but they might have chosen a better engine in that model now.

Back in the 1990s, I remember issues with roll-overs with the F250s that were eventually replaced by GMCs and today the few F350s that were built from about 7 years ago that have the same rear body as the GMCs had (by Mader) did have economy & weight issues but I reckon they looked fantastic.

[GOLDIE]

well the commodore fully loaded here dont they are slugs.you guys must have great normal drivers over there they never see an ambo here.

It is all about safty yes but surly an ambo should not have to put there life in the hands of all the other road users.

I understand what you say about being your fault if you are it going though a red light but that is just not right and the goverments need to stand up for all ambos out there pay them better and give them better conditions and eqiupment and also make normal drivers responsible for there actions.


Ian

[GOLDIE]

the sprinters are easier to roll than an f350 it has happened here.

They are also dangerous in high winds where we live that is a real problem.

Ian

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by GOLDIE

well the commodore fully loaded here dont they are slugs.you guys must have great normal drivers over there they never see an ambo here.

It is all about safty yes but surly an ambo should not have to put there life in the hands of all the other road users.

I understand what you say about being your fault if you are it going though a red light but that is just not right and the goverments need to stand up for all ambos out there pay them better and give them better conditions and eqiupment and also make normal drivers responsible for there actions.


Ian

We can report drivers who fail to give way to the cops, but most of the time it is easier to just shrug them off. I have an almost photographic memory for numberplates and cars and the one time I did report, is because I knew the idiot had not given way to me on a previous priority 1.

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by GOLDIE

the sprinters are easier to roll than an f350 it has happened here.

They are also dangerous in high winds where we live that is a real problem.

Ian

I can't comment on that as I have never driven one fast enough around a corner to feel it begin to roll.

[GOLDIE]

that sucks my partner had one push her off the road she reported it to the police all that said was do you have an independant wittness as this is the only way theyy could anything.

The goverments need to give police more powers.

Whats the pay like over there

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by GOLDIE

that sucks my partner had one push her off the road she reported it to the police all that said was do you have an independant wittness as this is the only way theyy could anything.

The goverments need to give police more powers.

Whats the pay like over there

Not sure mate I am a volunteer. So my pay is $20 every shift I do lol. I think the paramedics after allowances are on about 70k. Then where we are if they are called on a backup they get about $200 for the one job.

[GOLDIE]

to earn 70 grand here they need to do every overtime and everyextra job they can.

some stations here are you work for 12 hours than go home this is the big city ones in the country ones you are on duty 24 hours aday on a rotating roster 6days on 2 off 6 on two off 6 on 4 off and than 4 on 5 off so alot of hours needed to be done to earn any money.

[Spudz27]

I can't really comment as I am in W.A. The guys I work with are on a 4 on 4 off roster of 2 x 10hr days and 2 x 14hr nights. Then the guy on days is backup at night and vice versa. I live in a town with 50-60,000 people, so we have 3 vans and 5 paramedics (although 1 is station leader and usually covers peoples leave etc) We work 1 Paramedic 1 vollie crew day and night, although they are bringing a few more paramdeics down so we can have 2 crews (same combination) on during the day.

[Ben73]

I was considering becoming a paramedic. I was waiting around to be old enough to go for it, but I was strapped for cash since my casual job wasn't good enough.
Looking for a better temporary job I found my current 'job', I was only going to do it for a few years while waiting to try out for paramedic, but I turned my job into a career and now I don't want to leave it to become a paramedic because that means I will be taking a substantial pay cut.

To be honest my current career has stupid hours of work like a paramedic, but I get paid a fair bit more for it to compensate, and it sooo much easier!

Maybe one day if I get bored of my current career I may consider being a paramedic.

[BENT_8]

I thought we were talking about the rapid response vehicles here, arent they usually manned by senior paramedics or doctors?

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I thought we were talking about the rapid response vehicles here, arent they usually manned by senior paramedics or doctors?

In W.A they are used by team leaders and it is not often they turn up to a job unless it is really serious and they are nearby.

[BENT_8]

Then with all due respect, as a volunteer, would it be safe to say that you wouldnt actually man one of these vehicles?

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Then with all due respect, as a volunteer, would it be safe to say that you wouldnt actually man one of these vehicles?

You are correct, but the conversation turned to the cars being a safety hazard so I believe that entitled me to explain that it is not about power but about safe driving, and just because I do not man one of the vehicles does not mean I don't know how they are used operationally.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Puffin Fresh

You are correct, but the conversation turned to the cars being a safety hazard so I believe that entitled me to explain that it is not about power but about safe driving, and just because I do not man one of the vehicles does not mean I don't know how they are used operationally.

Excuse me if im wrong, but the thread started off about underpowered CARS being a hazard when used for rapid response.
Obviously a large VAN etc. would need to be handled differently, but the OP was making comment on how once through the intersection etc. at 5km/hr(safety first) how poorly the CAR responded to the loud peddle.

[388cube_edxr8]

It is genuinely interesting to hear from those in the business, from the outside looking in I can only make observations.

It seems to me though, that a little extra power in these 'Rapid Response" wagons would not go astray. An Ambulance vehicle capable of 10 second quarters is obviously just silly, but for the slight benefit a more powerful vehicle may have, surely it's worth the fraction of a % increase in the vehicle purchase cost, considering it's intended purpose.

That's just the way it seams to me. Blasting through a red light at 60km/h is not really a good idea, but a V8 would not support this. My point was that surely you would want to accelerate reasonably quickly once you have cleared the intersection. A notoriously underpowered V6, weighted down with all the necessary medical equipment just doesn't seem like a logical choice to me.

[GOLDIE]

i agree 100 %

[SpoolMan]

Yes closed its not worth the drama being displayed towards one and other.

I would have thought carrying all that weight would be the acceleration problem with a 6 cyl.
The old saying, Weight will stop a train..