Last time you saw an XC Falcon road block?

XCwillo · 23-09-2010, 08:21 PM

Was at a mates place this arvo on the esplanade in Hervey Bay when we heard an explosion and rushed out to see a old bloke had hit a concrete power pole with his Van (would of fallen asleep at the wheel or blacked out) He was trapped inside so while the firies and ambo where coming me and a mate directed traffic while i swept the glass off the road.
Then the fireies come and tell us to set up a road block at the previous roundabout to stop traffic
What better way to do it then with a XC Falcon Ute and traffic cones!!

Mind you some people didnt beleive us and drove around my car, only to drive back and have us clapping them on for being silly buggers
Even had a bloke constantly speed off from me cause he thought i was trying to rob him!!

Mind you
A road block by a guy in a Cold rock uniform and dominoes uniform only using a car and traffic cones does look suss >.<

jaydee · 23-09-2010, 08:26 PM

Very brave putting your car in the way of some drunken looney who might just clean it up. I would have got the firies to put their big red truck there.

Iggypoppin' · 23-09-2010, 08:29 PM

Very well done for taking some initiative mate, an accident is often a time when bystanders are just that: standing by. Helping direct traffic and prevent people from entering the scene is a good way to prevent crashes and speeding idiots. I did this once, but we where in the hills and it was a mate who pranged into a commodore and blocked the road. I was on scene ten minutes later, and as a qualified traffic marshall was obligated to assist, holding lanes up and allowing others through etc. Even after the firies and ambos got there, they just handed me a torch(had my fluros in the car) and kept at it.
So! Well done mate. Good work. Have some reps.

XCwillo · 23-09-2010, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

Very brave putting your car in the way of some drunken looney who might just clean it up. I would have got the firies to put their big red truck there.

we where stopping cars before they got to the block so they could do a u turn and this was about 600 metres down the road because there was no turn off between the crash and the round about, the firies had more important things to do like save the blokes life :S

And cheers Iggy! i cant stand people who dont take action when things can be done to help :\

Jason[98.EL] · 23-09-2010, 08:57 PM

well done mate

not to many would do what you did tonight

Jason

jaydee · 24-09-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

we where stopping cars before they got to the block so they could do a u turn and this was about 600 metres down the road because there was no turn off between the crash and the round about, the firies had more important things to do like save the blokes life :S

And cheers Iggy! i cant stand people who dont take action when things can be done to help :\

Mate I wasn't having a crack, I just wouldn't have put my pride and joy out there. Maybe my daughters Corolla or something, but not the XC.
Good community spirit though, did you get any thanks?

XCwillo · 24-09-2010, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

Mate I wasn't having a crack, I just wouldn't have put my pride and joy out there. Maybe my daughters Corolla or something, but not the XC.
Good community spirit though, did you get any thanks?

Oh i know you werent! >.< the way i typed that sounded abit harsh hah sorry i was just saying it was a while from the scene and the firies had to watch the powerlines didnt come down too so they where welll pre occupied

And i did think about the safety of it at one point but more or so i wanted to get a picture of it blocking the road cause it looks so enforcing >.<

Well the detective block in the Lancer gave us some thanks when he came and relieved us but thats about as far as it went
wouldnt mind a written award cause it would look great on my resume and i need a new job

GS608 · 24-09-2010, 03:59 PM

nice work mate, have some reps, btw anyone else notice the rego plate on the cop car starts with triple 0 lol

**Peuty** · 24-09-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iggypoppin'

Very well done for taking some initiative mate, an accident is often a time when bystanders are just that: standing by. Helping direct traffic and prevent people from entering the scene is a good way to prevent crashes and speeding idiots.

No offence, but but I reckon stuff like that should be left to the appropriate EMS's. Last thing they'd need is an untrained civilain bystander waving a torch around at people.

Each to their own.

[Tonko] · 24-09-2010, 06:46 PM

Well done mate. qualified or not you went above and beyond.

I had my own little XD roadblock about 12 months ago, a biker and his passenger come off a greasy cross road right near my house. We only had half a dozen traffic triangles and the cars hazard lights. Scary stuff in a storm.

Piotr · 24-09-2010, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

No offence, but but I reckon stuff like that should be left to the appropriate EMS's. Last thing they'd need is an untrained civilain bystander waving a torch around at people.

Each to their own.

Yeh I hear the torch usage course at Tafe is a hard one

Mad Maxine · 24-09-2010, 08:44 PM

Willo, good on you. Community service, no matter how you slice it is a good thing.

+1

Shazz

TheInterceptor · 24-09-2010, 09:53 PM

Glad to see that you didnt continue to drive saying "its not my problem".
Not surprised that people drove past thinking your doing a dodgy for kicks or somthing, only looking a little bit suss :P

Anyhow
Good on you Willo.

dave351cid · 24-09-2010, 11:03 PM

well done mate.

its a shame that more people arent willing to get involved and help out when others lives go pear shaped.
if everyone turns spectator and depends solely on the trained emergency services to do any helping out needed then we have become a sad kind of comunity

.

a couple of years ago i used my BA ute to block the bruce hwy while our local servo burnt down beside the road. took nearly an hour for the police to get there . about half hour for the fireys.

The Yeti · 25-09-2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

No offence, but but I reckon stuff like that should be left to the appropriate EMS's. Last thing they'd need is an untrained civilain bystander waving a torch around at people.

Each to their own.

I think you missed the part in the orginal post that said the firies asked them to establish the road block

all sounds like great work from me.

As a member of an emergency service I would prefer to have these guys set up this road block as asked than the tanked guys hangen arround shouting crap at us like the last MVA I went to

geckoGT · 25-09-2010, 07:42 AM

As has been said, it was not unreasonable to ask someone to close the road at a safe place until the police arrive. I would have no concerns asking someone to do this at a roundabout or other slow point in traffic. By the way, we don't really use the term EMS in australia, that is a yank thing, here we are ambulance, ambo's or paramedics. Because ambo's normally do not have large numbers at crashes we do not really do traffic control, we leave that to the cops (who actually have training in traffic control) or the fireys (because they normally have the larger numbers and much bigger trucks).

I have asked bystanders to close roads before but only if I consider it safe to do so and only with clear instructions on how to do so. There are times that emergency services are just too busy, especially in the early stages before the cops arrive. The only thing I would have done different if I was there is I would have provided you with a reflective vest for extra visibility and safety (yes I do carry a spare for that).

You meet all sorts at crashes and I have to say it is reassuring to know that generally people are very happy to help. We often have bystanders help by providing cover from sun for the victim or help getting equipment out of our truck etc. It is so good to see community spirit lives on.

Well done for helping out at a time of need, I am sure the fireys did appreciate it even if they did not have time to express that more.

Examples like this are what we need more of, rather than the other end of the spectrum where people get upset because we are blocking the road and they have this idea that we are not allowed to stop them from getting to where they need to go.

By the way, how did it turn out for the driver?

XCwillo · 25-09-2010, 08:33 AM

Thanks heaps guys!

And nah Gecko i honestly dont know. He seemed alright when we first got there but he was bleeding from the head and when we checked back after getting releived from the road block it seemed like a pretty serious situation, and he was a very old man so unfortunately i dont think he made it :(

**buggerlugs** · 25-09-2010, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

Yeh I hear the torch usage course at Tafe is a hard one

Not as hard as the Stop-Go Controllers course................Good on ya, If I came across the same scene, I'd do the same thing in a flash. Isn't it called helping your fellow man. Bit different to these clowns http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...ash-then-bash/

geckoGT · 25-09-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Thanks heaps guys!

And nah Gecko i honestly dont know. He seemed alright when we first got there but he was bleeding from the head and when we checked back after getting releived from the road block it seemed like a pretty serious situation, and he was a very old man so unfortunately i dont think he made it :(

Appearances are always a good indicator, sometimes the things we do out of precaution can look pretty serious, heres hoping for him.

geckoGT · 25-09-2010, 09:03 AM

What area did it happen, was it Hervey Bay?

geckoGT · 25-09-2010, 09:15 AM

I just checked the police media web site, normally if it is a fatal or the paramedics rate it as serious injuries it gets a mention on this site. There were no listings for serious crashes over the last couple of days in the Hervey Bay area so I think you will find he will be ok. Lets hope so.

flappist · 25-09-2010, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckoGT

What area did it happen, was it Hervey Bay?

There are never accidents in Hervey Bay, all the drivers are experts with total regard for other road users including cyclists......

geckoGT · 25-09-2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

There are never accidents in Hervey Bay, all the drivers are experts with total regard for other road users including cyclists......

Does that mean you have moved then

OLDFORDNUT · 25-09-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

There are never accidents in Hervey Bay, all the drivers are experts with total regard for other road users including cyclists......

you crack me up. LOL in Hervey Bay all roundabouts are actually give way to the right signs where you hit them at 40kmh if anyones already there on your left.just ask any retiree.

great work XC Willow,

landau460 · 26-09-2010, 12:32 AM

I must say on the trained and untrained thing it is a fine line do you do nothing or do you jump right in and be the noble citizen. on one hand you do nothing there is risk at scene of acko you help out still might be risk to scene.
Not everyone one wants to jump in and lend a hand. Then there is the liability thing F!@# we live in a B!@@$%^t politically correct red tape infested world. Once you could just lend a hand now we have to think about the situation first

Sorry bout my little rant. Good job anyway guys

Ben73 · 26-09-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

Yeh I hear the torch usage course at Tafe is a hard one

Sure it's not a 3 year university course?

I must say good work to you. Most people would of done nothing to help apart from calling 000.

Mr Hardware · 26-09-2010, 11:11 AM

It seems to me there is an unusually high representation of people from Hervey Bay on this forum. Not saying it's a bad thing, it's just an observation.

**DJM83** · 26-09-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

No offence, but but I reckon stuff like that should be left to the appropriate EMS's. Last thing they'd need is an untrained civilain bystander waving a torch around at people.

Each to their own.

Whilst it may have been a good idea and i commend the OP, i agree Peut. Imagine the uproar if someone had of crashed into the rear of said ute and you try to explain what had happened.
Also that said if the ambos are attending to somone that is in serious injury the last thing they want to be worried about is on coming car.

XCwillo · 26-09-2010, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Whilst it may have been a good idea and i commend the OP, i agree Peut. Imagine the uproar if someone had of crashed into the rear of said ute and you try to explain what had happened.
Also that said if the ambos are attending to somone that is in serious injury the last thing they want to be worried about is on coming car.

We where told to do it because they could spare the personell to do it themselves. If we hadn't done it there would of been cars coming right up to the crash site and trying to do u turns on the tiny road, it woulda been choas.

And we only had to deal with oncoming traffic since the other lan was stopped on the other side of the crash. Dont get me wrong i get what you guys are saying, its just iun this situation it was best we did what we did

**DJM83** · 26-09-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

We where told to do it because they could spare the personell to do it themselves. If we hadn't done it there would of been cars coming right up to the crash site and trying to do u turns on the tiny road, it woulda been choas.

And we only had to deal with oncoming traffic since the other lan was stopped on the other side of the crash. Dont get me wrong i get what you guys are saying, its just iun this situation it was best we did what we did

As i said i commend you for being so willing to help out