What do ambulances do with the cars of patients that call out of stationary cars
I hope they don’t just leave them there unlocked
Ambulances are for people, not cars. So yes, ambulances just leave the cars there.
Tow trucks on the other hand, are like ambulances for cars. So they take the cars, to a car hospital or morgue.
Thatz why they say car practice. Cuz they just practicin’…
Paramedic and former ambulance service director here: In my jurisdiction the car is the sole responsibility of the police - in theory. So basically we call the police and let them handle it. They will decide if it’s safe to leave it where it is (e.g. if it’s on a highway, post accident or otherwise a traffic hazard). They will usually ask the patient if they should call a specific company or,if the car is still roadworthy, if they should call someone like a relative to get it - within certain limits of course, they won’t do that on a highway and if the relative is two hours away the patient is also SOL.
If the car is stationary as in a safe and legal parking spot it’s a bit different, then in theory we could still call the cops,but they would hate us for it when the patient is conscious. In these cases most crews simply lock down the car and give the key to the patient - the same way we lock down an apartment when we leave with a patient.
The only case when we might leave a car unlocked and unattended is an unresponsive patient that has a transport priority,aka we need to go NOW. We will still call the cops (and they will either find a way to secure the car or tow it),but we sure as hell won’t wait. While I might have a minute to spare waiting for the cops for an average unconscious patient e.g. post seizure there are a lot of reasons where I don’t have that - and might not have the time in some awake cases as well. In these cases a car might be left unlocked - especially in times when the key rarely is still required in the ignition anymore where I can easily find it. But in these cases the life of the patient takes priority over any material assets.
(To give you a more practical example: The last guy I left the car unlocked was a gentleman with sudden onset of massive pain between the shoulder blades and a large difference in blood pressure values between the arms - a good sign of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, a very deadly condition. That’s a “fuckfuckfuck we need to go now” condition. I looked for the car key once for around 5 seconds,the car was a mess, I couldn’t find it. Dispatch sends the cops,but they often take a long time here once they know we are no longer on scene. Sadly he didn’t even make it to the hospital alive. But we tried).
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Yeah. Here cops are generally the “end of the food chain” legally. Whenever none else is responsible for something or the responsible department is not available they are the ones who sort it out.
Health department outside of office hours? Call the cops.
Building is in a possibly insecure state out of office hours? Call the cops.
They can of course get other departments like ambos,firies,etc. to help,but in the end, it’s their job.
Public safety officer is very much part of their job description here.
They can of course get other departments like ambos,firies,etc
ambos
I like the “both” department
They leave it and the cops who also respond to the emergency call take care of it.
Either a family member or friend comes and gets it, or it is towed.
We leave them there and if it’s damaged call a tow truck to come pick it up. If it’s not damaged we’ll maybe drive it out of the way or see if a patient’s family member can come pick it up. Sometimes the cops will just have it towed anyway since it can’t just stay on the road.
If an accident has happened, the cars will get towed, either to the tow company’s impound lot or to a repair facility.
If you mean someone has a medical emergency and no wreck has happened, then presumably you lock your car and take your ID and keys with you. If you’re unconscious, then yes the paramedics will bag your wallet, phone, and keys, and that goes with you to the hospital.
This is like the joke “If a plane crashes on the border of two countries, where do they bury the survivors?”
If you a had an accident bad enough to go to the hospital in an ambulance, it’s unlikely your vehicle is driveable.
I’m pretty sure you can have medical emergencies unrelated to driving while being in a car.
Someone I know felt she was having a heart attack, pulled over, and called 911. I think that’s the sort of scenario this is about.
