Imagine that your pager goes off. You abandon lunch and rush to the rig. Click in your seatbelts, turn on your siren, flip on your lights and go. At this point in your career, maybe the moves are muscle memory, going through the motion without much thought.
When was the last time you did a risk versus benefit analysis for your Code 3 Response? Recent studies show that the risks generally outweigh the benefits. The first mentality we have is “we can get to our patients faster.” Studies show the average response time decreases by 1.7 to 3.6 minutes with a Code Response. There are times when those moments matter, but for most of our EMS calls, those time saving minutes won’t make a difference in patient outcome. Yet we still respond with lights and sirens on most, if not all, calls, increasing our risk of motor vehicle accidents by approximately 53%.
Studies also show driving Code Response to the hospital increases our risk three times while transporting.
Additional factors to consider: with the increase in responder accidents due to Code 3 Response, what additional effects can occur outside the primary incident? Studies show for one First Responder vehicle crash, there is a potential for four other incidents to occur. For example, incidents occur due to additional responders driving Code and accidents caused by stopped traffic.
So if you find yourself in a position where you are responding Code, remember these tips:
- Keep to the posted speed limits. A Code Response is not license to speed. An ambulance has a higher center of gravity, which can increase the risk of rollover at high speeds;
- Intersections are where most responding unit accidents occur. Take additional caution before proceeding; and
- Drive with due regard. Which means that you consider everything going on around you.
