As my property is currently overrun by a variety of stink bugs and potato and Japanese beetles (alright, overrun may be a bit strong, but we have a lot of the little devils), I thought I would pass this along.

The Loudoun County (VA) Extension Office has produced a fact sheet on the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, the invasive insect pest that is invading local homes.

The Extension Office offers tips on how to prevent the stink bugs from getting inside your home and also how best to deal with them if they do manage to get inside.

How to prevent them from getting inside: If a home or structure has a history of having stink bugs over- wintering inside, then preventative measures should be taken now to prevent re-infestation in the fall. Exclude stink bugs from the house by sealing up cracks around windows, doors, utility access points, chimneys, siding, trim, and fascia. Caulk can be used to seal many cracks, but attic and foundation vents, and weep holes will require wire mesh or screening. Do not seal cracks if the insects are already inside because they will be trapped and die indoors. How to control the bugs if they are inside: Caulk around baseboards, exhaust fans, light fixtures, and trim to prevent stink bugs from accessing interior rooms from basements, drop ceilings and attics. Vacuuming best controls individual insects. Spraying stink bugs with insecticide after they get inside still obligates your to vacuum up their dead bodies, so skip the insecticide and go straight to the vacuum. Avoid treating stink bugs you cannot reach with the vacuum with insecticide. If the stink bugs die inside the wall-voids or attic, their dead bodies may attract carpet beetles and other pests that feed on the carcasses and could lead to infestations of these pests.

The complete fact sheet is available online at www.loudoun.gov/extension.

http://www.newport-enterprises.com

A few days ago, both of my boys, ages 9 and 5, completed their Summer Reading Challenge. It was a challenge presented by the folks at Barnes & Noble (also Borders), which asked children to read 10 books during the summer. In return, the kids fill out a form, mom and dad sign the form, and the kids take the form back in, and they get to choose a free book. Now, the list of books was only 10 deep, but it offered some choices, and definitely offered the kids a reward for a job well done. The last day of the offer was August 26, 2010.

On August 26, the boys read their last book, I signed their form, and off we went to our nearest Borders. Upon arrival, my 5 year old was told that they were out of books. He looked around the well stocked store and said, “No you’re not.” It was then explained to him that they had run out of the books the previous day, and she (the employee) was sorry.

Since both kids were visibly disappointed, I asked if there was anything they could have for their efforts. The employee said, “No. We are under instructions from corporate to not substitute titles or anything else. Sorry.”

I was then faced with the difficult explanation of what “While Supplies Last”, clearly printed on the coupon, meant. A hard lesson to explain to a nine year old, harder for a five year old. Ah, but perhaps all is not lost: My oldest then asked if he could still get a book. I agreed, and said I would make sure that they would get what they were promised, and that I would buy them a book. Both kids then said, simultaneously, “BUT NOT HERE.” Hmm. Lesson learned.

My boys and I then went to a small, neighborhood bookstore. I bought them each a couple of books, we had coffee (ok, I had coffee, they had some sort of floofy concoction that strongly resembled a milkshake but was surprisingly expensive) and snacks. All told, I spent about $125, and took great pride in doing so. Had our friends at barnes & Noble offered something simple like a $5 gift card to each child, or maybe a free snack, they likely would have seen that revenue. As they were clearly overwhelmed by the demand for this promotion, they will, fortunately, not need to worry about our participation in future promotions, or our business ever again.

Customer service is what will differentiate you from your competition. Many of the service blogs out there speak to “Residual Spending Value” and other terms, which indicate how much a customer will be worth to a company in terms of their future, loyal spending. Think about the decisions you make, and who you are likely to alienate. You might save a couple of bucks here and there, but what will it cost you?

Ok, my bad. Let me re-phrase that question. I didn’t mean when you could speak words, or full sentences. I meant, speaking in public. Ahhhhh. The great fear.

I would hazard a guess that, for most of you, you would be unable to answer that question. Sure, you might be able to hold your own in a one-on-one conversation, although I know some individuals who are challenged at that, as well. However, how would you rate yourself when speaking in front of a group? Or at an office meeting? Compare yourself to the Tony Robbinses and the Steven Coveys of the world. Still rate yourself pretty high?

Ok, maybe that’s not fair. Maybe it’s not fair to compare ourselves to these “Professional” Speakers. Then again, how may baseball teams have entered Spring Training thinking they had no shot at winning the World Series? How many of the Airzona Cardinals a few years back TRULY believed they would be within 30 seconds of a Super Bowl Championship when they broke camp?

There are resources that are out there, but we need to make time to tackle them. Whatever industry you are in (I know this is mostly Real Estate, but others are represented here, too), you are always in a business to sell yourself. Every word you say, every action you take represents who you are as a service provider. If you cannot speak comfortably and confidently about who you are and what you do, your prospective clients will not have confidence in you, and then your commission does not matter. Further, how you COME ACROSS when you communicate can contradict every message and every bit of experience you can present when you go to get that piece of business, or when you are speaking to that group that you want to impress.

If you haven’t “learned to speak” yet, you really should invest the time. Not doing so wastes most of those presentations, chamber mixers, and other public events that you struggle to and spend good money to attend. Then, “you are only as good as your sign”. Whether you seek out a local Toastmasters Club, or whether you find somebody to give you private coaching, it will be time, effort and resources well spent. A good speaking coach can have a world of impact on you, your presentation skills, and, ultimately, your business.

The weeks are shorter, and the activities are longer. I am borrowing this article from CPRDude (I love that website name, wish I had thought of it). While it is originally published there, the points herein are valid anywhere you look. The bottom line is that if a person who goes into Cardiac Arrest is shocked quickly, they have a very good chance of surviving. This should serve as a reminder to all the hotels and office buildings and other locations that spends tens of thousands of dollars on things like security and entertainment, and have yet to make that relatively small investment in something that will eventually save a life.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

are the latest, most important, advancement in sudden cardiac arrest response. They are amazing little gadgets that pretty much anyone can operate with little aed training and they are popping up all over the place, from schools to churches to health clubs to homes.

Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)

is an electrical abnormality where the heart stops pumping because the electrical impulses in the heart are out of synch, causing it to quiver instead of beat. I like the analogy of this being like an hysterical person who is screaming and crying and beyond reason – a rude slap in the face shocks them into gaining composure. If VF is treated quickly, the heart can get back to work just fine – if not treated, VF degrades to something called ‘asystole’ which is generally fatal.

Importance of Rapid Response

If a VF victim gets his heart pattern restored immediately following a sudden cardiac arrest, he has about a 2/3rds chance of recovery. Every minute that revival is delayed, the chances drop until there is little hope after 10 minutes.

CPR is not a means to revival. CPR is a temporary bandaid to keep oxygen flowing to the brain until a way to revive the victim is ready. Not many years ago, that means of revival was only available in hospitals, operated by highly trained medical personnel. Manual external defibrillators are used to apply an electric shock to victims in an attempt to restore a useful pattern to the heart muscle. Doing CPR in the field while a means to revival is bolted to the floor in a hospital does the victim no good.
The next step was to make the defibrillators portable. These portable defibrillators were installed in ambulances. With this advancement, CPR in the field made sense. If a person could keep blood flowing until the ambulance arrived, there was a chance of recovery. But, arrival times could be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or longer.

AEDs Arrive

Around 1980, the AED (automated external defibrillator) debuted. The ‘automated’ part is what is really exciting. Now people with only minimal training can successfully revive VF victims in the field, even before Emergency Medical Services personnel arrive. An AED can be down the hall, just 1 or 2 minutes away, so chances for revival are way up. The AED can automatically analyze the victim and decide if a shock is required or not. The operator just needs to follow simple commands from the AED and push the shock button when/if told to push it.
AEDs are nearly error-free, weigh under 5 lbs, are simple to learn and operate, are safe, can be stored anywhere, and they work!   There are a few different types of AEDs and improvements are being made all the time. Many people have home defibrillators and there are personal aeds that are worn under clothing and automatically analyze and apply shock as needed.

Using an AED

As soon as a victim is encountered and it is determined that they are unresponsive, three things need to happen:

• Someone calls 9-1-1 if a phone is available
• Someone retrieves the AED if one is available
• Someone checks for breathing and circulation and begins CPR if needed

That works fine if you have at least 3 people on the scene.
If there are only 2 people, one calls 9-1-1 and gets the AED while the second begins CPR.
If you are all alone, you should do them all in the order listed even if it means leaving the victim – call 9-1-1, get the AED, and then check for breathing.

If the victim is not breathing, follow these steps to perform CPR with an AED:

• Position the victim on his back.
• Tilt head back and lift chin. Check for breathing for no more than 10 seconds.
• If the victim is not breathing, give 2 rescue breaths.
• Check for signs of circulation. If there is no circulation, then the heart is not pumping.
• Turn on the AED and follow audio commands.
• Open the victim’s shirt and wipe his chest dry of sweat or water.
• Attach one pad to the victim’s upper right chest and one to the lower left side. The pads will be labelled with a picture of where they go.
• Plug the wire from the pads into the AED if they are not already attached.
• Make sure no one is touching the victim so the AED can analyze correctly.
• Push the ‘Analyze’ button or let the AED automatically begin its analysis. Just wait for the analysis to complete.
• If the AED determines a shock is required:
  • Keep everyone clear of the victim.
  • Press the ’shock’ button.
  • Let the AED reanalyze.
• If the AED determines no shock is needed:
  • Check for a pulse.
  • If you can not find a pulse and the victim is not breathing, perform CPR until the AED reanalyzes.
  • If there is a pulse but no breathing, then perform rescue breathing and make sure the breaths raise the chest.
  • If there is a pulse and breathing, place the victim in a recover position and monitor them.

Once you have attached the AED to a victim, do not remove it. It will continue to analyze and if the victim lapses again, the AED will recommend a shock if needed. When Emergency Medical Services personnel are on the scene, they can remove it.

AED Q & A

• Can I hurt someone by using an AED on them? No, the AED automatically analyzes and determines if a shock is required. If you have determined to use an AED, then the person is essentially dead already anyway. You should participate in some aed training before using an AED.
• Can I get sued for using an AED? Yes, you can get sued for any reason. Chances of you losing a suit because you used CPR and an AED attempting to revive someone are very close to zero. Finding ‘Good Samaritans’ at fault is very rare.

As I stated, we arrived at the young lady who was seated in the passenger seat of a running SUV. She was surrounded by 6 friends/neighbors, one of whom was the owner of the SUV, and whom had offered to take her to the hospital. On assessing our patient, it was clear she had an ankle injury of some kind, and was in some pain. Not the kind of pain where we would need to consider medication for the pain. More of a discomfort, really. Her words, not mine.

When presented with various options to get her ankle evaluated by a doctor, she stated, “I’d rather go with you guys, so I can get seen.” Again, her words, not mine. After clarifying that transport by an ambulance does not guarantee you will be seen or treated any faster (the ER still prioritizes their patients), she still stated that was her wish. During the ensuing transport, she made 4 phone calls on her cellphone, and sent 7 text messages.

Now, for those of you who are thinking,, “So what. You would have been just sitting around, that’s what I pay taxes for (also something I’ve heard from patients), let me paint the picture of the next hour or so in our town.

1) Our truck, we’ll call it Ambulance 1, took our friend to the hospital, and was out of service to the rest of the public for about 90 minutes round trip.

2) During our transport, a child ran into another child, and they bonked heads. This normally would have been our call, but the next closest unit, Medic 2 (a more advanced unit) was disptached.

3) While we were at the hospital, and Medic 2 was running “our” call, a call for Chest Pain with Trouble Breathing was dispatched. Normally, Medic 2 would have been right around the corner, but since they were busy, Ambulance 3 (another unit from our station) and Medic 4 (from the next town over), had to cover the chest pain call. The response time for Medic 3 was 9 minutes, instead of the 2 that Medic 2 would have had.

See where we’re going with this? Sure, sometimes we are waiting for calls. However, please resist the temptation, if you have ANY other means of getting to a physician, to call 911. You can bet that your ankle would have felt a whole lot worse if somebody had died because you took the last ambulance in town out of service, and your neighbor went into Cardiac Arrest, and the 2 minute response time was now 9 or 10 minutes…. which can often mean the difference between life and death. We are not an express lane at the supermarket, and we will take you to the hospital if that’s your wish, but we will probably just take you to the waiting room with all of the other non life-threatening emergencies.

However, it got me to thinking. Unless she is going somewhere to talk to herself, there are at least a few others who are in the same boat. After all, it’s a meeting. Then, my mind started trying to figure out, roughly, the cost of having her out of the office, and whether or not that meeting would ever result in enough revenue to justify it.

Let me run some numbers by you: Let’s say, for the purposes of using nice, round numbers, that my friend makes $52,000 a year. A number I chose, ostensibly, to say she makes $1000 per week. Now, it should be noted that I am not going to include taxes, benefits, and other “soft costs” that, typically, add about 30% to the cost of labor. Having said that, we will presume a daily rate of $200. As far as assumpitons, let’s also go with a 2 day meeting, and some modest travel costs. I will also assume a half day of travel time, which is significant, because many companies, while their employees are salaried, will offer “comp time”; that is, time off the books to compensate for a really long day. In some facet, that 1/2 day of travel (each way) will be lost in terms of productivity.

The numbers work out to something like this:

$600 in Labor (2 day meeting, plus 2 half days of travel)

$300 in Airfare (assumes an advance purchase airfare for a relatively short distance)

$300 in Hotel costs ($129 per night, plus tax, for two nights.)

$150 in meals ($50 per day for three days)

$1350 per person, per meeting, not counting the costs of the venue, meeting materials, support staff, planning, etc.

A 10 person meeting would be about $15000 (lets add the aforementioned costs)

A 50 person meeting around $75000.

Now, my question would then revolve around what the monetary benefit would be? Would have 50 of your managers together for a couple of days yield an additional $75000 in revenue just to break even? Sure, arguably, it could happen over a year or two, but this meeting would probably occur once or twice a year.

Should we do away with meetings? I don’t know that the data supports that just yet, but with technology allowing very easy video conferences, conference calls, and rapid communication, can the messages be communicated just as well? Ok, I admit, I’ve hit the mute button and “multitasked” during video conferences before, but I’ve also “Blackberried” and left for a bathroom run during “traditional” conferences,as well. Perhaps the greatest benefit of the in-person meeting is the “face time”. Teambuilding. Cameraderie. Some of those things are difficult to hang a price tag on, Some of those things cannot be expected to ever have a hard Return On Investment. Teambuildings, for example, are very important to opening channels of communication, and don’t need to happen every year. However, the quarterly “Sales Strategy” or “Revenue Management” meetings? Perhaps those should be left to less costly measures. We tend to spend willy-nilly on anything “sales” related, at the expense of other things. Never mind that having your sales people together means they’re not, well, selling.

Anyways, I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got a meeting to go to. Food for thought.

*  “To relieve choking in a child you should lift the child up by the feet and shake”. What? Definitely not. I hear this almost every week. This is a great example of why you should take an American Heart Association CPR class. You will learn not only how to do CPR but also the proper way to relieve choking. This may have been the way we first learned CPR 30 years ago, but TV also used to be in Black and White. We can do better.
* “Someone else will be able to help”. The key to surviving cardiac arrest is the quick response of someone trained in CPR. A patient who collapses and does not immediately receive CPR has almost no chance of survival. Remember the guy a few months ago who was stabbed on the streets of New York City? I believe it was the 23rd person who passed him who initiated care. He bled to death.
* “You can learn CPR on-line”. While it is true that you can learn the steps of CPR from an on-line class it is absolutely ridiculous to think you could properly perform CPR on a real person after taking a computer based CPR class. Think about it like this; when you were sitting in driving class being taught how to handle a car on wet pavement was it anything like the first time you actually were driving on the highway in the rain??? Hands on practice is the key to developing muscle memory and proper technique. If you are looking for a CPR class make sure it includes hands-on practice and is through an accredited organization such as the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross or the American Safety and Health Institute.
* “CPR does more harm than good”. Ok, remember that you are only performing CPR on somebody who meets three criteria: They are unresponsive, they are not breathing, and they have no pulse. Guess what that makes them? You guessed it: Dead. You can’t make them deader. yes, you can break ribs, but I know lots of people that have survived broken ribs.
*  “Too expensive” or “Too long”. CPR classes are very inexpensive when you consider the peace of mind they bring and the life changing effect a little knowledge can have. New parents spend 20 or 30 dollars on new baby outfits all the time. Many infant CPR classes, which cover CPR as well as choking, cost the same amount. CPR class times can run between 2- 6 hours. The information and skills learned can last a lifetime. You are talking about a 2 year certification for about $50-$100 depending on the level of certification. Even at the most expensive, you are talking about less than $1 a week for the knowledge refresher.
* “CPR is only for Adults”. It is true cardiac arrest is very uncommon in children and kids. However, infant and child CPR classes also cover how to relieve choking and a good instructor, with real life experience can provide extremely helpful information on accident prevention.
* “I already know CPR”. The American Heart Association is constantly researching and reviewing the best way to provide CPR. Every few years the guidelines change and it is always best to learn the most current guidelines. The American Heart Association recommends renewing your CPR certification every 2 years.
* “I will never have to do CPR”. The chances that you will ever have to perform CPR are very small. However, choking is much more common an emergency and all AHA CPR classes also teach how to save someone who is choking. If EMS arrives at a cardiac arrest, and nobody is performing CPR, there is very little we can do, and the person will likely die. CPR gives them a chance.
*  “I could get sued”. All states now have some form of what is commonly called The Good Samaritan Law. These laws protect you, a Good Samaritan, from being sued, if in the course of trying to save someone, you cause injury. McDonalds stands a better chance of getting sued again by another genius spilling coffee on themselves and getting burned.
*  “CPR always works”. Unfortunately this is not true and is a very common belief that has been perpetuated by T.V and movies. The actual adult survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is about 5-10%. Survival rates increase if there is an AED present and if it is able to deliver a shock. However, if your heart stops and no one starts CPR then your chance of survival is zero.

The bottom line is this: A person in Sudden Cardiac Arrest has about 5-6 minutes to get a shock delivered to try to correct the heart rhythm. CPR by itself does NOT save lives, but it does buy time. With good CPR, you buy another 5-6 minutes. EMS may not be able to get to you in 5 minutes, but we can probably do 10-12. I encourage everyone to stay current in CPR (and by current, I mean never let your card expire). Additionally, if you are part of a large organization or business, I encourage you to look into getting an AED in your building. They are about the cost of a flatscreen TV, and really can make the difference.

Curt Newport, NREMT-B

Owner, EMT2GO, Newport Enterprises LLC

www.newport-enterprises.com

However, apparently, some do not. Otherwise, there is no reasonable explanation for the number of 911 calls that relate to heat emergencies. This ranges from the umpire working 4 straight games behind the plate, to the seniors who can’t afford air conditioning, to the guy cleaning out his garage all weekend. We’ll still get numerous 911 calls from folks who “overdo it” this week.

The safety tips, below, remain unchanged over the years. The tips are courtesy of FEMA. However, add to that the concept of “Prehydration”: Before you leave, drink a bottle of water, and go to the bathroom. Then you can go. This week, you should always have a bottle or cup of water in your hand, and be sipping it all day long, even in the office. You never know when your car will break down, or you’ll find yourself outside. Water is free, and you need to pre-hydrate before you go out.

Yes, you’ll pee a lot. But this is the week to Pee. And remember, if you are properly hydrated, your pee will be clear. If you per any color at all, you are dehydrated (the more color in the pee, the more dehydrated you are). Plus, everybody knows that if you wait until you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

Additionally, please review the tips, below, from FEMA, on how to handle a heat emergency. Be safe, stay cool, and we’ll see you next week!

What you should do if the weather is extremely hot:

• Stay indoors as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.
• Stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine if air conditioning is not available.
• Consider spending the warmest part of the day in public buildings such as libraries, schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, and other community facilities. Circulating air can cool the body by increasing the perspiration rate of evaporation.
• Eat well-balanced, light, and regular meals. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
• Drink plenty of water. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
• Limit intake of alcoholic beverages.
• Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.
• Protect face and head by wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
• Check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone.
• Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
• Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat, and take frequent breaks.

I kind of take for granted, I guess, that everyone else should know the basics, as well. I try hard to pay attention to the road signs. I observe the changes in speed limits, when it is illegal to make a right turn, and I try to keep the music to a dull roar, so that I can hear any approaching emergency vehicles. These things were all taught to me (mumble) years ago in my High School Drivers Education class.

As someone who drives an ambulance in a 911 capacity at LEAST one night a week, I am routinely horrified by the gobs of folks behind the wheel who “misbehave”. I’m not referring to you, Mr. “Text-Messaging-In-The-Fast-Lane”, or you, Mrs. “Applying-Eye-Shadow-While-Approaching-The Stoplight”, or even you, Ms. “I-Think-I’ll-Change-My-Blouse-While-I’m-At-The-Stoplight-Behind-This-Ambulance- Because-I-Am-Certain-That-Nobody-Is-In-The-Back. After-All-People-Don’t-Ride-In-Ambulances-Right?” No, I’m referring to the guy who sees the ambulance coming with lights and sirens on, makes eye contact with the driver, and still pulls out in front. I’m referring to the guy who almost hit me on the scene of an accident near Lowe’s Island a couple of weeks ago, because the person trying to turn left near the accident wasn’t doing it quickly enough, and there was just enough space between the slow turner and my rear end, where I was assessing my patient’s injuries. Yes, even though the posted speed limit there is 45 miles per hour, it is NOT ok to do so through an accident scene.

However, the other night, my wife came home, and said she had heard a siren coming closer to her on Route 7, and she realized that she wasn’t sure what she should have done. The Fire Engine was approaching rapidly, and she felt that from where she was on the road (the left lane) and with the Fire Engine coming at her, that it wasn’t legal to move over two lanes to get to the right to pull over.

So after consideration, I decided to put together this section, giving my fellow humans the benefit of the doubt (more or less), and hope to provide some insights into proper behavior when an Emergency Vehicle is approaching. I will also let you know what I have seen on the roads in various situations.

Situation # 1: You are backing out of a parking spot onto a one way street. You are on your cellular phone, while you are backing. As you back out of the spot, you look to your left, and see an ambulance approaching with it’s lights on, as well as it’s siren occasionally making noise. The appropriate response is to:

A) Pull back into your spot, and wait for the ambulance to pass,
B) Stop where you are and let the ambulance attempt to get around you,
C) Turn towards the ambulance, and pull over
D) Quickly merge into the traffic pattern, and try to stay ahead of the ambulance.

In this scenario, which I encountered about two weeks ago, we were responding to a call at a sports complex. We were taking the one way loop around to where our patient had been struck in the head with a home run ball (what luck!). A person backs out of his parking spot, while on his cellphone. He looks right at me, and begins to point his car into oncoming traffic, GOING THE WRONG WAY. After a healthy dose of extra siren and air horn, as well as some pointing in the direction I wanted him to go, the driver pulled his car back into his parking spot and allowed me to pass…which is what he should have done to begin with. He chose C, and then eventually chose A. In a parking lot, if you see (or hear) an ambulance on the move, stay put.

Situation # 2: You are stopped in heavy traffic, near a stoplight. An ambulance is approaching you with lights and sirens. You
A) Honk and wave,
B) Roll your window up, because the siren is too loud
C) Pull to the nearest shoulder of the road
D) See which lane or line (between lanes) the ambulance is in/on, and pull away from that lane/line
E) Stay put, then when the ambulance goes by, get behind it and “follow your blocker”

This is a hard one, and there aren’t too many great answers, but there are lots of bad ones. First of all, don’t ever follow an ambulance with it’s lights on. Not only is it illegal, but it’s dangerous. If I, as a driver, have to make a sudden stop, you’ll never see it coming, and you will have your Prius in the back end of my Freightliner…and I’ll win. As far as “good answers”, the Code of Virginia (where this article is being written) states that you should pull to “the nearest curb”. This means, if you have 3 lanes in a divided highway (Think Route 7 or Route 28 in Loudoun County), if you’re in the left lane, pull left, if you’re in the right lane, pull right. If you’re in the middle lane, uh-oh, you have to think. See where teh ambulance is, and see where you have a gap (left or right), and go there. Look and see what everyone else is doing. You might have to base your response on what someone else is doing. Yes, I’ve seen all of the other responses, above, many times. If you’re a kid, I might wave back. To the dude that rolled up his window so I didn’t interrupt his phone call with my siren instead of getting out of the way, I’ve got a special award for you.

Situation # 3: Your driving along the road, not much traffic. The fire engine that was just driving a bit behind you, perhaps on their way to dinner, all of a sudden “lights it up” behind you, and turns on their siren. You respond by:

A) Stopping. Immediately. Right Now.
B) See where the fire engine is headed, look for a safe spot on the opposite curb, and pull over,
C) Speed up. Your BMW can outrun a fire engine.
D) Pull over. Right Now. Without Looking.
E) Turn on your hazards and wave your arms frantically.
F) Look for the smoke
G) Roll up your window, so you can continue your phone call

I’m hopeful that you can see the correct answer clearly above. It’s B, if you can’t tell….and there may be a few folks who couldn’t because all the other stuff happens. A lot. Yes, we drive around town. We eat, we return from the hospital, sometimes we run errands when were are between calls. Occasionally, we get dispatched “on the road”. If you see us as a fellow motorist, please give us a little wider berth than you might give that Pontiac that just cut you off. We might need to leave in a hurry, and it might be to take care of someone you know.

Situation #4: One of your family members is ill or injured, and needs to be rushed to the hospital. The ambulance is going lights and siren, and you are in your own car. You proceed to the hospital:

A) By following the ambulance as closely as possible, with your hazards on, honking your horn, proceeding through red lights with the ambulance,
B) By following the ambulance as closely as possible proceeding through red lights, with no lights or horn, because that is illegal
C) By leading the ambulance through intersections, all the way to the hospital, like a police escort.
D) By driving to the hospital as you ‘normally’ would, even though you are really concerned and feel you need to get there quickly.

As an EMS provider, my duty lies with caring for my patients, and protecting my patients, crew, and the public from harm. When I have my lights and siren on, that means I can do a few things that you can’t, like proceeding through an intersection with a red light, or going slightly faster than the posted speed limit. The fact that your family member is on board does not give YOU that right in your Privately Owned Vehicle. If you are doing so, and, in my judgment, I feel you are driving dangerously, and are endangering the public, or my crew (for fear you may run into me), I am required to “shut it down” for the greater good. You could actually cause a delay in treatment of your loved one if you follow me to closely. Getting YOU to the hospital so you can spend a few more minutes in the waiting room is not my greatest priority. I will usually remind family members of this before I leave, but I have, on more than one occasion, “shut it down” and pulled over during a transport, to go talk to the driver of the car that was following me, when my patient really needed to be at the hospital.

Finally, if you see emergency vehicles at an accident, please slow down, and keep your eyes in front of you. If you really like seeing the carnage of smashed trucks and mangled bodies, than lots talk about you being a volunteer fire and rescue person. However, we are all now required to wear these ridiculous bright orange vests, by OSHA regulation, because drivers take their eyes off the road, and put it on the accident scene, and then firefighters, EMTs and medics get hit by cars and killed. A couple of years ago, I was working an accident, and three teenage girls, who were friends of the people in the accident (which was minor) jaywalked across the street to check on their friends, without looking. The driver of the car that almost hit them wasn’t looking, either, and slammed on his brakes at the last minute, and was rear ended in a 4 car chain reaction accident…because nobody was paying attention. That driver, in the secondary accident, was the one injured the worst on the whole scene, and it was completely avoidable.

I try to say “use common sense” when it comes to many situations, only to find out that it is not so “common” as I would like. I see a lot of crazy things behind the wheel of my ambulance, including all of the “bogus” answers, above. A lot. I ask that some day in the not-too-distant future, when you’re out in traffic, think about what you would do if an emergency vehicle came along NOW. Be prepared, and you might just help someone without realizing it.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration.