Mike’s Training Moment

The Ambulance Driver

Michael James Azevedo, Jr., EMT-B; Chief Carmel Fire and Rescue

Good afternoon to my many friends working in the State of Maine to better the response and efficiency of the Emergency Medical Services system. By now, many of us have felt the change in economic conditions caused by changes in the national economy. The towns with which I am involved have found deficiencies in revenue, and this has caused selectmen, town managers, and chiefs to have to find creative ways to fund programs, provide training and keep personnel on the street.

My service is no different. I have fourteen licensed EMTs, and they provide response capabilities when they can. Most of these people are working two jobs, either at work, or at home taking care of a family. They attend as much training as they can, and as a service we struggle to meet the required standards of Maine EMS, the Maine Bureau of Labor Standards, and good old common sense. Their dedication to the citizens is the reason I keep doing what I do as chief.

This month I would like to talk about the ambulance driver. It has become too costly to send to EMT class people who never go on to be licensed as EMTs. This happens for many reasons, such as personal life changes, family changes and job changes. And sometimes they find out they do not have the interest in doing the job. I have a limited budget, and this year I had to make the decision to send four firefighters through the fire academy, and not to fund someone in the EMT class. As a result, I am looking to ambulance drivers to assist in the problem. My hope is that ambulance drivers may go on to be licensed in the future.

As many of you know the ambulance driver does play a very important role in the care and treatment of injured people. I came up with a checklist to make sure that our ambulance drivers are fully trained and qualified prior to allowing them to respond to emergency medical calls with licensed personnel. As many of you have noticed, the EMT is busy treating the patient, but the ambulance driver is busy doing everything else. As the expectations and training levels increase in the emergency medical field today, the only thing that has not increased is time. Here are the requirements of my people prior to letting them drive the ambulance. The ambulance driver:

1. Must provide a copy of his or her drivers license. This may seem obvious, but make sure the driver has a good license. The license also provides a picture ID for payroll purposes and other back ground checks that should be done.

2. Must complete a minimum of three ambulance checks. Drivers need to know where everything is and what the proper names of equipment are. Drivers need to know the proper way to check fluids and tires, and whom to notify if a problem is found.

3. Needs to know the correct fueling procedures, and what fuel goes into the truck. He or she needs to know what forms get filled out and where these forms are left.

4. Must complete an Ambulance Vehicle Operations Course. This is required by state law.

5. Must complete a minimum of six hours of supervised driving time on the ambulance around the area.

6. Must complete two hours of supervised driving time at night.

7. Must demonstrate knowledge of the major roads in town, and the ability to read a map, as GPS is not always accurate.

8. Must demonstrate knowledge of the driving privileges as described in Title 29-A. The ambulance driver needs to know what he or she can legally do while driving.

9. Must know and understand the operation of the ambulance, including emergency lighting, sirens, exterior lighting switches, wheel chocks, and other equipment that may be needed on the ambulance. My ambulance has SCBA tanks, so the driver also has to know about these.

10. Must be familiar with using both the front cab radio and the radio in the patient compartment. The driver must have an understanding of radio communications, as on serious calls the driver may be the one calling the hospital.

11. Must understand proper placement of the ambulance on the scene. He or she must know not to park in front of a house that is on fire, as this is very upsetting to the firefighters.

12. Must demonstrate the ability to set up and take down an oxygen tank.

13. Must demonstrate the ability to operate the stretcher, know how to put the blankets on the stretcher, and how to operate the stair chair.

14. Must know how to fill out all required driving logs, training forms, fuel slips, and equipment left at hospital forms.

15. Should be familiar with each of the local hospitals and the procedures there when the ambulance arrives. Knowing how to get to the hospital is a good thing to know as well.

16. Must complete CPR and first aid training.

17. Must complete HIPAA and bloodborne pathogens training.

18. Must complete fire extinguisher training, as well as training in personal protective equipment.

19. Must participate in three EMS trainings prior to being able to drive.

20. Must drive three times on emergency calls with a trainer.

This checklist allows the new person to know what is expected, and allows trainers to keep track of the progress. I use this checklist in a two-page form where a trainer or experienced EMT may sign each of the checkboxes. After completion of each of these accomplishments, the rescue chief will sign off the form allowing the driver operator to respond solo with EMS personnel on emergency calls.

Please note that each requirement above can easily be made into a training session. Seasoned veterans also need to know how to do each of the skills, especially if they drive the ambulance, so they would benefit as well. Secondly, most are a good review for everyone. These training sessions can be a half hour long or up to several hours long, and you can have fun teaching the skills and practicing.

If you are interested in getting a copy of the form I use, please e-mail me at emtengaze@roadrunner.com. Please put “Ambulance Driving Form” in the subject line.

Until next time, stay safe, and thank you for training to protect the citizens of Maine.