OP
Kyle_in_Tex
Super Star Member
10 years ago, a buddy of mine had a M/C wreck and the bill to helicopter him about 100 miles was $10,000. dollars. OUCH.
Wait for ambulance or Go on your on?
- Thread starter Kyle_in_Tex
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dmccarty
Super Star Member
I wondered what those trips costs. :laughing:
Both of the trauma centers near us have copter access. One of the helipads is on top of the hospital. Way up there. 10-15 stories is my guess. :laughing: Kinda freaky seeing them land and take off way up yonder.
$10,000 is expensive. But better than dead.
Later,
Dan
gotrocks
Platinum Member
Since my friend is still living this is a little humor on the subject.
He was driving to work when he realized he was having a heart attack.
Called his wife told her to meet at hospital.
He pulled into the emergency bay at the hospital got out and started into the building, the "guard" attempted to stop him and said, "Hey, buddy you can't park there."
I don't really remember the rest of the conversation since I was not present.
Don't know but thinking about it, if I had been thinking and it had been me, I might have tossed him the keys and said your are responsible for my truck now.
He was driving to work when he realized he was having a heart attack.
Called his wife told her to meet at hospital.
He pulled into the emergency bay at the hospital got out and started into the building, the "guard" attempted to stop him and said, "Hey, buddy you can't park there."
I don't really remember the rest of the conversation since I was not present.
Don't know but thinking about it, if I had been thinking and it had been me, I might have tossed him the keys and said your are responsible for my truck now.
txdon
Super Star Member
If it is fall with a back or neck injury I will wait 30 minutes for the ambulance to take me on the 45 minute drive to the ER. All others I will get someone to drive me as quickly and safely as possible to the ER. I really need to get a AED!
RoyJackson
Rest in Peace
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Heart attack or stroke, wait for the ambulance. Even if you deteriorate during the trip, the EMT can keep your blood oxygenated. They can also defibrillate you if your heart stops.
Other injuries...depends. If you can stop blood loss, it might be worth driving.
My trip to the hospital (chest pains) was $1300 (ambulance).
Other injuries...depends. If you can stop blood loss, it might be worth driving.
My trip to the hospital (chest pains) was $1300 (ambulance).
jayste
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I guess it depends on the situation. In most cases i'm driving. The closest ER is 15 miles and it's not much. 22 miles to the next best one and about 30 for the next. We have 911 numbers but I still don't have much faith in them finding me very fast. Which reminds me I need to get with the Mrs. and hammer out the details of our 911 address and how to read it to the officials.:thumbsup:
eepete
Platinum Member
Speaking of hammers and 911 addresses, be sure your driveway is marked with 3-4" tall reflective letters. I have a big reflective vertical sign with 4.5" numbers pointing in the direction help will come from 90% of the time. You can read them at 45 MPH in time to stop and make the turn. The mail box has 3" reflective numbers on each side, a board with 3" reflective numbers from the 10% side, and the number again on the post for the gate (which is open).
If nothing else, put the biggest reflective numbers you can find on each side of your mailbox. Next time you're at a big box store get them, put them on when you arrive home, no excuses for not doing this :thumbsup:.
You would not believe how many people have a 1" non reflective number on the front of their mail box (not the side where you can see it as you approach). This has a huge impact on how long it takes to find you. It's not uncommon around here to blow by the right address by 4-5 driveways before you can read something that give you a general idea where you are. Then you have to turn around, and go back slowly looking at everything with a flashlight.
Another trick that can work is something like putting 5 blue reflectors vertically on your mail box post. You can tell the 911 dispatcher that, they can relay it on to the responders. Of course this only works for a unique pattern and if few people do it. Since most people have red reflectors, try to use yellow, green, or blue (or a mix like three green and three blue). Also good for when you give directions to you house for others.
Finally, (and yeah this is controversial) think about if you really need a locked gate at your driveway. It takes time to disassemble them. What's more likely to harm you, bad guys randomly coming down the driveway or having a 5 minute delay while the ambulance waits for the fire department to take the gate apart. Around here, we disassemble not cut. Too many false alarms where we get chewed out, person makes a stink, we have to pay to put it together. Yeah, it's idiot homeowners causing idiot people in charge to cave in, but that's where we are. Only thing we'll cut is a chain where the home owner clearly left a bunch of extra links on one end such that cutting a link is a zero repair event. With the linear actuator gates, all you can do is take them apart.
A little off the topic, but if you choose the "wait for ambulance" option it's important.
Pete
If nothing else, put the biggest reflective numbers you can find on each side of your mailbox. Next time you're at a big box store get them, put them on when you arrive home, no excuses for not doing this :thumbsup:.
You would not believe how many people have a 1" non reflective number on the front of their mail box (not the side where you can see it as you approach). This has a huge impact on how long it takes to find you. It's not uncommon around here to blow by the right address by 4-5 driveways before you can read something that give you a general idea where you are. Then you have to turn around, and go back slowly looking at everything with a flashlight.
Another trick that can work is something like putting 5 blue reflectors vertically on your mail box post. You can tell the 911 dispatcher that, they can relay it on to the responders. Of course this only works for a unique pattern and if few people do it. Since most people have red reflectors, try to use yellow, green, or blue (or a mix like three green and three blue). Also good for when you give directions to you house for others.
Finally, (and yeah this is controversial) think about if you really need a locked gate at your driveway. It takes time to disassemble them. What's more likely to harm you, bad guys randomly coming down the driveway or having a 5 minute delay while the ambulance waits for the fire department to take the gate apart. Around here, we disassemble not cut. Too many false alarms where we get chewed out, person makes a stink, we have to pay to put it together. Yeah, it's idiot homeowners causing idiot people in charge to cave in, but that's where we are. Only thing we'll cut is a chain where the home owner clearly left a bunch of extra links on one end such that cutting a link is a zero repair event. With the linear actuator gates, all you can do is take them apart.
A little off the topic, but if you choose the "wait for ambulance" option it's important.
Pete
RobertN
Super Member
Can't agree more. Nothing like trying to go code-3, in the dark, rain, and see addresses. And in many cases, street names. In town, streets seem marked well. But get outside of town, with private roads, and you never know.
A couple things I would mention...
- Mark your property/home with readable numbers
- Make sure you street is sufficiently marked
- Keep clear access to your home/property for a big rig or concrete truck(Fire Engine size)
We gotta be able to find you. Clearly marking your house, and your roads helps a lot. Especially when the worst happens, at 3am on a rainy or snowy night.
We gotta be able to get to you. In most cases, you will have an engine company first, then a medic unit. Fire Engines are BIG TRUCKS. Your driveway may be big enough for you car or pickup, but can you fit a concrete truck? That is how big most Engines are.
A couple things I would mention...
- Mark your property/home with readable numbers
- Make sure you street is sufficiently marked
- Keep clear access to your home/property for a big rig or concrete truck(Fire Engine size)
We gotta be able to find you. Clearly marking your house, and your roads helps a lot. Especially when the worst happens, at 3am on a rainy or snowy night.
We gotta be able to get to you. In most cases, you will have an engine company first, then a medic unit. Fire Engines are BIG TRUCKS. Your driveway may be big enough for you car or pickup, but can you fit a concrete truck? That is how big most Engines are.
Bird
Rest in Peace
Most towns, anyway.
When I was doing gas leakage surveys, I found one town where people had simply used whatever house number they wanted to use, so as you went down the streets, the numbers frequently were not in numerical order. I don't think I'd have believed it if I hadn't seen it.
czechsonofagun
Elite Member
I drove myself in after planing a chunk off of my little finger - don't ask me why, I don't know how it happened. I had to load three kids in my jeep and drive 13 miles to the hospital. Copay was 100 bucks with my insurance back than, not bad at all. The funny thing is, I could probably just bandage it and call it, that's all they done to it + antibiotics.
Friend of mine once fall down on a street in Prague - I think skateboarding - and into a phone booth and cut artery on his right hand. He was near hospital so he just walked in, found the surgery and asked the nurse to see a doctor. It was back in the day with socialized medical care - the care was free, but really sucked. Anyway, the nurse tried to kick him out, he was holding the bleeding artery with his left thumb. He did the only logical think he could do. He just took off his thumb and sprayed her red After that, the doctor showed up in 30 second and took care of him:thumbsup:
Friend of mine once fall down on a street in Prague - I think skateboarding - and into a phone booth and cut artery on his right hand. He was near hospital so he just walked in, found the surgery and asked the nurse to see a doctor. It was back in the day with socialized medical care - the care was free, but really sucked. Anyway, the nurse tried to kick him out, he was holding the bleeding artery with his left thumb. He did the only logical think he could do. He just took off his thumb and sprayed her red
After that, the doctor showed up in 30 second and took care of him:thumbsup: