#911 operators

Please keep these in mind if you ever need to drive someone having a medical emergency.

This article is old now... But I just wanted to take a second after seeing a video about it to write some advice. Being someone who works in an ER, these are things I have seen and have learned the ways to go about.

Something I feel very passionately for, especially being in the USA, is bringing awareness to your rights as a patient. 'Patient rights' is a severely lacking book of knowledge in the USA for one reason or another. Typically, due to fear and misunderstanding of mandated processes.

The man in this article was arrested for multiple valid road violations. Contrary to popular belief, it is still a crime even in times of medical emergency. His arrest was valid in the eyes of the law... but it was avoidable. I don't know if he ever had to pay a fine or serve time, but I believe it would be a dismissable case. I hope you, your partner, and your daughter are doing well, Darius. You did right by your daughter, and that is recognized by the nurses and us readers.

My purpose in this post is NOT to shame or correct his behaviour but rather to provide alternative options and advice to improve everyone's safety involved.

Of course, there's a lot of nuance here. We don't know the full story. We don't have a video of the chase (or if you do, I'd love to see it!) or a public police report on what happened. Ultimately, no one is at fault for how it went down. The father prioritized his daughter's health over his record (absolutely correct), and the officers couldn't have known that was what was happening. You might argue that they shouldn't have arrested him after they found out why he was speeding. However, driving recklessly could still have endangered others, AND his daughter if something had gone wrong. As well as it is against the law to refuse to pull over for an officer EVEN in a medical emergency.

Darius was aware of this and continued on in an effort to save his daughter. Which is noble, and I do not blame him. Especially as most courts will understand and take this into account at the hearing. However, it is still important to remember that in moments of high emotional strain, it is easy to act out in pursuit of justice and can make the situation far worse. Remembering the laws can help you through the situation at hand.

I will write this post assuming the basics in the situation are all that happened (speeding/reckless driving, high-speed chase, nothing more). As well as its very important to remember that both the father, Darius, and the mother, Donecia, were more than likely in a panic. Which obscures your judgment.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you must rush someone to the hospital, the first thing you NEED to do is call 911. Call them and STAY on the line with them.

I know there are a lot of stigmas about doing so, as well as quite a few people who believe the ambulance would take too long. However, most ER nurses and trauma nurses will tell you that refusing to call 911 and driving someone yourself is a good way to almost guarantee you won't save their life.

Ambulances are equipped to handle codes, as well as the lights and permission to drive quickly through traffic. They will be able to reach the emergency room much quicker than you will be able to in most scenarios.

Obviously, if you live next door to the hospital, just bolt, but that's not the reality for most people.

911 operators will have a better idea of road closures, the ability to communicate directly with first responders and ERs, and the knowledge of if any hospitals are on bypass. As well as, not all hospitals treat patients for the same things. Some hospitals do not take traumas and can only stabalize. This is still helpful, but if you can get to the trauma hospital first, that is so much better. As they would have to transfer the patient to it anyway.

In Darius's case, I don't know if he was aware of that hospitals' pediatric policies, but it worked out for him. If you have a child, always, always, always be aware of what hospitals take pediatric codes and emergencies.

If you are going to drive a child to the hospital instead of calling for help, where you bring them could result in delaying care for your child as the staff scramble to accommodate their needs. It's not so bad for a teenager, but especially bad for toddlers. It also depends on the kind of emergency. Stitches won't be a problem, but choking, unconsciousness, post drowning, SIDS, might be a massive issue. Whereas anaphylaxis might not matter.

This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to stay on the line with 911. Whether you wait for the ambulance or not.

Now, there are times where the first responders are swamped and short on hands. Sometimes they will come from other areas to supplement these situations. I once checked in a patient that was picked up by EMTs stationed over forty minutes away because our local EMTs were all handling codes and life threatening emergencies.

That's fairly uncommon, though. As well as that patient was not having a medical emergency but still required an ambulance for transport.

So what do you do if 911 says, "Sorry, I understand its an emergency, and we'll come right away, but it may be 30 minutes or so before they can get to you!" And you can't wait?

Well, hop in your car and drive! When you get in your car, turn on your hazards. Stay on the phone with 911.

I imagine this situation could have been majorly improved if Darius had turned on his hazards (assuming he didn't). Hazards do more than indicate you are having car trouble. Typically, it will be understood that something is very wrong if you are driving wildly and sporting hazards. This would also very much help your case if it escalates, like how it did for Darius. Having your hazards on is an indication that something is wrong and is hard to dismiss in court.

That being said, an officer will still likely try to pull you over. This ISN'T a bad thing necessarily. If it is safe to do so and you are not yet close to the hospital, you should consider pulling over. I know it seems counterintuitive, and you hear a lot of horror stories get passed around, but they have the same privileges as an ambulance in that they can get you to the hospital faster. Especially in Darius's case, where it was his very young daughter choking. More than likely, they would have taken the mother and the baby into a unit and drove them separately while the father followed behind. Or they could have potentially done a police escort. Some police officers are trained with basic first aid and may have been able to perform a successful heimlich maneuver.

If you choose to pull over and are NOT on the phone with 911, get out with your hands up and clearly state what the medical emergency is. Even saying something as simple as "My daughter is choking!" Or "My daughter needs a hospital!" Is enough to get the message across. Do not run or approach the officer.

Before it gets to that, however... Staying on the phone with 911 while driving to the hospital could potentially prevent the high-speed chase altogether. The 911 operator can speak directly to the officers on duty over the radio to inform them of the emergency. The 911 operator can also keep you informed of what the officers are doing if you do get pulled over or are in pursuit. If you are not on the phone with 911 when an officer tries to pull you over, CALL THEM.

Darius did a good thing to help save his daughter in a situation that could have become deadly. However, the actions taken could have inadvertently resulted in loss of life. Whether that be the daughter, them, or a pedestrian. There are so many things that could have gone wrong or delayed his daughter's care.

If the officers' pursuing had done a PIT maneuver (a tactic in which an officer purposefully makes contact with a fleeing vehicle in order to cause them to spin out and stop) it could have seriously injured or further delayed his daughter.

If the reckless driving resulted in a car accident, it could have killed everyone involved at the speeds they were going.

If traffic came to a dead stop in an area where they were boxed in by other cars, his daughter could have lost her life while they were trapped in traffic.

These are just some of the scenarios that could have happened if they hadn't gotten lucky.

Knowing what to do in a situation like this could be the difference between life and death. It can be so hard not to panic during something like this. I do not blame the parents at all, but I also understand why the police became involved. Though I wish they had not arrested him immediately. I agree that it was unfair, but unfortunately, it was legally obligated.

They’re Here!!!!

Thousands of Southern Californians freaked out last week when the launch of a rocket lit up the sky in strange patterns. The 911 operators said that people were certain it was an alien invasion. President Trump immediately ordered the deportation of the rocket.

An alien invasion reminds me that The X-Files series returns to television next week. Sweet! Heather and I love that show! It will be…

I can also assure you, as a former 911 operator myself, that those men and women went home after their shift was over shaken and with tears in their eyes, gathered their loved ones to them, and prayed.  I would also not be surprised if many of them left their shift and headed straight to a hospital or blood bank to donate blood, because that’s the type of people 911 operators are.