There is no need whatsoever for an ambulance to demand a police escort. Escorts are not requested by ambulances because they are too risky. The ambulance has its own sounds and strobe lights.
There shouldn’t even be an event where an ambulance requires a police escort (this does not include military areas); they ought to be safe and protected regardless of the location or what they’re doing. All 50 states have regulations that require drivers to stop for ambulances.
The only time an ambulance may require an “escort” is if they are called to an “unsafe” location. Regardless, a Police Escort is amongst the riskiest things an Ambulance Operator can have. It would be far better for an ambulance to travel to the recipient hospital by itself.
Reasons an Ambulance Might Request a Police Escort
The following seem to be the most likely explanations:
- The individual being transferred by ambulance has been arrested. Within this situation, there has to be one law enforcement officer on board the ambulance and the rest usually accompany them to the treatment center.
- The individual being transferred is a law enforcement officer who has been wounded, but not severely. If the injury was severe or life-threatening, the following vehicles would be in front of the ambulance, attempting to clear intersections.
- The individual being transferred is not in custody, but he or she has the ability to be violent. Several mentally ill patients could be destructive, and the team might well have requested that the cops accompany them in case of an emergency.
- A VIP getting transferred. For instance, if the governor was transferred one of his security staff would accompany him in the ambulance while others would follow.
- The individual being transferred has not been arrested, yet they might be a material witness to a crime, and police really have to talk with them as soon as possible. For instance, the patient may have been shot while being robbed, and police require a statement as well as a detail of the suspect.
Typical Emergencies Why Ambulances Are Called
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Traumatic Injury
Traumatic injuries are those that occur suddenly and severely as a direct consequence of intense force. Traumatic injuries can result from a bike crash, a car wreck, or a fall from a ladder, and all these kinds of injuries make up approximately one out of every 5 attempts to call to ambulance service.
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Abdominal Pain
Distress in the belly area could be concerning, and it is a likely cause of why individuals contact ambulance service. Abdominal pain can be caused by a variety of conditions, including gallbladder attacks, appendicitis, or perhaps an abdominal obstruction.
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Consciousness Loss
Hospitals also get a lot of calls regarding people who have passed out or gone into cardiac arrest. A variety of problems, ranging from acute trauma to a blood pressure ailment can cause someone to faint.
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Alteration in Consciousness
An altered state of consciousness can be hard to identify at times. The individual might well be conscious; however, their utterance or attention span might be impaired. If somebody is experiencing trouble replying to you or their responses are illogical, they may be struggling from a medical condition like heat exhaustion or diabetic shock, and expert medical assistance is recommended.
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Seizure
A seizure is characterized by uncontrollable motion and rattling of the body, as well as differing degrees of cognition. They are caused by massive activity in the brain and can be triggered or completely unwarranted. Epilepsy affects over three million people in the United States and is the main cause of seizures.
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Respiratory Problems
Calling EMS is a good idea when somebody is experiencing trouble breathing. There are a lot of respiratory emergency cases, from asthma exacerbation to an overdose of substances.
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Chest Ache
Chest discomfort is a prevalent sign of a heart condition, and since the majority of people are aware of how severe a heart condition could be, they are always eager to dial 911 if they experience chest pain or tightness. Aside from a heart attack, chest discomfort can be caused by a condition such as pancreatitis or a panic/anxiety attack.
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Behavioral Illness
When an individual behaves irregularly or illogically, it’s occasionally best to reach out for assistance. They might be suffering from a blood sugar problem due to diabetes, or they might not have been taking medications to help them cope with an ailment such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Conclusion
As previously stated, ambulances don’t really demand escorts because it is too risky. However, there are numerous motives for this. Many of the more serious ones include patients placed on protective standby by the police and patients released from detention facilities.
Others may also include a wounded officer, local politician, victim or witness who provides testimony, or a patient in such critical condition that the ambulatory employees demanded a police escort to speed up travel.