What to do with an Electric Wheelchair in OKC - You Make the Call

I recently shared this video from KOCO 5 on the face of books and you all had something to say about it.




Comments ranged from "I thought Firefighters only sat around in barka loungers" to "Well done OKC Fire!"

I fall somewhere in between.  Many of you were quick to special call a bariatric ambulance or a wheelchair van or a taxi which tells me that you've never had to sit on the corner for 45 minutes waiting for said services...if they even bother to show.

Here's a memory from when I met one of the most complicated wheelchairs known to man: The Invacare TDX5. We pushed it, and the occupant, 3 1/2 blocks.  It weighed over 400 lbs.  This video got me thinking about a You Make the Call I did about a fella who forgot to charge his new chair before heading out for the night.

So, from the archives, here's a scenario similar to OKC that you may have to scratch your head about:

Originally posted January 15, 2009 -
You Make the Call - I give a scenario, you comment with what you'd do.  In a few days I post what I did and we compare notes. 

You have been dispatched code 2 for a public assist at a local corner known for drunks since that is where the buses turn around. Everyone has to get off.
It is a cool, breezy evening, around 10 PM. You arrive to find a man, alone, in his electric wheelchair. The battery is dead and he is wondering how to get home. The bus driver called us since he didn't want the man all by himself over night. The bus driver states the man's address is 3 blocks up a narrow street his bus will not fit on.

A quick call to dispatch states there are no wheelchair capable taxis on their approved list (explain that one to me) and they'll call the city van. 10 minutes later we hear the city van driver is out sick today, so no van. The 300 pound chair won't fit in the ambulance, even if you tried, and the 300 pound patient is unable to walk unassisted. He is uninjured and the temperature is dropping.  Nearby shops and eateries are starting to close up for the night.

Any ideas?

You make the call.

Comments