Police car driver recovering after accident

An accident between an ambulance and a police car left the police car driver in the hospital and the ambulance crew recovering from minor injuries.

The initial investigation shows they were responding to separate incidents and that the ambulance had the green light.  All those things aside, I'm glad everyone is OK, considering the police car driver had to be extricated.

Police car drivers are given training to respond with lights and sirens, as are EMS personnel, and if the investigation holds, I wonder if the police car driver will be cited with failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, as EMTs and Paramedics are from time to time when they are the ones at fault.

Likely not, but I hope all police car drivers take this story and also a deep breath when responding, as we all should, and come to a complete stop to break an intersection with red light and siren.

What?

Wat's that you say?

He's not a police car driver?  How's it feel to be referred to by only a portion of what you do? MC, I smell a crossover!

We have a tall hill to climb and perhaps we should start with some PSAs for the press.

"The ambulance drivers also were being treated at the hospital, Ramos said."


Oh, and this lovely nugget:

"Sorrick said the ambulance company is prevented by privacy regulations from providing the names of the injured medical personnel."


So here's a HIPAA quiz (Adding information, creating a new scenario) - Does HIPAA prevent the ambulance company from releasing the names of the injured employees if they were not patients?

-Justin Schorr

Fire engine driver / Ambulance driver

Comments

Sean Eddy said…
I spoke too soon. If the employees were not patients, then no.
Sean Eddy said…
If the employees were transported, evaluated or treated by an ambulance crew, then yes, HIPAA would prevent the company from releasing the names.
Anonymous said…
It might be employment regulations rather than HIPAA? The article also doesn't say who transported the EMTs to the hospital... might've been another AMR unit.
Anonymous said…
HIPAA only applies to patients for whom the health care provider bills electronically for their services.

And I say, if you can't get 'em to stop calling you an ambulance driver, might as well join 'em and own the phrase. Respect isn't conferred with a title anyway.
Motorcop1 said…
Sounds like we've got some fodder indeed!
Whitesmar said…
The "police car drivers" and the "ambulance driver" were exactly that when they had their collision. One was driving a police car and the other an ambulance.

If the police officer was arresting someone at a particular time, then he wasn't a "police car driver" but a police officer. If the ambulance service member ws giving CPR, then s/he wasn't an "ambulance driver" but a paramedic or whatever.

A (something) driver means someone who is/was driving something. That person could be a Paramedic, police sergeant, senator or the Queen of Britain, but at the time they were, foremost, a driver.
Thehappymedic said…
Indeed, yet police officers are never referred to as police car drivers, or firefighters as fire engine drivers. What got me the most was that reading this article I was excited it wasn't going to say "ambulance drivers"...then it did. Not a huge thing, just rubs the wrong way.
Ron Davis said…
If they were patients the their names are PHI and can't be released. If they aren't then the company can have any privacy policy they want about releasing information.

Ron was reading the HIPPA Privacy Summary today.
Aled Treharne said…
Don't care what the law says - the names of those involved are not newsworthy nor are they necessary for the journo to do their job. It is also not the Ambulance company's right to give their privacy away.

Mind your own business. :P