Report Number: 05-0000185
Report Date: 05/27/2005
Event Description
After arriving at a vehicle collision, I was giving medical care to an elderly female patient who had rear ended another car at a fairly high rate of speed. She was complaining of sharp chest pain, so I was leaning into the car between her and the steering wheel evaluating her medical condition. I made note of and even made comments to my fellow firefighters about the fact that the passenger airbag had deployed, but the driver's did not. We have been informed of this dangerous situation and the injuries it has caused many times in the past but it never entered my mind. When I gave my patient report to the paramedic that arrived on scene, I mentioned this fact to indicate the rate of speed. The paramedic was the first to recognize the danger in the situation. He immediately requested the patient be removed from the car for her safety and ours because of the possible late deployment. Immediately after he said this, I knew I had failed to properly analyze this situation. I felt like such an idiot, but felt very lucky. The positions I had been in with my head in front of this airbag could have seriously injured me and my patient. The scene was not well lit because of a lack of street lights. We were asleep when this call came in so I was not as sharp as usual.
I was extremely disappointed in myself for letting something so obvious slip by. I take pride in being aware of my surroundings with safety for emergency personnel being a top priority. This situation won't slip by me again and I hope by sharing this, it won't slip by anyone else.
Lesson Learned
I need to be more vigilant in paying attention to my surroundings. Sometimes the danger can be hiding in something we have become so accustom to seeing that we forget it is even there. Sometimes we get complacent when we haven't had any "close calls" recently, but we must stay alert at all times so that we don't lose any of our brothers or sisters. Learn from my mistake.
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