Which car seat for an ambulance?!

**Maedze** · 04-12-2010, 06:05 PM

Did your husband work for FDNY

They do have Ferno adaptors if memory serves me correctly. (Never worked for them but did my third ride time out of two FDNY stations

)

**Car-Seat.Org** · 04-12-2010 06:05 PM

**firemomof3** · 04-12-2010, 06:07 PM

OK, so I dropped off my Radian for them to try. There is no place for them to store a car seat like the Symphony so the Radian folded in 1/2 is hopefully going to work. Me, along with the CPS tech. is going to do a class on correct use.
For NH, he is required to have a seat suitable from 5lbs. to 65lbs. for transport.
Thank you for that link, I printed it out for him.

**Cilia** · 04-12-2010, 06:11 PM

Well, about 2 months ago ago my about 10 min old dd2 and I were transported from our house to the hospital (no, I did not intend to have a home birth). I was strapped down to the stretcher and she was in my arms... I had no thought about proper restraint for her at the time I might add.

**Maedze** · 04-12-2010, 06:12 PM

I can't imagine there is a state that DOESN'T require a CRS on an ambulance....but it should be one designed for an ambulance, not for a passenger vehicle.

It's one thing to jerry-rig the patient's own CRS for emergent transfer and quite another to claim that a restraint that doesn't have a snowball's chance in H-E-double-hockeysticks of a reasonable installation is somehow meeting the state requirements.

**firemomof3** · 04-12-2010, 06:13 PM

I agree.
They do have an integrated restraint in the captains seats (just like the one in the link) BUT it only goes up to 50lbs. and cannot accomidate an infant.

**SusanMae** · 04-12-2010, 06:14 PM

Didn't Dr. Madeline Bull do a study or at least a paper on this?

If I recall correctly---Place convertible seat on stretcher...Route top belt through FF belt path, and the next belt through the RF belt path. Tighten both belts.

Of course, this can't be used if you need patient on their back for CPR. I imagine if they're that critical, then CR use really isn't a concern.

Susan

**Jennifer mom to my 7** · 04-12-2010, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Maedze

Did your husband work for FDNY

They do have Ferno adaptors if memory serves me correctly. (Never worked for them but did my third ride time out of two FDNY stations

)

No, Not fdny, but a private company that had 911 priviledges, I guess you would call it. If 911 was called, it was his company, or fdny, or both (which was a whole different issue

). FDNY tends to want to fight with other services, rather than accept that they help.....hence the issue I believe you posted, ambulance services should not be part of the fire department.

I don't "think" his company had the adapters, but I can ask, maybe later. He really was a fabulous medic, and trained many, and was so good at his job. It just got too much once he tried to manage (which he was even better at, but people didn't appreciate). That is actually a different topic all together, having to do to people contact, if you know what I mean.

Yes, he was at 9/11, but not with fdny, with his private company, as a boss.

Ohh, that's right, You had to come down here? to get ride on time? That is just really off.

**Jennifer mom to my 7** · 04-12-2010, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by SusanMae

Didn't Dr. Madeline Bull do a study or at least a paper on this?

If I recall correctly---Place convertible seat on stretcher...Route top belt through FF belt path, and the next belt through the RF belt path. Tighten both belts.

Of course, this can't be used if you need patient on their back for CPR. I imagine if they're that critical, then CR use really isn't a concern.

Susan

This is exactly what my dh described to me. If the patient was in the restraint.

**Maedze** · 04-12-2010, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Jennifer mom to my 7

No, Not fdny, but a private company that had 911 priviledges, I guess you would call it. If 911 was called, it was his company, or fdny, or both (which was a whole different issue

). FDNY tends to want to fight with other services, rather than accept that they help.....hence the issue I believe you posted, ambulance services should not be part of the fire department.

I don't "think" his company had the adapters, but I can ask, maybe later. He really was a fabulous medic, and trained many, and was so good at his job. It just got too much once he tried to manage (which he was even better at, but people didn't appreciate). That is actually a different topic all together, having to do to people contact, if you know what I mean.

Yes, he was at 9/11, but not with fdny, with his private company, as a boss.

Ohh, that's right, You had to come down here? to get ride on time? That is just really off.

Oh, the FDNY EMS guys HATED the actual FD

They used to be EMS*NY and I think they recently parted ways again.

I remember the private guys there. One of them traumatized me for life when he asked me to help him find the head of the guy hit by a train, and then helped me root around in the body bag full of parts

Nothing 'off' about third-riding with FDNY...that was one of the huge selling points of Northeastern paramedic program, the FDNY ride-along time

That was pre 9/11, I have no idea if they still do it.

**Jennifer mom to my 7** · 04-12-2010, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Maedze

Oh, the FDNY EMS guys HATED the actual FD

They used to be EMS*NY and I think they recently parted ways again.

I remember the private guys there. One of them traumatized me for life when he asked me to help him find the head of the guy hit by a train, and then helped me root around in the body bag full of parts

Nothing 'off' about third-riding with FDNY...that was one of the huge selling points of Northeastern paramedic program, the FDNY ride-along time

That was pre 9/11, I have no idea if they still do it.

Ha, at the time, that is something my dh would have done

but, for further info, I will pm, tomorrow

**firemomof3** · 04-22-2010, 06:00 AM

*Update*
So, a Radian has been ordered for the ambulance

Next issue I need help with: What are they suppose to do if the mother has to be transported but has an infant with her and your not able to get in touch with anyone to come and watch the baby. This actually did happen a few months ago and the crew put the 5 day old infant in his bucket seat installed in the front seat of the ambulance with an active airbag

So, what would you do?

**BW1426** · 04-22-2010, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by firemomof3

This actually did happen a few months ago and the crew put the 5 day old infant in his bucket seat installed in the front seat of the ambulance with an active airbag

**Pixels** · 04-22-2010, 07:29 AM

There were a number of EMS peeps in my tech class, so they went over this topic more thoroughly than they usually do, I think. The EMS peeps were asking a lot of questions.

If the child is not the patient, the best option is to wait for somebody else to show up to take the child. A relative, friend, police, CPS. If police take the child, they should wait for a relative/friend on the scene or transport a child in the police vehicle only if there is no barrier. In a truely urgent emergency where they cannot wait for someone else to show up to take the child, then they have to do what they have to do. Kinda make it up as they go along. But the last thing I would do is put a rear facing child in front of an active airbag, that's just ASKING for trouble.

**firemomof3** · 04-22-2010, 07:55 AM

Some ideas we've been thinking of is;
1. Police stay with the child (like protective custody) until someone comes
2. Have someone on call who can come and stay with the child (like me, or an auxillary member)
3. Figure out a way to transport the child safely. I'm going to brainstorm with a tech for the fd. next Wed. to figure out if thats possible.