By EMS1 Staff
If you’re dispatched to a scene but are unable to find the patient, is it your responsibility to find them?
A private ambulance service in Milwaukee is under scrutiny following the death of a woman after the two paramedics who responded left the scene when they were unable to locate her. The patient had slipped on ice and hit her head, falling behind a snowbank. The paramedics did not leave their rig, but said they checked all four corners of the intersection and did not see her. After six minutes, the providers left the scene to respond to another call.
What is the protocol at your agency? Are you required to locate the patient that required the 911 call? If not, how long is acceptable before leaving the scene? Weigh in below.