Driving the Ambulance

(Look for me driving one of these-- ahh, scary!)

Yes, it is so. I am driving the ambulance. I am not driving the ambulance with lights and sirens yet, but it is fun to be able to speed all around town without a fear of getting pulled over. In fact, I was going 55mph in a 35mph zone in the ambulance the other day and as a cop passed by I just waved, and he waved back. Aww, how sweet.

Anyways, it is kindof nerve racking driving that gigantic thing around town. I am just thankful that I don't have to drive this monster on Six Forks Rd. Those lanes are extremely narrow.

Driving an ambulance is like driving a Ford F-350 with a box on the back instead of a bed that extends 1 foot more out on each side. I end up driving the thing really close to the line dividing the lanes so that I don't take out telephone poles alongside the road.

I thought I would be more nervous driving that thing around too, but once you get in there, you really enjoy it. Not to say that I'm not precautious, but it is fun.

There is one fear that I have. I fear wrecking the ambulance. My personal insurance could go up. I can only hope that if I ever get into an accident in an ambulance that it won't be my fault.

The hardest part about driving the ambulance is backing into the bays. It is stinkin' hard. Plus, they have put up these new concrete poles on each side of each bay so that people won't hit the building. It is hard fitting between those thingys. I am glad we have lines that run down the driveway so that I can sortof see my target. They just need to paint them better or lay down some reflectors.

My next goal will be getting good at driving the ambulance with a patient in the back and one of my partners working back there. I did drive some Explorers (a H.S. group that "explores" EMS life) back to the station last Sunday and didn't sling them around to bad, so I think I'm off to a good start.

On a side note, I came to a scene the other day where the police had tasered the guy (man, I so want to see someone get tasered) and he was a big guy. I was the only woman amongst 5 cops and 2 paramedics and I felt pretty nervous about getting anywhere near the guy. LOL. It was stinkin' awesome, though, to see the damage they inflicted on the door when they kicked it open!