Effective: 01-21-25
Supersedes: 10-17-22
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to provide direction regarding the proper action to be taken in the event of a collision involving a company vehicle. For the purposes of this policy, a “collision” is when any part of a company vehicle comes in contact with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or property.
Policy:
Whenever a company vehicle is involved in a collision, the operator should bring the vehicle to a stop and position the vehicle in the safest possible place near the point of contact. Employees should assess any hazards created by the collision and create and maintain a safety zone to protect personnel and property from further injury or damage by activating warning lights or road flares as appropriate.
If the vehicles are in a hazardous location or blocking traffic, it may be appropriate to move to the side of the road or a side street for safety. Employees will then assess for the presence of any injuries. At the same time, the Communication Center will be notified of the situation. The initial report should include the incident location, brief description of the event, extent of any injuries, and what other resources are required to assist. Based on this report, the Communication Center will notify the appropriate ancillary agencies and dispatch a Field Supervisor to the scene if available.
Collision While on an Emergency Response or Patient Loaded
If the ambulance was enroute to an emergency at the time of the collision, is still safe to operate, and there are no injuries on scene, the Communication Center may authorize the unit to continue its original response if there are no other units available to handle the response in a timely manner. Similarly, if the unit is transporting an unstable patient, there are no injuries on scene, and awaiting the arrival of another unit may compromise patient care, the transport may continue. In either case, the operator of the EMS vehicle must provide the company vehicle registration number and Communication Center phone number to the other operator before proceeding.
If the collision involved an unoccupied vehicle, a note should be affixed to the vehicle’s windshield noting the date / time of the damage, the company vehicle registration number, and company phone number.
Exchanging Operator Information / Crash Information
Employees will cooperate fully with all involved parties and exchange all required information, including motor vehicle operator’s license information, vehicle registration, and insurance carrier information. Employees will not engage or question other operators as to the validity of their operator’s license, motor vehicle registration, or the legal operation of their motor vehicle. Any suspected discrepancies in these areas should be brought to the attention of the first arriving police officer.
Preliminary Investigation
Field Supervisors shall manage the collision scene ensuring that company protocols are being followed, assist in the caring of any injured parties and preserve and photograph pertinent evidence. The Field Supervisor should attempt to obtain statements and contact information (name, address, phone number) from all known witnesses. The statement should describe in as much detail as possible the recollections of the witnesses as to direction of travel, estimated speed, use or warning lights and/or siren, and other observations about the vehicles either before or after the incident.
Documentation
Photographs: On scene personnel should attempt to photograph the scene whenever practical. When safe to do so, take photographs from far enough back from the vehicles that you can capture the entire scene, including any skid marks or road imperfections. Take photographs of all involved vehicles from different angles to show any damage, and be sure to include the vehicle’s license plate. Take a photograph of all four sides of any company vehicle involved in a collision, even if there does not appear to be any visible damage.
Reports: Whenever an employee is involved in a collision involving a company vehicle, the operator must complete a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Report and an on-line incident report. Unless incapacitated, all documentation must be completed prior to the conclusion of the shift in which the incident occurred. Hand-written documents must be legible, signed, and correctly dated. The investigating Supervisor will review all produced documentation for accuracy, ensuring that all reports provided by employees are complete.
All crash and, when applicable, injury reports must be submitted electronically via the company’s scheduling and checklist software. Photographs and any supplemental reports must be emailed to: EMSMVC@BrewsterAmbulance.com
Incident Review / Driving Restriction
The company recognizes that being involved in a motor vehicle collision, no matter how minor, can be a stressful event. Whenever an operator of a company vehicle is involved in a collision, they are to refrain from driving a company vehicle for the remainder of that shift whenever possible. Whenever an operator of a company vehicle is involved in a collision they may have their driving privileges restricted until the incident can be reviewed by the Director of Risk and Safety or their designee.
Disciplinary Action and/or Remediation
Brewster Ambulance Service takes the safe operation of our vehicles very seriously. Employees found to be responsible for a preventable crash may be subject to a range of disciplinary action. The employee may be suspended from duty for multiple shifts up to 24 hours for a first offense, all the way up to immediate termination, depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. In addition to any disciplinary action, a driver remediation plan may also be implemented. Team members found to be texting while driving, operating recklessly, or engaging in other serious safety violations- whether they result in a crash or not, will be disciplined appropriately.