Update:State Of SC Says 16-Year-Old Can't Drive Ambulance

[LCFD968 10]

South Carolina Rescue Squad Uses 16-Year-Old Ambulance Driver

The captain of a Spartanburg County rescue squad said his 16-year-old son has been driving an ambulance on emergency calls since December so the unit would have enough volunteers to continue operating.  

Jimmy Corbin, captain of Rescue 18 in Croft, said his son, Wesley, drives the ambulance under routine driving conditions and when the vehicle is responding with lights and siren.  

Corbin said he wouldn't let Wesley drive the ambulance on calls if he didn't think his son was mature enough to handle it. He described his son as "a very responsible person."  

"He looks 19 or 20," Corbin said. "Most of the time he's (driving the ambulance) at night."  

Corbin said his insurance company assured him Wesley would be covered under the squad's vehicle policy.  

"You have to do this to try to keep your truck in service," Corbin said, alluding to Spartanburg County Council's rule that rescue squads remain in service 80 percent of the time to qualify for taxpayer funding.  

Terry Horton, an inspector with the Emergency Medical Services division of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said he'd never heard of a 16-year-old ambulance driver.  

"A 16-year-old doesn't have the driving experience he needs. This is not a good practice at all," Horton said. "This points to some problems with retention rates with the squad and raises questions about if they have enough crew members to run the truck."  

Nothing in South Carolina law would prevent a 16-year-old from operating an ambulance, Horton said. The state does not require ambulance drivers to have commercial driver's licenses or take courses on driving emergency vehicles, he said.  

"I wish there was something in EMS laws that someone couldn't drive until they were at least 18," Horton said.  

Horton said he admires Wesley's desire to work in emergency medical care. "I hope he keeps that interest in EMS," Horton said. "In two years, we'd love to have him. But not now."  

Wesley said he is a good driver. He understands why people might think a 16-year-old is too young to drive an ambulance.  

He said he started driving because the number of squad members dropped so low. "We hardly had any volunteers," Wesley said. "The squad voted on me to drive when there was nobody else to drive."  

Since he's home-schooled and does his work at night, Wesley said he is able to volunteer on days when someone does not show up for work. Wesley said he's never had any formal training to drive an emergency vehicle. "My dad took me out and taught me a couple of things," Wesley said. "But as far as going to classes, no."  

Spartanburg County EMS, jointly operated by the county and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, requires all its workers to take an annual driving course for emergency vehicles.  

Wesley currently has a first responder rating, but it will be nearly two years before he can become an emergency medical technician.  

State health regulations require EMTs to be at least 18 years old.  

Corbin said Wesley has not been stopped for a traffic violation since he received his license at age 15.Wesley's father said patients being transported to the hospital have not shown concerns about having a youthful driver.  

"Most (patients) don't want to know what's going on," Corbin said. "When they are hurt or sick, they're just happy to get the help."  

Phil Plexico, chief training officer at the Emergency Services Academy and the county's liaison with the rescue squads, said he has concerns about a 16-year-old's driving experience and level of maturity, though he does not know Wesley.  

Plexico, who has been involved in Spartanburg County's emergency medical care since the late 70s, said he could not recall anyone as young as Wesley driving an ambulance.  

"You need to look very carefully at age when you are driving an emergency case to the hospital," Plexico said. "The (emergency workers) in the back with the patient, and the patient, are very vulnerable in an accident. I definitely do not advocate using a 16-year-old as a driver." According to the Insurance Information Institute, drivers 15 to 20 years old account for 18 percent of all accidents reported by police. The risk that this age group will be involved in a fatal crash is three times greater than drivers 65 to 69 years old. Phil Compton, president of Johnson Insurance Agency, has represented large insurers of emergency vehicles, mainly fire departments, for 20 years.  

"I don't have any company that would insure an ambulance service with a 16-year-old driver responding," Compton said. "To allow a 16-year-old to drive an ambulance is poor judgment."  

What do you think???I can't imagine being this desprate for volunteers to let a sixteen year old drive.

[lss207 0]

Hey, nothing says he can't drive and the insurance company is going to cover him....therefore I say, why not? It's definitely a desperate move, but in doing so, they get to remain in operation.

[LCFD968 10]

Scary, Leaving a sixteen year old in charge of 2 to 3 lives going to a hospital while CPR is in progress. Just doesn't seem right. We don't allow anyone to drive until they are 21 years old.

[LCFD994 8]

Shawn,

I agree with you about the age thing, again there not breaking any laws.

And I guess you havent been stuck on an EMS call waiting for the Ambulance from anywhere to show up for God knows how long of a time. so I guess 16 is better then no one showing up. But again I agree about the age limit.

Come ride along with me some nights ( not all of the time, and things are much much better) youll see what I mean.

And not to mention there are some "older" drivers that shouldnt be driving...let alone driving an ambulance

[DMA327 12]

The hell with remaining in operation.... That's ludicrous!!!!!!!!!!

No person 16 years old is mature enough with enough driving experience to drive an emergency vehicle, let alone for mostly night calls. These guys are out of their gord!!!!!!!!!!

Sad to say they're setting themselves up for disaster.

All it takes is another driver on the road to make a stupid move on the road and the 16 year old freezing up and wrecking it!!!

CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

[JBE 328]

I don't agree with this at all, but, it's become an unfortunate reality. You have to do the best you can with what you have. Especially in this day and age of manpower shortages. Give the kid credit for wanting to do it, at least.

[lss207 0]

We should remember that these people are in a very different place than putnam/westchester county, NY. What may be a good situation for them may seem really crazy to us here.

As for maturity, it isn't fair to say that all 16 years olds are immature and unable to handle these situations as adolescents are now forced to grow up much faster than times in the past.

[Guest]

We should remember that these people are in a very different place than putnam/westchester county, NY.  What may be a good situation for them may seem really crazy to us here.

As for maturity, it isn't fair to say that all 16 years olds are immature and unable to handle these situations as adolescents are now forced to grow up much faster than times in the past.

ARE YOU GUYS FOR REAL! A 16 YR OLD IN THE SOUTH IS THE SAME AS IN THE NORTH. And anyone who doesn't see a problem with a 16 yr old driving a emergency vehicle just doesn't have a clue. :roll:

Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt. #-o :crazy:

[lss207 0]

Ok, I withdraw everything I've said on this post. I must be wrong...or maybe I'm just too :rolleyes2: young and immature to understand.

[Remember585 815]

ARE YOU GUYS FOR REAL!  A 16 YR OLD  IN THE SOUTH IS THE SAME AS IN THE NORTH. And anyone who doesn't see a problem with a 16 yr old driving a emergency vehicle just  doesn't have a clue. :roll:

Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt. #-o :crazy:

Come on! A 16 year old from the "good ol' south" is more mature then some 18 year olds in the North. By age 16, a southerner is a High-School drop-out, has 2 kids, and is married to a relative!!!

Besides, maybe he has been driving his Daddy's pickup since he was 10.

](*,)

[JohnnyOV 2]

ill repeate here what I asked in the other post regarding this topic, would trust your ownself at 16 to drive a heavy truck through red lights and down the wrong side of the road

[x635 4,066]

Just to note, Darien (Just north of Stamford,CT) has an ambulance corps run ENTIRELY by High school students/explorers. Commonly referenced to as "Post 53". They do have advisors, but they play mostly a background role.

In CT, you can be an EMT at 16 years old.

It is highly competitive to gain membership in this corps. As a freshman, you dispatch and learn the ropes. As a sophmore, you ride as an attendant. A junior is an EMT, and the senior drives. So you have 17 and 18 year old kids driving an ambulance through a metro area such as Stamford and Norwalk.

The whole having the life experience and maturity that only comes with age and experience is a whole seperate issue. EMS is a PROFESSION, not a high school extracurricular acitivity.

[doug_e 0]

He could fly an airplane over Westchester County. . .

He could pilot a boat in the Sound. . .

He could operate a combine, and probably does that too. . .

Why then, can't he drive an ambulance? :-k

I certainly wouldn't suggest that we lower our ages locally, due to congestion and traffic. But if he's monitored properly and he demonstrates appropriate maturity and restraint there is no reason at all to think that a 16 year old is incapable of doing this. That doesn't mean every 16 yo could. Heck there are 40+ yo's who can't drive for s*&$$*.

That's outside the box thinking. I think we've all become too cloistered in our baby bumper, over protected society. Hell I have to have the dexterity of a clarinet player to light a cigarette these days.

I say more power to them! Just steer clear of Spartanburg County SC for a while....

[gpdexplorer 46]

I personally, being 16, wouldnt want to drive the rig at 16. If i absolutely had to, i still dont think i would b/c i'm not going to be responsible for the lives of the people in the back. If anything happened to them, i dont think i could live w/myself. If where he is from is confident with and he is confident w/himself, i guess its ok, but i still think that it is a stupid idea.

[WAS967 97]

One year older and he could go sign up to possibly die for his country. :-k

[Guest irishfire]

Hey if he is cover and in the insurence plan let him drive he leaves one extar person that know what they are doing in the back to help the patitent. Do u think that the patitent care who is driving no they just want to get to the hospital. and you can say he is gonna get in to an accident just because he is sixteen [-X . "ALL PEOPLE GET IN TO ACCIDENTS NO MATTER WHAT THE AGE IS"

My opion is Congrats to that 16 year old kid for doing something he loves to do and safe driving =D>

[Guest]

That is totally insane. The insurance company probably does not know that the 16 yo is driving no matter what his father says. there is not one insurance company that will cover a 16 yo drive an emergancy vehichle in this country..

Can you say Lawsuit waiting to happen.

Many people may not like it but if this kid wants to help thats awsome. put him in the back and let him learn and get some experience

[LCFD968 10]

I guess times have changed. I was sitting here reading the other post where the ambulance is basicly being run by high schoolers. It must be the wave of the future. I remember being an explorer begging to just to ride on a rig to a drill. Now 16 and 17 year olds are running calls and taking lives into there hands. I wonder what is going to happen( or it has happened allready) when that 6 month old dies because of a mistake they made or they pull up to vehicle accident and its there friend. How will they react? I know when it happens to adult werecieve consuling if they need it.Kids today don't know they can do that or they are "to cool" to talk to anyone.

Sorry for the venting, my daughter is an explorer and I am an advisor for Lake Carmel, I don't want these kids to be exposed to the things most of us have seen and the stories we have all heard from other Emergency responders until they are ready.

Just a simple opinion from a simple man. Let them crawl before we teach them to walk.

[x635 4,066]

State: 16-Year-Old Can't Drive Ambulance

Spokesman Says Job Falls Under Hazardous Occupation Rules 

POSTED: 10:42 am EST February 17, 2005

UPDATED: 5:53 pm EST February 17, 2005

SPARTANBURG -- State labor officials say a 16-year-old boy can no longer drive an ambulance for a Spartanburg County rescue squad.

Labor Department spokesman Jim Knight said ambulance drivers fall under the Labor Department's hazardous occupation rules, which forbid people under age 18 from doing certain dangerous jobs.

16-Year-Old Can't Drive Medic Unit, State Says   

 

Knight said the law applies both to paid workers and volunteers. 

Rescue 18 Capt. Jimmy Corbin has used his son Wesley to drive the ambulance when no other squad members were available. Rescue 18 operates in the Croft community.

Spartanburg County Council put new regulations in place in July that require volunteer squads to be in service at least 80 percent of the time to receive taxpayer funding.

"Spartanburg County has required us -- we have to get any assistance which is very little -- to be in service 80 percent of of the time. This year at the end of June it goes up to 90 percent," Corbin said.

Wesley Corbin said other squad members voted to allow him to drive because there were so few volunteers.

A lawyer told WYFF News 4 that Wesley Corbin wouldn't be allowed to drive such a vehicle under federal laws either.

"Under the federal law, it's prohibited for a 16-year-old to operate any vehicle in the course of their employment," George May, a wage and hour consultant, said. "I think they've always felt that 16-year-olds operating trucks or taxi cabs anything of that nature would be considered dangerous for them. They're young and so new to driving." 

Copyright 2005 by TheCarolinaChannel 

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

This is classic. Once again PR has turned bad. This article instead of raising awarness of the Corps. hard work and effort to staff an ambulance has brought "the man " down on them. Now they are worse off than they were to begin with.

[Pyroinvestigator 0]

No...I don't think that is it...it is more like the nice hidden secret is out...that band aid burst and the wound it open. And one day these dirty little secrets are going to come out and there is no one to blame but ourselves. Don't try to put a butter fly on a open femur fracture. Do the right thing and admit the problem and seek help....WHAT EVER that means to FIX IT!

*Edited To Keep Thread ON TOPIC

[Pudge3311 5]

Having young drivers is not the problem. Look at it logically. They need help. The 16 yr old is not driving lights and sirens, or to actual calls. He is basically transporting the patient and EMT to the hospital, which means if it takes 5 minutes or two days to get there, it doesnt matter. I see nothing wrong with this.

There obviously has been little or no problems with the Darien system. The members are selected if you read the article or visit their web site. They pick quality candidates, meaning they think those chosen are very mature.

Maybe its time for the government to either step up and start paying people in these rural areas to provide these services, or stop making it so that those who can provide some help are prevented from doing so.

Im not saying that every 16 yr old should be driving an ambulance just because they want to, each case should be evaluated by itself, and they should maybe undergo some type of training before they are allowed to drive.

Its getting rediculous that on every level, local, county, state, federal, emergency services are always getting screwwed. Let those who want to help and make a difference be allowed to do it.

[Oswegowind 17]

If he can drive a tractor at work on the farm why can't he drive his grandpa to the hospital in an ambulance?

[ems-buff 81]

all i can siad is WOW! :yikes:

good luck to him =D>