White Plains Ambulance Moved At Scene By Civilian

[x129K 1,393]

http://www.lohud.com/article/20111130/NEWS02/111300347/White-Plains-woman-warned-then-arrested-moving-ambulance?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

Good for this cop - tried to do right for her and she didnt get it!

I can JUST picture this ignorant female too...just like all of the other "Me, Me, Me...What's you Name and Badge #, I pay your salary" Type of people!

[ex-commish 490]

http://www.lohud.com/article/20111130/NEWS02/111300347/White-Plains-woman-warned-then-arrested-moving-ambulance?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

Good for this cop - tried to do right for her and she didnt get it!

I can JUST picture this ignorant female too...just like all of the other "Me, Me, Me...What's you Name and Badge #, I pay your salary" Type of people!

I echo this...sounds like an EDP

[x635 4,066]

Was the ambulance locked or did she break in? And don't all ambulances have to have an ignition interlock device?

Seems like you hear about these stories a lot...I remember when the Cortlant flycar was stolen, the Empress ambulance was jacked at gunpoint and then totalled into a tree, and Transcare (Metrocare at the time) got stolen from a scene.

[sfrd18 360]

http://www.lohud.com/article/20111130/NEWS02/111300347/White-Plains-woman-warned-then-arrested-moving-ambulance?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

Good for this cop - tried to do right for her and she didnt get it!

I can JUST picture this ignorant female too...just like all of the other "Me, Me, Me...What's you Name and Badge #, I pay your salary" Type of people!

Finally some justice! The world doesn't revolve around you!

[x129K 1,393]

I echo this...sounds like an EDP

No EDP, just a selfish, self centered, MUTT

[OoO 24]

Although I'm guilty of this too...all the reason to always lock your ambulance.

[INIT915 1,119]

Was the ambulance locked or did she break in? And don't all ambulances have to have an ignition interlock device?

Seems like you hear about these stories a lot...I remember when the Cortlant flycar was stolen, the Empress ambulance was jacked at gunpoint and then totalled into a tree, and Transcare (Metrocare at the time) got stolen from a scene.

No mention of damage, so I will assume it was just not secured. To this day, I am so careful about locking my vehicle at a scene if I'm going to leave it running.

[x129K 1,393]

We never locked our truck back in the day....

Edited November 30, 2011 by x129K

[WAS967 97]

And don't all ambulances have to have an ignition interlock device?

Where did you get this silly idea?

And this just highlights why we should always lock our rigs, especially on scenes. But we all know (in EMS that is) that a vast majority of the time that doesn't happen for one reason or another.

[Bnechis 3,961]

We never locked our truck back in the day....

We always did.

I remember about 30 years ago Eastchester had an ambulance stolen while the crew was on a heart attack. rig was rolled over & totaled after striking and killing the Scarsdale Animal warden.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Bnechis

[ny10570 745]

Who's still buying ambulances without a secure idle feature?? Its an $800 extra at the dealership on a ford pickup.

[x129K 1,393]

We always did.

I remember about 30 years ago Eastchester had an ambulance stolen while the crew was on a heart attack. rig was rolled over & totaled after striking and killing the Scarsdale Animal warden.

Jeez...horrible!

[NWFDMedic 58]

Although I'm guilty of this too...all the reason to always lock your ambulance.

Exactly. The crew is just as much at fault for not having their vehicle secured.

[BigBuff 27]

This lady should be charged with stealing also, due to the fact that she got in an emergency vehicle, which could have had somebody in it, also she could have hit something, that cop was trying to be nice at first and just let her go, but she went and took advantage of it. Just thinking about it makes me think on why she would think it would be perfectly fine just to get in it. Great topic to start- bad thing to do though.

[helicopper 1,050]

Exactly. The crew is just as much at fault for not having their vehicle secured.

I disagree. The crew may have violated procedure or may not have exercised the best judgement BUT nothing gives you the right to take what isn't yours even if it is a vehicle left running and unlocked.

Best practices dictate that you don't leave a vehicle unlocked but the suspect is the only one culpable.

[MoFire390 118]

imagine what would of happened if it was a Bertoline Beer truck fully loaded??? oh wait that has happened before never mind

[INIT915 1,119]

This lady should be charged with stealing also, due to the fact that she got in an emergency vehicle, which could have had somebody in it, also she could have hit something, that cop was trying to be nice at first and just let her go, but she went and took advantage of it. Just thinking about it makes me think on why she would think it would be perfectly fine just to get in it. Great topic to start- bad thing to do though.

The Grand Larceny statutes in New York don't apply to this situation.

[newsbuff 286]

imagine what would of happened if it was a Bertoline Beer truck fully loaded??? oh wait that has happened before never mind

The similarities between a beer truck carrying beer, and an ambulance carrying thousands of dollars worth of equipment, possibly people, and drugs? I'm sorry but I have no idea where you are going with this comment.

[NWFDMedic 58]

I disagree. The crew may have violated procedure or may not have exercised the best judgement BUT nothing gives you the right to take what isn't yours even if it is a vehicle left running and unlocked.

Best practices dictate that you don't leave a vehicle unlocked but the suspect is the only one culpable.

While this is obviously true, nobody should take what isn't theirs, the crew put a lot of people in danger by leaving the vehicle unsecured. I'd also venture to be that they violated DOH policy.

[x129K 1,393]

The similarities between a beer truck carrying beer, and an ambulance carrying thousands of dollars worth of equipment, possibly people, and drugs? I'm sorry but I have no idea where you are going with this comment.

Beer truck and contents have a much better resale value.

[PEMO3 523]

Went to the police station to report the incident. Could not have been too late for work huh?

[newsbuff 286]

Beer truck and contents have a much better resale value.

Oh well I know that , and im sure you could have a lot more fun with a beer truck

But for the sake of staying on topic......

[helicopper 1,050]

While this is obviously true, nobody should take what isn't theirs, the crew put a lot of people in danger by leaving the vehicle unsecured. I'd also venture to be that they violated DOH policy.

http://www.health.ny.gov/nysdoh/ems/policy/09-07.htm

Yes, we're in agreement that a policy was violated but it doesn't excluse the woman who committed a crime. At worst the EMS crew execised bad judgment.

A study titled, "Ambulance Snatching: How Vulnerable Are We" identifies a sampling of 151 ambulance arrivals observed at emergency departments in several states. The average time present at the Emergency Department was 21.5 minutes, 23.2% of the vehicles were left with the engine running, 26.5% were left with doors or compartments open, 90.1% were left unattended and 84.1% were left unlocked.

4 out of 5 crews are guilty of the same procedural violation apparently.

[ny10570 745]

That study is incredibly weak because it doesn't address how many of those ambulances were actually stealable. I can leave my truck running, unattended, and all the doors open and its still only slightly easier to steal than shut off and locked up. A simple ford door lock or piece of tempered glass is the only obstacle.

While the perp is still ultimately responsible for the crime the victim does not escape culpability. You do not walk the streets with cash hanging out of your pocket and your cell phone on a lanyard 3 feet behind you. I'm sure almost everyone here locks their doors at night and car when they leave it somewhere. Why would your ambulance be any different? Every police, fire and EMS station I've ever entered had locks. Hell there's even the old joke of why does a 7-11 have locks on their doors yet they all do.

In the immortal words of Gunny Hartman "If it wasn't for dickheads like you, there wouldn't be any thievery in this world, would there?"

Lock your doors and at least make the thieves earn what they're stealing.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I have always been all for a fleet of marked vehicles being keyed alike. I have been on calls where keys were locked in a running Police car and another car has to go back to HQ to get the lock out tool to open the car. This now takes 2 Patrol units OOS. If they were all keyed alike, you can keep a spare on your key ring as long as it's in your pocket and not attached to you bag in the now locked Veh!

If the amb was locked and this woman broke into it, a Crim Mischief charge prob would have been added due to the damage she would have had to do to open the door.

[helicopper 1,050]

While the perp is still ultimately responsible for the crime the victim does not escape culpability. You do not walk the streets with cash hanging out of your pocket and your cell phone on a lanyard 3 feet behind you. I'm sure almost everyone here locks their doors at night and car when they leave it somewhere.

Wow, that's a harsh perspective. The law doesn't allow for applying responsibility to the victim of a crime. The days of prosecuting a sex crime victim because of their attire are over and if I choose to leave my car parked with the door unlocked, you can't "blame" me for a criminal's action.

I understand your point about responsibility but that's not the same as culpability. It may be irresponsible to leave your wallet sticking out of your pocket but it doesn't give anyone the right to take it.

[x635 4,066]

What if they were working on a patient in a Type I ambulance?

Why isn't this a NYS*DOH requirment to have ignition interlock devices and to secure your vehicle?

Here's some more info on systems available:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/systems-technology/product-guides/vehicle-disabling.htm

And could the Police Officer just have moved the ambulance out of the way? I don't know what type of call it was or what type of situation, but if the Officer took 1 minute to move the ambulance, or secured it after the initial event, couldn't this have been avoided?

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

What if they were working on a patient in a Type I ambulance?

Why isn't this a NYS*DOH requirment to have ignition interlock devices and to secure your vehicle?

Here's some more info on systems available:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/systems-technology/product-guides/vehicle-disabling.htm

And could the Police Officer just have moved the ambulance out of the way? I don't know what type of call it was or what type of situation, but if the Officer took 1 minute to move the ambulance, or secured it after the initial event, couldn't this have been avoided?

What makes you think that the PD has the right to move the ambulance. I can just see if for some reason the PO hit something. Do you mean DWI Interlock devices? That would seem pretty idiotic if you ask me.

Maybe if the driver of the ambulance positioned it as to not inconvience others on the road this wouldn't be an issue!

I can tell you this, anyone other than myself or another LEO from either my job or another job moved my patrol car they would be in handcuffs as well!

Edited December 1, 2011 by ONEEYEDMIC

[x635 4,066]

What makes you think that the PD has the right to move the ambulance. I can just see if for some reason the PO hit something. Do you mean DWI Interlock devices? That would seem pretty idiotic if you ask me.

Maybe if the driver of the ambulance positioned it as to not inconvience others on the road this wouldn't be an issue!

I can tell you this, anyone other than myself or another LEO from either my job or another job moved my patrol car they would be in handcuffs as well!

I mean when you hit the brake when the ambulance is parked and running, it shuts off the ambulance and requires a hidden button or something similar to restart.

People are crazy abour jobs now. They worry if they are late they will get fired, and in this economy, they are easily replaced.

A Patrol Car with weapons is a totally diffent story.

It all comes down to being considerate and providing excellent customer service. The Officer could have secured the vehicle when he already had to warn someone about it.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I mean when you hit the brake when the ambulance is parked and running, it shuts off the ambulance and requires a hidden button or something similar to restart.

People are crazy abour jobs now. They worry if they are late they will get fired, and in this economy, they are easily replaced.

A Patrol Car with weapons is a totally diffent story.

It all comes down to being considerate and providing excellent customer service. The Officer could have secured the vehicle when he already had to warn someone about it.

It isn't the PD's responsobility to secure the ambulance. Maybe if they pulled up at the same time he/she could suggest putting the ambulance in a different spot, but if the PO is already tending to the patient, the amb crew should use some common sense!