Most drivers have an accident kit in the truck. It generally contains a disposable camera and all of the paperwork needed to take care of the truck, should there be a problem. This is all fine and well, assuming the driver is able to retrieve the kit and use it, but what happens when the driver is incapacitated? What happens when the first responders show up and there’s no one to give them information regarding the driver or the load? How would you handle an emergency such as heart attack or stroke symptoms on the road?
Former first responder Homer Lee worked as an EMT in Georgetown County, S.C., for 10 years. He gives some insight on some of the concerns first responders have when a commercial vehicle is involved in an accident.
“As EMTs we’re trained if the driver is unable to give verbal confirmation of their load,” he says, “to find the manifest and verify the safety of the area, to know if we need to immediately evacuate the victim and contain the area with a hazmat crew. Our main concern upon arrival is what the cargo is and the safety of the general area around it.”
In addition to placards, federal law requires hazmat carriers to have a manifest in the driver’s side door or on the dashboard, and these are the first two places emergency personnel look for information. Says Lee, “If the driver has a medical issue or concern, having a list of their medications and conditions in with the manifest is always a good idea.”
Dr. Phillip McGuire has worked emergency medicine at Holy Spirit Hospital in Harrisburg, Penn., for the past 30 years. He has a couple of requests from emergency medical personnel for making the job of emergency care easier and more effective.
1) “Always have a list of current medications and allergies in your wallet. We can figure out your medical problems from the meds you take. There’s no need to know your blood type – it is always typed and cross matched prior to any transfusion.”
