Never ride behind an ambulance

Good advice, and glad you are ok!

Forgive me if someone else covered this, but as a guy who has driven "code three" lots of times, It's important to watch out for other support emergency vehicles which may be assisting the original unit...

Be careful out there!

Steve

thanks for the story, and the reminder for ATTGAT. I recently took a job near home, and sometimes don't wear my riding over pants, just jeans.

As someone who works EMS and drives emergency vehicles everyday, here's some tips:
Never ever ever follow directly behind. We do in fact direct relatives to stay far back and travel at normal pace. They won't be able to see the patient for awhile anyway.
Never ride on the left side of the vehicle. We are trained to merge left to get around traffic, even so far as to go into opposing lanes. This is supposed to work with drivers pulling over to their right.
It's fine to pass on the highway. Most ambulance squads are not allowed to go over about 70mph. So passing in the fast lane is fine, but look ahead so you don't get caught while the squad is merging left around traffic.
If you draft behind a squad, expect more often than not for the medics to call PD on your ass. And if they do, I promise you will get cited for everything you can be.

Goose, so glad you're okay! All the best on your recovery and finding a replacement!

Glad you're alright Steve!

When I drove, I would take the time the medics used to start IV's to tell folks to not follow me, not speed, especially not follow me thru a red light. You cant do the patient any good if you dont get there and we will beat you everytime. We let one family member ride shotgun up front, never in the back unless we were hauling young children.

Also there getting so they dont want us running red lights and sirens for fear of causeing a wreck on all but the most severe emergencies, when people who are not paying attention suddenly see and hear and do stupid shit. Like stopping right in front of you. Yeah they do.:huh Or they move right or left right into somebody else.

Fire trucks spill water, loose hose, and can have other stuff fail, break and fall off. And yes you see one Engine, think a bunch more. We are volunteer and Our first response will be the little fast truck, a engine, and a tender/pumper tanker. Then depending on who shows up and what the call is another engine, and two more tankers and the air truck, maybe rescue and a brush truck. And if we call for mutual aid who knows whats coming from where.

Keep your eyes and ears open kids

Jailor8

If the amberlamps isn't even running any flashing lights, it would be hard to tell it was doing an emergency transport rather than just returning to base or out getting gas or whatever. Some of the fire trucks etc. have a KEEP 200 FEET BACK sign on them but beyond that I don't think I'd be watching out more than normally for a civilian car coming up from a long way behind.

Tough break for OP, glad he survived, at least there was an ambulance nearby! He got rear-ended by an inattentive driver and it is not a good excuse that she was trying to catch up to the ambulance from a long way behind. If she chose to drive she is responsible for her driving. Maybe a better life lesson to be had from this, is that if your loved one is being transported and you are very upset, have somebody else drive you, so you don't end up causing an additional accident yourself.

Glad you're ok, Steve, and sorry you won't be making the BWDR campout... what a bummer.

Glad you're o.k! And to think when i was younger! Much younger i would follow ambulances to cut traffic and just for the thrill! Those days are long gone now but i loved the speed and passing all the cars. In retrospect it was a most silly and dangerous attitude, and i'm sure glad after a few spills and chills and of course age,i can see the benefits of safety and reason.

I think this is the winner. Thanks guys and please be careful out there.