Purpose

• To provide citizens, firefighters, medical professionals, and rescue squad personnel in the region an opportunity to observe the delivery of emergency medical care and rescue operations in a controlled environment.

• To recruit future members for the Crew by offering a first-hand experience in the EMS field.

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Eligibility

All observers must be at least 16 years old and have no criminal history.

Ride along observers can be:

• Private citizens with no medical background

• Fire/Rescue personnel from the surrounding areas

• Medical professionals

• The Crew has the right to refuse any and all Ride Along applicants.

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General Details

• All Ride Along applicants must complete a background check,  sign a liability waiver and HIPPA form before being allowed to participate.

• Participants must be approved by the Chief, Deputy Chief or Assistant Executive Director and will be assigned according to staffing needs. An approved list of observers will be maintained by the Deputy Chief.

• Private Citizens are allowed to observational experiences per month, with a maximum of six per year. The Chief or Deputy Chief must approve exceptions.

• Fire department and Rescue personnel are allowed unlimited observer privileges as staffing allows.

• Crew members take precedence over observers and may be sent on calls in place of the observer.

• No recordings, videos or photographs are permitted while on call.

• No weapons of any type are permitted on Crew property, unless carried by sworn law enforcement officers. All weapons must be concealed at all times.

• Observers may not be on Crew property within eight (8) hours of consuming alcoholic beverages.

• Ride Along observations are allowed on first and second shifts ONLY. No Ride Alongs are allowed on third shift.

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Dress Code

• All observers must wear long pants, a collared shirt, and closed toe shoes unless otherwise stated in the SOG. No jeans, shorts, tank tops, sweatpants, or any article of clothing with a logo will be permitted.

• All shirts must be tucked into pants at all times.

• Hair must be neat and no excessive jewelry may be worn.

• Members of other fire and rescue organizations are permitted to wear their uniforms as long as said uniform does not include jeans or sweatpants.

• Medical students and nursing observers may be permitted to wear “scrubs” if they do not have the attire mentioned above.

• Observers will wear Crew-provided identification or vests.

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Ride Along Procedures

• The observer should contact the Deputy Chief (or his assistants) to sign up for duty. An observer must serve a minimum of four (4) hours and a maximum of eight (8) hours in a 24 hour period.

• Observers should arrive at the Crew Hall (202 Christopher Lane, Danville, Va.) and report to the senior person on duty to get their assignment for the shift.

• The observer should request and sign the liability waiver before the start of the observation period.

• The senior person on duty has the authority to cancel the Ride Along if the observer does not meet the requirements of the program.

• The observer will follow any and all directions given to him by the duty crew.

• Observers will be riding in the back of the ambulance with the patient and be observing patient care.