Using bus to transport or help sick/injured

[WEC4104]

The previous thread asking about bus-related injuries got me thinking and I'd like to start a spin-off. The question is:  Have you ever used your bus to transport or assist someone who was sick, injured, or otherwise incapacitated?   The pure size of a bus and it's extra facilities (bed, restroom, etc.), give it capabilities beyond the normal car that benefit those folks with medical issues.

I'll throw one out for starters...

My nephew was involved in travel soccer for several years, and my bus was used at a couple multi-day tournaments as a place for the parents to relax between games.  One October, there was a kid on the team who was just recovering from an appendectomy.  He was nowhere near ready to play soccer, but wanted to go and support the team.  The tournament was 2 hours away and it was an all day event. His parents concluded it was too much for him to handle that soon after his surgery.  I asked his parents if it would make any difference if I took my bus to the event. He could travel stretched out on the sofa, and give their son a place to rest during the day.  The parents were familiar with my bus and said "That would be perfect!"  That's what we ended up doing and it worked out well.

[Busted Knuckle]

We have worked on buses that do exactly that! They haul medical patients coast to coast, or short haul, whatever is needed.

Now on the other hand we've been taking a bus up to KY Lake near Benton, KY for search & rescue workers to sit, relax, warm up, and use the batroom in where 3 teenager boys duck hunting drowned. There were 4 of them in the boat when it capsized. One of them thought to take his life jacket off and undue hi waders allowing him to "loose" them and swim to a buoy where he held on until help arrived. One was found the next day by a dragging crew. And the other two are still being drug for daily, the searchers know that they won't be "rescued alive" but are still trying to find them so the families can have their "closure".

So every day one of our drivers, mom & dad, or myself leave at 6:30 AM and head for the lake and sit there out on "Rocky Point" next to a big "Decontamination tent" at times they have had us move the bus to which ever side the tent is on and tie it off to the bus to keep it from blowing away. While we are there the Red Cross and many others keep bringing tons of hot food, snacks, and drinks out for everybody. We stay until just about everybody is gone, and if they asked us too we'd stay all night if we were needed! But usually around dark and all but one or two of the big search boats equipped with sonar have left, they tell us to head home and they'll see us again in the morning! I was up there my self 5 days in a row and we've had 3 drivers up there 1 day each, and mom and dad have been there once. It's been 14 days since the accident and they are hoping the bodies will soon decompose enough to float!
Like I said it ain't exactly what you were asking, but it is a needed service that we are donating our buses and time too!     BK   

[JackConrad]

It was not in my bus, but I drove an elderly rancher and his wife and nurse to Jacksonville from Arcadia for daily outpatient test and back to the hotel each afternoon. He was recuperating from a recent hip and pelvic fracture and could not ride in a car. This was a 1 week trip (1 travel day up, 4 days of medical test and 1 day of travel back home).

[VanTare]

I am driving a terminally ill young boy and his Dad to Tampa for the Super Bowl for the make-a-wish he wants to ride in a bus motorhome as he calls it and would like to see a football game in person.             

David

[cody]

I used our bus to bring home a friend of ours after he had back surgery at a hospital about 90 miles from his home, I also used it for my dad when he had to go to Mayo's clinic in minn.  We regularily take it to weddings where we are doing the music, it makes a good relax place for us or the wedding party, often we'll stay the night in the bus after the doings especially if it's a major drive home.  I need very little excuse to fire it up and go.

[BG6]

An organization I'm with has written RVs into the disaster plan.  The plan says that when selecting an RV, "motorhomes which are converted Greyhound-type long-distance buses are to be used when possible.  Due to the airbag suspension systems used on these buses, patients with head or spinal injury are to have priority placement."

Just two words of warning:

1), if the patient is on oxygen, turn off your propane so that all pilots die and there is no change of pilotless-ignition appliances firing up.  For Mass-Casualty disasters, with multiple RVs in a convoy, if possible you want some rigs NOT to have oxygen tanks aboard, so that water heaters and stoves may be operated to support the whole convoy.

2), if the patient will be lying down while you move, they should be in bed with feet forward, and restrained enough that they're not going to be shaken out of the bed on the roughest of roads.  For a child, the best restraint is a parent or older sibling lying in bed with them.  If it's not possible to restrain them, they should lay on the floor with cushions to keep them from moving around.

[niles500]

David - I tried to make my bus available for Make-A-Wish localy, to no avail - I'd be interested in knowing how you did it - thanks

[VanTare]

Niles I really cannot answer that question for you they came to me   


David

[NJT 5573]

I live by Tahoma National Cemetary. I keep an offer on Craigs List and with the Cemetary and have the bus available free to anyone who needs it for transportation for any reason to and from the National Cemetary.

This started when a widow called Tahoma about a ride and started crying when they could not help her on Memorial Day a few years ago.

McCord AFB and Fort Lewis are also nearby so I get a call at times and am happy to be of some help to anyone who has lost a family member or wishes to come and mourn a loved Veteran at Tahoma that needs transportation.

Tahoma isn't Arlington but we now have two Medal Of Honor Winners here and thats pretty awesome for a reasonably new and beautiful facility.

[NJT5047]

Not to throw cold water on your good-hearted efforts, what you're doing is commendable, but you might want to ask your insurance carrier what they think of the idea.   
I'm assuming that you accept no bucks for what your doing, so some good samaritan laws may prevent exposure, but your insurance company has the last word on what you're doing.
I live in North Carolina, and RVs (which is how we are licensed) are required to have seatbelts for each passenger.  Other states may have other requirements for various transport situations. 
I worked for some years as a paramedic.  Did some 'on the side' transport monitoring and all of the patients/guests were locked, chocked and strapped in place.   
You'll be fine until someone gets scratched. 

My dos centavos, JR

[WEC4104]

I live in North Carolina, and RVs (which is how we are licensed) are required to have seatbelts for each passenger.  Other states may have other requirements for various transport situations. 
I

Actually to be 100% correct, North Carolina and many other states have an exclusion to their RV seat belt laws "for medical reasons"     Ref:  http://www.rvhelpdesk.com/seatbelt-laws.html      So presumeably, if the person you were helping couldn't be belted in using a std seatbelt, the exemption should apply.

I think everyone agrees that the bus isn't a substitute for a transport ambulance. I wouldn't suggest it's use for hurry cases, or where medical supervision should be present.  Rather, we are looking a situations where the size and facilities of a conversion afford advantages over a typical 4-wheeler, either rolling or parked.

[BG6]

Not to throw cold water on your good-hearted efforts, what you're doing is commendable, but you might want to ask your insurance carrier what they think of the idea.   
I'm assuming that you accept no bucks for what your doing, so some good samaritan laws may prevent exposure, but your insurance company has the last word on what you're doing.

Actually, no, the state laws controlling insurance do.  Most of them have a pretty sharp definition of what is and is not within the companies' authority.

If what you're doing doesn't flip the switch over to "commercial" or "for profit" use, the companies are pretty much just along for the ride.

However, if you're worried about it, call the company and explain what you are doing.  If they have any problem with it, tell them that if you don't have a written rider in your hands within 5 business days, you will A), change carriers and B), go to the media to explain exactly WHY, that their company is all that is standing between you and people in need.

[ktmossman]

And don't place too much faith in Good Samaritan laws.  There is currently a lawsuit  in CA that has been allowed to proceed against a "good samaritan" because she pulled her co-worker out of a car after a wreck. The suit is claiming that, in the process of pulling the girl out of the car, she exacerbated the spinal injury causing paralysis.

They tried to get the case dismissed because of the "Good Samaritan" laws in CA.  But the court let it stand because the Good Samaritan law only protects people rendering "medical aid" and she was only getting the person out of the car.

[roger dolan]

   There was a group I belive near S. falls, SD or S. city, IA a few years ago that aranged this type of service. I believe they handled the insurance and scheduling. Maybe this will jog someones memory.
                            Roger 4106

[cody]

Not quite the same but I've been hauling an elderly guy to marquette a couple of times and back, his wife is in the hospital and his son can't take him during the week cause of his work schedule, it's nice to have somebody to talk to on the road.  I'm using the car tho, not the bus, roads are kinda nasty to try to wrassle the bus, I figure as long as I'm heading there anyway it's nice to have some company.