HSE ambulance through Dublin

sonyair

markpb

Great video.

Drivers like the guy at 1:56 would drive me mad though!

Mycroft H

I love the lovely considerate dublin bus driver at O'Connell Bridge. Super video.

Mycroft H

Where does it start? Near Crumlin? My city geography isn't too good. If it is, 13 minutes to beaumont is good progress.

goldie fish

Looks like it starts near James's hospital.

McWotever

BX 19 wrote: »

I love the lovely considerate dublin bus driver at O'Connell Bridge. Super video.

Yea, bus drivers in general are considerate. Considerate enough not to jam on the brakes and smash the front teeth off their unsecured passengers.

Someone had a green light and someone didn't.

Good video thou, shows ordinary people the challenges of blue light driving.

Joe10000

BX 19 wrote: »

I love the lovely considerate dublin bus driver at O'Connell Bridge. Super video.

Yeah he annoyed me too.

I enjoyed the vid, anyone else think he would have been quicker over church st bridge and up constitution hill ?

Mycroft H

McWotever wrote: »

Yea, bus drivers in general are considerate. Considerate enough not to jam on the brakes and smash the front teeth off their unsecured passengers.

Someone had a green light and someone didn't.

Good video thou, shows ordinary people the challenges of blue light driving.

He was stopped 20 metres in front of the lights before as the ambulance was crossing the bridge. If he had copped on that something was trying to cross the bridge as the driver beside him did, he may have given way, although he was under no obligation to but would have been courteous.

McWotever

You weren't in his cab, as neither was I. It was his call. I know bus drivers, and their every movement is on CCTV, and their next generation of buses will have black boxes. They are responsible and accountable for their actions. So can we assume he was driving within his training? I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The bus driver can be seen giving him a wave, so maybe he was in the perceived wrong, but at the end of it all, who cares? The ambulance got through the junction and no one was hurt. Every drivers aim.

Just because an ambulance, or other ES vehicle, is trying to get through traffic, doesn't mean that other drivers priorities should change. Top of the list of priorities is safety.

Anyway, me and you discussing this on a forum isn't going to change anything, it's only another drive in the day of an ambulance driver.

On a slightly unrelated note, I always found that HSE ambulances sirens seem to be a bit quiter than other sirens, and can only be heard closer up. But that could just be me.

have_a_go_hero

speaking of bad drivers....i was stopped at traffic lights yesterday morning...there were three lanes and i was in the right hand one....i could hear sirens..saw an ambulance coming, as i was the first car at the lights i nudged to the right to make room...the lights went green to i pulled over totally as i would not have made it to where i was going without cutting off the ambulance...anyway next thing a p**ck in the car behind me started beeping for me to move....i was like ''wtf do u want to cause an accident or something...i turns out there were three ambos so it musta been somthing big!! HATE IGNORANT/BAD drivers....rant over!!

Mycroft H

McWotever wrote: »

You weren't in his cab, as neither was I. It was his call. I know bus drivers, and their every movement is on CCTV, and their next generation of buses will have black boxes. They are responsible and accountable for their actions. So can we assume he was driving within his training? I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The bus driver can be seen giving him a wave, so maybe he was in the perceived wrong, but at the end of it all, who cares? The ambulance got through the junction and no one was hurt. Every drivers aim.

Just because an ambulance, or other ES vehicle, is trying to get through traffic, doesn't mean that other drivers priorities should change. Top of the list of priorities is safety.

Anyway, me and you discussing this on a forum isn't going to change anything, it's only another drive in the day of an ambulance driver.

On a slightly unrelated note, I always found that HSE ambulances sirens seem to be a bit quiter than other sirens, and can only be heard closer up. But that could just be me.

Fair enough, I'll agree with you there. It didn't hold him up too long. And drivers make mistakes, we all do and I've done it before.

Anyways. I've noticed a lot of tri tone sirens now around Dublin. Not the usual like the ones in the video but an extra duo-tone one like this

Plus do they ever use the air horn? I've seen them fitted to some NASC vehicles and they are loud.

Topper7

Nice video OP. Shows that many dangers cam present itself when driving with lights & sirens!

@BX 19 from personal expierence you must 'press & hold' in order to make a air horn operate, similar to a normal horn, but it is located on the control panel & can be difficult to use when driving.

excorp

Just a quick question and I'm open to correction as I haven't worked in Dublin for a few years. But if that was a real blue light run from James st to beaumount. Why did they take the long way round through the busiest part of the city. I would of thought James st,lower bridge st, church st,Bolton st, Dorset st,and up through dumcondra would of been a quicker route.

ectoraige

markpb wrote: »

Great video.

Drivers like the guy at 1:56 would drive me mad though!

He was stopped at a red light at a busy junction, and going by the WH reg plate may also have been on unfamiliar roads. He ended up breaking the red light to allow the ambulance to pass, an exemption the driver of the ambulance has, not the private driver.

I'd say the more annoying ones are the cars stopped at 10:08 alongside the other car pulled in with hazards on, thus narrowing the road and slowing the ambulance's progress.

cocoshovel

That siren must really wreck your head after a while.

BX 19 wrote: »

Anyways. I've noticed a lot of tri tone sirens now around Dublin.

I remember hearing 2 tone sirens like the one in your video back maybe 6 or 7 years ago occasionally on ambulances (havent heard them since then). They were more flat sounding than the ones in Europe are though, hard to explain.

starviewadams

Didn't think ES vehicles had 'normal' radios in them.

Thepredator

starviewadams wrote: »

Didn't think ES vehicles had 'normal' radios in them.

Think DFB take them out of their buses.

mr.dunkey

BX 19 wrote: »

I love the lovely considerate dublin bus driver at O'Connell Bridge. Super video.

Bus drivers have thier passengers to consider with no seat belts fitted they cant just jam on for an ambulance. They dont have to give way to an ambulance in the first place.You hear a siren in the city and it could be coming from anywhere.

st james ambulance call sign 504 as on the video.In my opinon the ambulance driver must not be too long in the job to be recording himself for the public to view.
There was a loughlinstown ambulance put a video of a blue light run up and it didnt last long up. Management will find out who it is and get it removed.
As already commented he could of gone an easier way to get to his destination, ive drove this route on emergencys.If he was experienced he would of gone a different route,dame street could of been jammed.

Topper7

Thepredator wrote: »

Think DFB take them out of their buses.

Wow that would be so boring on a long run!

ivabiggon

Thepredator wrote: »

Think DFB take them out of their buses.

we don't drive "buses"..... and silly boy putting that up and making it public!!

flazio

Maybe I'm being an idiot but wouldn't following the LUAS track down to Heuston get you onto the Northside a lot quicker?
If he did have to go via O Connell Street could they follow, or even go along, the LUAS track or would the cobbles compromise the patient's comfort or condition?

starviewadams

ivabiggon wrote: »

we don't drive "buses"..... and silly boy putting that up and making it public!!

Why?

Thepredator

ivabiggon wrote: »

Thepredator wrote: »

Think DFB take them out of their buses.

we don't drive "buses"..... and silly boy putting that up and making it public!!

sorry, emergency ambulance, for the pedants out there... If it's a big problem for you I'll delete the post, man

highdef

ectoraige wrote: »

He ended up breaking the red light to allow the ambulance to pass, an exemption the driver of the ambulance has, not the private driver.

Would it be reasonable to assume that although the car driver did break the red light, it was done in a matter so as not endanger anyone to any real degree? In other words, the maneuver that was carried out was extremely unlikely to cause any sort of collision/incident. Using that particular car as an example, can I take it that it would be extremely unlikely that the Gardai would pull you over for this, in this particular (and similar) sitaution(s)?

ivabiggon

highdef wrote: »

Would it be reasonable to assume that although the car driver did break the red light, it was done in a matter so as not endanger anyone to any real degree? In other words, the maneuver that was carried out was extremely unlikely to cause any sort of collision/incident. Using that particular car as an example, can I take it that it would be extremely unlikely that the Gardai would pull you over for this, in this particular (and similar) sitaution(s)?

i'd say it would be highly unlikly, BUT if you cause an accident as a result of your actions, be it on your own head. :cool: we can only progress with the courtesy of other drivers.

dfbemt

excorp wrote: »

Just a quick question and I'm open to correction as I haven't worked in Dublin for a few years. But if that was a real blue light run from James st to beaumount. Why did they take the long way round through the busiest part of the city. I would of thought James st,lower bridge st, church st,Bolton st, Dorset st,and up through dumcondra would of been a quicker route.

Exactly what I was thinking. Think he took the scenic route !

Nice driving though. Indecisive a few times re positioning when approaching lights eg Westmoreland St but generally nice and smooth.

WOnder what the nature of the call was? For the HSE lads what would take you with lights and sirens from JA to BE ?

savagecabbages

Is there a possibility that this was a training video?
Might explain the route & indecisiveness??

Not that I'm one to critique the driver:p

ectoraige

savagecabbages wrote: »

Is there a possibility that this was a training video?
Might explain the route & indecisiveness??

Not that I'm one to critique the driver:p

I was wondering recently about this, how to trainees gain experience under blue light conditions, do they actually do dummy runs as suggested here? I would have thought the legislation doesn't allow drivers to take exemptions from traffic laws as there wouldn't actually be any urgency. My assumption would be that new drivers practive on closed roads and then are crewed with trainers for a while, would I be right?

mr.dunkey

dfbemt wrote: »

Exactly what I was thinking. Think he took the scenic route !

Nice driving though. Indecisive a few times re positioning when approaching lights eg Westmoreland St but generally nice and smooth.

WOnder what the nature of the call was? For the HSE lads what would take you with lights and sirens from JA to BE ?

Normally if its a emergency transfer from an A&E to beaumount, prob a bleed or something urgent.

civdef

would I be right?

No.

mr.dunkey

ectoraige wrote: »

I was wondering recently about this, how to trainees gain experience under blue light conditions, do they actually do dummy runs as suggested here? I would have thought the legislation doesn't allow drivers to take exemptions from traffic laws as there wouldn't actually be any urgency. My assumption would be that new drivers practive on closed roads and then are crewed with trainers for a while, would I be right?

The national ambulance service train all new drivers in a 3 week driving course. This includes ambulance and car driving.First 2 weeks are Advanced driving methods and theory. The third week is blue light runs through towns/city's. This is done in car and ambulance.
The driver then will receive 2 phecc certs in emergency and non emergency driving. The national ambulance service are the only body to train their drivers up to this phecc standard.

When the course in completed they may apply for the irish advanced motorist membership.

Paraone

What ambulances do they use for this and who runs it?

Mycroft H

Paraone wrote: »

What ambulances do they use for this and who runs it?

I was under the impression that it was a HSE ambulance. The video is now removed sadly. (NAS said something about it?)

mr.dunkey

BX 19 wrote: »

I was under the impression that it was a HSE ambulance. The video is now removed sadly. (NAS said something about it?)

It was a NAS ambulance. Management got to the bottom of it. The video was liked by posters but the NAS have a media policy which prohibits this kind of stuff. This guy should of known better.