[nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight

Wed Mar 4 12:21:35 UTC 2009

Joy,
    We are presently reviewing these policies for medical & legal validity. 
Once this is done, they will be copyrighted and sent out for distribution.
Fraternally,
Marion Gwizdala
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garry and Joy Relton" <relton30857 at cox.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight


> Marion,
>
> Where could we find these policies?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Marion & Martin
> Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 8:48 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight
>
>
> Chassity,
>    Again, I want to offer our assistance in resolving this matter for you
> and for the future. NAGDU has written model policies for health care
> facilities and an ambulance is considered a health care facility....it 
> just
> moves from place to place. Please get in touch with me at your earliest
> convenience. My contact information is below my signature.
>
> Fraternally,
> Marion Gwizdala, President
> National Association of Guide Dog Users
> National Federation of the Blind
> 813-626-2789
> 800-558-8261
> president at nfb-nagdu.org
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight
>
>
>>I have been in an ambulance many times when my boyfriend Chris had
>>epileptic seizures, back when they weren't under control. And now when my
>>friend had his heart problems on Friday. What doesn't seem right to me,
>>however, is that without her, they were perfectly willing to let me ride 
>>in
>
>>it. It was never an issue of, well, we don't let people ride with their
>>friends. They were perfectly willing to let me ride in the ambulance if 
>>she
>
>>rode separate from me or if I left her at home. So in that case, they were
>>telling me I had the right to ride in the ambulance, it became an issue of
>>Hadley, not an issue of me not being able to ride at all, despite having a
>>dog or not.
>>
>> Chasity
>> Check out the tribute page I created for my guide dog Vanda at:
>> www.myspace.com/vandaandchasity Listen to my radio show every Thursday
>> from 4-7pm on the Q Online: www.theqonline.net
>> Visit my MySpace page and add me at
>> www.myspace.com/chasityandvanda
>> Listen to my podcast at:
>> http://www.gcast.com/u/Chasityvanda/main.xml
>> Or by phone at: (559) 553-4627
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 1:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight
>>
>>
>>> That's a good question.  I never thought of it before, but it would
>>> be
>>> good
>>> to know, just in case.
>>>
>>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Garry and Joy Relton
>>> Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 8:18 AM
>>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight
>>>
>>> As I understand it, you don't necessarily have the right to travel in
>>> the ambulance with your friend. This is because of the relationship
>>> between the two of you. If you have the right or need to be in the
>>> ambulance your dog also must be transported with you unless there is
>>> some problem with them being able to work on you, i.e.. severe
>>> bleeding and the like. The front of
>>> the ambulance issue is ironic. I was once transported in the ambulance
>>> with
>>> my dog, and one of the people tried to tell me that I had to leave my 
>>> dog
>
>>> on
>>> the side of the road. I said very firmly that the dog was coming with 
>>> me.
>>> Others staffing the ambulance knew that it was the law and suggested 
>>> that
>>> the dog could easily fit in front. They told me that the space was a
>>> little
>>> limited around the stretcher and they wanted to be sure that they could
>>> give
>>> me the care I needed. Since I was pregnant at the time and wanted to be
>>> sure
>>> that the baby was ok I didn't argue with that. The idiot person even had
>>> the
>>> guts to say to me while in transit that, if he would have had to put me
>>> in a
>>> helicopter he would have left the dog on the side of the road.
>>> Ironically, I
>>> was transported in an ambulance three-and-a-half years ago and then in a
>>> helicopter. My dog was taken with my family members in the car so it
>>> wasn't
>>> an issue. I have been told by county emergency personnel that the dog 
>>> may
>
>>> be
>>> refused access to an area in the ambulance if I am bleeding. I haven't
>>> had
>>> to press this issue. Any information?
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Chasity Jackson
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:24 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: [nagdu] an incident with ambulance people tonight
>>>
>>>
>>> Hey everyone,
>>>
>>> I need an opinion as to what to do about this particular situation.
>>> My friend and room mate was complaining about irregular heart
>>> palpetations tonight, and we ended up calling an ambulance and taking
>>> him to the ER. I knew it would be a while and decided to take Hadley.
>>> The ambulance crew said
>>>
>>> that she had to ride in back and I had to ride up front. I told them
>>> this was a dog I had recently graduated with 3 mnths ago, and that I
>>> did not approve of her riding separately from me, as I could not
>>> control her this way. So then they refused to transport me period.
>>> They said, "Just stay here. There's no reason for you to go." I said
>>> to them, "You wouldn't tell a
>>>
>>> sighted person they couldn't go with their friend, relative, etc."
>>> And
>>> they
>>> said, "Well, just take a taxi up there." A police officer agreed to
>>> transport me in his car, and it turned out he didn't know the state 
>>> guide
>>> dog laws either. He didn't know squat about guide dogs period, because 
>>> he
>>> kept petting her and making kissy noises, and talking to her over and
>>> over
>>> even after I explained that she was a working dog. As far as the
>>> ambulance
>>> crew, my friend told me that while they were transporting him, they said
>>> they could not allow her to ride up front due to the safety of the
>>> driver.
>>> I'm not sure what to do about this situation. I don't have time to write
>>> in
>>> depth because my friend is still in the hospital and I need to get back
>>> up
>>> there. So any replies that I may need to respond to might be delayed on
>>> my
>>> end because I may be at the hospital for a few days. I'm just curious
>>> what
>>> should be done.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Chasity
>>>
>>>
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> r.net
>>
>>
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