[nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,

Marion Gwizdala blind411 at verizon.net
Fri Dec 23 13:17:14 UTC 2011 

Doug,
    I agree with your comments. This is the reason NAGDU has written and is 
urging adoption of model policies concerning service animals in ambulances.

Fraternally yours,
Marion



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Parisian" <eggmann at shaw.ca>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,


> Obviously, whether to allow a service animal or not in an ambulance is not 
> as simplistic as say, permitting access to any place where the general 
> public is allowed.  In the vast majority of cases, both animal and master 
> will be in full function order and unstressed.
>
> In the case of the ambulance, there are so many situations:
>
> 1.  Is the patient conscious, or for any reason unable to control the 
> situation?
>
> 2.  Is the animal injured?
>
> 3.  Is the animal stressed to the point of being disruptive and/or totally 
> unmanageable?
>
> 4.  Is there room for a significant other in the vehicle who can deal with 
> the particular service animal in cases there the master cannot?
>
> And gentle readers, that's only a start.  In my own situation, I have 
> those eventualities mostly covered by virtue of having information on me 
> as to emergency contacts and so on.
>
> Doug: If I died alone in my suite, would my dog eat me?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 8:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>
>
>> Doug,
>>    What you say is certainly true; however, whether or not a service dog 
>> should be allowed to accompany its disabled handler must be based upon 
>> the actual behavior of the dog or the evidence of a direct threat. It 
>> should not be based upon an assumption of how the dog might behave nor 
>> upon unsubstantiated belief that a threat exists.
>>
>> Fraternally yours,
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Doug Parisian" <eggmann at shaw.ca>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 1:53 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>>
>>
>>> Indeed, there may be control issues with having a service animal in an 
>>> ambulance, depending on the state of the master and depending on animal 
>>> placement, real issues surrounding any required medical interventions 
>>> during the trip.  Not only are we looking at rights here but 
>>> responsibilities as well, and that includes the master of course.
>>>
>>> Doug: my dog knows mouth to mouth; yech!
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Larry D. Keeler" <lkeeler at comcast.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:34 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>>>
>>>
>>>> The only thing I have been told by our ambulance company is that dogs 
>>>> have to ride in back.  They claim that animals are unpredictable and 
>>>> might interfere with driving.  So, when I ride with my wife, Holly goes 
>>>> in back with her while I ride in front.
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 11:44 AM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Though I agree that service animal users may have different ways of 
>>>>> handling this issue, how an individual chooses to do so and how the 
>>>>> ambulance company does are diffent issues. One may choose to tell an 
>>>>> ambulance provider - or any entity - about the presence of a service 
>>>>> dog, but the entity cannot require this be done. A handler may decide 
>>>>> to not transport the service dog with them, but the provider cannot 
>>>>> refuse to do so unless the animal poses a direct threat or is out of 
>>>>> control.
>>>>>    As for the specific issue in Baltimore, the City and County have 
>>>>> requested from NAGDU and have received model policies concerning 
>>>>> service animals in pre-hospitalization treatment and transportation. 
>>>>> Their legal counsel has confirmed with me that they are considering 
>>>>> the adoption of these policies.
>>>>>
>>>>> Fraternally yours,
>>>>> Marion Gwizdala
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Criminal Justice Major" <orleans24 at comcast.net>
>>>>> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 10:48 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guide dog 
>>>>> fromtraveling with him
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi, all,
>>>>>> I know some may agree or disagree with me on this, but that's fine by 
>>>>>> me.
>>>>>> Although all states do have laws that state that service dogs are to 
>>>>>> be transported with their handlers, it's also up to us in regards of 
>>>>>> using common sense when being transported via ambulance.
>>>>>> During the time I had to call an ambulance on myself February 23, 
>>>>>> 2007, I immediately notified that paramedic dispatcher that I had a 
>>>>>> guide dog on scene.
>>>>>> That made the situation much easier and less stressful because the 
>>>>>> dispatcher put the information into the system directly which 
>>>>>> wirelessly communicated with the responding paramedic vehicle in my 
>>>>>> area.
>>>>>> Technically, the fire department, paramedics and police department do 
>>>>>> have Odie listed in their computer system, so they're fully aware of 
>>>>>> him.
>>>>>> On the other side of the flip coin however if handler were to pass 
>>>>>> out or get hit by a car, then truth is that what are they to do then?
>>>>>> Another important factor for me was to get to know all the firemen, 
>>>>>> paramedics and police officers as a whole so they could be educated 
>>>>>> not just on blindness, but also the importance of a guide/assistance 
>>>>>> dog.
>>>>>> All of us do have a way of doing things and I say what works best for 
>>>>>> one may not work for another.
>>>>>> Just my thoughts on this one.
>>>>>> *Smiles*
>>>>>> Bibi and Odie
>>>>>> the happy spirited bounty labra wolf
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
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