[nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,

Lyn Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Sat Dec 24 20:49:39 UTC 2011 

Last year, I rode in an ambulance - actually a paramedic van from the Fire 
Dept - when my sister shredded her finger in the paper shredder.  I was in 
the back with my sister and I had Landon with me.  The FD sent six - that's 
right, SIX firemen to our home and then went with all six in the vehicle. 
Two attended to my sister's shredded finger, one drove, and the other three 
had a ball playing with Landon enroute to the hospital!  Talk about wasting 
taxpayer dollars in sending SIX guys when two or three would suffice.

Landon was good and had no reaction to the siren.  Then, when we got to the 
ER, thankfully things were dead there - so to speak!  Hardly any patients 
and it was the Labor Day weekend.  A few of these workers saw Landon and 
asked to pet him.  I let them and Landon went into pet therapy mode while 
other workers got my sister into a treatment room where they sewed up her 
finger and removed the remnants of her fingernail.

I was in an ICU visiting someone when a few of their workers wanted to pet 
Landon.  I let them and they got a great boost in morale - just think of 
what these folks see and do everyday at work and pet therapy is a great help 
to them.

Take care and happy holidays all.

Lyn and Landon
----- 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 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,


> Larry,
>    I suppose this could be a concern; however, the supposition is just 
> that; it is an assumption not founded in fact. Of course, we wouldn't want 
> to find out it was fact when it is too late. At the same time, I guess we 
> all know how our dogs would react to sirens from our naturalistic 
> experiences. The sirens we hear while out working are actually much louder 
> than they are inside the vehicle. So, if your dog doesn't react to the 
> sirens while on the street, the likelihood it would react to them inside 
> the ambulance shouldn't be a concern. JMHO!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
> ----- 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: Thursday, December 22, 2011 11:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>
>
>> True!  The only thin I can figure is that the worry is that a dog could 
>> cause an accident especially when turning on the siren.  So far, I 
>> haven't been in that situation yet.
>> ----- 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 9:00 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service Animals and Ambulances,
>>
>>
>>> Larry,
>>>    This doesn't seem logical to me. If the dog is unpredictable and 
>>> could interfere with driving, how is it that it might not interfere with 
>>> the treatment of the person in the back?
>>>
>>> Fraternally yours,
>>> Marion Gwizdala
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- 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 1:34 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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>
>
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