[Ray3]

Originally Posted by kdobson The point I am trying to make here is this. YES, there are for sure some deficient rescue/emergency response operations at some race tracks. But you can't simply base all of your conclusions on whether or not there is a transport unit on site. Things like distance from track of a unit, what staff and equipment is actually at the track, what types of situations are they capable of handling and many other factors should come into play in that evaluation.

You are correct, there are tracks with deficient emergency response teams. Far too many tacks in my opinion. One deficient track is one too many. You need an ALS ambulance on site at every race. I could care less if their station is right across the street from the main entrance to the track or if its 40 miles away. You need one at the track sitting in a position to react instantly to a medical issue. Seconds matter. What the person in the ambulance can do matters. EMTs are not good enough. You have to have a Paramedic at the event. An ALS ambulance provides at least one Paramedic and an EMT or driver plus all the right equipment. A BLS ambulance is just two EMTs.

Here are some differences between an EMT and a Paramedic according to UCLA. (https://www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/node/27):

"EMTs usually complete a course such as UCLA's EMT course that is about 120-150 hours in length. Paramedic courses can be between 1,200 to 1,800 hours. EMT and paramedic courses consist of lectures, hands-on skills training, and clinical and/or field internships. EMTs are educated in many skills including CPR, giving patients oxygen, administering glucose for diabetics, and helping others with treatments for asthma attacks or allergic reactions. With very few exceptions, such as in the case of auto-injectors for allergic reactions, EMTs are not allowed to provide treatments that requiring breaking the skin: that means no needles.

Paramedics are advanced providers of emergency medical care and are highly educated in topics such as anatomy and physiology, cardiology, medications, and medical procedures. They build on their EMT education and learn more skills such as administering medications, starting intravenous lines, providing advanced airway management for patients, and learning to resuscitate and support patients with significant problems such as heart attacks and traumas. Paramedic education programs (such as UCLA's Paramedic Program) may last six to twelve months."

If you don't have someone that can start an IV or cut an airway into someone it is simply not good enough. People need to educate themselves on the differences and start holding promoters responsible. A friend of mine told me to ask two questions of track medical personnel before you race there. "Are you licensed to and can you start an airway?" and "Are you licensed to and can you sustain life?" You need a yes to both questions.

If anyone wants something to watch regarding safety in motorsports check out "Yellow Yellow Yellow: The Indycar Safety Team (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7278738/). This will tell you exactly how important having properly trained personnel at the race track is. Just ask James Hinchcliffe.........and before someone says "we're not racing Indycars that go 200mph" ask yourself how many drivers we have lost over the last few years in our segment of the sport alone. If I'm a promoter, I want to give an injured driver every possible chance. Every promoter should feel the same way.