5/10 Ambulance ride for another kid

[3DMotorsports]

Does anyone have an update on the girl in the kids club at Desoto Spdwy. last night that was taken to hospital? Shame tracks don't keep EMS at every event, so as to not wait 15 minutes for one to arrive.

[Rick Anges]

She is doing fine the ride was precautionary.

[Phil Jacques]

No Circle or Drag racing event PERIOD should put cars on track without an Ambulance and Firetruck ON SITE. I can not tell you how many times we have avoided disaster over the years here in New England because every track has at least 1 of each, and if a driver or fan has to be transported for whatever reason, the racing does not get started again until a replacement vehicle is on scene.

I am sure it costs a little bit to have safety apparatus at the facility for the evening from a local station, but let me ask you this... What price can you put on a life? This is the only thing that has ever concerned me with FL racing. I never see an actual Fire Truck or Ambulance on site...

Just my $.02 but it really bothers me that every track (besides Daytona) have lacked this in FL...

[Mark Keeler]

I can speak for New Smyrna and DeSoto as those are the two tracks I've been to recently. They BOTH HVAE QUALIFIED EMS at the track ANY TIME a car is on the track or the track is open.

What people are either ignoring or not realizing is in Florida, at least in both these counties, ONLY certain vehicles or companies can transport. It is the LAW. Although I've heard it may be changing or may have, I know in Volusia County, the County ALS can't even transport. They have EVAC as a subcontractor that is the ONLY ones who can transport.

It is not in any way the tracks fault when they DO have qualified EMS on site (as they BOTH do) but the LAW prevents them from transporting.

[Phil Jacques]

I can speak for New Smyrna and DeSoto as those are the two tracks I've been to recently. They BOTH HVAE QUALIFIED EMS at the track ANY TIME a car is on the track or the track is open.

What people are either ignoring or not realizing is in Florida, at least in both these counties, ONLY certain vehicles or companies can transport. It is the LAW. Although I've heard it may be changing or may have, I know in Volusia County, the County ALS can't even transport. They have EVAC as a subcontractor that is the ONLY ones who can transport.

It is not in any way the tracks fault when they DO have qualified EMS on site (as they BOTH do) but the LAW prevents them from transporting.

This needs to be fixed if this is in fact the case. There should be a transport vehicle on site at all times. Seconds count in some situations. Waiting for transport could mean the difference between life and death. If it's the state of FL holding this up, we as racers should all fight to change this... It could be one of us at any point and time. It's the nature of the sport we are a part of.

Having Qualified EMS on site is always a good thing, but in the event of a life threatening injury, the inability to transport can pose fatal consequences.

[Darren]

When Sunshine Speedway was open, when they raced there was a ambulance there. If it had to transport someone the racing stopped until another took its place. However, there was a time when people didn't care for the way Sunshine was run, miss them yet.

[Phil Jacques]

When Sunshine Speedway was open, when they raced there was a ambulance there. If it had to transport someone the racing stopped until another took its place. However, there was a time when people didn't care for the way Sunshine was run, miss them yet.

That is how it SHOULD be done.

[palmbayer]

Voice of NSS is right. Brevard is the same way. Law suits stopped this practice long ago. No ambulance on site for any sports event. Only EMT's. life saving techniques have come a long way since the days of the station wagon ambulance needing jumper cables. I'll take a well trained EMT with proper equiptment and a 911 call anytime.

[Phil Jacques]

Voice of NSS is right. Brevard is the same way. Law suits stopped this practice long ago. No ambulance on site for any sports event. Only EMT's. life saving techniques have come a long way since the days of the station wagon ambulance needing jumper cables. I'll take a well trained EMT with proper equiptment and a 911 call anytime.

In the event of a major impact, you are suffering internal bleeding and need to get to the hospital asap... Are you really going to want to wait 15 minutes for the ambulance to get to you, stabilize you, load you and THEN transport you?

I know I am being an asshole about this but seriously are we all really overlooking the grim truth here that waiting for an ambulance to arrive can mean life and death. A well trained EMT can only do so much if you can not get to the hospital in time.

[cake]

In the event of a major impact, you are suffering internal bleeding and need to get to the hospital asap... Are you really going to want to wait 15 minutes for the ambulance to get to you, stabilize you, load you and THEN transport you?

I know I am being an asshole about this but seriously are we all really overlooking the grim truth here that waiting for an ambulance to arrive can mean life and death. A well trained EMT can only do so much if you can not get to the hospital in time.

At that point stabilize me and throw me in the back seat of a truck

[Phil Jacques]

At that point stabilize me and throw me in the back seat of a truck

Shouldn't have to be like that. The fact that there is a law that somehow keeps transport vehicles from being on site is mind-blowing to me... Insurance regulations require by law in this area that there be Apparatus on site any time cars are on the track. Scott Garrity can likely back this up as he was a competitor up here for a number of years... A few quick texts to many of my racer friends shows that not one single one of them would get in their car and go on track without a Fire Truck and Ambulance present...

To me it's common sense, safety first. This is an issue. My cars will not see the asphalt or dirt of any FL ovals until this issue is fixed which is sad because I have a great passion for FL racing, but my life is not worth the risk of competing against the great drivers of FL should something major occour.

[Mark Keeler]

There is as much equipment at the tracks as is contained in any ambulance and for the most part firetruck. The only thing an ambulance has that the track designated vehicle does not is lights and a siren.

For that argument, no racetrack should be permitted to open or operate unless it is within eyesight of a hospital. That 8 mile ride could be the difference between life and death. Or maybe they need to have a lifeflight helicopter on standby behind turn two... Those things can take quite longer to get to the track if they are needed.

I am not trying to be a smart-ass, I just get sick of people that will make any argument possible to put down a race track or track owner. There are only so many precautions that you can take at one time. Some may not take those precautions, but there are some who do. Not to jinx any driver or any track, but in my 39 years, I have yet to hear of a death to a racer that was in any way related to waiting for transport. Maybe I am wrong but I have sure not heard of one.

As for the "up North" argument. I spent the first twenty years of my life at Seekonk Speedway every Saturday night they ran as well as Lee (NH) on Fridays and Thompson on their weekend shows. Many times with a race team. I am well aware of how "they do it up North" and while I will agree that short-track racing in general is a completely different sport north of the Mason-Dixon line, I have never felt they were somehow superior in terms of Safety at the tracks. Hell, Thompson Int'l Speedway (CT) which remains one of my all-time favorite tracks, also has the nickname as the deadliest track in short-track racing, and for good reason. A little quick research will show you that more deaths have ocurred at that track than ANY one other in the United States.

[Phil Jacques]

There is as much equipment at the tracks as is contained in any ambulance and for the most part firetruck. The only thing an ambulance has that the track designated vehicle does not is lights and a siren.

For that argument, no racetrack should be permitted to open or operate unless it is within eyesight of a hospital. That 8 mile ride could be the difference between life and death. Or maybe they need to have a lifeflight helicopter on standby behind turn two... Those things can take quite longer to get to the track if they are needed.

I am not trying to be a smart-ass, I just get sick of people that will make any argument possible to put down a race track or track owner. There are only so many precautions that you can take at one time. Some may not take those precautions, but there are some who do. Not to jinx any driver or any track, but in my 39 years, I have yet to hear of a death to a racer that was in any way related to waiting for transport. Maybe I am wrong but I have sure not heard of one.

As for the "up North" argument. I spent the first twenty years of my life at Seekonk Speedway every Saturday night they ran as well as Lee (NH) on Fridays and Thompson on their weekend shows. Many times with a race team. I am well aware of how "they do it up North" and while I will agree that short-track racing in general is a completely different sport north of the Mason-Dixon line, I have never felt they were somehow superior in terms of Safety at the tracks. Hell, Thompson Int'l Speedway (CT) which remains one of my all-time favorite tracks, also has the nickname as the deadliest track in short-track racing, and for good reason. A little quick research will show you that more deaths have ocurred at that track than ANY one other in the United States.

Where in ANY of my comments did I put down Tracks or Promoters? Once you pointed out it was a law causing this, I shifted to the laws being wrong point blank. Don't read between the lines and twist my words. I also never said safety is superior. ALL tracks across the country need to do a better job about a lot of things. But so many are afraid of losing business by mandating modern safety regulations such as Bladder fuel cells, Hans, Full Face Helmet, Collapsible columns etc.

Thompson is the deadliest track in short-track racing... I was there for all of them since 1996 sadly. I know very well how many deaths have happened there. I still race there knowing full well the risks of the speed there.

My statements were not saying any of these deaths could be prevented. I am more focused on response time and the ability to transport.

[Phil Jacques]

I'll sit here and argue this with you all day. I have a large bag of popcorn ready for you to tell me how it would not be better to have apparatus on site ready for transport at a moments notice. Cause that's pretty much how you are coming across is that it doesn't matter.

[turnleft]

cost

What would the cost be, to have a ambulance and fire truck at the track from 3:00 to midnight on a Saturday. Is it even possible? I do not know enough about the medical personal at either of the tracks, to judge weather or not it is adequate or not?....Vince Patola