Snow Emergency Backups

[cyanide12345678]

So how do you guys get to work with 1-2 feet of snow or other natural disasters like hurricanes etc? Do you just spend the night in the hospital prior to disaster? Or just suck it up and drive through dangerous environment?

Being an absolutely essential worker isn't really easy at times.

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[njac]

Going to work wasn’t fun but was doable yesterday. But driving home this morning was pretty terrible. I went with slow and steady and the hazards on while I played “guess which lane” on the freeway.

I probably should’ve taken the opportunity to sleep at work but I feel like that’s more viable for day shift people or if you don’t work the next night and just need to sleep until noon to wait out rush hour.

 

[Tiger26]

Our group all has trucks and 4-6 months of winter driving experience every year. We have never had any episodes where someone couldn't arrive for a shift. It's like anything, though, in the sense that it's something we're used to.

 

[Groove]

I haven't called in sick or missed work in over 12 years including residency. I'm not saying that was always wise... Luckily, weather is usually not too bad in the SE but we currently have several inches of ice and snow and the roads are treacherous. Cities down here don't have nearly as many resources for snow clearance as they do in the icy states. I just go slow and take my time but I've got a 4 wheel drive SUV. It might be a little more dicey with a Honda Civic.

I think if a hurricane hit (unlikely where I'm at) or a tornado and tore my home from the foundation, I might have a good excuse....well hell, I'd probably rent an extended stay hotel and still go to work. How sad is that. I think we're all a byproduct of that militaristic culture during training where not showing up was perceived as weakness.

 

[JacobMcCandles]

AWD vehicle and plan accordingly to give myself plenty of time to get in at the shift start time. Also, being easy on the gas and brakes.

 

[Doctor-S]

After treating way too many trauma pts (and volunteering as doc for urban and wilderness SAR team), I've developed a healthy respect for natural disasters (and wild-crazy Mother Nature). Have seen the worst case scenarios over and over again, even with the best of plans, and with a sturdy SUV.

Nowadays, and when dealing with a serious weather event, I'll stay overnight at med center or get a room at a hotel rather than becoming an EM statistic.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Unfortunately, we are well prepared and used to getting to work in 1 foot of snow or more around these parts. We have months of training in it every year.

 

[GeneralVeers]

In the sunbelt we have no ability to remove snow, and no one has snow tires or any experience driving in it. Even a few inches of snow shuts the place down tight. I don't think going to work would even be an option.

 

[bravotwozero]

In the sunbelt we have no ability to remove snow, and no one has snow tires or any experience driving in it. Even a few inches of snow shuts the place down tight. I don't think going to work would even be an option.

...such is the state of TX right now. All the FSEDs our group staffs are closed until further notice. Worked sunday night when the snow started to fall, EMS refused to transfer patients to the mothership. Fortunately my relief came on time, and drove home at 20mph on a feeder highway. 340k people in the houston metro area are without power due to rolling blackouts, out of 4 million total in the state.

 

[WheezyBaby]

I slept at the hospital. Mostly because I didn't want to drive sleepy in the given conditions when i was working the next night anyway. Likely could have made it without a problem

 

[dchristismi]

No help on snow, but with hurricanes, the craziness is usually the days before (no one know what direction to evacuate with their 8 cats and forgets their inhalers), everything preemptively closes (ie pharmacies) and the days after are hell.

I had to get chainsawed out of my neighborhood the morning after Irma, and the department was the craziest I'd ever seen once the winds were low enough to safely get out.
Many of the medically needy were preemptively obs'ed (vent dependent ALS, etc) but the people who'd sat at home with their MIs were in rough shape. The nursing staff was told to camp out at the hospital; docs had options depending on how far they were from home.

 

[GeneralVeers]

None of us should risk our lives going to/from work if the situation is bad. This is just a job after all, and neither the hospitals or CMGs care if their replaceable cogs are injured or killed. Snow, bad storm, or societal collapse? Forget it, I'm staying home.

 

[deleted6669]

For our recent snowpocalypse I had 2 24 hr shifts in 3 days. There are two highways to get to my facility. Both were closed. we all work 24 hr shifts, so my partner would have to do a 48 if I didn't show. I convinced the state patrol to let me drive on one of the closed highways given the situation. I have awd. It was doable. I stayed in town at a local hotel rather than go home for the next shift. When you work solo coverage not showing up is not really acceptable, especially if you are the closest available provider. I even considered cross country skiing in if the state patrol had declined to let me drive.

 

[GeneralVeers]

For our recent snowpocalypse I had 2 24 hr shifts in 3 days. There are two highways to get to my facility. Both were closed. we all work 24 hr shifts, so my partner would have to do a 48 if I didn't show. I convinced the state patrol to let me drive on one of the closed highways given the situation. I have awd. It was doable. I stayed in town at a local hotel rather than go home for the next shift. When you work solo coverage not showing up is not really acceptable, especially if you are the closest available provider. I even considered cross country skiing in if the state patrol had declined to let me drive.

Well you are the most badaass mutha on the whole forum so why not?

 

[KnuxNole]

Our facility has hospital security come get our medical staff from our homes to pick us up. I just hopped on a carpool with someone who owned a Jeep and they took a bunch of us. Felt like going on a schoolbus haha