Serious Question for racers at teams - With or with out Ambulance at the track.

[HoosierDirtFan]

I’ve see this a few times over the years helping friends with their cars and seen it just a few weeks ago and a track near my house.


If a track that normally has had an ambulance at the track over the years and now all of a sudden this year they don’t but still have some EMS personal on property do you still race or do you load up and call it a day and try to race elsewhere.

Do you take the risk and still race or go home?



Let’s make this a civil conversation with no whining or b!tch!ng.

[Buford.Justice]

There are often ambulance stations within one to three miles from a race track.

[kidrock]

I wouldn't race if a track doesn't have an ambulance on site. In certain situations every second counts.

[Highside Hustler25]

No on sight ambulance?
See ya👋

[Raceready]

i recall back in the day a track that had to have a lengthy intermission of about 45 minutes while the fans waited for the ambulance to return from taking an injured racer to the hospital. The track would not let any racing to be done unless there was coverage on site.

[jog49]

At one time, insurance carriers required it. Has something changed?

[kidrock]

i recall back in the day a track that had to have a lengthy intermission of about 45 minutes while the fans waited for the ambulance to return from taking an injured racer to the hospital. The track would not let any racing to be done unless there was coverage on site.

I was at a track that did the same thing but, it wasn't a wreck at the track it was bad wreck in the community and they had to wait for another to arrive before they started again. They had to call another crew in so, it took a little bit.

[Raceready]

Do they automatically try to bring in an extra ambulance crew on site when that there Winger bunch are present at an event ? LOL

[Jhauptli]

Our Vol. Fire Department covers our local race track for Fire and now Medical. The previous Medical provider for the track shut down and the track was then left without Medical care. EMS Companies these days are having difficulty in being fully staffed, therefore EMS Companies just simply can't cover a track due to lack of resources. With that being said, Our Fire Dept stepped up to help out and we just recently took over Medical and unfortunately we do not provide an Ambulance as we aren't certified for Transport. However, we do have all the supplies needed for an emergency at the track and have agreement with our County EMS that they will be dispatched when we see a major accident on track. So if there is any major event at the Track and Ambulance will be on scene within 10 minutes. I know it's still 10 minutes, but trust me, the Medical staff we have on our Dept will take care of the patient very well. We have atleast one Paramedic, Basic EMT, or an EMR that will present for every Race. The previous EMS provider only had an Basic EMT and a Driver at the track weekly. I just want to say, just because there isn't an ambulance at the track, doesn't mean the track isn't staffed for Medical.

[MRM]

Most tracks in my area won't race without an ambulance on site. And if there is an injury that requires someone to be transported by the ambulance, they hold the program until another ambulance is on site.

[Dirt Clod]

Anyone know how much it costs to rent an ambulance and EMS crew for an evening? Can't be cheap.

[Raceready]

If'n I'm a recollecting proper; wasn't it an ambulance /Fire department issue in cental Pennsylvania where the promoter took his big old F-350 and started to ram the rescue truck via demolition derby style ? ? I think that the beef was that he was supposed to be donating to the fire department for their services but reneged on the agreement and the department was trying to vacate and the old boy was using his truck to block them ? ?

[EvelB7]

Would depend on a lot of factors, but my decision would most likely be to race. Each time a driver gets in a racecar he is making his decision for his own safety- shame on him if he doesn't know the facts beforehand. Part of the reason drivers are who they are is that they have a somewhat narcissistic personality and assume it will not happen to them. I was going to type that in my racing career (now over 45 years) I have never left the track in an ambulance but my superstitions tell me that is a bad idea....

[Buckeye SLM]

At my local track, the local EMS and Fire are provided to the track at a cost of $50 an hour. Same thing for when you practice and want them there, you pay that added on to the price of renting the track. Racers are expected to pay $220 a tire that can shred in a few laps or by the end of the night. Surely nobody thinks that price is too much. They are trained to get people safely out of a car too....sometimes a mm one way or the other can mean the diff between walking and being paralyzed.

[Lizardracing]

My local track pays $600/night for a wagon.
This track has a safety personal team consisting of the same EMS crews and equipment on hand including a wellness center building. That's basically a wagon without the wheels aka, trauma room 1.
As set, this exceeds care possible with a wagon so a wagon isn't even needed.

[Jerky]

Our Vol. Fire Department covers our local race track for Fire and now Medical. The previous Medical provider for the track shut down and the track was then left without Medical care. EMS Companies these days are having difficulty in being fully staffed, therefore EMS Companies just simply can't cover a track due to lack of resources. With that being said, Our Fire Dept stepped up to help out and we just recently took over Medical and unfortunately we do not provide an Ambulance as we aren't certified for Transport. However, we do have all the supplies needed for an emergency at the track and have agreement with our County EMS that they will be dispatched when we see a major accident on track. So if there is any major event at the Track and Ambulance will be on scene within 10 minutes. I know it's still 10 minutes, but trust me, the Medical staff we have on our Dept will take care of the patient very well. We have atleast one Paramedic, Basic EMT, or an EMR that will present for every Race. The previous EMS provider only had an Basic EMT and a Driver at the track weekly. I just want to say, just because there isn't an ambulance at the track, doesn't mean the track isn't staffed for Medical.

I'm sure you have the right personnel, but do the personnel have all the right equipment that is typically on an ambulance? Like back board, stretcher, oxygen, etc? How are the personnel getting from point A to point B at the track? I recall going to one track and the EMTs were sitting in the stands behind the flagman with nothing but go bags. What happens when they are urgently needed in Turn 2 or Turn 3 or the backstretch pits?

[Highside Hustler25]

Most tracks in my area won't race without an ambulance on site. And if there is an injury that requires someone to be transported by the ambulance, they hold the program until another ambulance is on site.

Been that way at my local track since back in the 70's.
It's common sense.

[Jhauptli]

I'm sure you have the right personnel, but do the personnel have all the right equipment that is typically on an ambulance? Like back board, stretcher, oxygen, etc? How are the personnel getting from point A to point B at the track? I recall going to one track and the EMTs were sitting in the stands behind the flagman with nothing but go bags. What happens when they are urgently needed in Turn 2 or Turn 3 or the backstretch pits?

Good Question . . . . Yes we do have have all the equipment that is in a basic Ambulance. We have a fully equip medical Bag that is identical to the Bag we use on our Medical Truck when we respond to Medical Calls. We also have backboard, C-collars, towel Rolls, suction, AED, and them some. We do not however have a stretcher, but we will have the patient all blackboarded and ready to load once ambulance gets on scene. We take the Medical serious and want all the Drivers to feel safe. The track provided us to use a Van, yes it's not an ambulance but its still a vehicle to get to point A to Point B. Also our Fire Dept provides a Full Size 4 door F350 that we can take as well that is also equip with Hurst Combo Tool and other cutting tools.