Emergency Services News
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact
Emergency Services News
No Result
View All Result

EXCLUSIVE: We Speak To DORSET COUNCIL About The Parking Ticket Issued To Paramedic Whilst He Was On A 999 Call

by John Johnson
30 October 2018
in Ambulance Service, Emergency Services News, Exclusive
4 min read
1
EXCLUSIVE: We Speak To DORSET COUNCIL About The Parking Ticket Issued To Paramedic Whilst He Was On A 999 Call
5
SHARES
264
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Earlier on today (30th Oct), we shared a story about a Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) that had been issued with a parking ticket by a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) whilst the Medic (who had parked the vehicle) was treating a patient nearby.

The parking ticket and subsequent fine was issued whilst the RRV was parked in Bargates, Christchurch, which comes under the remit of Dorset County Council.

The CEO was allegedly still finalising the ticket when the medic returned to his vehicle whilst carrying all of his kit at which point the medic, quite rightly, asked why the CEO was issuing the ticket as he was on an emergency call.

The CEO allegedly responding to the Medic by saying: ‘If you were on a shout then I wouldn’t give it [the ticket]’.

After we shared the article on both Emergency-Services.News and Emergency Services Humour, a follower provided us with some more information about who is responsible for ‘policing’ the parking restrictions in Christchurch and so we made some further enquiries.

We spoke to Mr Paul Hutton, who oversees the parking enforcement operations in the area concerned in relation to both the enforcement and subsequent appeals of parking tickets.

Mr Hutton stated that he had not been made aware of this particular issue until we mentioned it to him, so he did not have a chance to properly look into the case. Which is fair enough.

We asked Mr Hutton what the position of Dorset County Council was in relation to emergency vehicles getting parking tickets whilst their crews are dealing with 999 calls.

Mr Hutton stated that as long as it can be proved that the vehicle was “on duty” at the time of the ticket being issued and that the driver can prove that he/she was dealing with a 999 call, then the ticket will be cancelled.

He also stated that once the ticket has been issued, then it cannot be cancelled by the Civil Enforcement Officer, at which point we mentioned the fact that the medic concerned had eluded (not to us directly) to the possibility that the ticket had not been finalised by the time he returned to his RRV.

Again, Mr Hutton mentioned that he had no prior knowledge of this particular incident so could not comment on the specifics of the circumstances surrounding the ticket being issued.

Mr Hutton said that the parking tickets can only be cancelled after “going through the back-office appeal process” which could potentially mean sending a letter to them using “headed note paper” confirming that the vehicle was “on duty” at the time of the parking ticket being issued.

When we asked Mr Hutton about the resources which would then have to be utilised by the ambulance authority concerned, in relation to the time taken to appeal the ticket, Mr Hutton mentioned that it takes only a “matter of minutes” to appeal the ticket using their website as an alternative to sending in a letter.

We asked Mr Hutton if emergency vehicles, in order to prevent unnecessary tickets being issued whilst on a 999 calls, should perhaps leave their blue lights on in order to signify to CEOs about the fact that they are actually dealing with an emergency call and thus are exempt from any parking restrictions.

Mr Hutton stated that he could not comment on this idea specifically, as it would be down to the relevant emergency service as to whether or not blue lights on emergency vehicles can be left on whilst the vehicle is unattended.

We also asked Mr Hutton where Dorset Council stood in relation to issuing parking tickets to emergency vehicles which were parked in restricted areas whilst crews were on ‘standby’.

This is because often crews will park in busy areas whilst waiting for the next 999 call as, more often than not, that’s where the next call for help could potentially come from.

He stated that, as long as the emergency vehicle was not left unattended whilst on standby, then that would be a matter for the Civil Enforcement Officer concerned as to whether or not a ticket would be issued and that any subsequent appeal is judged on “its individual merits”.

Mr Hutton also mentioned that they had a duty to enforce parking restrictions in the area in relation to emergency vehicles, owing to previous complaints which they had received from residents about emergency vehicles being parked in restricted areas.

COMMENT

Screenshot 2018-10-30 at 11.30.11

So in summary, the ticket in all likelihood will be cancelled.

But the impression I got from speaking to Mr Hutton was that the Council stood by its Civil Enforcement Officers when it comes to their issuing parking tickets to emergency vehicles.

And that as long as the driver of the emergency vehicle concerned can prove that they were on an emergency call at the time, then the ticket will be cancelled.

But why not instead just not give emergency vehicles parking tickets!? Surely that makes more sense!?

It should not be for emergency services personnel to have to then spend their valuable time trying to contest parking tickets when they are just doing their jobs?

We need more common sense and less bureaucracy combined with a little bit of common decency.

Why would anyone want to leave a cash-strapped NHS with less cash because they are having to contest and sometimes pay parking fines?

It makes no sense.

The emergency services already have enough to worry about, without having to contest parking tickets!

Click here to read the original article. 

If you have a blog that you would like us to share with our readers and followers, then please feel free to contact our team of former emergency services personnel by using any of the details below. 

If you have an emergency services related story, video (that you have filmed) or opinion (whether its light-hearted or serious) that you want us to share with our readers, then you can reach our team using any of the details below. 

We treat all correspondence with anonymity! 

Email: emergency_services_humour@outlook.com | Follow & find us on Twitter @ES_Humour | Follow & find us on Facebook @EmergencyServicesHumour

 

50.7373862-1.7807197

Before you go...

We need your help. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories which are free from the negative bias which is often directed at the emergency services by some sections of the mainstream media.

One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services which seemed only ever to highlight negative aspects of the job.

We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!

As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of our readers.

And remember, if you have a service, product or job vacancy that you would like to promote to our large readership, then you can buy advertising space in our articles.

You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.

Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.

SUPPORT EMERGENCY SERVICES NEWS
Share2Tweet1

Related Posts

74 PSNI Officers Injured During A Week Of Violence In Northern Ireland
Emergency Services News

74 PSNI Officers Injured During A Week Of Violence In Northern Ireland

Male Admits Attempted Murder After Random Meat Cleaver Attack On Two Police Officers
Emergency Services News

Male Admits Attempted Murder After Random Meat Cleaver Attack On Two Police Officers

Drug Dealer Who Rammed Police Before Setting Pit Bull Dog On Them Is Sent To Prison For 3 Years
Emergency Services News

Drug Dealer Who Rammed Police Before Setting Pit Bull Dog On Them Is Sent To Prison For 3 Years

WATCH | Motorist Turns Into Path Of Paramedic During Blue-Light Run
Ambulance Service

WATCH | Motorist Turns Into Path Of Paramedic During Blue-Light Run

Family Pay Tribute To Two-Week Old Baby Killed After A Car Hit His Pram
Emergency Services News

Family Pay Tribute To Two-Week Old Baby Killed After A Car Hit His Pram

Informal Chats With Community Officer Inspires 16-Year-Old To Join The Police Two Years Later
Emergency Services News

Informal Chats With Community Officer Inspires 16-Year-Old To Join The Police Two Years Later

Load More

Comments 1

  1. Avatar Notapeopleperson says:
    2 years ago

    This happened a couple of years ago, but you’ve posted it 5 hours ago.

    Reply

Let us know what you think in the comments below Cancel reply

  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact
© Emergency Services News
No Result
View All Result
  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact