By Mary Owen
Two Joliet paramedics whose ambulance was stolen New Years Eve when they were responding to a call followed protocol, the Joliet fire chief said Monday.
“We examined the situation and we didn’t find any fault with any paramedics who were on the call, Fire Chief Joe Formhals said.
At about 8:30 p.m. Jan. 31, an ambulance responded to a call at the Victory Centre senior apartment complex, 31 N. Broadway, where the ambulance was left running while the two paramedics went inside after a call about a woman who had fallen down.
Oscar A. Preciado, 23, allegedly took the ambulance and was stopped by police a few blocks away on Western Avenue near North Center Street, police said. He is charged with illegal possession of a motor vehicle and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. He is due in court Jan. 25.
“We run into very few of these instances,” Formhals said. “We were just happy to that the guy didn’t crash it and put it out of service.”
Formhals said it is standard for ambulances to stay running for two reasons – to keep the vehicle warm and to make it easier for paramedics. While valuable drugs are locked in the vehicle, it’s essential to keep the vehicle warm to protect things such as drugs and IV fluid, Formhals said.
Leaving the vehicle running with the keys inside gives paramedics one less thing to worry about as they are carrying multiple pieces of equipment on a call, including a stretcher, a 40-pound bag of equipment and sometimes a 10-pound heart monitor.
“To have them fumbling around for keys and or dealing with automatic keyless locks with that number of calls is not realistic,” Formhals said.
Formhals said an ambulance has only been stolen once or twice since he’s been with the Joliet fire department.
