Kanazawa - Kanazawa's fire department is asking residents not to straighten or rearrange shoes removed by paramedics during emergency calls, warning that the well-intentioned gesture can delay the transport of patients by around 30 seconds and potentially interfere with medical care.
The Kanazawa City Fire Department made the request in a social media video showing a simulated emergency response in which paramedics arrive at a home, remove their shoes and enter, only for a resident to neatly rearrange the footwear.
The department is urging people to leave the shoes exactly as they were placed.
Paramedics deliberately position their shoes according to each crew member's role and the route they will take when carrying a patient out of a building.
"Emergency crews decide the direction of their shoes according to their roles, so if someone changes their position out of kindness, it can interfere with putting them back on and delay the transport of the patient," firefighter Daisuke Yamashita said. "From our experience, it can result in a loss of around 30 seconds."
Normally, the leader of an ambulance crew carries the head end of the stretcher while other members support it from the sides. Their shoes are therefore placed in positions that allow the crew to put them on and move smoothly outside while carrying the patient.
If the shoes have been neatly lined up or turned around, crew members may need extra time to reposition themselves while supporting the stretcher.
The department said unnecessary movement can also cause the patient to be shaken, creating risks such as an oxygen mask becoming dislodged.
Yamashita said crews understand that residents who straighten the shoes are trying to be helpful.
"We do appreciate the kindness behind straightening the shoes," he said. "During an emergency, it is extremely helpful if people instead prepare the patient's My Number card or another form of identification in advance."
