Dustdevil

Read this on another, non-EMS forum and had a good laugh over it:

I am a lifeguard. In Canada (specifically British Columbia), lifeguards are trained just about as well as paramedics. We just cant insert IVs, take blood pressure, and a couple other things.

Comments?

Just when I was giving up on anyone in Kalifornia ever figuring this out!

http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/1065703-Calif-county-issues-scathing-report-on-emergency-responses/

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A Santa Clara County civil grand jury on Wednesday called for a wholesale rethinking of fire departments and emergency responses, arguing that sending firefighters to what are now mostly medical calls is outdated and wasteful.

A report by the watchdog panel found that 70 percent of fire department calls are medical emergencies, and just 4 percent are fire-related. But even so, firefighters respond as if they are heading to a fire, sending a crew of three or more on a truck or engine costing an average of $500,000 — five times the cost of an ambulance.

Not that anything will ever come of it. They're not that smart. But at least they can no longer plead ignorance.

Boo hoo. They start a war, then whine like little bitches if anyone resists.

http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/1045354-Privatization-push-Can-fire-departments-survive

"Municipalities are considering doing things they never would have done previously; there's city after city looking at privatizing operations." Chief Metro told the session.

"There's a big move to privatize not just EMS service delivery that the fire service has traditionally owned, they are looking to privatize fire departments, too."

I have no involvement in this shindig, but it's a great opportunity for anyone looking for some hands-on CE. If you come to town for it, let me know so we can meet up for lunch or something.

SLAM Advanced Human Airway Cadaver Lab - May 13, 14, or 15 - Fort Worth, TX at the University of North Texas Health Science Center

* This is an instructor led stand alone skills lab (no lecture).
* There are four cadaver stations at the lab.
* Each small group will rotate between the cadaver stations.
* These intubations will be documented and a copy of the number and
types of intubations will be provided upon request for those
practicioners who are required to have a minimal number of intubations
per year.

1. Station 1 -Difficult laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation:
bimanual laryngoscopy; bougie-assisted intubation; external laryngeal
manipulation; BURP technique; HELP position
2. Station 2 - Use of supraglottic airway devices: LMA Supreme; LMA
Unique; King LT; Combitube; and EasyTube
3. Station 3 - Videolaryngoscopy: Airtraq; Glidescope; McGrath;
Res-Q-Scope
4. Station 4 - LMA Fastrach Intubation and retrograde intubation

Approved by CECBEMS, AANA, and ACEP

Price:
SRNA/Student/Resident: $100
EMS/RN/RT/AT: $175
CRNA/PA/MD/DO: $250

May 13, 2011

SESSION 1 - 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
SESSION 2 - 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

May 14, 2011

SESSION 3 - 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
SESSION 4 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
SESSION 5 - 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 P.M.

MAY 15, 2011

Session 6 - 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Session 7 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Session 8 - 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Visit store.slamairway.com <http://store.slamairway.com> to register

Greetings, Comrades. Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I can't believe some of you actually bet money I was dead. If you did, may all your children be born naked!

Anyhow, I'm down, but not completely out yet. Don't pull your bets yet, because they will most likely pay off this year. I took a long hiatus to avoid creating [more] drama here and distracting from the forum. I didn't want to start a pity party, but as some of you know, I've had serious health issues since my injuries in Iraq. I certainly won't be returning to practice. Or walking. Or even wiping my own arse. My piss glows in the dark. And it takes all the strength, energy, and coordination I have just to type this. But shyte happens, so I'm cool. Nuff said. No worries.

I've been devoting my attention to spending my time with family and friends, who keep my spirits up. I'm not a real fan of Walt Whitman (after all, he's from NY), but I often echo his thought that, "I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don' t believe I deserved my friends." My thoughts exactly, Walt. And many, many of you here are my friends, so I owe it to you to keep in touch.

If I have ever pissed you off or offended you, either intentionally or unintentionally, I apologise. I only hope that you recognise that it was most likely my passion for the future of this profession that drove my tendency to get carried away at times. Of course, sometimes I'm just an arsehole, but I apologise for that too. No excuses. There's not one of you here (over the age of 21) that I wouldn't happily buy a beer and get small with. Especially if you're hott.

Anyhow, other than the occasional trip to the doctors at the VA, my life is pretty much spent in this bed, in front of this piece of shyte Macbook, so I hope to start spending more time here. I dropped in yesterday and read through some hot threads, and it got my juices flowing like the old days. I do miss you guys!

Life is not total boredom here. Family from Japan came to visit me two days before the earthquake and stayed for a week. It was great to see them, but I sure hated to see them return home.

The next week, half a dozen colleagues I served with in Iraq came to visit me. These weren't just guys I was stationed with; these are all guys who were actually patients of mine at one time or another. One had been so seriously blown up that I was certain that he died after I put him on the helicopter. Today, he's alive and well and looking great. The scar from my trach is more obvious than the rest of his many scars, lol. He's not complaining though. And getting to see him again was the greatest thing I've experienced in the last three years. I truly hope that all of you have the opportunity to experience that kind of satisfaction once in your career.

Okay, getting really tired now, so I'll catch up with you soon.

Kisses (no homo, not that there's anything wrong with that). And don't drink any water in Iraq,

Rob