jsadin

Now there is an intelligent, well thought out post. It is the complete opposite of the previous one-liner stating "the paramedic shortage is a myth" which offered nothing but a random statement with no substance.

With my first service (town fire/ems) I rode third for about a month (no specific agenda). With A*R, I rode one 8hr shift third and then worked the 2nd 8hrs of my 16 as a full fledged employee (they didn't have anyone to cover the shift, so they cut my ride time by 32hrs). With the service I work for now, there was no preception at all. I was friends with the director of operations at that time (former partner).

How so?

Skiddah = Skidder = Log skidder

The problem is, if they screw up codes they'll most likely screw up other stuff too.

Spenac hit the nail on the head. 99% of your fire guys joined the fire dept to (gasp) fight fires, not to run ambulance calls. The idea of having fire run ambulances is generally to "cook the books" and justify your expenditures due to your large call volume (of which 99% is EMS and 1% is for actual fire calls). I don't have a problem with fire running the ambulance service if it is a completely seperate medical division that does not require you to be a fire fighter (I believe Fall River, MA is like this?). Finding employees that can function at high levels in dual roles is difficult in any job. Doing it with medics/fire fighters is a recipe for disaster. Some do it...most don't.

Training. If they practice these scenarios together, they'll know what to do without thinking about it and they'll find the flaws in their methods (and hopefully correct them). I've seen that cluster f*** in ER's before and I know patients have died because of it. Not good.

You are wise to depend upon yourself for protection of you and your loved ones. ". . . a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen . . ." Reference: Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. App.181) In this case three rape victims sued the city and its police department under the following facts: Two of the victims were upstairs when they heard the other being attacked by men who had broken in downstairs. Half an hour having passed and their roommate's screams having ceased, they assumed the police must have arrived in response to their repeated phone calls. In fact their calls had somehow been lost in the shuffle while the roommate was being beaten into silent acquiescence. So when the roommates went downstairs to see to her, as the court's opinion graphically describes it, "For the next fourteen hours the women were held captive, raped, robbed, beaten, forced to commit sexual acts upon each other, and made to submit to the sexual demands" of their attackers. Having set out these facts, the court promptly exonerated the District of Columbia and its police, as was clearly required by the fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen.

I look at defensive firearms the same way I look at my fire extinguisher: I hope I never have to use it, but I'd hate to need it and not have it.

I won't stop to help unless I actually witness the accident (not the aftermath). Let's be real; unless you're actively controlling an arterial bleed, what are you doing to do without the benefit of the ambulance and its associated equipment? Hold c-spine? Wheeeeee....not.

It was many years ago that I took the test, but it was simple. You'll be fine.

I post at work during my breaks.

I've spent a fair amount of time running around in van type ambulances and it isn't a big deal to work in the space provided. Yes, working a code in one is definitely challenging, but you learn to work around each other. I dearly like our Medtec mini-mod and it rides a ton better than our full sized type III F450. My partner keeps telling me he gets "sea sick" in the larger box. Maybe it's just my driving?

Vent, I never said a cop couldn't advance with an education...I'm simply stating that they can make a good buck without a college degree. Anyone from Mass read the stories of the state PO's who were making $200K/yr+ in OT/detail work? From the Boston Globe March 11, 2007 In regards to experience, I agree that a good college program should be able to get their students some decent experience through clinicals. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

So now we get back to the argument of whether providers should or shouldn't have experience before getting their paramedic cert. Looks like we know Hamilton County's take on the situation. And since when is $41K/yr some huge sum of money? What's a full time cop make with no college education? How about a truck driver with a CDL? I think these folks are way off base with what they think a paramedic is worth. I also think they're waxing nostalgic, but maybe their memory isn't so good.

Someday I'll get that elusive save. In 14+yrs all my cardiac arrests have gone for the long, dirt nap. Must be the luck o' the irish...

My first call was an MVA (car vs. tree). We transported the passenger who was suffering from multiple facial cuts and a broken hip. Ended up calling in Lifeflight. Quite the introduction to EMS.

I guess I'll be cast into the bowels of hell for having my wife and children's names tatto'd on my arm.

Spenac, where the heck to you work? 6 live births in the ambulance this year? I know medics with 20yrs in the field (in busy systems) who haven't delivered any babies. Holy guacamole...

Go out every day and attempt to learn something that you did not know before. Endeavor to be a better, more educated provider. Treat every patient with respect, no matter how much of a dirt bag they may be. Realise that you have just barely scratched the surface of emergency medicine and don't ever think that you've got it down. If this is going to be your career of choice, start checking out medic schools so that eventually you'll be able to provide your patients with much more thorough and effective treatment. Just my 2 cents....

$16.75hr as an intermediate for private non-profit. $42hr as an engineer.

The really sad fact is that many teachers and professors can't teach/mentor. I can't even begin to tell you how many college courses I've taken where I could have done just as well by walking into class, taking down the assignments and walking back out to go home and learn it on my own. My advice; don't rely on anyone but yourself. If you happen to get lucky and get a great preceptor/instructor, consider yourself blessed.

The problem these days is that it is increasingly difficult (at least in Massachusetts) to get any 911 experience as a basic. Back when I first started, most services were BLS and ALS was few and far between. I remember well calling for an ALS intercept and being told there were none to be had. These days, most 911 services are running at the medic level which is great. Unfortunately, this leaves the basic EMT with a lot less opportunity for meaningful patient contact (i.e. - not IFT). It stinks that the medic student in question could not handle himself on a call, but I seriously doubt it was due to the fact that he did not have enough ride time as a basic.

Oh man, saw that coming.

I think what tends to peeve people off is that in some cases they get beat down unnecessarily instead of corrected/redirected. Yes, some people need a good, swift reality check upside the head, but in the vast majority of cases you can educate without humiliating someone. It's difficult and takes self control, but it can be done effectively. I recently completed my intermediate (last year) and the docs/preceptors whom I learned the most from were the ones who treated me with respect and did not speak down to me. The lessons that the arrogant/insulting attempted to impress upon me were for the most part lost because I was angry at being treated in such a manner (I'm damn near 40 and not some snot nosed kid). I'll admit to thinking back on what they were trying to say later and learning from it, but the same lessons could have been taught without the condescension. I'm an engineer at my full time job and constantly deal with those who do not have my education or experience (20yrs in high tech). Some think they know better than I even when it's obvious that they are off their rocker. I don't berate them or treat them poorly....I simply prove them wrong and try to explain why they are wrong. Encouraging people to improve themselves and guiding them on the path is what is needed. Just because your mentors may have talked down to you doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.