KY-2393P

911 hangups, any assault/GSW type scenes, any and all drug/ETOH type calls, and man-downs, (though we will go on in and wake up the sleepers, citizens just won't let the homeless sleep in). I have waited over 20 minutes for the PD to even be dispatched because we usually stage a block or so away, then wait for them to "clear" the scene. Stay safe...

Our policy is to stage for police before entering any unknown scene, and some of us take that to extremes sometimes. And someone pointed out that most frequent fliers know what to say to play the system, "My asthma is getting me" is what one of mine says 2 to 3 times a day. I can almost fill out his run form before we get to his house. (one day he's gonna surprise us with an actual complaint. ha) We try to get there before fire so we can cancel them. Because of liability, "you call, we haul". For some reason, they all believe they get into the ER quicker when they come in on a stretcher. Besides, it takes just as long to write a refusal as it takes to get 'em to the ER, check their vitals and talk to 'em as you ride. -NOTE- MY PERSONAL OPINION - IT COSTS YOU ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BE NICE TO THESE PEOPLE FOR 30 MINUTES OF YOUR DAY!!! MOST PEOPLE HAVE A NEED TO BE CATERED TO BY SOMEONE, AND THESE HAVE CHOSEN YOU AND THE ER STAFF TO BE THEIR VALIDATION FOR LIVING. SMILE, BE POLITE, AND GET ON WITH IT. Please excuse my "yelling", and thanks to all of you guys/gals for being out there.

Hey, I live in a rural county in Kentucky, approx. 450 sq. mile, and our EMS has one ALS unit on 24/48, and a BLS at a 2nd sta. 24/48, and at least one BLS unit during the day. When I worked there, there were times I was the only paramedic in the whole county. Talk about extreme adrenalin let down when you drive Code-3 65-70 mph for 35 minutes to get to a patient with CHF, who's wife called the nurse in Louisville (where EMS is on every corner) who told her to call and wait for EMS. Then it took 5 minutes to convince her to let us take the pt to our local hospital for stabilization before we took him an hour and a half to Louiville. On the same note, I drove C-3 from one side of Louisville to the other on the interstates and it took approx 30 minutes. Everyone be safe.

good advice, never use the acronym LOC on your paperwork. what does this mean: Pt had a +LOC. either: patient had a positive LOSS of consciousness or patient had a positive LEVEL of consciousness. Whichever way you mean it the lawyer for the plaintiff will go to the OTHER book and state it means the other, and you will be paying for whatever the patient wants to sue you for.

Hello, I am Ray, and I'm an EMT-P in central Kentucky. Got started with a fire dept. in L. A. (lower Alabama), but moved up here for family. My advice to both of the two new emt's above is to work in the field as an emt for a year or so before jumping straight to being a paramedic, you can be the book smartest person in the world, but until you do it at least once in the real world, you won't know what you can or can't handle. I've been a lurker here for a while, and really enjoy reading others experience, hope I will be able to contribute.

Hello all, longtime lurker, new arrival... Got a call to a local strip club for a syncopal episode, possible seizure, got on scene with several police officers who just happened to hear the call and wanted to make sure the scene was safe, to find a couple of dancers on stage... got directed to the cubbyhole of a dressing area, and found a 23yo woman sitting on the floor, (yes, dressed in street clothes). I have got a habit of a one track mind when on scene, I was focused on my patient, kneeling down at her level, getting the situation/history/vitals type thing, and there wasn't enough room for my partner to enter the room so he stayed at the door. The stage dancer came in and needed to get to her locker right behind me, so I moved closer to the patient, continuing to assess... meanwhile my partner got a free show as the dancer behind me stripped completely and changed clothes. Story of my life, naked dancer 1 foot away and I miss it.