K9kazoo

Katz opposes Toronto's stand on ribbons Updated at 12:41 PM By Aldo Santin Mayor Sam Katz said this morning that he doesn’t understand why Toronto’s mayor wants to remove yellow ribbons from Toronto’s emergency vehicles. Katz, who was wearing a yellow ribbon pin on his suit jacket, said the yellow ribbon signifies hope for the safe return of a loved one — not support for war. “I don’t see how anyone could have a problem with that,” Katz said. “It makes no sense.” Katz said all City of Winnipeg emergency vehicles have had black ribbons attached to them since the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 to honour the sacrifices made by first responders. Katz said Winnipeg streets have been decorated with yellow ribbons in the past when Canadian troops were returning to their bases here or in Shilo, adding he’d have no objection to anyone proposing that yellow ribbons be permanently attached to civic emergency vehicles as a permanent message to Canadian troops serving overseas. Katz said he doesn’t understand how Toronto Mayor David Miller could presume to eliminate the symbol of hope people are holding onto for the safe return of a loved one. “I don’t believe Toronto is going in the right direction,” Katz said. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Take solace in knowing you and your partner are responding to calls in a vehicle made by the lowest bidder in a tendering process I prefer the MX-170 by Demers. Health and safety kept in mind in it's creation. Calgary just bought 16! I have a great PDF from them; if interested PM me. Here in Manitoba we use crapline... the Fleetmax. We lost our CPR seats for side mounts stretchers, you must be a contortionist to get at the portable O2, the main O2 is a pain in the ass to change, and the LP12 mount is inline with the Pt's head and chest... just a few issues B.

Progressive Services: Calgary Alberta Edmonton Alberta Ottawa Ontario Nova Scotia EHS Stone Age: The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Google is your friend... B.

I have no problems working an amimal... say at the scene of a house fire. This is providing there are no "human" patients. Took K9 First Aid as part of our Cypress Creek course... I feel comfortable doing it, however not sure my department would support us if we did heroic measures on amimals (anything over 02). I'm scheduling in a few practicums at my dawgs vet and local animal hospital. I'm hearing of more and more departments obtaining o2 delivery devices for animals... B.

Are you refereing to the ICP program at SIAST? I'd be curious to see what people who have taken the program thought... as I may travel 6 hours for class days... Thanks, B.

Looking for employees of Rural/Metro San Diego. Need info and looking to trade patches as well. Thanks, B.

http://www.ppaw.ca/ward/ward.htm Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Our aim is to educate the public about the lack of EMS resources within our city. How do we compare toy your city? Is there a per capita formula for EMS resources? B.

Patch... how is 17 Med Coy nowadays? Kinda miss it... thought of remustering as I too had bounced the PA idea around. However the wife had different ideas It sure beats dealing with this amalgamation issue here in "The Peg". Any electronic docs from the CF yet on MOC 711 (Med A)? Later, B.

Does anyone have any links or contacts to friends, family members, co-workers, etc... to forums, websites, email, etc... Looking for persons who work for or used to work for San Diego, LA, or Tucson? Looking for info ASAP based on what has happened to Paramedics within these services currently and previously. bleach74@mts.net Thanks in advance for any guidance. B.

Katz demands amalgamation 'common sense' Mon Mar 20 2006 By Mary Agnes Welch MAYOR Sam Katz returned yesterday from a whirlwind tour of American fire halls more committed than ever to merging the city's fire and paramedic services. But he faces the toughest test yet: two steadfast collective agreements that could foil amalgamation. "We have a dilemma -- the firefighters can't go on the ambulances and the paramedics can't go on the fire trucks," said Katz. "I mean, come on, people! It's time to use some common sense." Katz toured merged fire halls in Los Angeles, San Diego and Tucson with firefighters' union president Alex Forrest and Fire Paramedic Chief Wes Shoemaker. What firefighters and paramedics do: Fire call breakdown Of the 48,088 call in 2005: 28,451 medical emergency or vehicle extraction, up 27 per cent since 2002 11,382 miscellaneous calls such as alarms, airport standby or hazmat 4,694 cancelled by dispatch 3,374 to fight fires 187 rescues such as citizens stuck in elevators or in water EMS call breakdown Of the 69,966 calls in 2005: 42,098 required transport to hospital, up 32 per cent since 2002 11,166 were cancelled by dispatch 8,693 required no transport to hospital, patient treated at the scene 8,009 were interfacility transfers While they were gone, though, snubbed paramedics mutinied, saying they were angry about being excluded from the American junket and announcing they were washing their hands of amalgamation. That sparked another round of bitter debate about the nearly 10-year-old attempt to merge emergency services. This time, though, it's the paramedics on the offensive. Amalgamation is meant to reduce the number of times an ambulance and a fire truck are dispatched to the same, relatively minor medical emergency, a wasteful phenomenon often remarked upon by Winnipeggers. It's also meant to speed response times, streamline services and save money as the population ages and medical calls are on the rise. About 60 per cent of calls that firefighters respond to are medical emergencies, not fires, which is why the city would like to train more firefighters to handle sophisticated medical procedures and even place highly skilled medics on some trucks so they can respond to more complicated calls. Paramedics would also have firefighter training -- many already do, and more want it -- to give the city added staffing flexibility. But old-style union rules have essentially ground amalgamation to a halt. Paramedics have a clause in their contract that guarantees them the right to their work. Paramedics have filed many grievances related to firefighters performing advanced medical procedures. Firefighters have a similar clause in their contract stipulating that any employee who rides on a fire truck is the exclusive member of the firefighters' union. Generally, firefighters arrive on the scene of a 911 call first and begin treating a patient with basic care such as mouth-to-mouth or attempting to staunch any bleeding. Several minutes later, an ambulance arrives and paramedics take over, delivering any sophisticated care that's needed such as administering pain medication or inserting a breathing tube. They often "package" up the patient and speed to hospital. Both services tend to work co-operatively in the heat of an emergency, said Deputy Chief Ken Sim. But if firefighters are seen performing more sophisticated medical, paramedics get uncomfortable, in part because they believe they offer the best care and fear becoming little more than truck drivers responsible only for transporting a stable patient. "If a firefighter is going to turn it up a notch -- do an EKG on someone's heart, administer drugs, put in an IV -- that's paramedics' work," said Sim. Paramedics attend roughly 10,000 calls a year where they are not necessarily needed, where a patient doesn't require advanced care or a trip to hospital. Sim said he is baffled why paramedics wouldn't want help from medically trained firefighters when 911 call volumes are heavy. But paramedics' union spokesman Tommy Walsh said, if it's agreed medical emergencies are skyrocketing, why not hire the very best -- more paramedics? They can offer continuity of care from the frenzied scene of an emergency to the hospital admitting desk. "If there's an increase in demand for flights, Air Canada puts more planes in the air. If there's more demand for the Greyhound, they put a couple extra buses on," said Walsh. "Why don't we do that with paramedics?" But Sim says the city should use firefighter resources more effectively. Firefighters are scattered conveniently around town, they don't get bogged down in busy emergency rooms waiting to offload patients and they don't have to transport the injured. The city has just begun negotiating a new collective agreement with firefighters, but paramedics have been without a contract for two years. Paramedics recently pledge not to alter their contracts, and the firefighters have traditionally been just as militant. maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

PM me... can supply WFPS, Winnipeg Ambulance, Winnipeg Fire...

I'm looking at one of two possible courses in the US for the fall of 2006... traveling from Canada. Received verbal approval from the Chief yesterday CCEMS in Texas is one and the other is... http://www.tactical-specialties.com/ in MN. B.

Being from YYC... I'm alittle biased Now living in Winterpeg :? Thanks for the PM.

Is this Edmonton or Calgary?

with the chronic substances abusers? Here in Winnipeg... they are causing backlogs in the Er's, thus off load delays, long Police wait times on scene and at the local "drunk tank". Curious to see what others out there have come up with... don't want to re-invent the wheel. Our MGMT team here is only able to come up with bandage solutions. Any input appreciated. B.

This apparatus can be fitted with horns and a locking mechanism for a Ferno type stretcher… the exact same as the Medic units. MGMT was looking a using Fire apparatus to transport patients on a regular basis… however it contravenes the Ambulance Act of Manitoba and it was abandoned a number of years ago. That said our lack of EMS transporting units has become worse since. At least once a 12 hour shift we are out of Medic units. This isn’t a battle between the Fire Union (UFFW) and the Medic Association (PPAW)… if you talk to the Fire crews they feel bad. They don’t want to transport but aren’t given a choice as they are ordered to do so by Medical Supervisors or Assistant Platoon Chief of EMS… a separate union altogether. Remember there are 5 bargaining units within WFPS. We’ve had a number of cases of Fire transports so it’s hard to speak to everyone. They are grieved by PPAW. It was not a case of scene safety, but if it was Fire should withdraw until made safe by Police. We’re short of Medic units due to increasing call volumes, off load delays and traveling distances. PPAW is truly concerned as patient advocates about the patient’s treatment and safety of Fire transport. Fire will be the first to stand up and say yes we (Medics) are they higher trained staff for Medicals… these trucks as the pictures show are made unsafe due to the storage of items. Many unsafe items. I’m sure if the Rescue rolled (past precedent) or was involved in an MVA (past precedent) you wouldn’t want a high-rise kit bouncing off your head. When you step into the back of these Rescues you smell fuel… diesel and gas mixtures. You smell smoke. It’s a Rescue… it smells that way because it was made for fire suppression not patient transport. Just like a Medic unit smells like crap, puke, urine, hair spray, alcohol, or the latest fast food joint we stopped at! However, we disinfect our vehicles daily with approved solutions… There is no question resources need shifting… Weather its hiring more Medics, redeploying resources, or stealing from Peter to pay Paul… MGMT has suggested layoffs and rehiring… I’m just regurgitating. We currently have three Squads each with 2 Fire Fighters… they also have CAFS systems on them… they are used strictly for manpower at Fire scenes or first responder calls. They are never used for actual fire suppression due to safety measures and UFFW. We could use those members on the EMS side rather than Fire. It’s cheaper to staff a Medic unit than pay for these Squads, that was proven. Squads can’t transport… Medic units can. Anther three 24 hour Medic units wouldn’t solve all our problems but it would make them bearable. Our sick time is up… weather its abused or legit, injuries are up, and short term and long term disability claims have also increased. Medic units are shut down on a regular basis because no one wants overtime. Double dollar and MGMT can’t get any Medics to come in??? We've been told by MGMT we are free and clear of "Vacancy MGMT" however they see R5 and a Squad shutdown daily without any delay or ill effects. They are watching.

No party or union lines here as you suggest... straight from the heart... I, nor my family would like to be transported in a Fire/Rescue vehicle to the hospital. The Province of Manitoba, and the City of Winnipeg need to address our city's rising call volume by adding Medic units. I as a citizen deserve the same treatment as any other citizen. I want that same treatment done by a full time Medic... someone who eats and breaths EMS everyday... We increase in call volume by 8000-12,000 /year. Where does all that extra money go? At $275/Cdn a trip that's $$$. Other cites are doing less with more and not running the wheels off the Medic units or the feet of the Medics themselves. In the last two years we've seen huge increase in sick time usage, injuries, and long and short term disability claims... not to mention stress leave. Moral is in the toilet, especially after a 12 hour night shift and roughly 10 - 12 calls later; return to the hall for shift change and see that the Engine has done 1 call in 14 hours, and the Rescue was booked off duty due to vacancy management. Maybe it's time to shift resources or (union hat off) layoff on the Fire side and rehire on the EMS side of operations?

Not all pics here... many more... note stretcher mount (haven't actually used a stretcher in there yet). Sorry for the size... Would you want your family member transported in a Fire Rescue vehicle or and approved Ambulance to the hospital?