NickD

Emergency Vehicles & Red Light Cameras . . .

Here's something I never considered before and the following piece makes the point. Basically it concerns the thinking that people would be afraid to move into an intersection, in order to yield to an emergency vehicle, where a red light camera is installed.

I don't think it would be too hard to correlate the time the emergency vehicle passed through the intersection to the time the ticket was issued, but a motorist's first thought would be to avoid the automatic $341 ticket (here in California.) So that doesn't solve the initial problem.

BTW, I'm just finishing up the clinical portion of a Phlebotomy class and I really enjoyed it. (Our class motto is, "We stick together . . .") :wink:

NickD

EMT-B

[web:57d9613353]http://laist.com/2007/08/20/great_comment_r.php[/web:57d9613353]

It's a bit hard for me compare courses being new to the field and this being my first experience with structured EMS training. Yet, I feel satisfied with what I learned when compared to what "I knew" before hand. I have read about other people's courses on boards like this and I believe the UCLA course was good in that I was exposed to more than just one "EMS" personality. I've read about the "single" instructor courses while we had several didactic instructors and more than a half dozen different skills instructors. Across the board they ranged from the crusty and around since Mother, Juggs & Speed to those who had no clue who "Johnny & Roy" were.

One Instructor was someone "Dusty" might have liked. He gave us the good and the bad about EMS and sugar coated nothing. Some of the other Instructors were more "everything's fine" types but all of them, I felt, were competent and current. A few of the skills instructors were rough around the edges, but I suppose because that's the entry level Instructor position it's to be expected.

UCLA also offers a full spectrum of other courses like Phlebotomy and ED Tech so continuing along those lines, if desired, is rather seamless. If anyone wants a peek at what's available here's UCLA's website: http://www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/SRRS

One thing that seems a constant, at least in basic level EMT courses, is you get out of it what you put in. We definitely had a lot of those going onto the fire department in our class who kind of coasted through. The thinking being, "If I pass, I pass, and in either case I've got to take the in-department EMT course if I get hired." It was like they were using this more as a pre-course. One thing I did hear from one of them (don’t know if it's true for sure) is when they take the fire department EMT course, they basically just stay put until they pass.

A few things I didn’t like are probably common to many basic courses. While this course is certainly a "cash cow" for UCLA it's apparent the money is going elsewhere. The hands on stuff, especially the mannequins, and things like that, were pretty beat up. On the other hand they did take advantage of the local area and we had a few MCI/triage runs done in dark and dingy alleyways around the campus. Nobody in my class is going to forget the skills instructor who popped out from behind a dumpster and pumped simulated lead into three classmates who were disregarding scene safety.

Overall, and keeping in mind my limited experience, I'd recommend the UCLA course.

And to back up Anthony, at least with all the traditional Paramedic courses I checked in California they all had a prior experience pre-requisite. There are one or two "accelerated" courses offered that just "recommend" experience but I'm not too keen on those. Of course, going out of state is always an option, and while I can certainly see the value in just charging ahead, I haven't decided on anything yet. Right now I'm leaning toward getting my feet wet with a private agency while taking an A&P course at the community college level.

On a side note, I just received a rather beautiful eight and a half by eleven inch certificate from the NREMT and I ran right out a bought a nice frame for it. I hope that doesn't make me a wanker . . . :wink:

NickD

EMT-B

ladyemt51_2000,

Things always mean more when they are harder to attain . . .

I, and I'm sure others here, will be pulling for you!

NickD

EMT-B

So you took the two week course at UCLA? You are nuts!!!

Nope, my course was three days per week (nights) spread over three months (January 9 - March 20.)

I never considered the shorter time frame course as I wanted the opportunity to study and digest.

NickD

EMT-B

Hi Everyone,

An update on me since I haven't posted much since I intro'd myself back in January.

It's here if you want to read it: http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7091

I completed the EMT-B course at UCLA in Los Angels, California and it was both good and not so good. Someone else here termed UCLA's course as "disjointed" and I must say I found that to be the case. The reason, I believe, is the large mix of didactic and skills instructors. The classroom (lecture) instructors were all very good, old hands all, and each had a good grip on the material and also the fundamentals of good instruction. On the other hand the skills instructors (the ones who did the labs) were, as a group mostly young (and surprisingly no longer working in the field) EMTs, or UCLA undergraduates, and on their way to something else. That was the hit or miss part. Overall however, it was a good education.

My main purpose for this is aimed at the "older" students. I'm 52, in shape, and as hip as I was at twenty, no scratch that, I'm hip-er. At no point in all of this did I find my age (oldest in my class) as any kind of deterrent. If anything it was the opposite. So don’t ever let anyone tell you "life experience" is anything but a plus in any endeavor.

However, age alone, won't do it. No matter what age you are when you start an EMS career don't expect anything handed to you. I've spent the entire course, buried in it, I ate with the Brady book, slept with the Brady book, and sat on the toilet with the Brady book (a good time to brush up on the vagal nerve).

I did a clinical shift at the UCLA ED in Santa Monica and when I came home I remember feeling if I never did another thing in EMS all the schooling and effort was validated by that one night. I left after 12 hours (stayed two extra hours) feeling I made a difference in some people's lives. Sure, I know it’s a simplification to the more experienced, but there was a great crew in the ED that night and they just turned me loose. And the more I did the more they heaped on me and I loved it.

I did the usual stuff, getting vitals and making up beds, but I also held the hand of some who needed a hand to hang onto. I did the simple things, bringing a warm blanket, and sometimes just listening. I also don't want to diminish the feeling of for the first time working with "real" people. That is an experience, after "playing" with other as students in class, that is not to be passed by too quickly. I also stepped in the way and took a punch square in the jaw that was aimed at a nurse from a belligerent drunk who had wreaked his car. Later, an ED doctor thanked me in front of everyone saying, "Nick here, took one for the team."

Along the course of the night many EMTs were bringing in Pts. and I always tried to sidle up and see what was happening. I have to say while a few of them were impressive there were some that were not. I'll always remember the two, after handing over their Pt. still trying to figure out what to write in the PCR as the chief complaint. I'm not too surprised, and I'm sure, it's a gritty world out there in the street but somehow it was a hiccup in how well everyone else was handling their jobs. I all of sudden wanted to work here in an ED.

I transported a few admitted Pts. up to their wards and it’s a remarkable contrast between the ED and the rest of the hospital. In the ED its constant movement, a new surprise at every corner, while up in the wards it's dark and everyone moves in slow motion. ED RNs seem ready for whatever comes and the ward RNs seem to want to get through their shift. No rocking the boat please.

With the clinicals and practical's all done (we did the latter as part of our Basic course at UCLA) I signed up for the NAEMT exam. I took two weeks, buried in the books, between the time I finished school and picked a date to take the test.

I bought every EMT test booklet there is in the world and took test after test after test. We, all of us now, are sort of caught in the vacuum between the paper and pencil test and the CBT. Of all the test booklets, the most up to date one is the "Kaplan" EMT-Basic Exam." It's 2007, ISBN # 13: 978 1-4195-5095-9. This one acknowledges the CBT and, it was, the closest to the format of the actual NAEMT exam.

So Saturday at 2:00 PM I presented myself at the Person-Vu facility in Pasadena, California to sit the exam. And yes, they are anal about security to the point of foolishness. You are fingerprinted coming and going and they take your picture. I don't get this. Are there actually professional EMT-B test takers out there? Man, I'd get a job bagging groceries at Von's before I'd take that up. However I must say they were professional, but friendly.

There were full up so they put me in a small room all to myself. That was fine, they closed the door and it was quiet and a perfect environment for test taking. I did note the camera on the wall and reminded myself about unconscious nose picking. The exam kicked me out at 71 questions. About 20 percent of the questions were scenario based and the rest were straight forward questions and very similar to the ones we had in our class quizzes. However, the "deceiver" answers were trickier, and it was harder to choose between the two answers that "sounded" right.

I know each student gets a "different" test, but mine was weighted more toward respiratory and cardiac questions. There was only one "scene safety" question and a few on Pt. assessment, and those few were all on the differences between medical and trauma Pts. I had three questions on medications and two were on Nitro and one was on the Inhaler. I didn't notice any "adaptive" nature of the exam and it seemed to me none of the questions were either getting harder or easier. However, I did leave the exam having no idea if I passed or failed.

If I made one big mistake it was this; I'd been reading here, and on other EMS forums that most successful candidates were kicked out of the exam at about 60 questions. So when I passed question sixty I started to sweat. I actually thought to myself, "okay, the computer has me on the bubble and the next ten questions are going to make or break me." That was Saturday, and today, Monday morning, the results were posted in the NAEMT website. I passed . . .

On the age question, it worked for me. The point being, whatever your age, make it work for you . . .

NickD

EMT-B

Here's a bunch of biz card templates for Word . . .

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/template....aspx?av=ZWD000

NickD

EMT-B

Student

That's great, thank you . . .

I've been looking for something based on the new test and this is the first I've seen.

I wonder how long it will be before we can raise an eyebrow to mean, "Never mind him, he's an old pencil and paper guy." :wink:

NickD

EMT-B

Student

Being a friendly and outgoing guy I always acknowledge any, "Hello," I get in the street around UCLA where I'm attending EMT classes. So far, when I look over, I've always found myself smiling dumbly at some kid with a cell phone stuck in his ear, and being ignored, while my cheery, "hello," just hangs out there in thin air . . .

NickD

EMT-B

Student

I'm only three quarters of the way through EMT-B school, so for what it's worth; I believe I would have. . .

Talked him into not "walking around" and remaining still. Don't know if you were alone or not, but if so I would have held his C-spine until more help arrived. With a partner I would have boarded, collared, and laid him down. With the mechanism of injury (roll-over MVA) there's always a chance his C-spine was compromised and possible he didn’t realize it. In any case the consequences of a neck injury outweigh calling the above over-cautious. Especially being new, and I'm not knocking on you, I'm trying to learn, shouldn't we lean toward being very cautious?

NickD

EMT-B

Student

I doubt the rope would be just "hanging" their full time. It would be encased in a roof placed spool and push button deployed either from the top or bottom and those buttons would be secured from unauthorized use . . .

NickD

EMT-B

Student

These guys live far from any beach, but they make do.

Knarly . . .

http://www.koreus.com/media/dynamite-surfing.html

Warning: Slight strong language!

NickD

EMT-B

Student

Go here . . .

http://www.flightweb.com/forum/index.php

This site is dedicated to EMS flight ops.

NickD

EMT-Student

Good advice. Unfortunately, too many in EMS are too young to remember that motto. Consequently, nowadays they are too busy trying to be "an Army of one." :roll:

Reaching for the door at my local Marine Corps recruiter's office in 1971 I paused to read a small index card taped above the doorknob.

It said simply, "If you're looking for something easy - keep on walking!"

It was fitting as the Corps recruiting motto at the time was, "We never promised you a rose garden."

I about died, years later, when I first heard the slogan "An Army of One." That's great, I thought, the first time a machine gun position needed to be charged some soldier could just say, "Not me, brother, go get some other One . . ."

NickD

Emt-B Student

You're going to have a cow when you read this . . .

http://www.sacbee.com/797/story/114035.html

Pretty unfair overall.

Read the "comments" too.

NickD

EMT-B Student

The issue of repetitive questions is something all subject-based web forums have to endure. The problem with the up-board solutions is they don't take into account that all knowledge is fluid.

Sure, there's nothing wrong with broad based FAQs, but if you point all such inquires to a FAQ it stagnates knowledge, and blocks "new" opinions and thoughts on the subject. Granted, it's a balancing act, and that's why it’s a tough problem, but otherwise it's like saying, "here's the final word on a subject," and besides being very ego-centric, there's really no such thing . . .

NickD

EMT-B Student

As I get to know my fellow classmates better (Los Angeles County situated EMT-B course) and where they are heading, it appears out of 36 students it's a split between the FD and pre-med, with the FD winning out. The smallest group, and the one I'm in, is neither, and it's a bit disheartening to hear our instructors basically saying, "Private agency EMT-Paramedic goals are a ticket to nowhere."

What they are saying bodes ill for "civilian" side EMS overall, and is indicative of a profession shooting itself in the foot.

Most of that sentiment seems to come from the younger post-graduate students who are "teaching" large blocks of our classes and labs. It comes from being too young to see yourself as anything but a CEO and I emphasized the word teaching as, while they know the material, they can’t "teach" their way out of paper bags. This is a group that needs to attend a "fundamentals of instruction class" in the worst way as, I'm sorry, but reading PowerPoint slides, one after another, with little embellishment, with the point being getting out of class early, is not teaching.

I've resigned myself to the realization that what I get out of this course will depend on what I do for myself. And that's fine because I'm motivated to learn. However, I'm not so sure that's the case with most of the other students who have other goals.

To stay on topic, the below is verbatim from the LA County FD's website at: http://www.joinlafd.org/EMT_Paramedics.htm

I never realized there was a "hero" school . . .

NickD

EMT-B Student

>>The LAFD’s STARTING salary is $48,608 - $73,121 a year

BECOME A HERO. LAFD IS NOW HIRING!

Becoming an EMT-1/Paramedic

Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-1) is one very effective way to prepare for a career in the fire service. An EMT is the first step towards becoming a Paramedic and is an essential part of the day-to-day activities of every Firefighter.

Upon successful completion of the training, you will be qualified for the State Certification. You will also be eligible for employment with an ambulance provider, hospital emergency departments, and clinics. This is an excellent way of getting that first hand exposure and experience that you will need to become a successful Firefighter.

The following facilities provide Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) programs. Those with an asterisk (*) also provide paramedic training programs:

APT Associated Schools

3775 S. Crenshaw Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90016

Central Medical Center

600 S. Harvard Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90005

Phone: 213-384-8585

College of Oceaneering *

272 S. Fries Avenue

Wilmington, CA 90744

Phone: 310-834-2501

Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital *

333 North Prairie Avenue 1

Inglewood, CA 90301

310-674-7050, x3580

East San Gabriel Valley R.O.P.

1024 West Workman Avenue

West Covina, CA 91790

Phone: 626-335-5350

Glendale Community College

2361 Florencita Avenue, Suite F

Montrose, CA 91020

Phone: 818-240-1000

Lakewood Regional Medical Center

2669 N. Myrtle Street

Long Beach, CA 90806

Phone: 714-377-0252

Los Angeles County Dept.

of Health Services *

Paramedic Training Institute (PTI)

5555 Ferguson Drive, Suite 220

Commerce, CA 90022

Phone: 323-890-7500

North Valley Occupational Center

Pacoima Skills Center

11450 Sharp Avenue

Mission Hills, CA 91345

Phone: 818-365-9645

Mt. San Antonio College *

1100 North Grand Avenue

Walnut, CA 91789

Phone: 909-594-5611, x4750

Tri-Cities R.O.P.

9401 South Painter Avenue

Whittier, CA 90024

Phone: 562-698-9571

UCLA Emergency Medical Center *

924 Westwood Boulevard, Suite 720

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Phone: 310-679-7050

Los Angeles Valley College

5800 Fulton Ave.

Valley Glen, CA 91401

Phone: 818-947-2600

There are three approved EMT- Paramedic training programs in Los Angeles County. For information contact the organizations listed below.

Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services

Paramedic Training Institute (PTI)

5555 Ferguson Drive, Suite 220

Commerce, CA 90022

Phone: 323-890-7500

(5 month program)

Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital

333 North Prairie Avenue 1

Inglewood, CA 90301

Phone: 310-674-7050, x3407

(5 month program)

Mt. San Antonio College

1100 North Grand Avenue

Walnut, CA 91789

Phone: 909-594-5611, x4750

(6 month program)<<

California is set up on a county by county basis . . .

In Los Angeles County the FD paramedics get the initial call and I believe that's what Anthony means. I'd imagine if the call is something hairy the FD transports, and if not they pass the Pt off to a private service. On calls I've passed in the street here, it's a fire truck, a FD ambulance, and a private agency ambulance.

I'm in LA county right now because I'm taking an EMT course here, but in Riverside County (just east of LA county) where I'm from, when you call 911 you get a fire truck and something like AMR with two EMTs on board. And then they upgrade to ALS if necessary.

It's funny, but in my class, where everyone is half my age, they all think they are going to be in the thick of it right off the bat. It's like they didn’t do a lick of research beforehand. We had a little bull session with one of our instructors after class the other night and all most of the class is asking is how much money are they going to make. It was kind of embarrassing.

The topper though was before class when one fellow student looks over at me and says, "Cool, you read the bible." And I said, "No, you dope, it's a medical dictionary . . ."

I'm actually thinking of staying around here for a year after I finish this course, and maybe this sounds weird, but I've already had a lot of thrills in my life, and while I will be good enough for the exciting EMS stuff one day, right now taking Uncle Joe for his dialysis sounds hairy enough for me . . .

NickD

EMT Student