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Alcomedicism

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Everything posted by Alcomedicism

  1. Stay safe Dust, I will be praying for your safety while playing in the sandbox.
  2. In rural America Volly squads are a godsend in some cases. Here every city in the county has its own paid VFD (they get paid so much per call whether they are there 5 minutes or 5 hours and they get a christmas check in december). Our citys VFD reqs all FF to be EMT trained as well and they drill 2x month. If they miss 3 drills they are booted off the squad and cannot reapply for one year. Our city isnt a big city so we dont need the fancy shmancy equipment, but the equipment they do have is VERY adequate. They have a Rescue Ambulance, 3 pumper/hose trucks, and 2 brush trucks, jaws of life, water certified personnel, high angle certified rescue, and confined space certified personnel. I think they have very good training with the equipment needed to get the job done.
  3. oh yes - I picked up a Thank-you card from Wal-Mart on the way home to send in the mail tomorrow AM.
  4. Well Im back from the interview. It went well during the interviewing portion, but during the lift test, it was bit scary. 1.) I was taught on a stryker gurney and they used Fernos - so it was a little bit different to try and learn on the Ferno - I did however let them know that I had never used a Ferno cot before and I asked if I could have a dry run before the lift test, and they happily agreed and showed me the ways of the Ferno. 2.) They were a relaxed bunch which in turn helped me to relax. They joked and cut up and asked the following questions- a.) Can you take a good ribbing on a daily basis? (My answer was yes - I grew up in a household where that was common.) b.) Sum yourself up in 5 words (Hardworking, honest, loyal, laid back, funny) c.) What are your personal interests or hobbies (I said HRC - Hunting Retriever Club.) d.)Do you have friends or accquaintances that work in EMS - (I named a neighbor of mine, and a boy I went to school with.) e.) Do you have dreams or aspirations beyond EMS? (I said no, I hope to someday get Paramedical education and certification, and I hope to stay in EMS as long as I am physically and mentally able to.) f.) What are your weaknesses. (I said sometimes I feel like I have some difficulty explaining myself or having to explain a process or procedure to someone.) g.) Would you be willing to relocate? (Yes of course, Im being as flexible as rubber!) h.) Are you married? (No, divorced.) i.) Any children? (Yes, one daughter.) j.) How old is your daughter? (2 and will turn 3 in September) k.) are you over 21? (Yes) l.) What are your strong points? (I follow orders well, I work hard, I expect no less than the best from myself and others, I keep myself up to speed on special updates in regards to pre-hospital care, I am able to let things that are not truly meaningful slide off my back.) m.) would you be willing to work extra shifts? (Yes.) n.) Have you ever called in to work? (Not unless my child was sick.) o.) Have you worked nightshifts or long hours? (Yes, I worked nightshift at Mitchell's Nursing Home, I also volunteered for holidays and some weekends there as well, and I have been known to work several jobs at one time.) p.) What do you consider a good time? (Spending time with my daughter and my dog - which make up my family at this point.) q.) Have you ever done anything illegal in the past year? (No.) r.) Do you have a clean driving record? (Yes) Those are all the questions I can remember off the top of my head. It was nervous having to do a panel interview but it wasnt as scary as I thought it would be. The questions I asked- What is your call volume (over 4,000/year) Do you help pay for CEUs? (Yes, we have inhouse CEUs.) Will I go through a professional orientation should I get hired? (Yes, we have a day where you come in and fill out the necessary paperwork, and you will get to meet most everybody.) Then I asked for a tour of the station and a look at their equipment- and they did - Im glad I did, they have nice living quarters that are spacious and are currently going through renovations, where they are putting in new carpet, showers, and paint. Then the lift test- This was kinda nerve wracking as I havent lifted a cot in a long time, so I asked to take some time to let myself get reaccquainted with it. They put 2 boxes of IV bags on the cot (which were about 100 pounds - so its 175 pounds altogether) And I did that, then they brought in some live weight - a 6ft 200 pound man that I had to lift into the ambulance. I was feeling it in my arms and legs as I was lifting 275 pounds total into an ambulance, and with me being short I was at a disadvantage from the start. I got him in there, it took some work, but I got him in there without injury to me or my "patient". They said they would give me a phone call if I got hired, but if I didnt I would get a letter - so as of right now - I do NOT want to receive a letter! I shook their hands and thanked them for allowing me to come down and have an interview and I said I hoped that I was the right choice to be hired. Hopefully I do get hired. It would make me happy beyond belief. thanks for all of your help and advice guys, now I just need a few good thoughts and prayers and hope that I did get hired so I can finally embark on the EMS journey. Alco 8)
  5. Thanks everyone for your replies and advice! This is what I have done so far to prepare for this interview- 1.) I have been studying and refreshing my skills ranging from Ambulance types right down to Patient Asessments for Medical and Truama Patients as well as Geriatrics and Pediatrics. I even went back over my CPR Class notes. 2.) I went a bought a new buisness suit- nice dress pants, nice shirt and jacket, pantyhose and dress shoes. I will apply light make-up limited to foundation, nuetral eyeshadow and mascara, and I plan on pulling my hair back. 3.) Cleaned out my truck - the way the driveway is of this EMS station is, the folks can see your vehicle in the office, my truck will be giving them my initial impression. Dashboards are dusted and shiny, carpets and seats vacuumed, and the seats where Narcan chewed the upholstry have brandnew seat covers over them (Mossy Oak Camoflauge to be exact), my truck has a vanilla air freshener on the vents so its got a nice clean smell to it. I removed the kennel from the back as well. 4.) Im leaving the cigarettes at home so I cant smoke if I get the urge, and I plan on drinking bottled water during the interview to help keep myself calm. 5.) I also packed some clothes in a gym bag in case I have to do some lifting as part of the interview, the MPW stays off my head until AFTER the interview is completed and Im out of the driveway. 6.) Im going to ask my mom to ask me standard interview questions to help myself prepare, work on my answers. 7.) Researching this EMS company is a little more difficult as they dont have an internet page, and the last "new" thing I heard from this company was they chose a new EMS director last year. How do I mention this in the interview without looking like an idiot? Now my questions- 1.) Should I ask to see their equipment? Is it appropriate? What should I say while looking over this equipment? 2.) Should I ask about call volume? 3.) Should I ask about any community outreach events they participate in? 4.) Is it appropriate for me to walk in with a pen and notepad with my questions written on them and write down their answers? 5.) should I give them an updated copy of my resume during the interview? 6.) When asked if I have any comments, what should I say at this point? Often times my mind goes blank and I just kinda nod my head like a scared little kid. Anything else Im missing? thanks again in advance, Alco 8)
  6. Well Dust is right - there are more EMTs than EMT jobs nationwide with many many schools churning out basics left and right. It seems its a bit easier for newly graduated Medics as I see ads for Medics more often than for basics. Even though it may only be part time, its a start to a hopefully successful EMS career for me. And I also noticed someone changed my thread title, Alco 8)
  7. I got a nice phone call this morning - Im due for a panel interview at an EMS Co in the next county over Monday morning. While I know there have been several threads disscussing EMS job interviews - can you guys give me some pointers and some ideas of what to expect in a panel interview? Any questions I need to be prepared for? Any questions I should be asking? This is definitely a nice relief after the job searching getting me down. Kinda funny how just when you give up, something unexpected happens. I guess it just goes to show how impatient I can be at times. Anyway enough of my rambling on- Im just looking for tips and pointers on how to walk into this interview confident but not cocky. Ive been studying up and refreshing myself on my skills and knowledge. Thanks in advance guys. Alco 8)
  8. Thank you for posting this! Im printing this out and hanging it up on my door in my little room to remind myself of what I need to be focusing on. Thank you again for clearing my view a little bit. Alco 8)
  9. 1.) Lets not air other people's dirty laundry on this site. What happens on one site should stay on that site. 2.) Yes while I do agree sleepy doc was immature in her posts and rants what I want to know is who is supplying the alcohol. Besides I smell BS right from the start. How does she take full AP courses, work full-time to support herself, and take 3 nights of Paramedical courses. It just doesnt seem possible, and she has time to drink in all of this? Truth is many apartment complexes will not let you rent an apartment until your 21 due to their insurance policies, and those who are living on their own apartment at 18, Im willing to bet my bottom dollar that mom or dad probably signed the contract, the apartment is under the parents name but the child is paying part or all of the rent. Again what her living situation described is not possible in my mind. 3.) Please lets not discuss the "What should be the minimum age for EMS?" I think we've discussed that enough, everyone has their opinion, and many will not budge. So please lets move on and this thead needs to die of natural causes. 4.) I think its that time of year where life is so hectic it begins to bleed out over the internet, lets all throw back a shot and call it good. Alco
  10. Welcome back Woody - Ive been hanging out here alot less myself but just decided to pop in today to see if there has been any major changes since the last time I logged on. Alco
  11. Further proof that I am immortal- After 3 car accidents, one hospitalisation, a total of 50-something stitches, two ODs, and they cannot locate my death, WTF??? I must be the next goddess of the greeks or something
  12. I did puke at a scene of a decapitation before I became an EMT if that counts... TPBM has had at least 3 major wrecks near their house in the past month...
  13. I can still hear and communicate and like I said I can still hear, just out of one ear instead of two. My parents want me to ride the disability bus, but I refuse because 1.) It limits my income 2.) It limits what I can and cannot do. I want to be able to make a decent living just like anyone else. Being disabled often puts yourself in the lower-income bracket to the point where you have just enough to get by, and if you make too much money you are taken off the disability program. Im still going to my CEU courses, still looking for that EMS job where I am able to get hired, and the EMT market here is tight because there are more EMTs than there are EMT jobs. Kinda sucks but eventually it has to work out so I can start making a living. Alco
  14. Sure its a liability issue, but once again there many Medics and EMTs that have worked in the field for years and have had hearing loss due to the noise, and Im sure if they took a through hearing test they would likely not meet the minimum standards, should these people be fired, simply because of their job related hearing loss, if they have hearing loss, they could be held just as accountable as I would. End of story.
  15. 10% of hearing out of my right ear and 85% hearing out of my left ear - I listen for BPs and lung sounds out of my LEFT ear which is at 85% or would you rather me listen for the BP in my right ear which is only 10% hearing ability. Also I have never had to wear a hearing aid- the hearing loss in my left ear is bad enough that no hearing aid could amplify the sounds enough to make it effective. If I wore a hearing aid in my right ear it would be too much sound - straight out of my audiologists mouth. Now if it got to the point that I started having trouble listening and deciphering sounds and I needed to start wearing hearing aids then yeah Id go take an office job somewhere BUT I dont want an office job and why should I have to settle for a less exciting job simply because I cant hear out of one ear?? You wont believe how bad you have mangled my posts. I still have hearing - just out of one ear instead of two. And I dont take NO for an answer. alco
  16. AK, I see where you are coming from and I do understand your concerns for safety of everyone on-scene. For one- I can feel the vibration of the car, and two a loud screech in the background would make anyone jump. As for sue happy world world - no I would never sue my employer doing so would one- make it that much harder for the deaf to get jobs, even low-paying next to do nothing jobs. And two yes I understand that I am taking quite a risk with everyone involved, no I wouldnt hide my hearing-impairment from my emplyoyer, but I wouldnt outright just walk up to them and say - oh by the way Im deaf! That would send me packing quicker than shit. But if they ask me about it, then no I wouldnt lie about it either. I would simply say, yes I am hard of hearing at times, but not deaf. As for having sinus problems, and such, I think everyone has days like there where their own hearing isnt up to par. So could you be held liable if you missed something critical if you were having sinus congestion that day? Everyone should be held liable for missing a critical element in their asessments. Shoot Im sure there are days your congested enough that even you have trouble hearing. And VS- As for eyeglasses they correct a persons vision by using lenses shaped a certain way or to a certain thickness, they do not actually cure the problem they correct it. It is the same with hearing aids, and now more recently cochlear implants that have given the deaf hearing. If I were to someday afford the cochlear implant, I would gladly have it done, but until that day happens I will adjust and press on. Maybe one day you will work with an EMT/Medic that has a cochlear implant and maybe you'll change your mind. Im not advocating for equal rights, what about a person with an amputated hand or the aforementioned midget? Yes they may be able to know the books front to back and back to front, but due to their circumstances they could not make the needed adjustments to adquately perform their duties, I however can and have made those adjustments as needed without outside accomodations. Please dont boot me out of EMS because I have less than normal hearing, I do hope to one day acheive my dreams and goals and make something of myself. Just because I am hard of hearing shouldnt mean I have to work undesireable jobs or even low-wage jobs for the rest of my life. Again, hard of hearing and deaf are two different things, its best to not get them confused. -Alcomedicism
  17. Sorry to burst bubbles even more but yes there are folks in EMS that do wear hearing aids - they simply either use an electric stethoscpe with a headphone type earpiece and the sounds in the scope can be raised and played back. And as for my hearing - VS over the years I have learned various ways to adjust. Heres an example - I playe varsity basketball for 3 years, while communication time is short to call out plays, I quickly learned to pay attention to my point gaurd and my coach on the side line to know what play we were running. Alot of times they would use hand signals for plays. As for hearing the refs whistles and calls, I heard them just fine because I learned to tune in on them. As for learning to get lung sounds and BPs through the scope - I simply had a friend drive around on gravel roads, while I did mock asessments on another friend, after a while I learned to: 1. Put my knee next to the pt, place my hand face up on the knee, then place the patients arm on my hand, then I took a BP, my leg and hand absorbed most of the background vibrations. I was able to take BPs and do pt asessments in the rig just fine. 2. Learned to tune in on lung sounds and ignore the background noise. 3. place the earpiece in my good ear correctly as possible so that I may listen accurately. And BTW if you cant handle the internships and clinicals, you cant handle EMS period. And I learned to look at my patient, read their lips, watch their body language, and actually touch my patient to further my asessment. AND get this how many of you have experience diminished haring after working for years under the sirens?? Think about it, if your hearing is less than 100% would you be working EMS?? You never know until you get tested and Im sure alot of you would be surprised at what rate you are hearing. Yes there are ways to reasonably accomadate to the hearing impaired, but if it goes beyond reasonable to the point that there needs to be a third person doing the job of the said EMT/Medic, then thats when you know that the person in question cannot reasonably perform the duties of EMT or Medic. Most people that know me, also do not know that Im deaf in one ear. For some of these folks its best that they dont know, and for some they should know. And VS - I am no way drawing any disability benefits whatsoever, so no I am not legally deaf or otherwise disabled. I plan on pursuing my dream, and should it ever get to the point to where my hearing has become questionable, then I know it is time for me to move on. I was mainstreamed in school, never once did I ever set foot in a special education course or class room. I simply sat on the first or second row and made sure I paid attention. I was an honor student. I never once mentioned to my EMT instructor that I was deaf, that would have sent me packing in no time. I never ask for special favors because of my "disability". Am I the first deaf EMT in AR? Possibly, but Im not about to flag it around as it could hinder my possibilites of working in the state. I work just as hard as the next guy. -alcomedicism
  18. I think there is a difference between deaf and hard of hearing. The two should never be confused. Deaf means - one cannot hear sounds to any degree and thus must communicate by writing, or the use of sign language. But the deaf learn to make it in the world by relying on their other senses. Deaf people tend to have really good vision, and can pick up on visual cues very quickly. Heard of hearing - means you cannot hear sounds below a certain decibel, or can only hear a certain percentage out of either ear. Heres my story- I was born in November of 1983, a bright red-headed girl that appeared normal in every respect. Until I turned a year old - I was not walking, and certainly not talking. they had me tested for various learning disabilities, they even did brain scans to see if there was something functionally wrong with me. Everything came back positive until one nurse looked at the charts and promptly scheduled a hearing test with a tuning fork when I was almost 2 years of age. I reacted properly on my right ear, on my left ear, I had little reaction. They then scheduled for a thorough hearing test at an audiologist. I could hear very well out of my right ear but my left ear was shot. They concluded that it might have been due to a bad ear infection causing damage to the ear drum, thus, I lost 80% of my hearing in my left ear. I was not properly diagnosed with hearing loss until was I 3 years of age. I was then placed in a therapy program to help me catch up developmentally, with daily therapy, I picked up quickly, and reading at that time became a hobby as well as art. During this time, I learned sign language as they were afraid I might lose all hearing at some point, and I also learned to read lips so that I may communicate effectively with those who did not know sign language. when I turned 5 I was enrolled in a public school and I did very well during my kindergarten year, and later became a star pupil at my school, and later participating in athletics, and for 2 years, band. I get my hearing retested every year, at the last test, I was hearing less than 10% out of my left ear and was hearing nearly 85% out of my right ear. My body has adjusted as needed over the years, and I feel confident in my abilities to auscultate, and listen on-scene. I passed my EMT class with an 89% overall. My NR scores were 85%. I can talk over the radio and communicate over the telephone effectively. As Devin stated, background noise occassionally becomes a hindrance, but I have found ways to lessen the background noise so that I may listen accurately. I also participate in hunting retrievers, and so far havent met a "deaf" or hard of hearing handler. As for dangers on-scene, you learn to be VERY aware of your surroundings, mostly looking, smelling, and sometimes you can use vibrations to tell when something bad is about to happen and to know to move. Never would I ever turn my back to a burning building nor would I ever get close enough to put myself, my partner, or my patient in that kind of danger. Alot of it is this - people who find out someone is deaf also automactically assumes that they are also dumb, thats not always the case unless there was a serious birth-defect or they were involved in a serious accident causing brain damage and hearing loss. the best way you can handle this is to talk to someone that is deaf, you will soon discover that they may be a math whiz, or they are very good at designing things, or building things, sometimes they are also very good writers. I dont mean to be rude - but you need to have more open minds about what can and cannot be accomplished. As for someone who absolutely cannot hear whatsoever and cannot function in EMS then no, I wouldnt want them to be on-scene as that could become disastrous. -Alcomedicism
  19. Me being a BIG dog fan, yeah I can see where Id be far more distraught over someone hitting my dog Narcan than my co-worker. Sounds pretty ridiculous but its true. As for the charges I see the following: Hit and run Vehicular assault (mansluaghter if the dog did not pull through) Failure to stay on-scene And hitting an officer. And if you hit my dog and did not fess up to it as an honest person should and ran off and I later found you, youd be staring down the buisness end of a double-barrel pump action shotgun with an extra 3 in the chamber..... :twisted:
  20. OH SHIZIT mines Glory Hole - gee I wonder why??? :shock:
  21. Good question Rid- While I havent actually been out in the real EMS world I do wonder if agencies actually do the bi-annual HIPAA in-service or if they just slop all the crew members names down on a roster and send it into state and call it done. I havnet actually received a formal education on HIPAA - but while Im sure its a boring thing - I still would like to have all the info needed as a hopeful EMS worker in the future. I myself wouldnt breach the caregiver/pt confidentiality law - but what would really constitute as HIPAA violations? Im sure with several of us discussing certain calls - Im sure we have crossed that hard to see HIPAA line unintentionally - because as with any Act signed into Law - there are alot of technicalities that could easily land a person in hot water. Which is why - after the mother/brother snafu - I simply do not discuss calls with anyone whether it is me or it is them. And yes Im still angry at my mother over that - as it literally cost me a potential job. And whichever agency I may work for in the future - I would like to see them do bi-annual HIPAA in-service for everyone so that everyone is up to speed. And if there was a HIPAA breach from a crew member from that service then I would like to see that particular crewmember take an additional HIPAA course and get at least a 3-day suspension because HIPAA as we all know is serious stuff and I believe it when Im told that they are persecuting HIPAA violations. Far as Ive been told (and from what I know) our local EMS gives out required HIPAA information pamphlets and has an in-service for HIPAA (not sure how often though). -Alco
  22. Howd you guess my family was a dysfunctional as the white house administration? Me and my dad have never really been able to get along. The person below me hates ice cream.
  23. Yes I have a warped sense of humor - I find humor in watching people getting hurt or even killed while doing something incredibly stupid - such as playing golf with a melon filled with gunpowder and lit wearing flip flops and shorts. The person below me admits to owning at least one adult porn video...
  24. I sure hope so! Thge person below me has a fetish for men/women in uniform...
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