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Alcomedicism

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  1. This is a pic of mine. I normally dont take pics of my vehicles but I did it just for you guys. Its a 1992 Eddie Baur Edition Ford Explorer. It is hunter green with a khaki trim, 4x4. Leather seats, non-factory Kenwood AM/FM radio w/ a CD player, 6 speaker sound system. A/C is hotter than the heater. -Alco
  2. We have Fire and Rescue squad in our community of about 2,500. They have an excellent squad that trains vigorously (2x month), with plenty of continuing education and seminars every year. They have good equipment (but as Ive always said what good is your equipment if you dont know how to properly use it?) They have a big MCI training event twice a year which does a complete extrication and pt care of the casualites. Do I trust my life with these guys? ABSOLUTELY! -Alco
  3. I have to say that I was much like Richard in the beginning when I first got into the EMT class, I was an adrenaline junkie (I still am in some aspects), but then once I got into the class, I began to become extremely fascinated by the medical aspects of it, as well as the people factor. After have been a part of this community, you cant just ride the adrenaline wave alone and survive EMS, you have to really be into it or go home and play with the puppies. Ive always loved a challenge I definitely believe EMS is a good place to find a good challenge, it tests you physically, mentally, and emotionally. And after seeing that young girl die in a tragic pedestrian v. vehicle accident I was even more compelled to join the EMS forces no matter what the cost. Thats my explanation Steve. What about yours?? Why did you get into EMS?? (Not a threat, just curious more than anything.) -Alcomedicism
  4. Why send the DRIVING back home if they showed up intoxicated at the station, and yet you wont allow him to DRIVE the ambulance??? What if you did send him back home, but he ended up killing a child on his way home?? If someone like that came in intoxicated, I would not under any circumstances allow them to drive anywhere. I would not allow them to clock in and make them sleep it off at the station. Believe me making him stay there w/o pay, and not allowing him on the ambulance (no 3rd rides either) will drive it home that you are serious about drinking and driving. Ive made my own mistakes, but no one should have to pay for them. -Alco
  5. Id probably like to have both standing orders and medical direction. That way you still have room to do your thing and yet when you come across something you need help on then you've still got an ER doc just a phone call way to advise you. Besides alot of times the ER can be a big help, and standing orders are there to guide you in situations where the medical direction really doesnt need to be contacted. -Alcomedicism
  6. As you know I've been in a similar situation with a close friend of mine. I showed up at her house and she was in bed, and I was told by her boyfriend that she had been drinking tequila and she had been asleep for about half an hour. So I went in to check on her to make sure she hadnt vomited all over herself. Then I went into the living room to watch some TV then she told me to come in there and I did. I could smell the alcohol on her breath. Then about 10 mins later she got a call from work that she had to go in. I told her to call someone else and tell them you cant take the call and just say you are sick, well she couldnt get anyone else to take her call, so she got up stumbled around to get dressed and mind you the station is about a 15 min drive from her house. I told her she shouldnt go because there is a very real possibility that she could get fired for showing up while intoxicated. Well, I told her boyfriend that she was beyond working condition and I wasnt about to let her drive the ambulance drunk, there's too many lives shes responsible for. So he called into the station while she was in the bathroom and told the person that she was supposed to be coming in for that she couldnt come because she was prety well drunk. So she caught the tail end of that conversation and all shit hit the fan. So she called back to the station and said slurred her way through to say she wasnt drunk and she even said she would pass a breath test if need be. I tried to reason with her and I ended up getting pissy about the whole thing and I went out to her car and took her keys and locked them in my truck and kept my keys with me. Then the station called back about 10 mins later and said she better not come in, but she needed to show up early on Monday to talk with the supervisor and the director about it. Well all in all, she got a 5-day suspension w/o pay and lost a week of vacation. Then a week later she called me to apologize and things were hunky-dory. So what would I do?? I'd tell the guy to lay down on the couch at the station (Im not letting him drive back home impaired, he risked enough driving to the station) then I'd fill in for his position on that shift, but I would NOT talk to him the entire shift and not allow anyone else to talk to him. Then of course I would contact the supervisor. So not only did he show up for work impaired, he's being ignored, he's at the station for his shift w/o pay and he's getting a lecture from the supervisor and likely will get a suspension or firing. My two cents. -Dix
  7. I have usually been told if a pt with a pulmonary edema, you can raise them to a 30 degree angle and still effectively bag them, just watch your airway and maintain a good seal. This is all coming from a rookie, so you're warned! -Alcomedicism
  8. In my own humble opinion EMS providers ought to be able to treat the non-life threatening stuff and tell the pt to follow up with the DR in the AM. such as the kid that cut his foot on some glass, about a half inch laceration on this 2nd and 3rd toe on left foot. No impaled objects. This isnt really an emergency but the kid probably does need some sutures and some antibiotics to fight any infection. Looking at this, the Paramedic could probably sew him up and tell the mother to follow up with pediatrcian in the morning. This will allow EMS to free up a bus for an actual emergency, plus the less use of equipment thats unnecessary will likely drive down EMS bills for the public. Besides most companies around here dont bill you unless you are transported. Remember this all goes back to using your resources wisely. -Dix
  9. Well Steve, to make you happy, I guess you could count me in on this even though Im not even an EMT yet but I'll give it a go.. -Alcomedicism
  10. Hey I was only taking this stright out of the newspaper, thought it was interesting to see what the overall EMT City opinion was of it. Now that I finally finished posting the whole story. I agree everyone is responsible for their own action (or inactions), IE - if Keisha has stayed off of drugs and out of trouble she never would have ended her life at Alexander, but then again its clear the medical staff did not want to take proper pt care. Crack addict or not, as healthcare providers are number one goal is to strive for quality pt. care. Not substandard care like this where the nurses dont even consider CPR until too late. Why was the hurse conferring with the doctor instead of calling 911??? The nurse knew the pt. condition was bad and she needed a doctor right away. The Alexander doctor who was in North Little Rock - 3 hrs away - at the time had to specifically tell the nurse to call 911. Either nurses dont know their sh-t or they simply did not care. The girl should have been sent to the doctor the first time she collapsed and V/S were out of normal parameters. That is my 2 cents for what it is worth. -Alcomedicism
  11. (Continued from last post) The medical staff at Alexander had a forced familiarity with Keisha. In late 2004 and into 2005, Kiesha routinely asked for medical attention. But the nurses who staffed the facility until 20 everynight and on-call doctors didnt believe she was sick, according to their notes. Psychiatrist Richard Livingstong described Keisha as 'hysterical'. On Dec. 30th, 2004, Keisha spent most of the day at school screaming and crying that her back hurt. The same day she wrote a 3-page-letter begging for help. ...My medical conditions are being ignored and neglected. I have taken proper commands for attention. I've been complaining for exactly one week about my back being hurt. Nurse Kimberly Colcough received the hand written greivance and typed a response. The nurses, Colcough wrote, found nothing wrong with Keisha. about a week later, Dr. Robert Choate, a North Little Rock Pediatrician on contract with Alexander, examined Kiesha. choate ordered her to see a psychologist in hopes of curbing her complaints. "She was counseled that her chart had more complaints than anyother and that could negatively affect her Mey 1 release date." and that she had lost all credibility with the Alexander staff. The medical staff tested her for a possbile urinary tract infection, her redords show, but ordered no other tests. For four weeks, Keisha quit asking for help. But by February, she renwed her medical complaints BACK PAINS Having asthma attack chest and back pains, been coughing & wheezing alot today. I early February, Chaote refused to see Keisha. HJe later wrote that her request for attention appear to be manipulative and not valid. On Feb. 6 she again filed a grievance. I've been writing sick calls about my chest and breathing. [A]ll the nurses here have been telling me they cannot do anything. Ive been hurting like this since Wednesday and the doctor refused to see me. I feel my medical concerns are being ignored. "That was Keisha's standard response with every complaint that she brought to us, whether it was a stubbed toe or shortness of breath," Choate said in a phone conversation on Monday. Three days after Keisha filed the grievance, Colcough wrote Choates: "This is becoming a problem becuase she is crying in tears everymorning that she cant get out of bed or walk to the kitchen. She is also missin groups and gym... I have multiple staff approaching me daily on her situation. I have been instructing staff that she is to continue to participate in everything and to be held accountable for her behavior if she doesnt.... it is becoming very time consuming for me." But Keisha kept on. I am short of breath at all times even worst when I lay down. Chest is tight. Having difficulty breathing. Chest and back aches when I breathe. Eventually Keisha's therapist confronted her, warning that her behavior could 'negatively affect her release date.' Within days, Keisha stopped asking to see the nurses. From Feb. 17 until her death she only requested medical attention twice, once for dry skin and another for a broken tooth. But she told her family she was still ill. On Feb. 19, three days after her last written complaint about her back and breathing, Keisha wrote her Granny Pooh. Things are getting a little shaky for me. I plan on hanging on though.... I been sick alot lately. These nurses here suck. My back hurts alot. When I breathe a certain way it hurts in my left rib. They tell me I am not hurting but I stay strong anyhow. In the end, when Keisha lay dying no one with authority to get medical help believed her. But other employees at Alexander becema more concerned with her health. The night of April 7 on the walk back from a softball game, she stumbled and fell. Although she didnt lose consciousness she did appear sleepy. Nurse Colcough found Kiesha lying on the ground, face up and unable to move. "I found nothing out of the ordinary" Colcoulgh wrote in an email to her bosses. When Keisha nearly fell again, employess drove her to the infirmary. Colcough told employess everything seemed fine. "I was unable to find any physical findings of a serisous medical problem that would render Kiesha motionless,unconscious, or unresponsive." Colcough wrote. Employees took Keisha to her dorm. She did not come out to take showers or write letters as she usually did. Cole, the medical supervisor, and Colcough believed Keisha was doing it to attract attention. Keisha spent most of the next day on bench at school next to the office. Employees described her as very sick. To librarian Tressa Matthews, she seemed "pale and unable to move." Cole again instructed no special treatment. The administrative assistant to the medical staff would later tell investigators that Matthews called and asked that Kiesha receive medical attention. But the assistant, said, that the medical staff thought it was another complaint from client Brown. That evening, Keisha collapsed in the cafeteria. Case mamanger Mary Taylor repoarted Keisha's worsening condition, but Cole told her not to, according to the internal investigation. When two nurses arrived, tey found Keisha sitting on the sidewalk, breating fast. As she had more than a month before, Keisha said her chest felt tight, that she was short of breath and felt dizzy. The nursr recorded her vital signs, including her pulse at 100 and her respiration at 30. A normal pulse in a resting adolescent is between 60 and 90 and respirations between 12 and 16. Nurses did not notify Choate on April 7 or 8, he said. "I would have liked it if they had, but then I have to rely on their judgement." Choate said. He believes he and the nurses provided Kiesha with good medical care.. They ahd no idea, heasid, that she might be suffering from blood clots in her lungs. A preliminart autotopsy report shows that those blood clots likely traveled to her lungs and killed her. "Even with good care people get sick," Choate said. "Her nurses and me cared for her more than her family did." Dr. Barry Brenner, who heads the emergency department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said in an interview with Kiesha's respiration and oxygen level at wich was 95 percent, were alarming. Vital signs exceeding normal levels combined with complaints of shortness of breath and chest pains often signal heart problems or pnuemonia, said Brenner, he never treated Kiesha but discussed the aspects of her condition with Democrat-Gazette. "Because the pulse ox and respiratory rate, you get an evaluation in the emergency room, which includes a chest x-ray, and EKG, and a blood gas," Brenner said. "I bet something would have been wrong on those things." "But you dont know unless you look." The night before Keisha died, no one looked. Instead, the nurse gave Kiesha two puffs from her asthma inhaler, put her on bed rest and left. 7:20 am: Shift supervisor Eva Davis walked with Keisha as she shuffled the 350 feet to the cafeteria, stopping twice to allow Keisha to rest. Daivs urged Kiesha to eat at least a little food and to at least drink her orange juice. Eventually, Keisha ate a few bites, her ehad resting on the table the whole time. Arkansas State Police special agent Mike Dawson would later note that McCoy, the program director and second in command at Alexander, told him Kiesha "ate good" that morning. Just before 8, Davis and Keisha left the cafeteria. Keisha was too weak to make it back to her dorm, so employee Fannie Holt directed her to the gym, 50 feet closer. As they walked, Keisha could barely breathe. Once in the gym, she crawled onto a greene and white gymastics mat while other girls played basketball. "Keisha-baby, are you OK?" a 16-y/o friend asked. "Im cold, Im cold" Keisha responded in a faint whisper. Kiesha was covered in chill bumps, and her teeth chattered. Friends covered her with jackets. Keisha's lips were white and cracked just as the ywere the day before. the skin around her eyes was pale. Her dark hands looked purplish blue. At an employees request, nurse Buckley brought Keisha's asthma inhaler and again checked her vital signs, though no one recorded them. Buckely gave Keisha 400mg of ibuprofen equivalent of 2 tablets. In Kiesha's chart the nurse noted that the medication was for "minor pain/toothache/fever." About 20 mins later, Davis asked Holt to take Keisha back to the dorm. 9:15 am: Three employees and an inmate carried Keisha to the infrimary. At first some staff were un-concerned. A video srveillance tape shows three employees near ner feet, laughing and talking for several minutes. But her condition quickly deteriorated. As she lay on the couch, she tugged at her clothed, moaning and gasping for air. Her pulse and blood pressure dropped. Ger breathing became labored. Her lips and fingernail beds were white. She lost consciousness "Kiesha" employees called. nothing. One of the nurses called Choate at 9:22 am As they discussed Keisha's vital signs, the nurse suddenly said,"Doctor, I think she's gone." "Have you called 911?" Choate asked. 9:28 am: Nurse Buckley called 911. Though standing orders from a doctor and the facility's written nursing protocols require staff to give a patient oxygen and an adrenaline shote during a respiratory emergency, the medical records show they did neither. Keisha had no pulse. she wasnt breathing. Her eyes rolled back, her face was cold. One employee suggested the nurse try CPR. But nothing brought Keisha back. In written reports about that morning, some employees would remember the last moment of Keisha's life in the infirmary. As she lay dying, Keisha thrust herself into a near sitting position, grabbed an employee Kenneth Copperwood's pants leg, gasped loudly and collapsed - the last time she ever reached out for help.
  12. This article was published in the 6/15/2005 edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. This is the story of a teen that cried for help and got little in return. LaKiesha Brown has slept throught the night but awoke on April 9th exhausted. Instead of dressing for breakfast, "Keisha" remained in her small metal frame bed. Her lips were pale and dry. She was thirsty. For most of her 17 years, she felt abandoned and unwanted. In just over two hours, she was going to die. Employees at Alexander Youth Services Center, a state juvenile lock-up facility where she had lived for nearly two years, asked the nurse to check on Keisha. Nurse Lynetta Buckley arrived about 6:20 a.am. Keisha's eyes were closed, and she responded only after Buckley called her name and shook her. Her pulse and respiration levels were slightly high, but Buckley said they were normal. "Client very weak" Buckley later wrote in a report about that visit. By the time the nurse left, she thought her patient appeared more alert. A worrited employee has asked treatment supervisor Joy Cole if Kiesha whop had been placed on bed rest, could eat in her room. "Make Keisha put on her clothes and go to breakfast, because security was not going to bring her food to her," one employee wrote later that morning recording Cole's orders. two month's later, an internal investigation by the state Youth Services would cite "credible evidence" that Cole's supervisor, program director Joann McCoy, violated policy by telling Cole to send Keisha to the cafeteria. The report also found nurses should have called a doctor about Keisha's condition and the Cole dismissed an employees request to call an ambulance for Keisha, and also found that several employees failed to document her failing condition. An investigation by the Arkansas State Police into Keisha's death produced no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. But state legislators want to know exactly how Keisha was treated in the final hours before her death. So far, Youth Services Division officials have declined to comment, citing federal patient privacy laws (HIPAA) and state youthful offender-laws. A joint meeting of legislative committees that deal with youth services is to discuss the case today at 1:30 pm. Most of the adults who knew Keisha best - employees who saw her everyday - delined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's request for an interview, did not return messages, or could not be located. Officials with the state Department of Human Services, the agency responsible for Alexander, declined to discuss Keisha's case, citing federal patient privacy laws (HIPAA) But employees at Alexander are required to keep meticulous notes, and those notes, along with medical and phsyological records obtained by the Democrat-Gazette, tell the story of the end of Keisha's life. When Keisha was born, her mother was a 17-y/o high school dropout with a toddler. The club life - with its late nights and fights - excited Michelle Brown more than full-time motherhood. "I just didnt want to have another baby," Brown acknowledged So she sent Keisha to live with her grandparents and father in Osceola. Only after Keisha's death did Brown learn through psychological evaluations that Kiesha was devasted and had complained for years that her mother had abandoned her. After giving birth to her third child, Brown brought 4 y/o Kiesha home to Blytheville, but Keisha's hurt remained. In later years she would complain that Brown beat her, Brown felt that she was simply disciplining a daughter that was out of control. Brown was still staying out late she recalls now. She dated the wrong men and didnt have alot of money. When Keisha's older brother was 10 she came home and the first question was "Who did you fight tonight?" Thats when Brown realized she needed to make some changes. But she couldnt change Keisha. There is a Poloroid picture of Kiesha in elementary school. Her hair is neatly braided back and she is snuggling into her mothers arms on a sunny Easter. She is wearing a black dress with puffy sleeves and bright colored flowers holding a basked made by her beloved "Granny Pooh" before Granny Pooh was sent to prison for selling drugs. Nothing in the photo gives away Keisha's secret - that she was being sexually abused. The abuse continued into her adolescence. At age 12, she told her mother about one incident, her mother filed a report with the police but no charges were filed. She also learned to play a game most children her age couldnt fathom, called "hide-and-go-get-it" One person closes their eyes and counts while everyone else hides. Who ever he finds one of the hiding, the two of them would have sex. In those days Borwn worked 12-hour shifts and often left the kids unsupervised. Keisha was smoking marijuana and defying her mother. She ran away from home several times. she called bomb threats to school and school officials complained she broke every rule she knew about. Once when police hauled her to jail for disorderly conduct, she snorted coke in her cell in hopes she wouldnt get caught. As her life spiraled out of control over the next three years, she became suicidal and went in and out of psychiatric and juvenile detention facilities. One day when she was 15, Keisha failed to show up for cometology class, and Brown tracked her to a crack house. shje waited outside all day, yealling at approaching customers and screaming at dealers that they wouldnt make money as long as Keisha remained inside. When Keisha finally came out, Brown called police. "I cant stand you, I cant stand you," shouted Keisha at her mother, "Why did you call police?" The answer though clouded by anger at that moment, was clear to Brown. "It just got to the point that every time I turned around, I had to go track her down, I had to go look for her." Brown recalled. She could no longer handle Keisha, who was by then 200 pounds and taller than her mother. "I always said I didnt ever want to find her in a ditch." After bouncing from from a juvenile center to home and back again, Keisha landed at Alexander in April 2003. Like Kiesha, Alexander also has a troubled past. It is the states largest juvenile lockup facility. and workers there deal with 140 of the worst offenders at the time. Over the years, inmates have complained of workers kicking, slapping, even threatening them with death. Others have killed themselves there. One boy, known for days to be suicidal was able to hang himself because the guard didnt check on him. A few months later another committed suicide in the same cell - just as the state hired Cornell to sort out all of the problems. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice found that dozens of problems were terminated but many reamained. The state said it would be six months or more before all problems could be resolved. In September 2003, Keisha was transfered to Aleaxnader but then was transferred back out after another inmate accused her of rape, she later pleaded guilty to the charges and was placed back at Alexander for the final time in November of 2003. Eventually Keisha's behavior began to change. By late 2004, written complaints about her agressive behavior stopped. Her suicide attempts stopped too. she earned her GED and send black-and-white copies to her relatives. She finally began to think about her future, beyond her May 1,2005 release date and hoped to someday help other girls in her situation, and idea she put into a poem in November: The revelation of Gods plan is so near Its come to me, but not in a dream Im suppose to help others as part of a team We will start up a home for other lost souls To teach them Gods word, and help them reach their goals So when someone else finds their self in my place, They can turn to the Lord and seek His face No matter how bad you situation may be, Remember Jesus saved a hopeless case like me. Brown, who lived about three hours away visted Kiesha for the first time in two years just a few weeks before Keisha died. She hadnt visited sooner because she didnt want Keisha to think she approved of her bad past behavior. But now she felt Keisha had found some answers and moight someday lead a normal life. Just when they had begun mending their relationshipm Brown would later say, Keisha died becuase the medical staff brushed aside her complaints. (More in next post)
  13. Like I told my dad who referred to EMS as a "fun" job and he though I just wanted to play with lights and sirens and listen to a radio all day, I told him it really all boils down to pt care. The uniform, lights, sirens, and paycheck are just added benefits of the job. Id still do it w/o a uniform and w/o all the gadgets and gizmos. If EMS were just a hobby that people did for fun we wouldnt have all the problems that we do now. But for most people it has been a calling and a duty to act. -Alcomedicism
  14. On a scale of 1 to 10 how old is micheal jacksons boyfriend?? *rimshot* -Alcomedicism
  15. Stephen, Have you lost your mind?? Trying to publish a book is 10x harder than you could imagine. Much less a medical book. Yes I am glad that you know a lot of stuff, but you dont have to shove it to our faces, it makes feel bad, at least I do anyway. I want to learn more, but my resources are pretty limited since I cant seem to get the dman NREMT to send me a passing score, much less post it. Maybe I should just fuckit and retest w/o knowing. Also when you said you know more than 95% of the people on this site, it sounds like you are saying we are stupid idiotic people with a few "smart" ones around. EMS is not a knowledge competition, just learn and specialize in what interests you and what you believe will you give better quality pt care. Yes Im happy that you have your RT and EMT-I, but why not go further and just become an NREMT-P since you obviously know the material so class shouldnt be a crunch, plus not only that you get paid more just for having those 6 extra letters beside your name, in most medical field positions, and some places, even the FD. Sure you have alot of experience and knowledge but you dont have to flaunt it and be a smartass about it. Stephen, I am not trying to piss you off. You might not think your being arrogant, but sometimes the way you state things you come off that way. Im not saying you cant write your book, write all you want and maybe someday you will get published and its not a get rich quick scheme. Stephen King wrote for almost 20 years before he became famous for his novels. Just letting you know. Plus its hard to get a publishing house/publisher to take your material. Most writers get turned down at least 100 times before they get their manuscript accepted and that often takes years, doesnt matter how good they may be. My 02 cents for what its worth. -Alcomedicism
  16. Well if nothing else then I vote Kent Clark(Superman) for President and Bruce Wayne(Batman) for Vice President in 2008. -Alcomedicism
  17. Does it really matter if you have a light or not?? If you live less than 5 miles from the station and youre just starting there, I wouldnt even be worried about it in the least bit. But if you were more than 10 mi. from the station and have been there for at least 18 mos and were becoming well respected and your squad members started relying on you a bit more as a commited member then yes I would only BEGIN to petition for a lightbar. But as it was stated earlier, it only makes you look like a whacker and rookie. I know a guy that is a Paramedic/FF, when he first started out, he had all the bells and whistles on his truck, then when the rookie-itis was cured and he realized really how often he actually needed them, he took them off and sold them to another incoming rookie. He lived 20mins away, if he really wanted to respond off duty, running his L/S for 20min through the hills really didnt make that much difference as by the time he reached the station, the other crew members had already suited up and left the station and were enroute to the scene. Its embarassing to have all of that stuff and still not make it to the call in a reasonable time. Think about it. Save your money for something thats going to carry you alot further with your squad - extra training and education. They will respect you more for trying to learn. -Dix
  18. Voting is not a right, it is a privilege, just as driving is. Not everyone needs to be voting as not everyone needs to be driving. When I voted in this last election, I did some researching on both sides for all the major issues, including 9/11 and the Iraqi invasion. I will say that I did not vote for Bush, but I also unhappily voted for Kerry, he was the better of the two wackos we had to choose from. It makes me angry when people just check the box for whoever they think is the most popular. Sadly, anymore nowdays the Presidential Election is nothing more than a high-school popularity vote. With the mudslinging coming from BOTH sides. Also if you notice, felons do not get to vote. they had that PRIVILEGE taken away when they decided for themselves to disobey the law. Also if a person does not vote in any election then they also have given up the privilege of complaining how things are. And most hate crime laws were first enforced and brought about during and after the civil rights movement. Remember when Affirmative Action first took place? The black woman had first dibs on the factory job over the caucasian male. This law was put in place to ensure that employers did not choose employees solely on skin color or sex, when in fact it sent the discrimination the other direction to the caucasian males. And yes I do know a few hispanics, blacks, laotians, japanese people that are racist against caucasians so racism and hate crimes come from ALL RACES AND ETHENIC GROUPS. We are just as guilty of hate crimes (Abu Ghraib is a prime example) as Bin Laden is. I have to agree with USAF here, and not just because he's Stephen, but because he is seeing things from both sides of the spectrum. He's been in the military and hes seen it from there, and now he is a civilian and hes seeing it from here too. It is sad that death row inmates are living in better conditions than the free citizens are. Death row inmates get free cable TV in their cells, they can receive packages from home, they get three full meals a day, their healthcare is paid for. They also get one phone call a day to home. They get bi-weekly visitations from family. Some prisons even allow internet access for death-row inmates - although limited. Death row inmates usually wait 8-12 years before being executed. When we have soldiers overseas dying for a situation that we shouldnt even be in right now. The soldiers dont have cable TV in airconditioned cells, they have to listen to local jibber-jabber radio, read letters from home that are close to 3 or 4 mos old. They are lucky if they even get a chance to call home or get withing 100 ft of a computer with internet access. And NO visitations from family. The soldiers are lucky if they even get to see their next meal, and alot of times they literally have to eat on the run if they plan on eating all, often with sand in it. No our soldiers are not starving to death, just that they get little time to eat a relaxing meal. They dont know from one minute to the next if they will ever see their families again. If you ask me, Id say thats a more than a little messed up. Not right at all. We shouldnt even be in Iraq right now. Afghanistan I can understand, but Iraq, NO, NO, NO. We need to bring our men and women out of Iraq back to home. Our healthcare has become a healthSCARE! People are rufusing to even seek basic healthcare due to the lack of the ability to afford it. Heck, even I am a part of that crowd. I have even refused an ambulance because I knew I could not afford it, and I also attempted to refuse it the second time, but was of no use because my SMCs/PMSs were all messed up on scene. I also need various medications but because I do not qualify for Medicaid/Medicare and cannot afford private insurance, and I do not work for a company that provides group health insurance, I cannot not afford it. Yes we have top-notch hospitals, doctors, nurses, pre-hospital care, home health care and other good programs, but what good are they if people have no access to it due to their income?? Also in some places, healthcare is a monopoly to the local community. When youre the only doctor within a 50 mi radius, yes you can make your pts wait 2-4 hours to see you because many pts who do not feel good are unwilling to drive more than 50 miles to see a doctor and get their prescriptions. Socialized Medicine sounds like a good idea. I admit it still would be better off than what America has right now, but it too has its flaws. Some people have to wait 3-4 hours at an ER before they can see a doctor, just depends on how emergent their condition is. But at the same time, taxes would have to be raised to afford such a system, and you know how most Americans are about higher taxes. I know Sweden taxes their citiznes up to 44% of their incomes on every paycheck they receive, BUT their healthcare system is far better off than ours, and what they make is what they bring home. I know this because I have a very good friend of mine that lives there and we have had many discussions over this topic. He is happy where he is. Over there no one is severely impoverished and no one is filthy rich (ok except for the Swedish royalty) America is a great country, no doubt. But a holier then thou attitude is what is going to cause this great country to fall. Look at history and Germany. They had the same problem after WWI and look what happened to them after WWII. They might have been a great country but they had that bad attitude and soon become much hated up until the end of the cold war, and still much hated by many people around the world. We need to take a history lesson and learn from the mistakes of others because we damn sure cant make of them ourselves. -Alcomedicism
  19. I think we can all agree that if you are racist and you are thinking about EMS as a career, then you are not going to make it very far because we have pts from all races and ethnic backgrounds. I would hate to think that a EMT/Medic would refusr to do pt care or give substandard care based on skin color alone. My 02. cents. -Alcomedicism
  20. Considering it was 2 F EMTs vs a combative/violent male pt, swinging a beaseball bat (can be deadly weapon) at an LEO, yes you were right to assist in the call. You were going to need as many people as there are limbs to keep this guy under control once detained. Besides, the two F EMTs should have been on the lookout for their own safety. For all God knows the aggressive pt maybe have had rape and murder on his mind, wit the 2nd pt being an accomplice to the *possible* crime. This is the very first thing we are taught in EMT class, scene safety. What good are going to be to your partner, patient, or yourself if you find your self severely injured and un able to perform your job duties. -Dix
  21. No, bosco I dont actually work in EMS - and if you ask several people here I have gone through the EMT-B course and I am waiting on getting my scores back from NR. Should I pass the test, I am definitely going to be joining the EMS family. Should I get into the EMS family then I'll start my paramedic education. -Dix
  22. I have also been told that its hard being a single parent and do EMS , but this is what I want. Im doing this because it is what I love and it will provide a decent living for me and my daughter. I dont want to rich but I dont want to be piss poor either. Right now I am working two jobs, M-F working 18-20 hrs a single day. Its rough but my hours are similar to that of EMS workers, long hard hours away from home spent trying to earn a living. I also know what its like to work on holidays and finding other days and ways to celebrate. Its a tough field no doubt, but if you put effort in both work and family it WILL work. -Dix
  23. What about the mohawk? I actually kinda like Travis Barkers mohwak, he looks good with it. -Dix
  24. If your ambulances are housed in a barn - then you work for rural EMS. IF your barn has to company logo painted on the roof so that Life-Flight/ Med-Evac/ Med-Flight can find it amongst the other barns - then you work for rural EMS. If you respond to most of your calls from a tractor or from your residence because there is no central command center - the you work for rural EMS If you have ever taken the backroads because it is quicker than going on the main roads - then you work for rural EMS. If your ambulances have mud tires for mud season - then you work for rural EMS. If your patient begins to ask you how your sister/brother is doing during treatment because you both know each others families - then you work for rural EMS. If your crew cheif has ever accepted livestock or land as payment for the ambulance bill - then you work for rural EMS. IF your co-workers are also your cousins and/or your grandparents- then you work for rural EMS. If you have ever had to pick up your kindergarten teacher to transport - then you work for rural EMS -Dixie
  25. I guess from a pts perspective you would want a clean-cut medic with no fishing lures hanging from his ears, and no long purple ear. However, I really dont mind what my medic has on his or her head as long as they use whats in it. If I ever woke up inside an ambulance and I saw a purple hair medic with about 14 different piercings in his head I'd be little concerned as I would not know what is going on in the moment. My 02 cents worth. -Dixie
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