Upton4785

I love the "Well, stop bleeding, I'm hungry" line.

A friend of mine from back in high school had to get surgery on his left knee. He'd heard about some of the mistakes the doctors had made, so he took a big black marker and wrote "DO NOT OPERATE ON THIS KNEE OR I WILL SUE YOU" on his right knee. Apparently the doctor said he had to wait a few minutes before starting the surgery because everyone in the operating room was laughing when they saw that.

1. Go Skydiving 2. Go back to Germany (born there, but I don't remember any of it, left when I was 18 months) 3. Visit GB/England (like a true American, I don't know what the difference is between the two, but like a true American with British/English heritage, I want to find out) 4. Become a space-tourist (coming up soon, the way technology is going) 5. Be alive when the country completely operates on an alternative source of fuel. 6. See aforementioned alternative source of fuel priced at a wallet-fattening $1.79 a gallon/other unit of measurement. 7. Visit Alaska. Like REALLY northern Alaska. 8. Become a superhero, powers and all. (a guy can dream, can't he?) 9. Rescue one wild animal at least 10. Die sexy.

Right after high school, I was convinced that I was going to move to Hollywood and be a director. I filmed movies through school that were the talk of the town at times. The local studio said that the stuff I wrote was some of the best they had to play on the air, and my stuff got the biggest response. I decided that I am unable to deal with the constant cutthroat aspect of Hollywood, despite the TV station advising me otherwise. Out in the sticks of Londonderry, NH, I was a TV god. I was one among none, really. But out in CA, I'd be another nameless face, and what passes for clever, witty writing in Londonderry seemed to be mild and only worthy of furniture commercials in LA. So I had a brief period where I was lost and had no idea what to do. My mother, a long time EMT in Presque Isle, ME, told me that my interest in medicine has been evident my whole life, it just wasn't my primary interest at the time. I started reading her old and outdated Brady's books and got hooked. Recently, my passion for writing has become stronger, possibly due to my time away from it. Perhaps my desire to be an EMT (Paramedic in time, no need to worry about that) stemmed from my desire to be an excellent writer. After all, the best stories are based off of the author's life experiences, and the emergency medical field is an excellent place to start.

I know I might rub some people the wrong way by implying this, but oh well. It's possibly because they want to get the FDNY shirt and claim "I was there on 9/11 when my brothers died" even though they weren't. No disrespect meant towards those who WERE there, FDNY or not, but I've ran into a guy up here in NH who tried to pull that crap on me. I called him out on it and I won. He said he wanted to "get chicks". Real low, man.

While I definitely agree that this incident was completely unnecessary, I don't agree to the banning of knives. Knives are a tool that mankind has used, both beneficially and maliciously, since our species first learned that the sharper rocks could cut stuff. As we evolved, so too did the blade. To ban that kind of history, to me, is out of the question. The worst thing of it all is that no matter what we ban, people will still kill people. And when we ban weapons, cars, chemicals, rope, foul language, unhappy thoughts and sudden movements, we'll have nothing left to blame but ourselves.

I had to do a double take on most of the paragraphs in there, because I thought it was a joke. They're serious, huh? So basically parents are adopting kids so they can harvest some organs out of them, huh? God forbid one kid gets adopted by a mom and dad who both need a lung.

So I did a search for this and couldn't find anything relevant (although admittedly is was a rather QUICK search), but I read an article on JEMS that got me thinking, which is a feat in itself. Here's the link: http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/colu...ar_No_Evil.html Basically, it's about these two EMT's this guy worked with. One of them could never see vocal cords while doing laryngoscopy on a real patient (apparently during testing he did just fine) and the other couldn't auscultate a brachial pulse to save his life. Eventually the two left the profession to pursue other careers. It seems like kind of a fluff article, but what I was thinking is maybe we could discuss certain signs that any of you have noticed that seem to inevitably lead to the end of someone's career in EMS. They can be signs that start early on, like in the basic class, or later on, after they've sank a few grand into becoming a paramedic. I figured this could be both a fun way to bash on former colleagues, or a learning tool for new basics and the signs and symptoms of being a complete failure in this career (that being said in the nicest way possible, of course.) I'll start off with a very quick story. A guy in my basic class, let's just call him Meathead, started on the very rapid spiral descent to unemployed Hell when he asked these questions, word for word: "So, uh, those vital signs, those are pretty important, right? Like, if a dude didn't have a heartbeat, he'd be in some pretty serious trouble, right?" This might have been acceptable if it were the first day, or even the first week, but this was five classes before the final exam. I'm sorry, Meathead. Maybe EMS isn't for you.

Is it just me, or whenever you see a news story about bad paramedics and EMT's, there's about an 90% chance they work for AMR?

Maybe I don't have a full understanding of how the system works, as I have had no experience with them, but if saving money is the name of the game, wouldn't it be easier to just send 1 or 2 ambulances with fully trained crews rather than 1 or 2 ambulances, two firetrucks, and three police cars all with multiple crewmembers on each, whenever Gertrude thinks she's having an MI? The money saved could go into more ambulances/crews and thus quicker response times. Call me crazy, but unless the building's on fire, aren't the monkeys just going to be standing there with their thumbs in their behinds waiting for EMS anyway? I'm probably just stating the obvious, though.

Beautiful - 10 Years

I'll always remember my first call. I was working at Canobie Lake Park as an EMT and on my first day, first few minutes, we got a call for a possible broken leg on one of the brand new rides. We rushed down there, me right in front because I was kickin on adrenaline, and met up with the patient in EXTREME pain, or so the patient would have us believe. It wasn't gruesome, no blood or anything, but it was a perfect use of our splinting and boarding skills. It was nice there, because the calls came in gradually, starting simple and getting more complex, which I feel really eased me into the profession, rather than the trial by fire a lot of people get, which can scare them away. Either way, good luck in the field, stay safe, and welcome to the profession. Treat it well and do all you can to advance in it.

Don't you love how the flashy lights that are supposed to warn drivers of an emergency vehicle's position are the same things that get drivers so distracted they plow into said emergency vehicles like a moth on a mission? I mean, it's totally stupid, it's like... ... ... Sorry about that, a police car just drove by and my mind went blank. Pretty lights, though.

A Certain Shade of Green - Incubus

You can just tell these volunteer FF's are walking around the city right now in their "If you can't take the heat, become a cop" and "I save lives for free" t-shirts trying to convince themselves that without this new truck, they can't do the job they've been doing successfully for a while now. All I have to say to these boys is, "how does it feel to want?"

Since I'm in a completely different environment than most of you, my Zune. For most of the night, I'm sitting in front of a computer watching for security alarms. May as well blast some music while I wait...

Call me old fashioned, but I'm a believer in the saying "give credit where credit is due". In this case, it clearly is NOT the firefighter, but the paramedics who were mentioned in the article as "doing their job". If I see a woman about to be run over by a semi and I yell "look out!" as someone swoops in from the sky to rescue her, then I deserve absolutely no credit. And yes, it does come down to money. Whenever Anytown USA Fire Department saves the day, they get a shiney new truck, even if all they did was hold the legs and go over breathing techniques with the mother. Meanwhile, the people who did the rest of the work get a brief mention in the newspaper about "doing their jobs". If one of the paramedics stood by the mother's side and just said "breathe, mommy, just breathe!" the news would be up in arms about the medic not doing his job and how the public demands blood for the travesty. But because delivering a baby fits nowhere into the title Firefighter, literally meaning one who fights fires, then it's going above and beyond the call of duty, even if it was just hand-holding. For this story, the credit should go out to the nameless few who probably care even less about getting the recognition than that local FD cares about giving it to them.

That was intense. Sometimes I think people need an in-your-face, graphic ad like that to really hit home. Sure they'll complain about having to see the nasty side of life, but next time they think about speeding, it'll be that little nugget in the back of their head warning them of the consequences. Thanks for the post.

Yeah, dwayne, you're a medic now, start acting like one! Thanks again.

Dwayne and Dust (among others), you guys saw me at the end of my "basicgod" period, so to say I never fell into that would be a lie. Now, a little older and wiser, I do my best to help others along. It's never a bad thing to have pride in your work, that's a given here at this site. Pride, however, does not mean assuming everyone on this site is a "Paragod" and all they care about are their own careers. I've only been here a short while and know that if I want advice from some very intelligent medics, I can come here and they are often glad to help me. That's what this site is for, hence the line "bringing us together" in the top bar. I applaud you on your commitment to Paramedic school. It is certainly a large undertaking and it requires many, many hours of hard work. What I disagree with are your comments on the Basic class. You seem to believe that the Basic class is the hardest out of all of them, and that "any idiot" can pass the paramedic course. So am I to believe that if you score anything less than perfection, you are one of the "idiots" you seem to bash without hesitance? It's great you understand that the Basic class is nothing more than a stepping stone, but what you should understand is that in the grand spectrum of this career, it is a small stepping stone. There is still a lifetime of education waiting for you, if you choose to take it. I apologize on behalf of the "larger than life head and attitude" paramedics you've worked with in the past that have soured your relationship with the level of emergency medicine you are trying very hard to become, because their attitude is most certainly not an accurate representation of the medics I've met and continue to meet, especially here on this site. Our goal as EMS providers should never be dissention in the ranks, but unity and the elevation of our profession. And we do like it here when people feel strongly on a specific issue. In fact, it's one of the reasons I check in on this site so often. It's good to see that like me, there are some out there who aren't just doing this because their department requires it, they actually enjoy it. But when arguments lack substance, or if "facts" are thrown out that have no backing or no scientific or medical justification, then yes, we pounce on it. As it was explained to me, "it's not because we like to pick on you, we're trying to force you to rationalize your points, to clearly verbalize what you feel and more importantly, why you feel that way." It's easy to hide behind the cliches. It's hard to expose yourself, stand up for your beliefs and risk the onslaught. But doing this builds our respect for you. To get back to the OP, I agree with what many have said. It does not make much sense to fast-track vets into a career that: 1. They may not be qualified to handle, especially one that puts the responsibility of saving lives in their hands, and 2. One that does not pay well and has a bruised image. A friend of mine recently got back from the Marines. He did everything a good soldier needs to do, including patching up some battered soldiers. He took the courses required of him to become a field medic, but when he came home, many of the topics in the Basic course were beyond him. If we really want to have vets in EMS, give them discounts on the classes, but they need to take them, just like us. Everyone doing this job needs to be on the same page in order to perform adequately, which means being held to the same standards as us lowly civies. I'm not worried about my job. I'm worried about my profession. Good luck to you, Manda. We're always here to help.

I agree completely with Dust. If you absolutely cannot pass the Basic class, then being an EMT just isn't right for you. Imagine what would happen when you went for your Medic? I don't believe it's anyone's intention to tell you that you can't do it. I have always been one to tell everyone they can do anything they set their minds to. What you may want to do is take some time to figure out a strategy that helps you retain information and perhaps relax during tests. I understand about the written tests, they can be very stressful and oftentimes a simple question seems very difficult only because of the position you're placed in. But it will become much more difficult in the field, and if the written test is kicking your rear end, a dying patient will multiply the stress level tenfold. You have to figure out what works for you and you alone. In the end, it has to be you that passes the class, not the instructor passing you. Obtaining your certification because of a technicality will not earn you respect on a service, and more importantly it will not benefit your patients. I honestly and sincerely hope that you are able to overcome this obstacle and progress in this career, as I'm sure we all would be quick to welcome you aboard. Just be sure you're getting into it for the right reasons, and never be satisfied with the amount of education you've received, always strive for more. Your knowledge will save your patients. Good luck. I wish you all the best.

I want to say that the ped vs car needed the ambulance more than the kid with the head wound, but saying that as bluntly as that would imply that I know all the facts about the call, which I don't. What I have is a relatively good idea of what may or may not have happened, and I can make a somewhat intelligent "guesstimation". Yeah, I may only be a basic, but I did learn about triage. The only way I see the kid getting the ambulance over the ped vs. car is if by "badly bleeding", they mean pouring blood like cherry Kool-Aid out of a pitcher, or if the kid's eye is still attatched to the fence down the street, or if the kid still has a large section of the fence still embedded in his face. Working at an amusement park certainly gave me an insight on working with children, but more importantly, working with the kid's screaming, freaked out parents. While the parents may have seen a life threatening injury, the medics on scene may have seen just a scratch. Sure, I'd have helped them out and given them some gauze or something, but if an ambulance was called everytime some dumb kid cut their face, that's all we'd be doing all day. I have a scar on my face from a pretty serious fall onto concrete when I was a toddler, but my parents did the right thing and patched me up themselves, then took me to the ER, where I think they waited the better part of a week for a doctor. As far as the ped vs. car, yeah, he may be faking it. Unfortunately, we don't have Superman's X-ray vision and can't see if he's faking it. We have to play along and assume he's not. If he was and it's found out later, we don't look like fools for saying "F- you" to a potential serious spinal trauma. We did our jobs to the best of our ability, but it's not our jobs to determine whether a guy is just a hoax, right?

I can see supersaturate as that definition, but wouldn't the "izm" at the end indicate a system of beliefs or ideals?

Congrats on the success, man! Like everyone else has basically said, there were never any doubts. And I'm sure the gold patch will look excellent. Cheers, mate.

When I was working as an EMT at an amusement park, every friday and saturday night, they'd have fireworks. One EMT would be posted by the lakeside, another at the First Aid station, and the third would be on a boat near the barge where the fireworks were launched from. "253 to Dispatch, I'm on the lake for fireworks detail." "Dispatch to 253, wait a minute, are you on the boat, or are you IN the lake?" I don't know if anyone else will find that funny, but I was laughing my ass off.