CaneMedic

How impressive :roll:

I'm here in Atlanta. PM me if you have any questions. If you're looking for 911 units here is your options: Grady: City of Atlanta, 911 only Rural Metro: All of Fulton County that isn't served by Grady (north/south fulton) 911 AMR: Runs 911 BLS in Dekalb County, ALS transport is fire based by Dekalb Fire/Rescue Rest of metro Atl: Gwinnett County-fire based Dekalb County-fire based Cobb County- utilizes several small EMS companies for coverage Clayton County-fire based Henry County-fire based Forsyth County-fire based I'm sure I missed some, but there are the few options! good luck and PM me if you have any other ?'s.

Well I guess where you are from that is an option. Not here in the metro Atlanta area. You are either a firefighter/paramedic or you don't have a job. But the patient care scenario is easy to answer. When I am on a medical call the patient is my ONLY priority, with the exception of crew safety. When I'm on a fire call I engage in firefighting only after evacuating and/or treating any patient found. Patient care is still my #1 priority, on a fire scene, car accident, haz-mat, whatever, it's in our SOP's for medic's. All of the other functions (firefighting, extrication, etc.) are handled by FF/EMT's. I find no reason to go "search out" an only EMS organization in my area. If I thought my dept. had poor patient care standards I would leave in a heartbeat.

Yes I'm the slow one. Good job. At least I can spell :-). To answer your question: Yes You're right, only 8 years. So an "old school" two month paramedic is better educated than someone with 2 years? I respect your "years" of dedicated duty, but you seem to make it a priority to bash anyone with new ideas or that hasn't been a medic 20 years. No?

Hmm. So I guess taking a 2 year paramedic course, on my own time, and being on an ALS transport unit 98% of my shift days makes me a part timer. And no my FD doesn't "make" anyone take a paramedic program. Hence why you must do it on your own time, on your own dime. EMS in the US is becoming a joke, nobody getting along because everyone thinks their way in the only RIGHT way. Guess what it's not 1970 anymore. There is fire based EMS all across the country. It's not going anywhere. I can't speak for everywhere, but the best, smartest, most aggressive medics I know here in Atlanta are fire based. I know medics from every walk of life. 95% of our flight medics here are also from full time FD's. I guess they are scum too! What's that saying about change? And those who refuse to except it?

So fire based paramedic's aren't professionals?

Good idea. If not you'll turn into an burnt-out old sour man. Don't see many of those around here though

Oh c'mon. The ED is about 99% a more "controlled environment" than any scene call. You're not worrying about stepping on used syringes, the pit-bull down the hall, the "questionable" people in the apartment looking at you, and lack of decent lighting. Plus when the patient gets violent you have "security" close by. I've yet to see an ED room with horrible lighting and without an abundance of tools/equipment/manpower close by. I worked in both environments, things may be different in the UK, but don't run that line of crap over here.

the options are endless. The whining could go on until Al Gore invents the internet part deux!

Guess they should rename this "privateEMScity.com" Good grief. I've read some very good posts from intelligent people since I've been browsing, but never so much "fire vs private ems" whining. You want to fight the whole state of GA and FL? Good, go for it. I'll do my job to the best of my ability, learn as much as I can, and provide the best care I can. I'll leave the fighting everybody task up to you guys that want to have ulcers and be constantly "grumpy" and mad at the world. Geez get out and enjoy life a little.

wow I'm glad I read that reply. A couple minutes of my life I won't get back. Some if it's true. And some of it screams BURNOUT!

Here around Atlanta, a considerable about of patients go to triage. Our hospitals are always full, so they are constantly on "diversion" and sometimes I have to call 4 or 5 hospitals to find one who will accept a noncritical patient. What I really love is having a critical CP or CVA pt and getting diverted because "the stroke team isn't available" or "we don't have any ICU beds." Lovely. Triage in most hospitals around here is putting your pt in a wheelchair (if you can find one), giving their name/info to the registration clerk, and MAYBE getting 10 seconds to talk to the triage nurse. Most don't listen to what you're saying and just sign the PCR and walk away. We have toughbooks/e-pcr's and we leave a copy with the chart, which of course never gets looked at again. Such is life.

Can't speak for other agencies, but I know my Chief will hire someone with visible tattoo's, as long as they are not vulgar or obscene. He usually asks to please refrain from geting any other visible tats, and it isn't a problem.

Same here near Atlanta. EMT & Medic's are hired as Tech's, doing 12leads, INT's, foley's, etc. Pretty much everything except for the actual pushing of drugs. JCAHO freak's out about that! Now if you code in the parking lot, then a medic can push drugs. That is OK. Make sense ha! Pay isn't great, anywhere from $12-$18/hr depending on the hospital. Good luck!