firedoc5

We had a woman jumping up and down on the bed in a nightgown, her husband laying on the floor with his hands over his groin. She kept yelling that he fell out of bed and broke "it". When they got the guy out of the room, the police Sgt. and I stayed back and asked her exactly what happened. She said he came home drunk and stuck that filthy thing in her face...so... she bit it. They later had to do skin graphs and other things.

Two years in a row we heard traffic from a near by town that a kid had his tongue stuck on a flag pole. We thought, "Surely NOT". But they were ligit. calls.

This will certainly be going a smidge off topic, but honestly how did you handle yourself with a pregnant drunk woman? Whatever medical people say about drinking and pregnancy i'm a zero tolerance kinda gal, and am opinionated about it. I'm not sure I would've dealt with her appropriately.

I'm agree with the zero tolerance. But it's the crack babies and others that have really gotten to me.

Dispatchers always tells you where to go.

Weyland, back when you were in High School, per the year of graduation on your web page, the schools probably still had classes in firearms handling and safety, probably in good relations with the National Rifle Association.

Obviously, I am in a different state than you, different rules and regulations. From when my elder brother was still in Brooklyn Technical High School, in the mid 1960s, I don't think they taught that, at least within New York City.

But then, again, one of my lieutenants mentioned she had taken a High School course on firearms handling, in one of the nearby counties to New York City, taught by the father of the actors, the Baldwin brothers. She is at least 20 years my junior, as you also must be.

So, per the statement of demonstrating how to tear down, clean, and reassemble an M-1 .30 carbine in a school, think of it as "that was then, this is now", and "that was there, and this is here."

Yes, times have changed, and the jury is still out as to if it changed for the good, or the bad.

If you're 52, then I'm just ten years your junior. Granted, where I went to high school is a whole lot different than NY state. Here the first day of deer season is still an excused absence.

If only I could remember anything specific from hearing someone that was on VOX accidently and didn't know. :roll:

Guess what I'm trying to say is that if for some reason someone feels like they just HAVE to subject a new employee to some kind of task, don't make it demeaning or have to think of something outlandish that has nothing to do with the job they have been hired to do. And like I said before, don't make a rookie do something that you haven't had to do yourself.

I too have had many close calls. Some too close for comfort. Like the 20yr.old that was having her 5th kid and was slobbering drunk. Guess after she was in labor for about four hours before calling us that drinking would ease the pain, I don't know. But she wanted to go to her doc's hosp. 45 miles away. I told her no way and that if she even sneezed she was going to have that kid. Got her to the local hosp. and she delivered in less than three minutes of getting off the elevator. That was one I definately didn't want to deliver.

Just a quick word of advice:

Know your limitations and respect them. Physically, academically, and practically.

Have Fun.

OUTSTANDING. Keep it up.

What sort of tasks do you believe that a new hire should have to perform to be considered a "full member?"

Maybe it's just me, but if someone is hired or accepted as a volunteer they are, and should be considered, a "full member". This doesn't include "probationary" status though. You should still have to prove that you are up to the challenge. I don't see how swallowing 20 gold fish or screwing a goat, or whatever can prove that you can function proficiantly in EMS or the fire service. Leave the demeaning, silly, and immature stunts to the frats. In this line of work you're suppose to be grown up.

I myself have not been involved in any actual intended hazing. Sure, rookies or newbies can get the short end of the stick or the crappy duties, but that should be expected. You're at the bottom of the food chain. One thing I always made clear was that you can't be thin-skinned in this line of work. If it's something that needs to be done and someone pulls rank on you, get over it and do it. I would never force someone else to do something I would not be willing to do, or something I haven't done in the past. But to actually force someone to do something demeaning or some kind of "organized" ritual, or something that has nothing to do with job, is just plain wrong.

I knew I should have paid my premium more ahead of time.

I know it might sound like something from "Dear Playboy" but I know of a true incident where a gentleman was in for a physical and was dressed in only one of those paper gowns when the nurse who was taking his vitals and history noticed he was "excited", possibly from being naked and she was pretty hot looking herself. So before the doc came in she gloved up and gave him a "hand" with things.

I'll tell you how much has changed since I was in school. My senior year we had to do a demonstration speech for English IV. I took an M-1 .30 carbine to school and demonstrated how to tear it down, clean it, and reassemble it. It was not a problem. I even had a full clip in the gun case with me.

Now, if that was attempted, I don't know what they would do to you. Probably bury you under the school. It was nothing for almost anyone to have a big buck knife in a pouch on your belt and not a thing was thought about it. I do agree on a ban on potential weapons, but let's not give way to good old common sense. Zero Tolerance is probably the best option to enforce the bans. It might seem like going over board, but it is something necessary in today's society.

Pink or Blue stork pin? How many?

I have just one blue stork pin. It was early in the morning on a Labor Day. But I had to hurry because I was teeing off in a golf tournament later that morning. People asked me where she had it. I just told them on the couch at home. Everyone was like "Eww, bet they had to get a new couch". I said, "Nope, it just matched the rest of the furniture."

Excellent choice of music Firedoc! :thumbleft:

Except for Men at Work and Frankie . Just a bit to " limp wristed " for me.

I agree with ya. When you get the chance, check out my play list on MySpace. :wink:

Even while I was living in Louisiana, never was tempted to try it. We just stuck to deep frying a turkey.

This might sound like old school, but...At one time to climb the EMS ladder it took time and experience to be able to advance. In the early 80's, when I was starting out, for the state of IL your first EMT-A class was three to five months.

If you wanted to become an EMT-I you had to have at least three years experience in the field as an EMT-A, plus passing an entrance exam just to get into the class. Once you were in the class it was another three to five months. After completing the class you had a year to be certified.

Then to become a EMT-P you had to be a certified EMT-I for at least one year, pass another entrance exam to get into that class. The EMT-P class would be seven to twelve months. After completing that class you had a year to be certified in ACLS and to be field certified.

And of course, on top of the classroom academics you had to have a certain number of clinical hours in the ER for each level.

But in the late 80's and early 90's there seems to have been a push for more personnel in the field. So they shortened some of the required time in the field so that training could be done more quickly. Soon it seemed like someone could go from EMT-A to EMT-I to EMT-P in less than two years. It even got to where you weren't required to be field certified to be able to advance. And I know there has been a lot of changes since I was starting out.

But my point is...have they sacrificed quality of Emergency Medicine for quanity of people they put out on the street? Like I said, it might sound too old school but a line has to drawn somewhere.

(Sorry, so long. Didn't mean to rant and rave)

My department averaged between 3200 & 3400 calls a year consistantly. We figured between 85% & 90% were EMS.

1) Lynyrd Skynyrd is the band's name, not a singer's.

2) Jethro Tull is not one of the Beverly Hillbillies.

3) Meat Loaf is not an entree.

4) Bread is not served with Meat Loaf.

5) Pink Floyd is not a shade of lipstick for gay men.

6) Steppenwolf is not a dance step to kick dogs.

7) Credance Clearwater Revival is not a gospel group.

8) ZZTop is not a child's toy that spins.

9) Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is not a laundry detergent.

10) Queen is not the official band for the United Kingdom

11) Men at Work is not on a chain gang.

12) Sha Na Na is not a stutterer.

13) Franky Goes to Hollywood is not a travel agent.

It's 18:13, time for the 18:00 radio check.

..Do I look like someone who cares?

..Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm schizophrenic, and so am I.

..Don't look at me in that tone of voice.

..I'm not as think as you confused I am.

Being a "Trauma/Adrenaline Junkie" doesn't necessarily mean that you want a steady diet of the guts and gore. You have to accept that the non-emergency runs and transfers and nursing home calls, etc. are part of the job too. It all goes hand-in-hand. I don't ever re-call chomping on the bit because of a dry spell of MVA's or Code's. One thing I had to explain (to my mother of all people) is that you are not wanting for someone to be seriously injured or ill, you are just more than ready to perform your duties to the best of your ability. Those incidents are going to happen whether you want them to or not. And that the more serious the situation, the higher standard of care you are ready to perform. Granted, there are some out there that after the "new" is worn off or the novelty of it all has diminished, get bored with it or loses interest. Those are the one's that are willing to hang it up after only a few years. One status I heard was that the average legnth of service for a professional in EMS was three years. I have no idea what that figure would be today. But as for me, after more than 16 yrs. I was still up to the challenge. But it took a medical disability to side line me. It was discussed about me going into strictly instructing, but that I will admit I don't think I could due to not having the time, the patience, and good old fashion burn out.

How many times have you been called to take someone's loved one that is bed ridden at home and being cared for by the family, to take them to the hospital mainly because the family needed a break or had plans made? They send them to the ER for a few hours of evaluation and unless they actually do find something wrong, send them right back home. Those are the one's I've felt so sorry about.

I've always been a self described Trauma Junkie or Adreniline Junkie, but I'm much better now. :roll: