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LyonN

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About LyonN

  • Birthday 06/21/1986

Previous Fields

  • Occupation
    Firefighter/Paramedic

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    New Mexico
  • Interests
    Jeep, Motorcycles, Guns

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  1. "When you have your paramedic card in hand, then you should apply." I agree with Akflightmedic, it’s not over until it’s over. Figure out which state you want to work in and try to get your state License right away. If you do this you might not have to retest in the next state. Good luck
  2. No service in NM does, People make fun of us when we wear eye protection so I'm guessing helmets are a long way off.
  3. I did a lot of shift trades, a few sick days, all my vacation vacation, and no sleep. Good luck! as far as paying for it, in New Mexico the department of labor was more then willing to pay for it because it was high demand, might try that, and see if you can get grants by filling out a FAFSA application. Oh and by the way make the decision to fly, or don't jump. give up social life, and anything fun. You can't get through Paramedic school half ass. Good luck again I feel your pain
  4. Don't get ahead of yourself, your basics come first. Your gonna feel like you failed it, you will be alright. congrats and Good luck!
  5. Yea I see the conflict. I don't see how the fire service is affecting it please explain. I love my job, it keeps me motivated, I enjoy doing patient care, learning as much as i can, I enjoy the fact that I work on X mas out in the weather, and that my desk is a gurney. but these rewards do not pay the bills, and regardless of what anyone says there is that need for money. just so you know I am thinking of going to PA school, and if i do I will continue to work as a full time as a paramedic/"pumper monkey" just because of that reward. Money is not everything, but it is something.
  6. Its the pay i am talking about. Doing good patient care and helping people is most definitely the rewarding part, and to me it is very much worth the 30k pay decrease. The truth is, I wouldn't do this job if I didn't have that reward. but i would not have my second job if paramedics were financially rewarded as they should be.
  7. WOW! I have scene a lot of constructive criticism on this site but most of what you guys just told this kid is straight negative! Now I do agree with some of their responses Clandest, Paramedic is not for the faint at heart, expect to work your ass off just to be at the bottom of the chain. It's tough to give up 30k per year but it may be worth it, this is a decision you have to make. Fire department and para-medicine mix very well at least here in New Mexico. I know plenty of "pumper monkeys" who are great Paramedics don't let these bitter old medics push you away. The fire service is very rewarding. Just expect to be held to a high standard, and not rewarded for it. Good luck
  8. Ruffems yeah sorry its a little sloppy I was in a hurry and worse didn't have spell check. I use a lot of sarcasm in my writings. In short we have no leadership, no one to direct us, no desire to do this job. The department is ran much like it was in the 80's unsafe and uneducated. our priority are focused on the days off. Everyone in this department thinks that the skills and training that a medic have are worth nothing. Medics can help get this service back on track. JT nope cant work, They wanna stone me even if i bring up medic skills. I have my fingers crossed that BCFD will come through for me starts in April. I cant figure out who you are.
  9. Now its not Just the paramedic level skills that are needed, because your right they are not used often. I think paramedics would be a valuable asset to the fire department as a hole. I think paramedics for the most part are more dedicated, they desire to use there skills and know them. Keep in mind that this is an "old school" department that is not open to change. We use the good-ol-boy system, if its not broke, why fix it? Let me tell you why, we promote to officer based ONLY on how long this person has been in the department, this leads unqualified officers with high school level education running a fire department, right down to the chief. I have made entry into working structure fires by myself, because nobody in Socorro has ever died. Now don't get me wrong because I love doing it, but its stupid! these officers are in charge of EMS training, but it does not exist! our guys don't even really update their CPR card they just put their name on a piece of paper and BAM! We had some rookies take an in house CPR class a few months back the minute they walked out i asked them a series of simple BLS-CPR question and they were clueless! i think paramedics will help this, anytime i bring up treatment the persons response is PARA-GOD! its because paramedics are not in the system. Now i'm not saying that paramedics are the only ones dedicated to continuing education because I know there are a lot of dedicated basics and intermediates. I'm saying they will never end up in Socorro because "its not broken". Socorro is living in the 80's its time to update. As far as medic skills go, how can you deny some one the skills of a medic, just think about a code worked at an ILS level, lets say by the time the patient goes down to the time that the ambulance is on scene its been at best 5 minutes AT BEST! lucky for the patient the department really goes out of their way to teach lay person CPR Now the two ILS crews of 2 people each, secure an airway and start CPR with AED start and IV all while trying to load the patient up in the unit and get in route to the hospital. by the time this is all done almost always 20 minutes has lapsed, or more. Now its time for the 5 minute drive to the hospital, two of your members have left one driving each ambulance, while the two riding are messing around with BVM,AED, EPI, Radio report.... am I forgetting something? ah darn!, I knew it! CPR! Something has got to give guys! are 8 minute chain of survival is long out the window. Now lest add just One paramedic to a crew of three intermediates, its all done on scene so there is not trying to load the patient, the entire time we have one EMTI doing good CPR (rotating) one EMTI can start a line one EMT I can set up monitor medic can tube, you give them 4 on scene minutes and I truly think you can have your first round drug into the patient with never ending supply of good cpr. Now will the patient survive? I doubt it, but you gave him a fighting chance. as far as pay goes I made 32k last year, we are below the state average despite being one of the few transport agency, so give the one medic per shift 8k per year that is only 24k the city is out, or hell give them 15k that is 45k per year our city is not even going to notice it. the mayer and city council just got a 20% pay increase, so the city is not hurting.
  10. I work for a primary transport Fire department that run about five calls a day we serve over 10,000 residents. We cover 40 miles in every direction. The nearest hospital is an urgent care facility that often times transports or air lifts the patients out, the nearest level 1 hospital is over 100 miles away in Albuquerque. Now here is the dilemma we are an EMT-Intermediate service (I-1985), no medics for miles! If we want ALS the only way to get it is by chopper. We recently came under attack by an Albuquerque news crew (link below). In this article the Mayer is asked, why not? His response is the “city can’t afford them.” Now I have been with this department since 2005, in 2008 against all odds and against everybody advice I became the managerial ugly step son. Using all of my vacation and some of my sick leave I attended paramedic school. Without any help from the department financial or physical I commuted to Albuquerque 5 days a weak for a year while working my 56 hours a week until I was done. When the news crews were hanging around our station I was told by the chief not to talk to them for fear of my license getting out to the public. I have never once told these guys that medics are better. I have never once tried to push this issue. The only things I ever do is if I see medical care being done wrong I will try to take patient care over in a polite and respectful way, and I make sure I am in the ambulance when my shift has a critical patient, I have utmost respect for Socorro Fire Department. I have seen some of the best and worse EMS done here in Socorro by our EMT’s, I have been in situation were my skills could have been potentially life saving, and did nothing, I have been on the tail end of MANY Paramedic jokes, but I also have an self serving bias for this particular issue. Does anyone else believe this to be unethical? I’m attempting to leave the department soon, I just had to hang around and start a union for them. So, should I let the issue die with my departure, or should I push it even after I’m gone, like a ghost! Does anyone have any potential solutions? Somebody please tell me in not the only one with this problem! http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/health/NM_city_has_thousands_of_residents_no_paramedics_470485
  11. Thats horrible, but I have seen it before.
  12. I base my treatment off of PHTLS, It recommends >90 <100 systolic for suspected TBI, and >80 <90 for suspected internal abdominal bleeding.
  13. I think you made the right choice. We decompress Tension pneumothorax, (Absent lung sounds, SOB, JVD, Decreased BP, and Altered mentation,) Not pneumothorax decreased Lung sounds With some pain there is a big difference. Maybe the deviation was just the clavicle deformed? Herbie nailed it, tracheal deviation is a very late sign. It sound like you boss needs to hit the books! PHTLS is a good place to start. Im in the same boat with my boss keep your head up and move on.
  14. If a woman is driving this Jeep, Please shoot her.
  15. LyonN

    I wish game.

    Granted you company is cutting back and your placed on permanent vacation. I wish I would have been a Cop rathter then a Medic.
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