gaelicfirefighter

A guy I worked with the other day (an EMT) said he thought it might be a good idea to get rid of the BLS rigs in Chicago as it would make more sense and not cost more to make them all ALS. I agree with that statement. But he said that the city should staff the rigs with one EMT and one Medic. What are your thoughts on having this type of staffing in an urban area with short transport times. I dont necessarily like that idea. There are things as an EMT I canot do and I thought it would greatly hinder pt care as I could legally not do things to help my partner. And I said to him, then if there are no BLS rigs, why not just make them all ALS with Medics. As a firefighter/emt-b, I make more than a medic and this would cost the city less money. Do any of you have an emt-b and an emt-p staffed on the rig. Pros and Cons?

No offense, with a 90 something crown vic that was probably a donated cop car I would bring jumper cables and your AAA card. Why dont you use the van? If you are a first responding company you should have portable suction, AED, a QRB or Jump Bag with BLS stuff, Collars, Back Board, KED, Scoop stretcher, Life Vests...etc. Just fill the van with what you can get your hands on! and dump the crown vic!

Unless I have an ambulance with lights or a fire truck with lights, a radio, additional personnel and all appropriate supplies and equipment, I will and would never stop at an auto accident. I am not going to get sued or exposed to something due to the fact that I enered an un-safe scene without proper coverages.

On Roosevelt Road just east of 90/94 there are a couple of places that sell police and fire items. Thats the old fabric/clothing district. Nothing really special though. I am in Chicago and I do most of my shopping for non-issue items on-line. Stop by the fire academy if you go over there. North of Roosevelt on Clinton Street. Also, if you are going to be anywhere water tower, there is a firehouse just south of water tower east of michigan ave. Its the most photographed firehouse in th world. Absolutely beautiful!

Interesting info on a new drug that is hitting the streets. It is legal but is causing quite a stir. http://www.salviacenter.com/3.php http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn41...22/ai_n24348914 http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/addi/abstract...1195628!8091!-1 http://www.nbc5.com/family/13711938/detail.html http://www.nbc5.com/health/8465751/detail.html

Once again, here are my thoughts for what they are worth. At the firehouse with the medics and on here with the medics, some feel EMT's are useless. I am a firefighter / EMT. I mostly work on a fire truck and I work on a BLS ambulance 6 times a quarter. So I m not a full time EMT. But due to my large call volume on the BLS amblance I feel I can comment. EMT's are not useless. We take alot of the heat of the ALS community. Anyone who feels EMT's are useless are either insecure or have bad EMT's working in their system. And why intentionally try and make someone feel bad. Why put others down. Instead of being negative, dont say anything. I work with many medics. There is an ambo in the house and our engine is ALS. Some are horrible, some are ok and some are very good. Putting a medic on a higher pedistal is inaccurate and wrong. Two totally different jobs. Its like saying who's better or smarter, a medic or a nurse. You cant. Two seperate jobs. So be happy for us EMT's and Medics. Be supportive. Encourage others to continue or expand their education. It's that why we joined this site. To share stories, network and socialize with eachother. To motivate and push eachother. If not, I joined the wrong site. Moderators should monitor people putting others down as much as they monitor language. Attacking someone personally is much worse than an off colored word or joke.

Exactly! And instead of better trained ALS/Paramedic ambos, they like to put in cheaper BLS/EMT ambos. This makes no sense. I like the idea of cross trained medics on rigs. I think it makes for a better fire department. But I agree with you. If we are short ambos, go get ambos and quit screwing around. I have no idea why they do this.

http://www.emergency.com/chigpara.htm

http://www.emergency.com/fslasuit.htm

http://www.cfdcaffa.com/Tut.pdf

http://firstinengine.blogspot.com/2008/01/...ble-hiring.html

First is our General Orders. Its our Bible and outlines everything we do. Mostly FS&R but some good EMS info: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/General%20Orders.pdf Second or FS&R Operations Memos: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/FS&R%20and%20O...and%20Memos.pdf Third is Administrative Orders: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/Administrative%20Orders.pdf Fourth is General Dept Memos: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/Memos.pdf Next is Special Directives: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/Special%20Directives.pdf Next is Training Bulletins - These are good! http://www.cfdcaffa.com/Training%20Bulleti...ck%20Drills.pdf Next is Manuals: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/manuals.htm Next is our SMO's and Protocols - ALS, BLS & First Responder: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/ems-smos.htm And Lastly. Oldies But Godies Training Manuals: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/oldmaterial.htm

http://www.littletongov.org/fire/ems/hot/2...ry/cartoon2.jpg http://www.emsresponder.com/images/homepag...007_cartoon.jpg

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4411...spital-sign.jpg

If I were to interview medics and emt's (im an emt) I would not ask generic questions as most people answer safe or answer what you want to hear. I would strictly ask scenario based questions and see if they fit in with my specific department's protocols or philosophy.

Anyone want to trade house or duty shirts? Here is what mine looks like on the back. Left chest has CFD color logo with rig assigmnets. I take a 3x. Let me know. http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/ga...6020artwork.jpg http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/ga...0front20art.jpg

Here are my thoughts for what its worth. I would say there is a diffrence and here's why. Firefighters experience immediate gratification more frequently than ems personnel. The house is on fire or the car was wrecked and we do our jobs and save the person immediately. EMS personnel dont always know what happened to the PT. Yes, EMS does save people (dont get me wrong) but I would say the ff's get more immediate and tangible gratification. Also, there seems to be greater "burn out" with EMS profesionals. I cannot immagine being a medic here in Chicago for 30 years. We have them and it amazes me. As a firefighter and as an EMT, when I retire I will remember good fires and saves I made. I will also remember the good times at the firehouse I doubt I will remember my EMS PT's. But then again I do not get very memorable calls. Im not a medic and don't get as much gratification as you medics. Its rare I actually save someone on the BLS ambo. So its not same same. EMS does more runs and the calls become diluted I Think. They all run in together. I believe more EMS personnel walk away from the job and never look back. They have put their mind and body through so much that all they want to do is retire and forget all the chaos. Where as firemen will always talk about the great big one or their first real fire. In most systems, there are more FF's than EMS. We have more time to get to know eachother. More time to bond and make more friends due to the larger number of ff's. I run with four other ff's. We are true brothers. You EMS personnel run with one other person an it usualy changes more frequently than on the fire side. We have time to goof off around the firehouse. Most of my memories of the fire service have nothing to do with fires. Its jokes and pranks we pull on eachother. Firefighters have more of a brotherhood I think and therefore have a harder time forgetting and walking away. Its an unwritten rule here in Chicago that you dont go back to the firehouse after you retire. Unless its a party for someone retiring or a yearly retirement luncheon. You always see old fireighters still having stickers on their cars and wearing ff stuff. You never see this with EMS. I dont know where you people go to die. You must be like elephants and all travel to some wierd remote place and fade away quietly. So i do think there is a difference. However sad it is, its true. When my faher retired after 35 years of service to the CFD, we was lost and extremely sad. The firehose is the ultimate boys club. I love going to work. I get to the house 1.5 hours early as do most respectable firefighters. Some dogs still show up 15 min before shift change. He misses it soo much. It was such a huge part of his social life. All his friends and most of my firiends ar present and past firefighters. I just dont see this with the EMS field. I will definitely miss the fire service. I will not miss the ambulance. But I'm a firefighter first and EMS second. Those are my thoughts.

Here is our latest Con Ed announcement: http://www.cfdcaffa.com/April2007EMSConEd.pdf Ideas off web http://app1.health.state.pa.us/emsclasses/courses.asp

Good points all. And thanks for reading and replying. If you are new, alternative or non-traditional employment is not ideal as you need calls to practice your newly learned skills. Nothing takes the place of experience in this field. However, jobs like these are better than no job at all. Alot of employers want some type of experience. This might help. These jobs are great for those who have a couple of years under their belts and are looking to augment their incomes or are in a transition. Unfortunately we dont always get paid what we want and what we should be paid. Here in Chicago private ambulance companies pay as low as 11.00 an hour for a medic. Amazing. Also for those with experience, especiall medics who see alot more than us emt's, jobs like these might be a nice break from MVA's and gunshots. It could be a great way to relieve that stress level or potential burn out.

And regarding children in the ambo, here is our policy. We are not to transport people under the age of 18. If there is not parent, relative or guardian I have to call me resource hospital or have a police officer ride with the pt. If your PT is the adult and there are children there with no one to watch them (another adult) you must secure transport for them via more ambulances, police of a state agency like human services. Always call a superior and put the decision on them.

Anyone who brings anyone that is not part of your fire or ems system on their rigs is an absolute idiot. Why risk your career and their lives. I have never understood this. Unless it is a sanctioned ride along or training program. Id never let my child near a CFD ambo. We clean them inside and out every shift but they are still full of nasty stuff like blood, disease and germs. Any my fire truck has five seats and five firefighters. Who's not going to have a seatbelt. I dont move the rig until everyone is belted in. Why dont you just bring you kid to an unsafe/unsecure gunshot scene or right to the fire floor. Its not worth the risk. Having people come for a visit to the firehouse is ok. If kids want to come to the house then a parent should be there. I dont want that responsibility. Its not a playground. It is a professional workplace full of professionals hopefully.

I was looking for a p/t job where I could use my EMT-B and/or firefighting skills. I actually found one being a driver for an organ transplant/air ambulance company. It is a perfect fit for me and my needs. But looking around I found many non-traditional companies are looking for emt's, medics and firefighters. Here are some links. All may not apply to your area but if you are looking for something to do, look outside the box. Security/EMT/Firefighter job at Steel Mill http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/job-JGWEY9LRW20;_...hicago-IL-k-emt Security/EMT http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?Job...pg=1&seq=19 I have also seen jobs for emt-b's, emt-p's and firefighters in oil Refineries, chemical plants, hospitals, blood banks, large sporting venues and parks, festivals, carnivals and other outdoor events. Go on some of your city's larger caterering sites and special event coordinators. Also look at museums and large attractions like Six Flags, waterparks, etc. Also, if you are looking to get into the ems field and there are not many jobs in yor area, look at the US Coast Guard, Navy, and Border Patrol. If your city does not own and operate your local airport, many airports have medical staff. Alot of public places like high schools, colleges and even elementary schools are now required to have AED's. They need training on these devises and CPR training. Go get certified as an instructor. There are also swat teams run by a city of put together by a number of smaller suburbs that might seek a medic on their team. Hazmat response teams also like to have medics. Also look at health care organizations like the Red Cross and others. Just some stuff I came across while looking. I hope you get a couple good ideas.

Type I Ambulance - has a pick-up truck chassis with a box mounted as the patient care compartment. The type I ambulance is expensive in the short-run, but is cheap in the long-run since the box can be mounted on another chassis when the old chassis wears out. The type I ambulance tends to be wide (and therefore roomy inside) and is generally unsuitable for rural use due to narrow roads. Type II Ambulance - is a highly modified van. This is the cheapest in terms of initial outlay, but when the chassis wears out the entire unit must be replaced. These trucks are ideal for urban use due to their small profile, but interior space is very limited. Type II ambulances can be 4 wheel drive for adverse weather conditions and off road use. Type III Ambulance - has a van chassis with a box mounted as the patient care compartment. These trucks tend to be the most expensive, but the box can be remounted to a new chassis when the old one wears out. These trucks tend to be very steady and offer the most interior room available. Chicago uses Type 1. I like them as I feel more safe I a bigger rig and I like the room. However, fire depts should take into consideration the hospitals you go to, the area you are in and the houses you are pulling into. A couple of houses here in Chicag you have mere inches on each side. Also downtown areas like Chicago are hard to navigate with large units. And we all know hospitals never think about ambulances when they remodel or design their ER entrance. I also feel type 1 and type 3 are the most visible. They dont look like vans or conversion vans. They appear to me to be the most visible. I have driven type 2 and they seem top heavy and sway alot. I like the dual wheels on back on tpe 1's and 3's. Especially in Chicago snow storms.

If it were up to me, regardless if you are a volunteer or a full-time fire or ems personnel, no show would always mean NO JOB!. There is never an excuse. Make a call. When you do this in Chicago, you are immediately subjected to an alcohol and drug test. And worse yet, in about 5 min the entire FD knows who you are