tigershell339

Ok, so I was told a story the other day and I am extremely skeptical, yet also very curious about any possible pieces of truth behind it. Please do not criticize me for it, I realize it is total hearsay, which is why I am being realistic about the possibility of being completed made-up or overly exaggerated. I only ask because I see no harm in discussing it. Maybe there is some nugget of truth behind the exaggeration. A woman I meet recently told me a story after she learned I am an EMT. She actually asked me to explain to her what happened, but I couldn't. She was supposedly having dinner with a friend who was eating a salad when the woman choked on a piece of lettuce. The Heimlich maneuver was attempted by the first woman, with no success. After the choking woman collapsed to the ground, a police officer happened to walk in the restaurant and then came over to provide aid. Supposedly he confidently and nonchalantly walked over and lifted the unconscious, choking woman's head almost completely upright, then turned her head to the side and she suddenly took a breath in and immediately began to breath again one her own and quickly regained consciousness. The woman who told me the story says she had previous basic cpr training and cert training, so I expect that she would not confuse a head-tilt chin-lift with what she described, but it is entirely possible. I realize there is good reason to be highly skeptical and I'm not going to go out and trying to test this theory out, I'm just curious. Has anyone ever heard of anything remotely similar being real?

I haven't had luck so far, when asking people I know, which led me to post in this much wider pool of people. Maybe someone on here is in the LA area and taken the class at UCLA or anywhere else in the area. Thanks for all the feedback!

I am considering taking a Prehospital Trauma Life Support course. The description says it is for all levels of responders, but of course the school wants all the tuition it can get. However, I am concerned that it is designed more for an ALS provider, and myself being an EMT, that it won't be right for me. It is more expensive than other CE courses, so if it is going to focus on intubation, IV's and meds that I can't use, I don't want to waste my money. If anyone has taken this course, I'd really appreciate any insight.

If you are going to say I don't know something, then explain (otherwise, I have to assume you don't really know what you're talking about, and just trying to criticize others becasue you have something to prove/compensate for)! What circumstances are you assuming are taking place that I am prescribing things in? I follow offline protocols.

I am providing the "set medic" service, so I do have to have all the trauma supplies that I know I will likely never need, BUT I'm being paid to have them and be prepared for the true emergency. Most of my job is to take care of minor injuries, like bruises and paper cuts. To clarify, the sunscreen isn't personal, I carry it for the crew members to use (at their own discrecion). I carry a lot of misc things like that people forget and need on a film set (tissues, the hand santaizer etc). I can't get rid of the ice packs, because that (and band-aids) are the only thing I can guarantee (from experience) I will need on a daily basis. Most people I provide first-aid to just need simple things like ice-packs for a bruised elbow or something similar and they wouldn't usually want/need and ambulance called for that. The ice packs are not for major traumas.

In CA as an EMT you can purchase oxygen without a prescription (O2 is classified as a drug here). For my job, I have my own kit, including oxygen and called around to find out if I, as an EMT, am even able to fill a tank before I made the purchase of the tank. All i had to do was prove (with my certs) that I am certified to administer O2. The company needed copies of my EMT cert and CPR for Heath Care Providers card. I found it hardest to find a local place that fills oxygen. I just went to the company that I knew from an ambulance company I used to work at had used for their O2 refills. If you need more info, I suggest calling your local EMS office for advice and you can also call the local filling company who should know who they are allowed to fill tanks for and what documentation they need from you.

I am looking to make a purchase of a new trauma bag. Since I can't find many bags in local stores to look at in person, I am hoping other people can give me some reviews and advice on bags they have used or seen. I do stand-by work on film/tv sets, where I have to carry all my own equipment with me. I don't have an ambulance so store stuff in, so I am the exception to the rule of not having to carry everything in the jump bag. I often don't even have my own car nearby, so that isn't an option for anything more than extra cold packs. I currently carry: 1) an oxygen duffel bag for my Jumbo D tank and the masks, BVM, etc with it. 2) a medium size trauma bag, that holds everything I use daily and need lots of like cold packs, band-aids. It also holds the rarely used BLS trauma supplies. 3) Plastic toolbox, which holds misc supplies like sunscreen, hand sanitizer and things that I can't fit into the trauma bag 4) Cardboard splints, the largest being 24'' long I am looking for a bag that can condense the bags down as much as possible. I have been looking at combination oxygen/trauma bags. In order to fit the splints into the bag, I have been mainly considering longer, rectangular ones. I need something big enough to hold a lot, but that I can still carry without difficulty. Price is also a concern for me too. I've been strongly considering these 2 bags: Ferno Saver Bag Savelives.com bag

I am an EMT out in Los Angeles and have done production first aid work. A set medic in film can be anyone from an EMT-Basic to a physician, they all get called a "medic" by the rest of the film crew. Film has a lot of weird, out-of-date names that get used for everything and everyone. Getting into big budget, union work is not easy, if you do not have connections. Although, for first-aid, it is probably one of the easiest crafts to get into film with. THere are several companies that you can get from. Legally, they are only referral companies that refer jobs to you, but they treat you as working for them in regards to your relationship to the boss. Legally, you are an independent contractor. Which means you have to pay taxes on your own and have no protection from the company. Independent contractor status is not uncommon in the film/tv industry. As an independent contractor, you are expected to bring your own tools/equipment. In this industry it is the standard for almost all departments and logical because there is no way the production staff members in the office can know all the different tools needed by the many, many different departments/crafts that are part of making a film. Yes, it seems unfair, at first, to have to pay for your own stuff. The way to make up for that is you charge production a "kit fee." This is the production renting your equipment for you, by you, so they know you'll have what you need to do your job. The kit fee is only a small portion of the initial cost to buy everything (around $20-100 a week, depending upon the equipment and on the budget of the production), but in the long run evens out and allows you to replenish supplies. I don't carry everything that would be on an ambulance. As and EMT-basic, I am limited to begin with for what I utilize. I have a jump bag with dressings, band-aids, ice-packs,ace bandages, BP cuff, etc. I also have an O2 kit, but not everyone even has that when they first get started. Some of the paramedics and people doing bigger project and higher risk projects with stunts, often have much bigger kits and bring backboards, AED, Paramedic/nurse's tools, ETC. It is also expected to bring a kit of OTC items, including aspirin, sunscreen, etc, but as an Emt, I can't administer those OTC meds. THe way it works is that production has rented the kit from you, all you are doing is bringing the items for people to use. Make it clear to people who ask, that they are taking it at their own discretion. I have my OTC kit labeled as such. Craft services (catering) will also likely bring these items, but not guaranteed. You bringing these items is like Craft services bring food; they are not nutritionists telling you what you should eat, they just put it literally out on the table and let you choose to get it for yourself. The vast majority of the time, you will be the only medical person on the production. You are your entire department. This means that you are solely responsible for pointing out safety issues before they happen. You better also be prepared to handle any trauma because you probably won't have a partner to turn to. Without a partner, it can get pretty boring at times. You are just sitting in the background on standby, but you can't do too much else (like take a nap or wander off) because you never know what MIGHT happen the second no one can find you. The entire point of you being there is to avoid delay in waiting for help to arrive, if they have to wait for you, they might as well get rid of you and wait for 911. The vast majority of the time, your are providing minor care, such as band-aids and ice-packs. It can be tedious. You also have to deal with egos on set. An actor may get upset over a little abrasion because he thinks it is going to scar, but remember, actors make their living off of their appearance, so this worry is not unreasonable. All your really doing is providing immediate care until 911 arrives. Every other industry manages without medics around. The biggest reason production companies want to pay you is to reduce their liability! If something goes wrong, people will be seeing dollar signs because they think all production companies have lots and lots of money, and they do, but they won't give it away easily. If someone sues, they producers will point at you and say "s/he's responsible! We did everything we could; we hired a medical expert!" The production company is certainly not going to carry malpractice insurance to cover you, so you better get some of your own. As and EMT-basic it cost me less than $100 a year. Like many others, I am also in the process of setting up an LLC to further insulate myself. If you cover your ass, it's not a bag gig at all. Pays WAY better than any private ambulance company, even if you go through a referral agency to get you the jobs. I got into this job because I have done other jobs in film and I think the knowlege of how a set runs was vital to the impression I made. I knew to turn off my cell phone, even if I wasn't near audio. I knew who was who as far as people that would be making my schedule and I could follow along in conversations on set. I would advise anyone that is trying to do this to not only CYA all the medical related stuff, but to also pick up a book on film production just to get an idea of how things run.