fortsmithman

It's the same way here in the NWT the people don' care about EMS they don't know we exist until they need us. The people don't complain about how underfunded their EMS dept is they complain about how crappy the roads are. How crappy the sidewalks are. They complain about sewers. They even complain about parks and playgrounds. They complain about loose dogs. They have never complained about EMS except when they get their ambulance bill. Fort Smith has one of the lowest rates for ambulance services in the Northwest Territories it's only 160.00 .

Besides, they ain't even got no stinking badges!

Last time I looked they did have badges on their uniform forage caps. As well each member is issued an ID shield that has the word police in the top banner in the middle a smaller version of the hat badge used by the RCMP and the lower banner has RCMP GRC with a number at the bottom of the shield.

The last time I looked the OPP doesn't have any shields on their uniform shirt they have an ID shield as well. The Toronto Police Service only has a hat badge that their members use off duty. Now for the US police forces that don't use shields on their shirts New York State Police, New Jersey State Police, anfd the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

3c)Quebec is NOT apart of Canada.

The last time I looked Quebec is a a province. RCMP has C division in quebec. one of the CF regular force infantry regts is in quebec.

I'm not sure but I think I read somewhere that Nova Scotia Health might recognize your training and grant you a licence. If you do get licenced in Nova Scotia then you would be a Primary Care Paramedic. Check with the Government of Nova Scotia web site. I think you can but check to make sure.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/

So now I shouldn't consider Alberta OR BC? My options keep shrinking!

No AB or BC

NB, the territories and NF (I think) don't have ALS.

Not many options left.

What is it with all these EMS problems happening at the same time?? Is this economy related or just coincidence?

Here in the NWT we would have ALS for ground ambulance if we had EMTPs we only have EMTs and EMRs. The only ALS is medic north they are the air medivac providers for the NWT. The only paid EMS are in 2 municipalities one is run by a private contractor in Inuvik and the other is the Yellowknife City Fire Department and both of those are just EMTs.

After reading this, I wasn't sure whether to post it under 'non-ems discussions' or 'funny stuff'....

It's a sad day when 'bodily functions' get you in trouble!

For your reading amusement:

Student suspended for passing gas on bus

Driver writes up teen on misbehavior form; eighth-grader denies offense

Whether he did it or not, he might have gotten off easy. A 13-year-old student at a Stuart school was arrested in November after authorities said he broke wind in class.

Yikes if this happened during the time I was in high school students getting arrested for farting then I'd be classified as a dangerous offender. Truthfully I don't know which is funnier the kid farting in clss or that he was actually arrested for it. Now that is ridiculous.

OK

Crazy Idea here:

So someone with balls, table a motion next AGM that ... (Ok ... lets follow our US brothers lead in the EMT- that EMRs must have a Field practicum and a Hospital practicum to work on Car AND be endorsed by a registered member of ACoP.

I agree EMR's should have to complete field and hospital practicums to get licensed. Isn't most EMR text just EMT- Basic texts. b Since our EMRs use EMT-Basic texts shouldn't they go on field an hospital practicums like our neighbours to the south.

Also All EMT programs in Alberta are accredited by the Canadian Medical Association as Primary Care Paramedic programs.

In Alberta PCPs are called EMTs. You would have to check with the Alberta College of Paramedics to see if your program is an ACoP authorized program.

My service issues us with a jumpsuit.

That was a young bear. It wasn't as big as some of the black bears that I've seen. Here in the NWT if a bear enter an area where people are then the local renewable resources officer kills the bear by shooting it. The officer also has the option not to destroy the bear only if people are not in the area then they will try to capture it. The officer has to err to the side of public safety if there are people in the area then they destroy the bear as not to endanger the bystanders. Here in town the department of environment and natural resources sets up live bear traps and if they catch a bear then they move the bear to location far from town and releases them. I've seen plenty of bears destroyed I've never seen any tranquilized.

Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto :wink:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Wasn't the first Roy then Johnny

This is what happens when fire controls ems.

My agency uses Motorola

What does EMT mean to the public, I can tell you that to me it is someone who took a 2 week course slapping on O2 and "rushing" someone to the hospital. That is what the media has led them to believe.

That's the EMR course I thought EMT was around 6 months to complete.

A few yrs back before I joined EMS I was talking with the then EMS coordinator in my town when I told him a friend of mine was a paramedic from BC. The coordinator asked me what level he was because at the ttme he said bc had 3 paramedic levels he told me that a level 1 paramedic from bc was equivalent to an emr. Iwonder if bc still does that.

One thing I hope for is that NWT Health and Social Services enact EMS legislation. Because currently anyone can call themselves any EMS designation. Another way to take care of this is the the Government of the Northwest Territories should request that the Alberta College of Paramedics take over EMS registration. with my agency we have members who are registered with ACoP.

Last year our call volume was 250 calls

With my service we are paid volunteers here's the breakdown

Emergency Vehicle Operator 12.50/hr

Emergency Medical Responder (equal to a us emt- 15.00/hr

Emergency Medical Technician 17.00/hr

That's paid when we go on an actual run.

by the way our EMT's are called primary care paramedics in other parts of canada except alberta.

So does this make my service vollie or paid. I would like to know from other vollies if you are paid for going on runs or do you get no pay.

ACoP should change the designation of emt to pcp and emtp to acp but keep emr at emr.

I ask this because my jumpsuit has reflective striping but my uniform pants don't. for MVA's on the highway I just purchased a bright yellow parka with 2 inch reflective striping on it. For summer I will be using the standard orange construction vest.

I doubt that anyone would question your judgement for turning down the assistance of a podiatrist or a pathologist. Let's face it, a pathologist probably hasn't actually seen a pt since their internship. You would be better off with the help of a boy scout than a pathologist. If they need the help of the pathologist, then it is probably a little late to be calling EMS. The best way to get rid of a pesky physician on-scene is to say, "Hey if you want to take responsibilty for this guy, you are going to have to ride along." Most will turn and run at that.

Our md's here are GP's We don't have podiatrists or pathologists in the NWT. We have to ship our DB's down to Alberta for autopsy. Even if we did have one of those has md's they can still do more than an emt or paramedic.

To akroeze I just stated that in rural area such as ours we know everyone we don't extend any md's rights to their families just that we know them on sight. A few months ago we a single vehicle MVA it was a motorcyclist and when we went out we brought a MD and an RN they did the on scene treatment. A few months ago we had a EMS member from the yukon working with us and she sated when they went out on runs they had to bring an RN with them. I wonder if there are any rural canadian ems personnel who is required to bring a rn on runs.

In the area where I live we are in a rural area and everybody knows what the local MD's and their spouses and children look like. and if one of them stopped at the the scene we would obey their orders. Then again i'm rural and not urban.

Does your agency require that reflective stripes on the uniform pant leg be used.