RatPack

Isnt Rural Metro involved in the fire system in Yuma? Im going to resrve comments.

Fourtunatley I dont.

Im sure the money could be located its the fact no one places any importance on it.

Wether they do or should is a moot point the fact of the matter is they are. If they are not getting the education in school they need to get it somewhere. Why not here? Politics if you havent noticed moves slowly, when you have to dish out cash it moves even slower, and couple that with a recession, like a dead turtle. Having degreed paramedics with four year educations is a great idea, we probably wont see it nationwide in the states at least required, in our life time. So what do we do in the meantime? Cute sayings like ill take my chances in a taxi wont change the fact that everyday EMTs transport sick patients all over this country and as far as I know not one of them is sitting on a protocol board. They dont come up with the advanced scopes, intubating practises or administration of medications orders, medical directors do. So although I agree with the argument the EMT is ultimatley not the party responsible. Five or so pages of discussion here and I havent heard one feesible solution to the problem.

All comments are made with just the information provided. To sue you would have to prove that the delay caused the patient harm. Did it? I didnt see anything about their condition, or outcome. Im assuming the reservation is not going to want to get into a legal battle with the state troopers so they will probably SUGGEST that this paramedic not take any action. When we have issues with the police or fire department (nothing to this extent) we all have to meet and promise to play nice in the sandbox. As far as the trooper goes, we dont know if the driver flipped him off, does it matter his behavior was unacceptable. He needs a timeout. Will he get it? Doubt it. The only one I see here breaking any law is the trooper. Assault and battery of an EMS provider is a criminal act, at least in my area and is taken very seriously. I applaud the paramedic for upholding his professional behavior. From what I can tell from the video he never was violent, he stated to allow him to finish his duties and he would turn himself in, what more can you ask for? This could have been a lot worse for everyone involved if this medic didnt maintain the professional behavior he did even in the presence of such immature action on the part of the police department. My guess, he never hears a thing from any DA.

The meaning was, what defines a traumatic arrest. It could be a puch in the face, could be a fall, could be a lot of things. Just wondering what your criteria was?

Blunt trauma could be a puch in the face, you wouldnt work that?

I would have to say he gets worked. He has a pulse and no obvious signs. JeepLuv your comparing a traumatic arrest with obvious signs with a witnessed medical arrest. Big difference. Glad you father is doing well.

We cant talk about the profession without speaking of the individuals that make up the profession. A medic making nine bucks an hour doesnt need orginazation, he needs unionization. When he climbs above the poverty line then he can think of orginazation.

Hey I pick and choose calls all the time, especially near shift change

What? EMS personnel need the protection because for profit companies along with municipalities that believe they can do what they want, lousy equipment, poor working conditions, crappy health benefits, a joke of a retirement program, salary decreases, pay freezes.....Do I need to continue. There are downsides to every union or organization. Ill take a union job any day and secure my familys future. Ever hear the story of the twenty year paramedic laid off in lieu of the two year paramedic making ten dollars less an hour? You give twenty years to a company and they walk away from you because you make to much, your too old or they dont agree with your views cultural or religious. You organize, Ill unionize and will meet in twenty years and see who's employees are better off.

Wait.....Wait......Wait....Quitting jobs? EMS as a one income household? OMG...Whats next? Paying your bills on time, adequate health insurance and retirement at a decent age?

Yeah like a MBA.... Congratulations.

I have left everything not physically attached to the truck behind at least once. Oh well nobody's perfect.

I agree, thats some of the most interesting stuff going on. Now I think it would be a better soap opera, less of the blood guts which would be accurate and more of the cheating, backstabbing, whining, complaining and trying to get over on each other that actually goes on.

When people dial 911 its probably one of the most scariest times of their lives, a loved one sick or injured, swearing while maybe inappropriate I'm sure is a common occurrence. This guys an idiot. He was more concerned with the language then the emergency going on. I agree fired, fired, fired...No pension, and maybe a slap to the back of the head wouldn't be so bad. This guy was on a power trip. No place for that in a position of authority.

True EMS isn't exciting, ninety-percent of the time its mundane and thoroughly uninteresting, at least to the general public. Still they continue to produce shows that try to depict EMS, when in all honesty if a show was able to in reality get it right, 80% of the population wouldn't watch more the 10 minutes of it. Grandma fell down, tripped over the dog or had a syncopal episode. Not exciting. Grampa is pissing blood for two days. Not exciting. Bubba had to much to drink and took a header down the stairs. Not exciting. Fiery wreck with entrapment and ejection. Exciting(to watch at least) Happens about once every 6 months maybe. If the actors in these shows Third Watch and Saved were true EMS providers they would have burnt out in a year.

Ill preface by stating I am a whit male. Maybe the white boys had the answers. I think that it is time for a workforce to reflect its population. Should 15 whiteys show up in fire trucks, ambulances and police cars when 75% of the population is black or Hispanic? If they cant pass the tests thats one thing, if someone doesn't want them to that another issue and completely possible. Listen I dont like the race card anymore then anyone else, to state it doesn't exist is sticking your head in the sand. We have come along way, we haven't come all the way.

Save them from what? They were already fired. Did they get fired for falsifying a run report, lying or allowing this guy to walk? If its was for their run report, in my area thats grounds for losing your ticket. If it was for lying, that also may be grounds. If it was for walking this guy then their admiting blame and the city will take it on the chin.

I was referring to middle level providers in EMS, my mistake. I agree with you for the most part on diagnosis, however I believe most pre-hospital providers treat symptoms of an underlying cause in which pre-hospitably we have no way of diagnostically determining or correcting. With the example of SVT we are treating the consequences of the underlying issue. Practicing medicine would be for example the ablation needed to correct the cause. I dont consider a laceration or strep throat a life threatening condition, that would be more geared to educating the public on the proper use of the EMS system. I may be confusing the true essence of the original post, I am basing my opinions on EMS. Not in the hospital setting. I believe if the general public was educated on the correct use of the EMS system there would be no need for EMTs. In theory every activation of the EMS system would be life threatening and require an advanced level provider. I would like to see in the future mobile treatment squad or clinic where a person would activate this system an ambulance or what have you would be dispatched to the scene and treatment would be performed. I have no idea what would be needed to bring this to fruition or how it would be staffed. This would cut down on the amount of ER visits and they would still have the ability to transport if deemed necessary.

Mid level providers dont practice medicine. EMTs dont practice medicine and assuming a paramedic does is quite a stretch. To practice medicine one needs to be self sufficient. The diagnose starts and ends with you, their is no oversight. We are technicians, extensions of the ones who truly practice medicine. Why does everyone have such a problem with that? Requiring a bachelors or associates degree will not changes this fact. Yes we will have more true education which I believe is necessary, it however is not going to change our role. We are pre-hospital providers. We provide treatment and transportation. Nothing besides a medical degree should change that.

Ok I need to jump in here. I have been a professional EMT for nearly fifteen years, I work in a tiered 911 system, I am also educated, if I remember correctly spelling wasn't offered at my university. You should have mastered that by the six grade. I have two doctors in my family, neither of them have mastered spelling, punctuation or penmanship and they would be highly offended if we as EMTs and paramedics believed that we practice any form of medicine. We are technicians, born for a purpose. We as EMT's are not impersonating anyone, from my medical director down to my shift supervisor they are well informed of my training and limitations as an EMT. I work in a system that was provided for me. I didn't falsify documents so I could ride on a ambulance with red flashing lights. I chose this profession. If you have a problem with me tending to my duties as outlined by my medical director, then make a phone call, other then that I cant help you. I am in no way against education for all levels up to a point, however until someone requires it stomping around and telling people they should be doing something else because they're useless is your opinion, also remember that when they require a college education, you will not be grandfathered in and I would advise against any bridge programs. I would guess that ninety percent of EMS personnel are trained versus educated. There is a huge difference, Barry who took a two week paramedic program back in Nam is not educating you, and running his EMT or medic class in the back of his firehouse will never be confused with true education. You speak of me(EMTs) as if we are doing something under the cover of darkness, playing a cruel joke on the general public. I would argue that no provider EMT or paramedic does much in the way of saving lives we are an important link in the chain but only one link. I do not consider the very few treatments at the ALS or BLS level anything more then band aids, until true medical professionals(MD's) have intervened. You dont practice medicine with an associates or bachelors degree, you never have and you never will. If you would like to do that I suggest medical school, nothing else will substitute. By the way the United Stated educational sytem up to about the Masters level is a joke and can be completed by just about anybody with a pulse and a alarm clock. These argument are becoming old. Only in EMS would a person with 8 months of training argue with a person with 4 months of training about who is more capable. Its a joke. Grow up.

Amen. This is very sad. Thoughts and prayers.

Cost of EMS...10$ Cost of garbage pick up....10$ Cost of street sweeping.....10$ Realizing you voted for the wrong services as you sit there watching your loved one die while awaiting the arrival of an ambulance......Priceless.

You have my support. Who voted no?