HERBIE1

Awesome story, That makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it? All the sleepless nights, the horrible calls, the wear and tear on your body. Those type of calls often seem to come when you really need them, don't they?

Why would someone NEED a thank you for doing their job- regardless of what your profession happens to be? Is it nice- sure. Is it appreciated? Absolutely. Is it necessary? No way. For me, whether or not I get a "thank you" depends primarily where I work. When I was in the ghetto full time, I would RARELY get a thank you, and when it did happen, it was usually from the elderly folks. Generally we would hear things like "do your m-f'in job", or something else derogatory- as soon as we pull up on the scene. It usually didn't even faze me- it was so common. The running gag is when someone leaves the ghetto and they start dealing with tax payers again, they have no idea how to react when someone says THANK you, instead of F___ You. LOL The other group who we often would have a problem with- yuppies. They always seem to have this entitlement mentality where they feel everyone else exists to serve and indulge them. It is VERY tough to keep my tongue in check when dealing with that group- for some reason they just get on my last nerve. Now I deal more with elderly and with middle class tax payers who often express their appreciation to us. It's funny- my treatment never changes, regardless of what groups we deal with, but their reaction to us is quite different. Another thing that amuses me is that the folks where you go the extra mile, do all the little things, or work really hard to keep someone alive- they often don't express appreciation. Then you get the little old lady who has a very stable general weakness complaint for weeks- nothing special- and they thank you profusely- as if you walked on water for them. Go figure... LOL

We'll see what the details are, but for this to come out now, SOMEONE is trying to throw a wrench into Cain's campaign. He's becoming too popular, and neither party is prepared for him, nor do they want him. Romney is the old school GOP's guy- whether the rest of the party wants him or not, and anyone who is a threat to Obama will be trashed by the mainstream media. I don't know what the claims will be, but a 35K settlement? That's money to avoid a nuisance lawsuit- chump change compared to settlements for legit harassment claims.

Years ago I actually had a couple instances where the cameras were in my way, I began working very aggressively, rushing here and there for equipment, etc and I came pretty close to mowing down one of them. Either they move and lose their shot, or a very expensive camera will get ruined if they drop it. Sometimes it's just not possible to get to the safety of the rig quick enough- especially at large scale incidents. I'm sorry, but I just have no sympathy for these folks. Yes, I know they are doing their job, but to feed into the ghoulish voyeurism of the public at these scenes- it just pisses me off.

Yeah, we had a memo come out about this as well. We also were told to use Versed in lieu of Diazepam. We recently started carrrying it for chemical restraint and for intractable seizures in kids but our first line med is still Valium. We do not carry Ativan, so it's not even an option.

The plot thickens: One of Herman Cain’s accusers wants to tell her side of the story http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/one-herman-cain-accusers-wants-tell-her-side-130852512.html

500K calls per year. Average 25-30 calls per 24 hours.

This is a relatively new phenomenon. The biggest issue we faced back in the day was that everyone claimed to be related to some politician or a big shot, and after seeing a few episodes of Emergency, St Elsewhere, or other medical show- street surgeons we call them- they all knew our jobs better than we did. When I first started, it was really easy to see if someone had a camera- they were big, bulky, and VCR tape was expensive so it wasn't really common. Now, everyone's camera is able to take a picture. The only time it bothers me is about patient privacy. The professional news media is generally pretty good about respecting the patient, but free lancers, looking to sell a story to a newscast can be a real pain in the arse. Generally all it takes is a word to a LEO and they get the message to back off. edited for clarity...

No pictures with us. The docs in our system rely on our assessment of the vehicle damage.: Intrusion, extent of damage,restraints, airbags, windshield intact, wheel bent, speed of vehicles, location of patient in relationship to damage on vehicle. etc. That information is generally enough to tell how much kinetic energy was in play, and the types of injuries they should suspect. I know some systems DO utilize photos as an aid for the ER docs to see MOI, and I'm sure they have strict guidelines as to how they handle PHI issues.

I have no idea what the call volume in Atlanta is, but I'm still unclear on a couple things. Does Grady refer the nonemergent calls to other hospitals and city agencies or do they simply schedule appointments with their own clinics and outpatient services? On the surface, weeding out the BS calls seems like a good idea, but it seems to me the way this is done contributes to the delays in sending out equipment for emergency services. Am I missing something here?

OK I'm confused. Why are the calls routed to Grady Hospital first? Which calls are routed there- only the medical calls? Is this some sort of triage system to weed out the BS? Who answers the calls at the Hospital- RN's MD's, medics, or civilians? Do they dispatch any assets directly from there or does everything come out of the 911 center? Who handles the EMS response- Atlanta Fire, a private, or both? Seems like a wildly inefficient system to me, or am I missing something here?

I assume the classes are different each day? Is there a schedule of which classes are offered and when? Reason being I would be driving in the morning of the 7th and would probably miss everything until around noon.

LMAO I noticed that too. I hope it was intentional...

chbare- Well said. I think your post gets to the root of what I was referring to. Religion can help you cope with a wide variety of things, but for too many it replaces common sense, logic, and rational thought. Then again, when you boil it all down, religion DOES replace those things since it is based solely on faith. As you say, religion can help us cope with deeper philosophical issues, but to ignore the real world manifestations of a problem such as depression- or even physical problems-it just makes no sense to my pragmatic self. I'm not anti-religion, nor was my post meant to imply that I was, I guess I do believe in a higher being/power, but I am also realistic about the "control" such an entity can and will exert over our daily lives. In the call I referred to, I am very happy the mother was not on the scene because I would have been very uncomfortable since I know her position on religion directly contributed to the death of her son. One could say that this woman will deal with guilt for the rest of her life, but I don't think so. Countless times I have heard families of gang shootings say things like "It was God's will." that he died. BULL. It was stupid behavior by some dirtbag. No God I know of- or would want to believe in-is ok with an infant being killed by a drive by shooter who misses their target, or a little girl to be paralyzed because a bullet goes through her window as she's watching TV.

Been stewing a bit about this one, and a post by a new member here got me thinking. The other night, had the call for a suicide attempt. Not much more info than that. To make a long story short, instead of the usual 22 year old female who is angry with her boyfriend and planning to end it all by taking 3 Midol, we arrived to this- 18 year old male lying on his bed in a basement bedroom, GSW R Temple, exit wound occipital area. Assumed it was self inflicted and police concurred. Sad that a kid so young can see no other option than taking one in his head. His attempt was successful- DOA and turned over to the police. So- the back story. Lives with aunt, who came home from work to find him dead. Probably for a couple hours by the looks of him. Aunt is obviously upset, but is also enraged because her 2 teenage daughters were home and claimed they heard nothing. She said they were probably on their phones or talking on facebook. Aunt says victim had PMH of depression, had been hospitalized for it a couple times, but not taking medications. I asked if he was noncompliant, and the aunt looked at me strangely. No, apparently his mom- noncustodial but still active in his life - said that her son did not need those medications, that she should leave her son's problems in the Lord's hands. WOW. Aunt says she thought he was doing OK- had even just taken the ACT test in school that AM. Part 2- the weapon is MIA. Before we and the PD arrived, someone took the gun. Either the aunt, the cousins, or someone else- removed the weapon from the victim. Is this the first time someone I saw someone robbed while they were dead or dying? Hell no. So like someone who wants to" pray the gay away", now we have someone who thinks they can pray the "grey" away and treat depression with prayer. It's not the suicide that bothered me- seen more than I could ever count- it was the rest. Stealing from a dead kid, not hearing a gunshot in your own house, and thinking God himself is going to treat your son's depression. It is amazing how so many people do not have a grip on what it's like to live in the real world. No offense to anyone who is ultra religious here, but I simply cannot fathom how/why someone could jeopardize the health and well being of their child for something you have ZERO PROOF OF even existing.

Portland- I feel your pain, brother- I really do. First and foremost, I need to say this- GET HELP NOW. For the depression, for the bad coping mechanisms, for career issues- all of it. DO NOT WAIT. PLEASE. I have buried more coworkers and friends than I care to remember due to either direct suicide, or destructive behavior that was essentially the same as a suicide. Most of us come to a crossroad in our career where we question our desire- or even ability- to continue. Maybe personal issues stack up and couple those with the stressors of the job, it makes for a bad combination. Maybe it's a single overwhelming event- as in your case- that is the clincher. Take a step back, take a leave- or at least a few sick days if you can- and talk to someone. See someone who specializes in PTSD. cCheck if your company has someone, use clergy if you are so inclined, a therapist, your doctor- ANYONE. You will certainly not solve your problems immediately but you will feel better that you are taking a positive step towards getting your life back.

Other than drivers cannot be on phones- obvious- no policy on actual ringtones. As was noted, having an obnoxious tone is unprofessional. That said, I am guilty of forgetting to put mine on vibrate at times and I have had to frantically shut off the ringer on calls. Embarrassing. My tones range from the theme from Benny Hill to Pretty Good at Drinking Beer, to Don't Fear the Reaper(I know-probably not a good one to start playing on a call, LOL)- depending on my mood.

Well, it's obviously a play on the 99% claim of the OWS folks. I agree that this is a false choice being presented by this group-either you support them , or are among the 1% "elite" or support them. This guy is right- everyone SHOULD pay something- even if it's a nominal amount. What many folks don't realize that folks who receive government assistance actually can received a tax refund. In other words, they spend government money that they did not earn, AND can receive a tax refund on the same money the government gave them to spend. That's about as twisted and perverse as can be. And we wonder why the system here is so screwed up?

In places like Iran, religion is an integral part of their daily lives, and in some places, it dictates everything you do. Differences among religious sects were at the heart of Iraq's trouble under Sadam Hussein. Think of all the mass graves that are found after a dictator is either killed or forced out- all in the name of some flavor of God.

Well, the problem is right or wrong- there is a strong organizational culture in the fire service. Part of adapting to such a lifestyle/profession means being able to accept and trust your coworkers with your life, and vice versa. Hazing/teasing/practical jokes are merely part of that initiation and acceptance process. The same things that make such a group great, also make them highly resistant to change. Well, I worked in an a busy urban Level 1 trauma center ER for 15 years and I never witnessed "bullying" or hazing. Teasing, practical jokes, sick humor- every single day. I do know things are far different on med/surg, OB, ortho,, ICU's, etc, so bullying may indeed be an issue in those places. Things like professional jealousy- sure- that happens in any workplace.

I guess we need to operate under the assumption that some things are considered almost universally despicable. Yes, there will ALWAYS be someone who justifies things most folks consider non starters, yet they always seem to have a few folks that agree with them- regardless of how disgusting their actions may be. Think David Koresh and his pedophilia. We also need to be careful of how we view alleged allies of madmen like Khadafi. Many times we make and justify "arrangements" with vile people in order to fulfill a larger cause. Public support may actually mask private condemnation. Religion is a tough subject.

Read "Confidence Men", Doc. It shows that just like anyone else, PhD's and world class economists can be bought and paid for, or even biased simply based on their political ideology. Among other things, the book gives some real insight into why these problems are so intractable, especially in the context of our current state of affairs. Numbers are a funny thing- depending on how you treat them, you can take the same set of data and prove 2 polar opposite ideas with them. I agree Cain's idea needs some tweaking, but I honestly think we need a MAJOR overhaul of the tax system, but nobody thus far has had the balls to go through with it. Look at campaign finance reform. We nibble around the edges, pass a few ineffectual laws, and nothing really changes.Neither side wants to lose their gravy train.

Need a link to the story- it wants you to sign in to read it. But answering your question- I think it depends on the service. In a FD setting, "hazing" or practical jokes were a tradition, but to some I guess it would qualify as bullying, although it's not nearly as much as it used to be thanks to the PC world we live in. When I started, the new guys would get screwed with just to see how a person responded to it. I was the victim of a few pranks- a couple pretty clever ones, and I basically said- OK, good one, you got me. An old timer said OK- that's all- we just wanted to see if you could take a joke- we're done with you now. Just like a new guy here, it's not a place for someone with thin skin. I had someone tell me years ago that if someone is busting your balls or teasing you, be happy because that means they like you and you are accepted. If they ignore you, they do not trust you. To this day, jokes still go on. Someone fills clean bowls with water and puts them away, so when the person takes them down from the shelf, they get a bath. Someone decides to reverse the doors on the refrigerators to make them open in the opposite directions. Tying bungee cords to things in the freezer and the door, so when you open it, a container of ice cream falls on your foot. Some are more clever than others. Nothing horrible, and certainly not what I call bullying. We have very strict rules about harassment, abuse, violence, and technically bullying is forbidden, but you generally know who you can tease and who you need to leave alone.

Like I said in an earlier post, 3rd service works great for some areas as a 911 provider, and there are some great privates as well. When I started as an EMT, the private I worked for was top notch, but small. We did the IFT's and some emergency response with people who did not want to go to the closest ER with fire. There were other companies who were incredibly crappy and I would never work for them. I was just relating the experience I had here with AMR trying to take over. It was all about the money with them, and they had no idea how poor reimbursement was, and what a large percentage of our calls were self pay or Public Aid, which only pays pennies on the dollar. Not disparaging any segment of the industry per se, just giving a personal account.

EXACTLY. Yes, we charge a fee for our services but it certainly does not generate a profit. It's one of those essential services people do not mind paying for. That's why in many places, the FD charges for false automatic alarms, for clean up costs associated with accidents, and for fire inspections. It's not much, but it's SOMETHING.