HERBIE1

I guess you missed this part: My "type" takes excellent care of people who request my help- regardless of what their problems are. I'm not stereotyping ANYONE. If someone asks for help, I am first in line to offer whatever help I can. If a person has a psych history and is noncompliant with their medications, how does your dime store psych assessment help them with their problems? What about an alcoholic? You would probably need a detailed personal and family history to even scratch the surface as to why they decided to start drinking to excess. Point them in the right direction, make them aware of their options, notify the ER, and let the people who are properly trained take care of it from there. I'm not qualified to do social service or psychiatric needs assessments, nor do I have the resources to accommodate their needs. I'll leave that to the experts like you. Our job is to evaluate their immediate needs, provide whatever care we are capable of, transport them to the hospital, and point people in the right direction if possible, and when pertinent. I would never presume to understand the complexities of managing a CHF patient's long term care for example, so what makes you think I am qualified to make assumptions and/or recommendations for treatment about a person who may have life long substance abuse problems and/or chronic and complex psychiatric and social issues? I think YOU are the one with the inflated ego here. I happen to know my limitations. I am very capable in my chosen field, and put my skills up against anyone's, but I'm not arrogant enough to think I know more than I do. What exactly do you think we can do for someone with our limited contact with them- especially when their problems most certainly transcend a "simple" issue of homelessness? We don't provide definitive care for medical issues, and we certainly don't have the training to provide for and address the many issues someone who is homeless may have. Even ER's only point someone in the right direction- they make a cursory evaluation, make referrals, and may even provide for the next step if the person is willing to agree to further long term treatment. If you want to be a social worker, a therapist, or a minister then get the requisite training and change careers, but don't forget what your role is as a prehospital provider. Do you also free lance as a cardio-thoracic surgeon in your spare time?

My "type" takes excellent care of people who request my help- regardless of what their problems are. Look at the original article again-tell me what type of "help" are those patients requesting? A significant part of our jobs is education and social work and I am more than happy to do that. I can refer them to any of a dozen shelters or agencies if that is what they want. THEY DON'T. Like a smoker, a drug addict, an overeater, or an alcoholic- you can offer someone all the help in the world, but until THEY are ready to accept it, they will not change their behavior-even if you are a well intentioned social worker wanna-be. If I wanted to be a social worker, I would have followed that path as a career. Again- save the bleeding heart, holier than thou lecture.

Save the bleeding heart speech- not interested. Every single one of these "at risk" patients are given information on homeless shelters, AA programs, rehab centers, detox options, etc. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, every time they are seen at an ER they are given a list of these options along with their discharge instructions. We see stacks of these forms among their worldly possessions. Every single one sees a social worker before they are discharged. EVERY SINGLE ONE. With a single phone call, the Department of Human Services even picks them up FROM the ER to start their recovery/detox/rehab/shelter assistance process if they want. They don't even need to be seen as a patient- simply show up at the waiting room and request services. All they have to to is take advantage of the help offered to them. Many local charities and advocacy groups operate outreach services that go to the areas the homeless frequent and provide mobile health care, contraception, food, basic necessities, counseling, and more contact info. If someone asks to go to detox(extremely rare), we contact the police for the transport since we cannot provide this service. 99% of the time, they are NOT interested in anything but a place to sleep it off and a "free" meal. They CHOOSE not to take advantage of the help offered to them. If someone is not ready to change their lifestyle, you cannot force them. Not my problem.

"Get to do something positive and rewarding that doesn't involve screwing people over working for some evil corporation" Unless you are running the show and it's your name on the company door, the previous statement is true for ANY job you have.

So, to wrap it up, apparently crochity thinks it's perfectly acceptable to throw out a legitimate and fair promotional exam that was written as race neutral, simply because the results are not PC. There is no possibility that those(that means ANYONE) who did not pass the exam simply did not prepare well enough. It HAS to be racism. Your opinions of anyone who dares to question something that is less than flattering to a minority is almost McCarthy-esque. Everyone is a racist if they do not agree with your ideas. That's damn scary.

A few things... Physically demanding at times. The hours are rough, your sleep patterns are irregular, your eating habits aren't the best. Not only can you see things that most people shudder at, you need to make sense of them and then react appropriately. Pay varies greatly by job title, location, and employer. EMTB's would be on the lower end, obviously paramedics get paid better. Pay also depends on where you work- hospital based, private provider, 3rd service as a 911 responder, as a cross trained Firefigher/EMT or paramedic. I think you need to do some ride time on a fire based unit, a private provider, and/or in an Emergency room to get a feel for the job. Do multiple attempts, because no 2 days are alike. You may get what is called the "curse of the rider" where it's the slowest, most boring day in the history of that unit. Bottom line- like was said above- it can't be about the pay, because in most cases, the pay is not the attraction. If this is indeed the business for you, once you do it, it will become like a drug-you can't get enough. It will also be the toughest job you'll ever love. It takes a different breed- people in this business are crazy, but they will be the most loyal, true, and protective friends you will ever have. It's a family- with all the requisite drama that goes with any family. Good luck.

Much easier said than done, doc. Clearly some people will always have a major chip on their shoulder that NOBODY will be able to knock off. In an old ER I worked at, one of our favorite gags was the "pity pot". We would present a bed pan to someone who did nothing but whine about how they have been wronged by everything and everyone, and nothing was ever their fault.

Spenac, as a Native American, you and your people DO have the right to complain the loudest. What the "white man" and everyone else who visited here- did to your people is horrendous. So- why is it that we DON'T hear the same complaints from this community- even when they are entitled to it? I submit this is a matter of pride, self respect, and self reliance.

Anyone who works in a busy urban system probably has at least 6 regulars. I had a couple guys so often, I knew their life stories, DOB's and even SSN's by heart. That's disgusting, isn't it? Everyone knows there is nothing wrong with them- they are alcoholics, and like the guys in the story, only want a bed and breakfast.

In my experience, the number of full arrest victims- where capnography is useless- far outweighs the patients intubated for only respiratory problems. Prehospital wise, capnography is most useful for extended transports which are not what most first response, urban areas see.

Like someone in one of those articles said who DID make it out, your situation does not define who you are or what you can become. You can decide to stay where you are, in the same situation, and continue the cycle, or do something to help yourself. So explain to me WHY those "exceptions" are even possible? By your reasoning, these "exceptions" should not even exist. I'll give you a little hint- it's about CHOICE, and time after time, those "thousands" you cite made the wrong choices. BTW- I've spent my whole career in and out of projects. As bad as they are, they aren't even the worst areas to live. Besides, those projects are rapidly becoming a thing of the past around here- Section 8 and housing vouchers have spread these folks all over the place. Nice places to visit, but I'll pass on taking up residence there. The obvious reasons- violence, drugs, and the fact that a white guy might stand out a bit unless he was buying dope. The not so obvious reason- I have nothing in common with most of the residents there. I would not be content with my situation there and do everything humanly possible to get myself out of it.

No, spoken like a person who worked hard for everything they have, with no handouts and no help simply because of their race or ethnicity. White banks?? LOL You need to pay attention to the news. Our current financial collapse is due in large part to those "white banks" being forced by activist and liberal groups like ACORN to lower standards so "everyone" can own a home- regardless of their ability to afford it. You can't leave the projects if you drop out of school and then complain that you can't find a job, gang bang, father children that the government needs to support instead of you, and then blame the "white man", racism, and slavery for all your problems. Do those statistics also show that the son, in-law, friend, or political supporter of the right people also make more money, have better jobs, and get better promotions than people with no such clout? Get over it- life isn't fair for lots of people. Does a kid deserve to be born into an abusive home, or to a situation where he/she is being raised by a single parent on welfare? Since when does your situation doom you to repeat the same mistakes your parent(s) made? Bad things happen to people, and a good parent wants something better for their children. They instill proper values and a strong work ethic, and push their kids to do better than they did, not making the same mistakes. Interesting that you note the racial makeup of this country. I believe your numbers are high- I understand it's more like 12-13% of the population is black, but whatever. Point is, with affirmative action and set aside policies that apply across the board, in every city and state, this means that a very small percentage of the country gets a huge advantage over EVERYONE else. It's still not enough, I guess. Hmm- seems to me this is "cause and effect", NOT racism. Break the law, get convicted, go to jail- regardless of your color or ethnic origin. Seems like a pretty straightforward consequence of one's CHOICES. So if a black man commits a crime, he goes to jail because of RACISM, not because he BROKE THE LAW by doing things like selling drugs, armed robbery, or committing murder? I think you need to brush up on the definition of racism. You seem like a bright guy- tell me you don't really believe this nonsense you are spewing. This persecution complex has gotten old for a lot of people. Simply crying racism at every turn doesn't have the same shock value it once did and certainly hasn't done peple in ghettos any favors, has it? We have a black President of the United States, for crissakes, Tell me again about all those barriers and how opportunities are not available for black America.

LMAO Just when I thought I had heard them all... Thanks for the belly laugh.

These are stories about people who grew up in public housing back in the 50's and 60's. Note the diversity here. Jews, Italians, blacks, whites, immigrants- with common roots. Note what they say about HOW and WHY they succeeded. Note the descriptions of their backgrounds, influences, and role models. Note that not a single one of them blames the "white man" or racism for anything. Note that they all had a desire to change their circumstances and they were willing to put forth an effort to do it. Selected quotes: "People did not understand that Jane Addams in the 1940s and 1950s was a safe place where families, many of them of Italian descent like him, gathered in their yards in the summer. Everyone knew one another, and families like his were common -- the men worked two or three jobs to make ends meet while their wives stayed home. Basile, however, always wanted more for himself." and "Back then, public housing was not viewed as last-resort housing. When we moved in, it was a big deal. We were moving up from the tenements," said Brady, 60, one of seven children whose father was a postal worker and mother stayed home. "I didn't really understand how poor we were in comparison to other people." Sounds pretty "middle class" to me. And this from the CEO of Chicago's Public Housing, who grew up as a resident there... "I find more times than not, this look of surprise when people talk about where they came from and what they have achieved," Jordan said. "It is important to tell these stories so others can know that by working hard, having good people around you and a whole lot of luck, anything can be accomplished." From Dick Portillo, founder of a nationwide chain of fast food places: For most of his young life, Dick Portillo's universe consisted of row houses on Mohawk Street known then as the Mother Frances Cabrini housing project, later called Cabrini-Green. "We didn't have material things. We never went on vacation," said Portillo, 69, whose father did everything from selling insurance to working in factories while his mother raised him and two siblings. "I don't remember being sad. We didn't have steak or fast food, but we ate. We didn't know we were poor because nobody in the projects had any money." from a playwright and founder of a black theater group: "It's not about where you are from, it is about how open you are to understanding that there is more to the world around you than you can hear, see or feel." Taylor said she had all kinds of role models, good and bad, growing up in the 1960s. Her challenge was to decide which she would emulate. "I had role models who said, 'Let's get pregnant and live in the projects and have a good time.' I had role models who said, 'No, you want to be someone, you want to have things and make it in the world because you have something to offer.' I had both sides, and I think the majority of us have both sides." According to Taylor, the projects are no different than the rest of the world. Many of the problems that exist there can also be found in communities that have lots of money. And this is my favorite, taken from his obituary and directly applicable to this forum. I had the pleasure of knowing this man. He was a true gentleman, fair, honest, and ALWAYS willing to help anyone. I have even referenced his textbooks in my teachings. Mr. Crane grew up in the Ida B. Wells public housing complex on the South Side and graduated from Dunbar High School, where he met his future wife, Lois. Here is link to his obituary. His resume and accomplishments would make any scholar envious. www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-hed-bcranejul08,0,4881774.story chicagotribune.com BENNIE L. CRANE 1935-2009 Bennie L. Crane, 1935-2009: Retired Chicago district fire chief Mentor to fellow firefighters

First. a previous poster did a nice job looking at the links you provided. I read them as well but have nothing significant to add. As for the above passage... How is it that racism forced fathers to abandon their parental responsibilities? Before the Civil Rights movement, the prevalence of single parent homes was essentially the same as for any other group-it was rare. I read a study about this and need to find it again, but I promise you it is true. This isn't a racial problem, it's about abdicating your responsibilities, and that is a problem endemic to the community, not an external issue. You need to back up a bit with the inequity in pay issue here. WHY is there an inequity in pay? Claiming racism is the easy cop out but... Could it be that the high school drop out rate for blacks is astronomical? It's pretty hard to make a a decent living and support a family without a basic high school diploma or GED, much less a 6 figure income. The change has to start somewhere, and with all the incentives, special programs, mentoring, tutoring, affirmative action, and other race based initiatives available, even in an economically depressed area, it is EASILY possible to elevate yourself and change the status quo for yourself, but the effort must be there. The "barriers" to success are self imposed, not from white folks. It's not easy for ANYONE to succeed these days, and there are no promises for success for anyone except the trust fund kids, and when programs are specifically targeting the black community, what else should be done? Again, I know for a fact that many people who grew up in public housing back in the 50's and 60's and it was NOT just for blacks. It was also a family oriented place with working people who were not rich, but were getting by. The people who were successful worked hard, stayed in school, and stayed out of trouble, and they did not have many of the protections and set asides available now. At some point, attitudes changed, and the value of hard work was replaced with a victimization mentality which is a direct result of the set aside movement. People who may not have had the strongest work ethic or morality base realized that thanks to hand outs, they could "survive" just fine without putting forth much of an effort, and that mentality took hold and exploded. As a result, they became marginalized and began to operate independent of the rest of society-do what you have to do to survive. Social engineering ideas that were meant to help or simply to atone for past injustices, have done done nothing but ensure a permanent underclass. After all, it's human nature- most people take the path of least resistance. You seem to be suggesting that poverty automatically begets violence, lawlessness, immorality, and a lack of education. I strongly disagree with that notion. I've worked in poor black areas for my whole career- I know better. Those who are able to "get out" of the ghetto have family support and people who instill values and a work ethic. I suggest the opposite is true- once no value is placed on education, a stable family unit, and a strong work ethic, those societal ills become the norm. It's not the "white man's" fault that a kid decides to drop out and join a gang. They make that decision as soon as they buy into the notion that staying in school, getting a job, staying out of trouble, working your way up, etc- is "acting white", selling out, and is a bad thing. Again- the chicken or the egg here. If a teenage black male drops out of school, what "career" do you think he is qualified for? They make a choice- based on their role models, their family, and their peers. If they attempt to elevate themselves, they are accused of "acting white". You can blame the white man all you want- and clearly you do- but you need to stop blaming everything on the "white man". Laws exist to protect from true racism- and yes it does occur- along with sexism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, nepotism, and all sorts of bias. Get over it, get past it, and stop using it as an excuse. More "white man whining". If you are illegal, you should NOT have a right to anything other than a one way ticket back to where you came from. That means no bank account, no drivers license, no free education, no free health care, no rights reserved for citizens. These aren't white man's rules, this is common sense. Go to Mexico or any other country as a US citizen, decide to stay without becoming a citizen and demand the things we give ILLEGALS here. See how far you get. I have news for you- illegal aliens work their arses off for low pay, but somehow they are able to survive, make a living, and even send money back home to their families. They don't feel that menial jobs are beneath them, and don't expect to get a "white collar job" because they know they ARE illegal, have limited language skills and are undereducated. Again, at some point, choices are made to either continue the status quo, or try to elevate yourself. These days, there is NO reason why someone has to CHOOSE to stay in a ghetto. Step one is to stay in school. PERIOD. How many gang bangers do you think have HS diplomas or GED's? Step 2- take responsibility for your own actions- meaning if you cannot support yourself, you had better not start spreading your seed and having kids you cannot take care of in any way. After that, the road is wide open. Difficult- yep- and these days, it's difficult for EVERYONE, but when you have special programs that give you opportunities unique to your group, you even have an advantage over everyone else. USE IT. There are no promises of success for ANYONE except an elite few. Always been that way, and always will be. Bull. You have a myopic view of "middle class". My "middle class" upbringing: A father with a high school education, stay at home mom. Public school education for us. (That was the norm) Worked his arse off 12-14 hrs a day, worked his way up to middle management. I stayed in school, stayed out of trouble- mostly- and worked nearly every day after school. Lived in apartments until I was 14 until they could save enough to buy a house. Had 1 family car, and although we always had food on the table, not much left at the end of the month. Took 1 major family vacation- to Disney World-they saved for years for it. I started to work at age 14 at $1/hr. Soon worked 2-3 jobs. Saved my money, bought my my first car at 16. Come college time, there was no money to pay for it. Applied for financial aid- sorry- dad makes "too much" money. It wasn't about net income after expenses, they went by his salary. Sell the family car, they said. Needed to be a minority to be eligible for most of the money. Applied for and received a school loan in my name- cosigned by parents. Graduated and took 10 years to pay off my loans, working on privates and driving a truck for $4/hr. (I still have the contract that is stamped "Paid in Full". That is "middle class" reality for most people and no different than most people I grew up with. All had parents who instilled a strong work ethic and a "bootstraps" mentality. Nobody was given something for nothing. NOBODY. If you couldn't afford it, you either put in extra hours, got a 2nd job, or you did without it because nobody was standing there with a monthly check to bail you out.It simply was not an option. More bull. Except for maybe a Kennedy or Rockefeller family, what someone's great-great great-great grandpa did has NO bearing on their educational performance today. NONE. YOU are the one being educated, NOT an ancestor from centuries ago. YOU make the choice-stay in school, learn, get an education, or drop out. Explain the success of immigrants like a Korean/Arab/Slavic etc., family who comes here from REAL poverty- growing up in a village with no running water, living in a hut, under an oppressive and violent dictator that kills to keep power. They don't have things like affirmative action, welfare, or set asides. If you don't work, you don't eat. They come here with nothing- and don't even speak the language, yet in a generation or 2, own a grocery store, a cleaner, a restaurant, or some other business. They learn the language, become citizens, and they prosper. Like the "white man", they do not have race based help. They even make enough to send for more family members to get out of their horrible situations. Tell me again how the evil Republican "white man" denies their success? Get off the pity pot.

AMR is all about the money. They attempted a hostile takeover here and drove many companies either out of business or forced them to consolidate. They wanted to take over 911 calls but realized a 30% reimbursement rate wasn't going to help their bottom line. They left. Good luck.

The original topic was a promotional exam for firefighters. Either you know the material or you do not. Everyone has access to the same materials. Firefighting is race neutral, but if you try hard enough, I guess you can insert race into anything. Gawd knows plenty of activists make a nice living doing exactly that. Never took the registry. As soon as you put a subjective component into anything, bias is a possibility. Is a purely objective exam the perfect solution? Of course not, but it beats all the suspicions of bias and clout when other things are considered. Someone will ALWAYS claim they were treated unfairly. Again, training in leadership, management skills should be mandatory for anyone who is a supervisor. The more responsibility someone has, the more training, education they should have. No, the current system rewards those who do not adequately prepare for a test by giving them an easy alibi- racism. This USSC ruling is a step in the right direction for true equality. You take a pretty dim view of the intelligence of a race if you assume they cannot compete on a level playing field. Every time you insert racial exceptions into a situation, you diminish the accomplishments of every person of that group who succeeded and/or excelled without any extra help.

I thought that request for banishment was tongue in cheek, but whatever. Thanks for putting forth a mature and proper opinion on this. This discussion has been testy- even nasty at times, but I don't feel it's crossed the line.

Stats, polls, and surveys. They can be skewed to say anything you wish so you need to always dig a bit deeper than polls and maintain a healthy dose of skepticism. Reinforce those numbers with more data, objective and independent opinions, scientific studies- anything to bolster your argument and corroborate your claims. It's been said before here, evidence based decisions are the only way we can progress. Data justifies new techniques, new equipment, new protocols, and the improvements we want in the delivery of EMS services. Problem is, unscrupulous people may use corrupt or incomplete data and if it puts forth a popular or positive idea, people tend to suspend logic and believe what they want to believe. We have to be better than that.

Bull. As for my ancestors, they were in Europe during the time of slavery so neither one of us is responsible for it. A significant number also came over as indentured servants. Get off the pity pot. Ask the Irish, Poles, Italians, and many other groups how easy it was for them when they arrived here. They lived in slums, were treated as 2nd class citizens, and were forced to take jobs that most would not want- police, fire, sanitation workers, etc. BTW- YOU deserve NOTHING for what your ancestors went through. NOTHING. If you can figure out a way to directly compensate those people for what THEY went through, I'll be first in line to send a check and an apology. Until then, for the good of everyone involved, let this rest. No, but "statistically", those who go off shore do not have the grades and/or MCAT scores to get in to a traditional medical school here. It's not just about being "smart" , it's about the quality of training. You need a objective method for evaluation. As soon as you bring personal opinions into it, bias will ensue. In the case of knowledge- or lack thereof, it can indeed mean injury or loss of life. As an officer, you are responsible for the safety of your company as well as that of any civilians. The more you understand about building construction, potential hazards, tactics, etc, the better job you will do and the better the decisions you will make. Any firefighter who has dealt with an incompetent officer knows the possible consequences of a bad decision and/or a poor leader. As for human resource issues, you need to understand leadership/management skills and techniques in order to be an effective supervisor. Why are you so afraid of having your knowledge tested? And out it comes- someone utters a negative syllable about Jackson, thus it must be racism. Crochity, you have an odd definition of "hero". Icons, certainly, groundbreaking artists, sure, but hero?? Both Elvis and Jackson were celebrities. Both have fans whose adoration goes beyond all sanity, reason and common sense. Both were entertainers. Both were wealthy. Both were addicted and enabled by hangers on. Both died way too young. I'd love to hear you describe all the "odd" behaviors of Elvis. I don't think you can compare eating fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches with making your home into an amusement park, a grown man inviting kids to his house for "sleepovers", perpetual plastic surgeries, sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, or hanging your kid out a window as a joke. As for Elvis being a "child molester", you need to be careful. In many places the age thing is not a problem. BTW-I don't call rappers, dancers, athletes, singers, or actors "heroes", and I defy you to cite where Elvis is hailed as a "hero" by anyone.

Nobody in my family was involved in public safety- fire, EMS or police. I waited 5 years to get my job- training brand new people who got on before me simply because of the color of their skin, and/or because they went to the "right" paramedic school. This particular school had a handshake agreement with the department so they could push the minority quotas. When it was first established, that paramedic program was a 2 year associate degree. They couldn't get enough minorities to pass it, so they made it a certificate program- basic gen ed classes. Still couldn't get the minority numbers, so they made it only the bare essentials- paramedic classes only. Again- I taught brand new medics who jumped over everyone else- not because of qualifications, but die to their skin color. Tell me again how racist and excluding this arrangement sounds to you. Huh? So based on your pretzel logic, because I was the first in my family to get a college degree, much less a graduate degree, I should be expected to fail? Are you claiming there is some type of group-think in the black community that precludes individual success? Ah- a proponent of the feel good, "new math" mentality. Don't have any standards or measures of progress or success. Don't give out grades, it hurts little junior's self esteem. Don't correct poor grammar or ghetto slang- call it "ebonics" instead. Don't hold everyone to the same standards- it's not "fair". Don;t have the right answer- it's OK- the effort is what matters. Don't worry, the liberals are so riddled with deep seated guilt- and they don't even know why- that we won't have true "fairness" for a long time in this country. BTW- in our department, you already get extra points simply for being born a minority AND special consideration after the results are in. Problem is, it still isn't enough. Easy solution: Dispense with all the pretense, convolutions, and new math. If you are a minority and want the job or the promotion, it's yours. No need to file lawsuits, no scores, no grades, or worrying about a thing. Everyone else needs to study and fight for the leftovers. As long as you don't care about standards or results, then I'm sure you would have no problem with a Grenada Medical school doctor removing your brain tumor vs a Harvard trained neurosurgeon. After all, they both have MD's after their names, right?

Congrats on the save. Unfortunately, the ones who return with no deficits and survive to discharge are indeed rare. I've had a few. One in particular was interesting. A guy- about 50 years old, found on all fours on the sidewalk, unable to stand, and slightly confused, c/o SOB- no pain. Turns out, he was on his way from his MD to get an MRI for some back related problem and became too weak to walk. The first responder fire company thought the guy was a drunk and essentially did nothing but wait for us to arrive. Looking at the guy as we approached, something did not add up- it was one of those gut feelings. Turns out, he was bradycardic, and hypotensive. We started ALS. We were essentially a block or so from the ER and gave them a quick heads up we were on the way. The doc on the radio just happened to be our medical director, and advised us to treat as much as possible enroute. I agreed- we were literally on the property of a Level One Trauma center- silly to screw around if not necessary. WIthin seconds- before I could even give any meds, he bradyed down, went into V-tach, and arrested. I notified my partner what happened with a very loud "Aw sh*t!" and told him to hurry around the block. I was on my own because the first responder had already left, my partner was already behind the wheel, so I slapped the pads on him, and defibbed x's 2. By the time we hit the ER, the guy was awake, asking me what was going on, asking what horse kicked him in the chest. I briefly explained what happened as we rolled into the ER, and his eyes got as big as saucers. He shook my hand and we turned over care. I pulled the doc aside, told him I decided to ignore his medical orders and said I would await my suspension. I then showed him the EKG strip and he laughed. I insisted on taking a day off, but he declined to give it to me. The resusitation room was also full of observers- wide eyed, fresh med students, paramedic students, and nursing students. My partner and I shrugged as we left, and he told them it was no biggie- this stuff happens every day. I had everything I could do to keep from a belly laugh. The doc rolled his eyes and threw something at us as we left. I know a bunch of copies of that EKG were made and are probably still making the rounds in education circles. I later learned the guy had an ablation procedure and was fine- no deficits, no muscle damage. Calls like that are indeed rare and great fun. They make up for all the ones we don't save and all the BS we put up with.

Fascinating stuff. I've never heard of this before. I've always had issues with math as well.

Well, we have plenty of blacks- supervisors and grunts in EMS here. We also have plenty of black FF's, thanks to the games they have played with entrance exam results in years past. Not enough minorities- make the test race neutral. Still not enough- change the standards, reduce the passing score, use race norming, band the scores so that a black guy who gets one point above passing has the same chance as a white guy with a score in the 90's. Is an entrance exam an indication of someone's ability to perform as a FF- absolutely not. Problem is, what's the point of taking an exam if your score is irrelevant? Make it pass/fail and be done with it, but do NOT adjust the scores any further. No points for being a minoriity, no special scoring practices to ensure more minorities pass the test. Since the playing field will never be level, this issue will never go away. Kudos to those FF's for having the stones to stand up for a double standard. 2 wrongs do NOT make a right.

Here we go again. Crotchity- simple questions: Should the results of a RACE NEUTRAL promotional exam be thrown out simply because no blacks were able to pass it?