SSG G-man

"War is bad very bad" "I would never go"

I can relate to the first, but I have trouble with the second. If one enjoys all that a great nation like ours has to offer, than one should be willing to defend that. I know a lot of people have issues with us being in Iraq, what about Afghanistan? Would these people have fought the Germans in WWII? Would they have fought to save the Union in the Civil War?

I personally think that a stint in the military ought to be a requirement for getting a high school diploma, unless there is something that precludes military service, then it should be the peace corps. Conscientious objector? Be a medic or a chaplains assistant.

Sorry, to rant, but I am serving and my nephew is getting ready to head to Iraq for tour 2 and lost two guys from old unit in Afghanistan.

Sarge

PS Savoy 6 Great Name!!!

I think so. Do we want ambulances with Extrication equipment? Maybe? I think the division of work is good. I especially think it is good when it is a combined service. IF there is a 3rd party EMS they might not be a well trained in extrication. I think the division of tasks is a good thing.

I am at a combined station and the fire side handle all the extrication. Good thing is that many are cross trained as EMTs or P's so they see the medical side of the job also. Also comes in handy when the patient is out, they can help with patient care.

Sarge

I am a volly in southern MD. We have a mix of paid and volly EMS. FD is still about 95 % volly with a few paid drivers. Fairfax has some volly, but rest is FD based. There are alot of transfer services. I have friends that work for some of the local transfer services, mostly based in MD. I do not have much VA knowledge, I left northern VA before I got into EMS. Contact me and I will see what I can find out for you if you have specific questions.

Sarge

I know a lot of the FD's in our area give names to different pieces of apparatus. "RT 231 Express" is one that comes to mind!!

I still contend EMS company mottos to be high on the list of things that dumb down the profession. EG: UPS has a motto, USPS has a motto, dominos has a motto, and EMS has a motto?

WTF?

How many police departments have a motto? How many doctors services have "millions and millions served" outside their offices?

Its stupid.

I have seen a lot of Police cars with a variation of "to serve and protect" on them. Some have something somilar to "protecting (insert town) since (insert year).

www.hvfdems.org

In Southern Md, not too far from Washington, DC. Rural enough if you like that and close enough to the city to get those benefits too.

Sarge

nicely done.

I suspect with a bit bigger budget you could have done something like the state of new jersey. Have you seen it?

Roll With It

The Flash/Broadband version is the best. Check it out.

I actually think that was done by PA not NJ. But still do not think it is the way to do it. Much like military recruiting, show the high-speed cool stuff, not the hours of cleaning weapons and barracks and sitting around waiting.

I have no personal experience with Thorogood, but alot of people I know (Soldiers) love them. I have never heard any negatives from anyone who has had them.

Sarge

I pick apart military movies the same way and my wife always reminds me, its just a movie. She swears people will not think that what they see in a movie like "Basic" or "the Last Castle" is the way the Army really is. Was Chips or NYPD Blue the way cops really are? Any Lawyers want to critique LA Law, the Practice or Ally McBeal? Drs talk about Chicago hope, St Elsewhere, or ER?

It is TV folks. Most of the plot lines could be the same with some different profession as the vehicle! Either watch or don't, but why waste all this energy critiquing a show that will probably be gone in a season.

Sarge

I do not know anything about the bowflex. I would say just look for anything for the triceps. Also, I would work on your cardiovascular endurance also.

Just my $.02

Sarge

I want to know about the free Magnums!!!

Our department has no standard for this. I like to feel comfortable with patient before moving, some like to get to ambulance quick and work there. The county dispatch will check on you every ten minutes unless you cancel the "duration check." IF you do not respond the cavalry will be sent.

I would say for a department average on scene time is about 15 minutes. We do have some calls to a Veterans home that scene time is longer because of getting through the building and dealing with the staff.

Why does the Department of the Interior deal with great outdoors?

Why does the Department of State deal with foreign countries?

I guess since I am a job stealing under educated only doing it for a hobby and my ego Volunteer, I don't have quite as much time off. Uncle same has me in the office from 0600 to 1700(at least) M-F. Sat and Sun when needed. Due to high cost of living in this area (Washington, DC Metropolitan area) I live about 40 miles from work. Almost an hour getting in. Hour and a half to two hours getting home.

Not real conducive to college courses.

But, I should not worry about that. The paid crews are taking over the county slowly and I will eventually not be a Volunteer EMT anymore. I guess I can still keep the paid part time job I have for a transfer service.

I feel like a loser. I tried to google it and came up with nothing!!

Teachers are required to have a degree whether they are rural or urban. Teachers are required to have so many CEUs every year or on a 2 year rotation or they can lose thier certification or ability to teach within certain districts. Rural or urban, they seem to be able to maintain this despite their location and LOW PAY. We as parents, community leaders, or community members would expect nothing less, so why do we tolerate it in EMS?

Its simple, you implement higher education now and phase it in. The majority of people are grandfathered into the system. There will be no huge drain on resources available as EMS will now be viewed as a degreed career instead of somthing to pass the time. The state of Oregon has been doing this since 1998 and it has caused very few if any problems at all. Instead, more rounded, more educated students are on the streets providing higher levels of care.

Well when you are a teacher with 2 or 3 months off every summer it makes it a little easier to get those CEU's. (Just like people complaining about teachers low pay. They work 9 months a year. Get a summer job!! Sorry got on a tangent) Would EMS companies give time off to get the upgraded education? Doubt it!!

78.343

Sarge---Thought you were on Hiatus!!!

Glad you did not go!

With our crew--why is it if we eat Chinese Take out...we work a code (Within 1 hour).

So far it is a 100% sure thing--over the past 3 years.

I was going to but some habits (addictions???) die hard!!!!

Our county has a mix of paid and volunteer medics. Most of the volunteer medics are paid folks in another jurisdiction doing it on their days off. I can see the end of the volunteer system in my county looming for EMS. Think FD will stay volunteer for a while. I think EMS calls are 3-1 over fire, and most of the fire calls are to assist EMS either in extrication or manpower.

Good Luck sir.

I am hoping I will have an opportunity to go also. I would like to get 91W qualified and deploy as a medic, but if I go I will probably either go as my current REMF MOS or as an 11B ground pounder.

God Bless and keep your head down. Send back so good war stories so we can live vicariously through you!!

Weasel-

We have some folks that "live-in" and there some that sleep in on a regular basis (I am there almost every Fri and Sat night from 2100-0600 or 0700). We do not have a set schedule during the day, but are usually covered by the folks who work shift work. Plus being in a semi-rural area with a low traffic volume some folks can get from home pretty quick. I have been in the bathroom and met people responding from home by the time I can get down stairs. IT is not a perfect system. We were supposed to be getting a paid daytime ALS crew, but another station in the county gave up EMS altogether, so the paid crew went there and wait for next hiring cycle. The only time we seem to have much trouble is 0500 to about 1100. I guess this is our transition with folks leaving for work and the night shift people coming home and getting settled in.

We have folks sign up for duty crew hours, that lets people know when there will be no one in house and we respond from home. Because of my "real job" and family I usually respond from home on weekends during the day. As our area population grows so does our call volume and the need for better coverage. So we are getting the paid folks in. When they come in, we will be able to take the call if it is a BLS call, and we can go with them if it is an ALS call. Be discussion now is if county is going to provide a rig or will they use ours.

I hope this makes things clear as mud.

The more severe your need to urinate, the greater the likely hood of a call in the next 30 seconds.

I hate people who see you in uniform (US Army in my case) then walk up and say "are you in the Army?"

HERE's YOUR SIGN!!!

See this with all branches of military, Police, and Fire. Heard someone ask a guy in full turnout gear if he was a fireman!! I was hoping for a good answer like "No, I am a rocket scientist, how can I help you!"

Once again the volunteer and basic bashing!! My station is about 2basics to 1 EMT-P. So, IF the EMT-P does not come for a call that's okay, 'cause hes a cool EMT-P. But if a basic is not there, its because he is waiting for a cooler call. I understand!!

I need to quit this site. Tired of searching through the land fill of BS for the nugget knowledge I came here hoping to find!

Sarge. Out.... for a sabbatical!!