46Young

October 16, 2009

I attended the ABLS course today at my FRD, given by 3 RN's and an MD from MedStar. When we were reviewing for our practicals, the MD asked us what RSI med ought to be avoided for the burn pt. and why. Nothing but blank stares from the class. Here's the answer:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/452569

I also overheard a comment about how the course content doesn't really apply to 911 prehospital care (it certainly does). Knowledge of how a pt may be managed in a burn center will improve your assessment to look for what the burn surgeon may need to know, and will also allow you employ best practices when you go above your protocols when seeking authorization from OLMC.

The 911 only medic is incomplete. Many cert programs place their main emphasis on the 911 side only, only giving token gestures towards IFT or in hospital considerations. A degree program should ensure that the medic has the knowledege base to see the big picture, how our actions affect the pt's in hospital Tx course. More importantly, it provides the base for a legitimate progression to CCEMT-P or flight.

October 15, 2009

My FRD has always considered I's and P's the same for all intents and purposes. The problem is with the difference in knowledge base between the two. There are many areas in the US where an EMT I-85 or I-99 many be the only game in town. Some say that if EMT-P becomes the entry level position, mandated by federal law, then these local Govt's will somehow find the money to compensate degreed medics. I'm not so sure. It's like trying to squeeze blood out of a rock.

October 15, 2009

Who would work for that low pay?

The pay isn't the only factor to consider. Your retirement benefits and medical are as important if not more so. Many have become bankrupt due to medical costs. Many have exhausted their 401k/403b, not having a pension to rely on. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't federal employees vested with medical benefits for life after only 5 yeasr of service? Also remember, that 50k is only a starting salary.

Municipal employers typically offer lower salary ranges when compared to the private sector. That's because the municipal employees are getting job security, pension, superior medical that they can take with them post retirement, so on and so forth. Judging a position solely on the basis of annual compensation is an extremely myopic view. Consider also that some employers, municipal or private alike, may offer a generous starting salary. This may serve to distract the prospective empolyee from any number of undesireable aspects to the position such as lousy schedules, forced OT, horrendous working conditions, prohibitive leave policy, lousy retirement, lousy medical, lack of career advancement, lack of tuition reimbursement, lack of a grievance process rather than favoritism from management, residency requirement in a region with a poor quality of life, lack of substantial raises after that initial generous starting salary, etc. etc.

One needs to consider the big picture when looking for a place to work. Do your research.

October 15, 2009

Sounds like a great place to get some experience, if you don't mine working in the cesspool that is D.C. Plenty of places to work that pay better and have lower costs of living.

SE DC can be rough, but there are planty of nice areas as well. I currently live in the Garrisonville area of Stafford Co VA, where starter homes are going for around 200k. Great schools and a large number of military, public service and Gov't employees living here. Maybe an hour from DC, maybe less. Just go in early and PT before your shift. Plenty of nice areas in MD as well.

I got my experience in some rough areas Queens and Brooklyn, and I've lived in some pretty shady areas as well (Bushwick for one). It's a great place to be from, and I wouldn't trade the life experience and job experience that I'm fortunate to have for anything. It's given me the tools to face any situation that I may encounter in my travels.

Many families are losing everything they own and worked for, and would be very fortunate to land a secure pensioned career such as this. 50k post academy (that's entry salary, mind you, not top out) is pretty good. I'm sure that you get much better experience than working (rotting) out in the sticks somewhere, running 2 calls a day if you're lucky.

October 14, 2009

Brookhaven still has the bariatric unit. The nurses station has Richard Simmons on the speed dialer.

For those who have no clue what I refer to, it is a facility where almost the entire 3rd floor's patient population weighs a minimum of 400 pounds each. When FDNY EMS responds to that floor, we usually run 1 BLS and 1 ALS, or 2 BLS, always assisted by a CFR-D (Certified First Responder-Defibrillator) engine company (usually E328 or 264), which accompanies us to the Saint John's Episcopal Hospital, roughly a quarter mile away.

Are the FF's at the station cool, or do they still give EMS the cold shoulder there? The whole thing seemed ridiculous to me.

October 14, 2009

I'm being presumptive that this was addressed to me.

A "Conditions Boss" is the lieutenant, or captain, patrolling the district, responding with the units as required, and generally making sure all the crews are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and keeping them safe. The "boss" also is the first EMS officer to respond to assume command at any MCI, relieving the "senior" EMT or Paramedic from the first-in ambulance's command responsibilities at said MCI.

Note: our protocols call any incident that either has generated, or has potential to generate, 5 or more patients, as an MCI (Multiple Casualty Incident).

The station I run with, Station 47, runs 4 BLS, 1 ALS, and 1 ALS HazTec unit, under one lieutenant, splitting his or her time between "patrol" and "administrative" as needed. The radio designation would be "Conditions 47" from my station.

Optimally, there are 2 lieutenants on duty at all times, one on Patrol, one doing administrative duties, on each 8 hour tour, with the captain rotating a week on each tour.

Are the FF's still hiding the card for the cable from the EMT's/medics? Or does everyone get along at the station now? Does Brookhaven still have the 3rd floor bariatric unit? I used to go there often when I worked for Hunter back in the day.

October 14, 2009

How about tutorials regarding PCR writing? That seems to be a common cause for concern with those new to the field. I wish that I had such a guide when I was starting out. There ought to be seperate sections for IFT, 911, refusals, and suggestions for wording (catch phrases, disclaimers and such) to deflect liability should you be required to testify in court.

October 14, 2009

This is what my FRD advises us abour Air Medical Transport:

The routine use of Air Medical Transport based SOLELY on mechanism of injury (MOI) should be discouraged.

The decision to transport by air must take into account a number of factors.

1. Logistical factors - access and time/distance variables.

-Proximity to the receiving facility

-Traffic congestion

-Topographical factors limiting patient access by ground or water transport units

-Availability of and proximity to an acceptable landing zone

2. Patient factors

Trauma - MOI significant enough to require transport to a trauma center plus one of the following anatomic/physiologic abnormalities

- Compromised airway, cannot be maintained or managed

-Respiratory distress/failure

-Signs/symptoms of hypoperfusion/shock

-GCS of 10 or less; GCS decreasing two points from 1st and 2nd assessment

-Loss of consciousness more than five minutes

-Neurological signs/symptoms suggestive of spinal cord injury

-Two or more long bone fractures/deformities

Medical/Surgical (suspicion of the following)

-Acute ST elevation MI with S/Sx of shock or severe CHF

-Ruptured AAA (abdominal pain/back pain and hypotension)

-Aortic dissection

-Acute ischemic CVA (stroke) less than 3 hours from symptom onset

Contraindications to Air Medical Transport

-Pt has no obtainable vital signs upon initial assessment and remains without vital signs during the course of the resuscitation effort

-Pt is contaminated with a hazardous material

-Patient's condition requires multiple caregivers and/or space to provide CPR

-Pt size (consideration)

-Patient's injuries (grossly angulated fractures)

October 14, 2009

The North Shore LIJ CEMS, where I used to work, experienced two LODD's. One was Carlos Lillo, a FDNY medic who worked per diem at the CEMS, who died on 9/11. Paramedic Bill Stone died while running a vollie call in his spare time out on the island during an accident.

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=39&id=41502

NYS has a memorial to honor EMS LODD's

http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/ems/emsmemorial.htm

I'm in the fire service now, where we study LODD's, learn from them and recreate the situation and drill on them. Examples learned from fire LODD's include two in/two out, RIT, level 2 RIT, Columbus Drill, Denver Drill, maze training, PAR checks, the Heart and Lung Bill, constant revisions to our operation manuals, backing procedures for apparatus, and plymovents to suck up diesel fumes in the bay. I shudder when I think of the 5 years of diesel fumes I've sucked in while sitting on street corners waiting for jobs to come over. As far as EMS, I would think that likely LODD's would include MVA's, needle sticks/other exposures (just drop the sharp on the floor until you need for a BGL or are able to dispose of it properly!), trauma sustained from lack of situational awareness regarding scene safety, suicide related to traumatic work experiences, and the way underemphasized physical health leading to MI's, CVA's and such. Those causes should be drilled and incorporated into the agency's SOP's where applicable, and enforced. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

October 14, 2009

Okay, you've finished EMT/medic school. Now what? Are you looking for FT work as a career, PT side change, or a stepping stone to bigger and better things?

Salary is the first thing that comes to mind. It's important to realize that the starting salary isn't your only concern. Some places pay well to start, but it may be that way to distract one from their horrendous working conditions, lack of career development, or low potential for raises above that. The FDNY and NYPD start their employees at almost a welfare rate (for the region), but their 5 year + personnel are rewarded for sticking around. New employees eat it at first so that tenured employees may benefit with higher compensation than might be possible otherwise. An important thing to ask at the end of the interview, when they ask if you have any other questions, is "How do you determine hourly (or annual) compensation and merit increases"? That particular wording requires a straightforward answer.

http://www.nypdrecruit.com/NYPD_BenefitsOverview.aspx

http://nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/ff_salary_benefits_080106.shtml

A yearly salary quote can be misleading. Are you working 40 hours/wk? 44? 48? 56? Are you FLSA (fire based dual role) or not? Let's take a quoted yearly salary of 49920/yr as an example. If you're working 40 hours/wk, you're getting 24/hr. If you're working 56 hours/wk, getting 40 straight and 16 at 1.5 time, you're earning 15/hr straight and 22.50/hr built in OT. If you're FLSA like me, all of your scheduled work hours are straight time at 17.14/hr. Your OT will be 25.71/hr however, over 3/hr over the 40+16 scenario.

Is your schedule fixed, as in MON/0600-1800, WED/0800-0000, SAT/0700-1900? Or do you rotate as in a 24/48 and the like? Once you get your schedule is it yours permanently, or does management change it up every six months to a year? Is there a mandatory OT policy? Is it capped at 2 hours, or is it 8, 12, or even an extra 24 hours?

What is their leave policy? Do they approve when the staffing ratio allows, or do they make it prohibitively difficult to use any leave? How many sick days and paid days off do you get per year? Can you roll over, or do you lose your time?

What medical/dental plans are available? Deductibles involved? 401k/403b (defined contribution) with matching? Or do they have a defined benefit (pension) with hopefully a 457 deferred comp. Our multiplier results in a nearly 75% compensation rate based on one's highest three years of earning for each year, with COLAs. We also have a three year DROP -

http://benefitsattorney.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=14

By my calculations, my pension will outweigh what I would have otherwise had under a DC plan (under the best of circumstances) in about 6 or 7 years tops. Every year thereafter I'm making out like a bandit.

I'll discuss working conditions, differences between private IFT, third service, fire based, as well as career development/career change utilizing EMS in later posts.

October 13, 2009

How about tutorials about what to look for when searching for a job, such as benefits, salary, built in OT, retirement, opportunity for career development or paid schooling, negotiating tactics, differences between private IFT, third service, fire based, so on and so forth. I'll post some stuff in the general EMS discussion forum. Move it to the tutorials if you feel so inclined.

October 13, 2009

Is your parent's medical insurance valid overseas and in the countries they expect to come in contact with? I'm thinking in terms of restock, expired meds, validity of their doc's Rx in other countries and such.

October 13, 2009

To be honest, I've only watched episode one up to when the kid gets cric'd on the bird. It kept getting more and more outlandish each second, and my head was starting to hurt. It sounds like this series is going to be so bad that everyone feels compelled to watch every week just to see how much more awful and outlandish it gets. It'll probably get great ratings. That would be awesome. We're already tuning in every week, right? I'll probably play catch up online at some point myself, just for kicks and giggles.

October 13, 2009

Straight out of Compton . . .

"First In"

A mix of fire and EMS.

What's an ambulance operator?

Full Episodes here:

First In

NickD

Check out this thread on FH.com

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=110833

None other than Marcel, the BC on the show weighs in and answers questions about the show. He begins at post #23, username upnsmk.

October 12, 2009

The schools financial aid office is the best source for what is available. In many areas, hospitals will pay your loans in exchange for signing a contract to work there "x" number of years.

That's the problem. Unless I go down with an injury, I won't be working FT, so I don't think a hospital would be inclined to pay my way.

I've also discovered why I can't find any info for salary caps and related info. When you apply, there's a sliding scale regarding salary that dictates what the Gov't will pay out. I'm going to contact the FRD's education coordinator tomorrow and hopefully get pointed in the right direction.

October 10, 2009

It would be quite unusual for anyone to turn down a Nobel Prize. Perhaps this reflects the low regard the American Government has had by the rest of the world over the last eight years.

Live long and prosper.

Spock

By not turning it down he effectively endorses the decision, acknowledging that he deserves the Prize more so than anyone else (many of who are far more deserving by evidence of their past actions). He'll have to live with the stigma and negative political ramifications that goes along with that then, seeing that his actions haven't caused any real change, at least not at the close of the nomination period, 11 days into his term and all. Ideas and thoughts of peace are great. Really. I wonder then why the Ms America or Ms Universe winners of days past haven't monopolized the Nobel Peace Prize every year. You know, when they ask the contestant to state what they would wish for, with the generic response of world peace, or an end to world hunger or something.

October 10, 2009

Are you looking to provide EMS related education or something entirely different? That is the dependent factor on whether I can be of help or not. If you are looking to move into a different career, nursing, etc there are also a couple options. Please be more specific so we can help you.

I broke it all down on the thread regarding RT vs RN. Career development at my FRD gives much weight to education for points on promotional exams. I intend to complete fire science, as well as either an ASN or RRT. I'm looking to go with fire science last, as I want the ASN or RRT for side work, or as a fallback career should I sustain a career ending injury landing me on permanent disability. I don't plan on testing for a Lt spot for at least 6-7 years, as all the OT is at the FFM/technician level, and the job responsibilities are far less, freeing up more time for studying. Fire science is wholly necessary for a LT promotion IMO, but I intend to defer seeking a LT spot until I complete both the RN/RT and fire science. I also plan to get into EMS education at some point, and I believe that optimally the educator should be a level or two above the field that they're teaching. I would like to enter EMS education regardless, however.

The thing is, I can get my RN at the NOVA CC if I so choose, and it's wholly affordable. For RRT, I haven't checked yet. However, we're looking to purchase a house in the near future. the FRD will pay for only one class per semester, and I'm not inclined to pay out of pocket for more classes at the moment, at least not until I go up a few steps in pay. OT at my job is over 32/hr (more when we earn step increases in years to come), which is equivalent to working per diem at a job that pays around 67k/yr (which is roughly my yearly base). I've been told that RN's start in this region at around 50k or so, and RRT's get around 60k. So, I'm not losing any ground financially by chipping away at a degree piecemeal until I absolutely have to go school FT. I don't want to drag it out, rather complete as quickly as I can provided I do well, which brings me to the reason why I started this thread.

October 10, 2009

Affirmative Action?

A desire to slap the Bush Administration?

Possibly even a conspiracy to hurt Obama himself by slapping the entire rest of the world across the face, creating the international resentment of him that we are suddenly seeing in the wake of this award? People worldwide who were excited about Obama before are now saying "WTF?" and taking offence at this award.

I read this on another forum today: The true culprits are the members of the Nobel Prize committee, Obama will get the attention for accepting an award that most do not see him as worthy of. I rather he acknowledge this fact, and say, "I reject this award on the reason that I feel many others deserve this award for their lives work for peace, I am just beginning." In my opinion such action of valor will gain him much more favor with many people worldwide and put the Nobel Peace prize committee to shame, and they will think twice next time they hand a free gift to a non-deserving person.

October 10, 2009

There are many free sites you can look for regarding grant/scholarship/etc., however, I can't think of them right now. Maybe check with your local community college financial aid personnel. They may be of assistance in your request. Look for previous EMS benefactors also.

Thanks. When I search the web, all I can find are sites featuring links to applications for various programs. what I can't find are eligibility criteria. I'm wondering if I'm compensated too well to qualify for any aid, even though my wife isn't working, and I'll soon have two children. I can't find any links advising the upper limit cutoff on salary for any of the programs.

Also, our credit is excellent, so we won't having any problems in securing loans. I'm not looking to go that route, however, as we're prepared to purchase a house next year.

October 10, 2009

I'm a 33 year old FFM , married with one child and another one due in late Jan. My wife doesn't work, my base salary is around 67-69k/yr, and I'm on pace to make about 85k or so in total this year. My job is only covering one class per semester at the moment, who knows when they'll allow more. I intend to ask HR for any leads regarding tuition assistance through grants and such. Would anyone have any insight as to what's available at the moment, and what the salary caps would be for certain programs?

October 10, 2009

Maybe next year Ahmenijad will win the prize for building a nuclear bomb so his country will be safe.

Said GOP Rep Gresham Barrett, who is currently running for Governor of SC: "I'm not sure what the international community loved best; his waffling on Afghanistan, pulling defense missiles out of Eastern Europe, turning his back on freedom fighters in Honduras, coddling Castro, siding with Palestinians against Israel, or almost getting tough on Iran."

I found this article amusing: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/flashpoint/2009/10/trashing-america-nobel-peace-p.html

October 9, 2009

I've said this in several different threads, on multiple topics- there is no universal answer to the problems in EMS, so a "compromise" is really not possible. Look at the attitudes here- volunteer vs paid. Fire based EMS vs 3rd service, single role vs cross trained- everyone has their particular niche they want to protect or one they pick on. What is a huge issue in NYC may be irrelevant in Chicago, or SF, so it's not even an urban vs rural problem. Pay scales vary widely, depending on who you work for and where you provide care. Some folks live barely above the poverty line while others are making quite a comfortable living.

In other words, there is no single issue that we can rally around, which makes things like political action difficult.

I don't know what the answer is, but I think we are at a crossroads in EMS. The push seems to be for fire to absorb EMS, and too many times, the group that loses out is EMS- as well as the patients.

I think that single role providers are being pushed out in many areas because of budget issues. From an economic standpoint (from a management perspective) anyone who can perform multiple tasks is the wave of the future. It is more cost effective, less complicated from a manpower standpoint (one person can perform multiple roles, depending on the needs of the day). The bottom line for municipalities is $$, and anything that costs less will be embraced. One of the favorite buzzwords of planners in recent years is "interoperability", which essentially means multiple diverse agencies need to play well with others. It also means we have turf wars and power grabs- nobody wants to be seen as irrelevant or nonessential, and groups like the IAFF have millions of dollars to play with. They can promote their service- even while fires are down, and because they have established assets and manpower, it's easier for them to crank out a few EMT's or medics from an EMT mill to keep their manning and justify jobs. Fire understands the need to tap into something that generates revenue to stay relevant and keep staffing, so the logical solution is to go after EMS. EMS does not have the numbers, organization, national recognition or power structure to absorb fire departments.

Notice nowhere did I mention what is best for the patient- that is the least of a city manager's concerns. As long as SOMEONE shows up, they are happy. "Hey look- we have 5 people and a fire engine here to provide care for you!" They never explain the level of training or skills of those 5 people- it's all for show.

That all seems pretty accurate, generally speaking. I've suggested in the past that EMS take a page from the fire service's book and use similar organization and political action to make gains form the industry. There seem to be several problems, however.....

It's difficult to organize a group that is as fragmented as EMS. For every career single role EMS worker, there are seems to be several that are in it for the short term, either completing a degree, waiting on a civil service list (which may or may not make use of any EMS certs), or lose interest and leave due to burnout. Many use EMS as a quick way to get a job and support themselves until a better opportunity comes along.

Along with organization, there needs to be higher educational standards. The problem is, nearly every single person (no exaggeration) I've spoken to who opted for a paramedic assosciates degree rather than a cert program (or mill) did so with the reasoning that they can use the degree to help obtain other degrees in the healthcare profession. the common sentiment is that they don't intend to be a FT paramedic as a career, maybe just per diem after they get their next degree. Even if they did two years of schooling, unless they land a job at a stellar agency, they won't put up with the industry standard low pay, substandard working conditions, etc. "Why am I putting up with this BS? I have two years of college, I have all these credits already, I think I'll just knock out RN/RT/PA school, and do this on the side, on MY terms." So, the educated tend to leave for greener pastures (based on what I've been told face to face by those who have done so), leaving those from the previous paragraph.

The third problem is that the fire service is absorbing more and more EMS agencies. In some cases it's for a good reason, the best choice for the area. However, I've heard numerous accounts of FD's doing hostile takeovers displacing single role workers, cannabilizing the EMS side to reallocate funds to the fire side, and having an apathetic attitude towards QA/QI in EMS.

There will always be groups that oppose increased education for EMS. FD's that don't offer enough of a desirealbe package to attract quality medics, states with expansive rural areas that would rather not pay for medics, getting by with EMT-A's and EMT-I's, really any employer who doesn't offer enough to attract properly educated personnel.

I wish that I had a real, workable solution to all this, but unfortunately I don't. Unless there is a large self motivated movement from medics that choose to only get their cert via a two year degree, thereby putting cert programs/mills out of business, I don't see there being any significant organization of serious professionals actively seeking to improve EMS. No one wants to do two years of college to make 10-15 bucks an hour. And I wouldn't blame them.

As long as mills are allowed to exist, there will always be more individuals that go that route (easier, and the employer doesn't generally care where you got your cert, as long as it's current) than there are those who choose to complete a paramedic degree.

October 7, 2009

If you do go for RT, the RRT is the way. After that you may want to specialize.

However, the reasons for obtaining the higher level would be if you have any desire to work in a critical care unit, with ventilators and do transport.

Again, if other states do start to recognize the highest level for licensing, the CRTs will have to upgrade. Right many CRTs have been faced with that to maintain their status in the hospitals. They were given 5 years to meet the 2 year degree requirements and get their RRT as the minimum education standard was raised. The hospitals had not obligation to maintain the lesser educated and credentialed providers in the critical care areas. Within the new few years there will only be the RRT and the differences in education of having either the 2 year or 4 year degree similiar to the options now for RN as the LVN has essentially dropped out of acute care. If the Bills pass as the AARC have planned, the 4 year degree will become more prominent and even expected by the employers. It will then be easy to increase the minimum education requirement for entry into the profession to a Bachelors. That will at least get RT closer to the other allied health professions when it comes to education and recognition with the insurances or medical community.

It's not EMS where some argue for the lowest common denominator or cert of 120 hours. When you manage an ICU ventilator and critical patient, just showing you have the knowledge for "certified" is no longer enough.

Of course nursing is now going through some of the same considerations for its profession as we are now seeing more BSNs in ICUs and specialties with that now being the lowest education level in some areas.

A few questions

What are the educational requirements for a CRT vs a RRT?

Is it eaiser (schedule wise) to upgrade from CRT to RRT rather than go right to RRT?

Would going from CRT to RRT result in a poorer educational experience than going straight to RRT?

I understand that RRT may soon become the National standard, so this may be irrelevant. I don't plan on doing it piecemeal, but if I go out on permanent disability due to an on the job injury or whatever, I may need to start work ASAP, so then and only then I would consider going CRT at first.

Did you complete your degree while still employed as a firemedic? If so, what were your time management strategies?

Thoughts from anyone on this?

http://staging.nvcc.edu/medical/health/nursing/forms/Online%20Nursing%20Program%20Information%20Handout%20For%20Students%20Entering%20Spring%202008%20-%207-07.pdf

October 7, 2009

I can see why certain FD's would seeks to keep educational standards low. It may be difficult to hire enough medics to fill available positions, so they take FFEMT's off the road to complete medic school. This takes time and money, so it's in the best financial interests of the dept to push them through as quickly as possible. these mills also provide a supply of "qualified" applicants. If I had my way, FD's would require a two year degree and give hiring preference of at least a year (if not more) of single role EMS experience to be hired. Maybe even mandate prior experience in EMS. If you want the bennies, conditions, pension, $$$'s, show us that you're a legitimate ALS provider, not some joke from some fly by night mill who is only using the P-card as a quick "in", only to drop the cert at the earliest opportunity..

The problem with EMS as a stand alone industry, IMO, is that there are so few quality places to work, with a livable wage, bennies, working conditions, pension, so on and so forth. As such, a significant amount of the EMS workforce is transient, either completing degrees or waiting on a call from a civil service list from a FD, PD, DOC, sanitation, USPS, or whatever. This makes political organization, which is needed to effect any real change, extremely difficult. Only political pressure can raise the bar. Organization will be easier to achieve with individuals who have already made that educational investment. But how many will actually do that when there are easier options available, with employers unwilling to raise hiring standards to at least a two year degree? Too many individuals just use EMS for a short period to suit their purposes and then leave, not really caring about what happens to the industry as a whole.

It sucks, but it appears that there's a catch 22 situation here. Many look to EMS as a quick way to make money without having to do two or more years of college. I think that Ventmedic said that 70% of FL firemedics hold no degree of any kind whatsoever. I suspect the same for the EMS industry as a whole.

I'd like to see EMS grow into a more respected, sustainable, fufilling career, with working conditions improved to prevent burnout and promote retention. I wouldn't suggest EMS to my children as it stands for the moment (as a career), but I would if the profession gains a certain amount of parity with RN's, RT's, PA's and such. I read forums by Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders, and it would seem that the same problems exist regarding working conditions, mandatory OT, and such. And they have a much more advanced educational bar to meet prior to employment.

October 7, 2009

the y=mx+b really threw me off! I had terrorizing flashbacks to geometry in 8th grade!

Ditto to what Fire said...

but also how far are the patients from the car... what local support do we have on ground... Are we sure it's only 2 patients and a third didn't get ejected further from the other 2? (I've had that happen with rollovers someone gets ejected on the first bounce and the car keeps going for another 50 feet...no bueno!)

An engine company should be dispatched to all MVA's, as well as a heavy rescue for cut jobs. The engine can position to effectively block the scene, and pull a bumper line if needed. What many don't think about is using the thermal imaging camera to search for additional pts who may have been ejected out of sight.