Dustdevil

That's because they're waiting to find out who your associates are, so they can take them down too. Thanks for nothing!

Seriously. I guarantee you there is cellphone video, at least!

Where is that money coming from? I can't imagine that The Station actually had that kind of insurance.

There's only one "way" that counts, and that's driving. They are getting no training on that. Yeah, and people who buy alcohol for an alcoholic are "helping their fellow man" too, right? Enabling a person or community to continue upon their destructive path is not "helping" them. In fact, it is the direct opposite of help. Right... because in thirty-six years of working in Texas EMS, I'm sure there are lots of "ways of working" that I have yet to encounter. It sounds like you are the one with an extremely limited frame of professional reference, if you honestly have never seen a community that size provide professional EMS. I have. But really, I don't care what kind of service they provide. I don't care how many people are killed or otherwise die due to their negligence. You get what you pay for, and they ain't payin' shyte. Yes, they can afford it. They simply don't want to. And the reason they have a whole 2 medics (actually, only 1 according to the articles) is because they don't want to pay for them. Imagine that. Cause and effect. What a concept. Nobody said they were. It seems that you are the only one implying that they are. But the really stupid people are the politicians that lack the common sense and community commitment to do the right thing for their citizens. It is illegal for a system to "work in this fashion" without a written waiver from the State. They don't provide too many of those waivers. I'd be pretty surprised that they would do so for a community in a county that has a hospital-based ALS service. But yeah, they've done stupider things. Too much terrain for 2500 people? Nope. Think again. I don't know what your medical education was comprised of, but it obviously did not include any concepts of system management, or you'd know just how clueless you sound right now, and why everyone is arguing with you. Bullshit. They can afford school teachers, and bus drivers, and janitors, and guys to mow the parks, and guys to change the oil in the city vehicles, and police dispatchers, and city attorneys, and a city and county judge, and all the other non-glamourous jobs that people won't volunteer for. They can afford EMS.

That's ridonkulous!

So am I. And we were both capable of continuing on, so we did. Just because you have a few cuts and no windshield doesn't mean you stop and boo hoo about it. People are depending on you to respond. If you are capable of doing so, you continue.

It's a bad idea because a CPR card does not make you "qualified" to drive an ambulance. I don't care if they're vollies or paid $100k a year. The driver is more liable to kill someone than any medic is, so s/he needs to be a professional, not a hobbyist who's in it for the lulz. Not to mention that the State of Texas will probably shut this idea down quite quickly when they get wind of it. Chances of them allowing a variance for a non-certified driver in a town that is quite capable of providing certified people are slim to none.

Ah! Well, that almost makes me lose all interest I had in this story. But at the same time, it also thickens the plot. As firmly established as the "first aid squads" are in NJ, this kind of FD takeover cannot possibly be very common, can it?

I hate to complain, since the intent was obviously sincere, but how about a little something for us ass men?

New(ish) article on this old story. The interesting part is the last paragraph. WTF? We're talking about Pa, aren't we? Why are they suddenly giving us the history of New Jersey first aid squads? http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/816218-EMS-duties-given-to-Pa-firefighters-spurring-controversy/ May 06, 2010 EMS duties given to Pa. firefighters, spurring controversy More than 150 township residents gathered at a town meeting this week to find out why emergency medical services have been disbanded By Veronica Slaght The Eastern Express Times LEBANON TWP., Pa. — More than 150 township residents gathered at a town meeting this week to find out why the township's emergency medical services have been transferred from the rescue squad to the fire department. Most went home disappointed. The crowd — which was standing room only Monday night in the Woodglen School's auditorium — asked elected officials why they had rescinded the Lebanon Township First Aid Squad's responsibilities, taking away their ambulances and other equipment and instructing the county 911 center to halt calls to the agency. But Mayor Jay Weeks and three other committee members refused to speak about the issue on their attorney's advice because the squad has filed a lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Peter Buchsbaum is scheduled to hear the case 10 a.m. May 21 at the Hunterdon County Justice Center in Flemington. In a statement read by the township attorney, Weeks and the two other committee members named in the suit said they had good reason for eliminating the squad, citing issues with management, accountability and quality of service. "They use the township's name, land and financial contributions but refuse to submit to an audit," the statement said. While supporters of the firefighters and squad members lined up on opposite sides of the room, everyone applauded when David Shoaf criticized the committee for shutting down the squad without seeking public input. There's a difference between what's legal and what's right, Shoaf, a farmer, said, adding: "I suggest you shop around and find another law firm who can guide you as to what is right." Deputy Fire Chief Ed Shaffer, an emergency medical technician, urged EMTs in the squad to consider joining the fire department. The fire department has eight EMTs, while the squad has 28. He said the dispute is just between the committee and the squad. Charlotte Fels, 91, said the ambulance squad has taken her to the hospital on several occasions but recently a squad from Berkley Heights responded. "They got me there. That's all I can say," she said. Of the Lebanon Township squad, she said: "They're dedicated; they know what they're doing; they're a team." Shutting down the squad is "sacrilege," she said. "I plead with you, before it's too late, don't let a very good thing that this town has go away." Committeeman Frank Morrison made a motion to reinstate the squad, which was defeated 3-2. Under current state law, municipalities are not required to provide emergency medical services, but most towns have rescue squads, said Barbara Harras, president of the New Jersey State First Aid Council. She added that the state's first squad formed in Monmouth County in 1929.

I'm speechless. http://www.sansabanews.com/news/article/29906 Community News EMS needs ambulance drivers By Ann McElroy May 13, 2010 If you’ve ever thought you’d like to volunteer with San Saba’s [Texas] EMS but resisted because you thought (A) the training would be too hard or take too long, ( B ) volunteering would take too much time or ( C ) someone else could do it better than you, listen up! We need ambulance drivers and driving is one of the best volunteer jobs we have. As an EMS volunteer, you’ll get the satisfaction of doing something that really makes a difference. You’ll be part of the life-saving team that keeps our community safe. And, you’ll make a little extra money by earning the $20 per shift expense allowance. As a driver, we’ll work with you to determine which shifts are most convenient. Then, you’ll wear a pager while you’re on call. If EMS receives a call during your shift, you’ll report to the station and drive the ambulance to the scene. Once on the scene, the emergency management technicians may ask you to help in ways for which you are qualified. Qualifications for becoming a driver are minimal. You must be 21 years of age and have a valid driver’s license. Drivers are required to complete the basic CPR class and do a few practice runs with a veteran ambulance driver. The CPR class isn’t hard or long—it takes only one evening and doesn’t involve any work outside of the class. In addition, many local employers encourage their workers to be part of EMS and will work with you to minimize the impact on your regular job. If you’re interested in learning more about this opportunity, please call Charlie Peeler (372-1240), W. D. Carroll (372-5181) or Wymond Kraft (372-6016).

The friggin lawyer got more money than the man's kids! Absolutely shameful. Shapespeare was right. Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out yet, don't ask your patients to walk to the cot, you idiots! http://www.ems1.com/airway-management/articles/818702-Wrongful-death-suit-settled-against-EMS-squad-in-W-Va/ May 13, 2010 Wrongful death suit settled against EMS squad in W.Va. Family says medics contributed to man's death By Lawrence Smith The West Virginia Record WINFIELD, W.Va. — The Putnam County Commission has settled a wrongful death filed against its EMS squad by the estate of a Winfield man with the bulk of the money going into trust for his minor children. Following a hearing before Judge O.C. "Hobby" Spaulding on April 8, a settlement was reached in the case of Angela Wagner v. the Putnam County Commission. The Commission agreed to pay the estate of Arthur Ray Baker $85,000 to settle the suit Wagner, Baker's sister and the administratrix of his estate, filed alleging the negligence of two paramedics contributed to his death. In her suit, Wagner alleged Baker called 911 on May 3, 2006 complaining of breathing problems. The two paramedics who arrived made him walk down two flights of stairs before putting him on a stretcher to take him to Putnam General Hospital, now CAMC Teays Valley. Baker, 28, who was an asthmatic, died following his arrival at the hospital as a result of acute respiratory failure due to bronchial asthma. In addition to their failure to properly and timely provide treatment to Baker, Wagner alleges the paramedics "acted as if it was a bother or nuisance to them to have to respond to the emergency call." The terms of the settlement called for Baker's two children, Zachary, 11, and Chelsea, 7, to receive $20,000 each. The money is invested in an annuity with Allstate, and payable to them when they reach 25. Of the remaining funds, $10,000 went to Baker's mother, Phyllis Thornton, to pay for his funeral expenses, and $35,000 went to the Charleston law firm of Tabor Lindsay and Associates. Specifically, Matthew Lindsay, the estate's attorney, kept $33,267.91 while $1,732.09 went to pay for legal expenses. According to the state Board of Risk and Insurance Management, the county's insurer, the Charleston law firm of Bailey and Wyant was paid $28,548. 29 to defend the county in the suit. BRIM also paid the law firm of Cyrus and Adkins $1,350 on March 1 for its services in mediating a settlement, and $750 to R. Stephen Jarrell on April 21 for the three hours he performed as guardian ad litem for Zachary and Chelsea. Also, the Commission paid a $2,500 deductible to BRIM four months after Wagner's suit was filed in July 2008.

Now this is my kind of story! http://www.ems1.com/grants/articles/818354-UK-ambulance-service-defends-Hitler-survey/ May 12, 2010 UK ambulance service defends 'Hitler' survey Campaign groups are appalled that two paramedics won a grant from NHS West Midlands health authority for study By Alison Dayani The Birmingham Mail BIRMINGHAM, England — West Midlands NHS chiefs have forked out pounds 10,000 of taxpayer's cash on a project that rates how "cool" Hitler was. Campaign groups are appalled that two paramedics at West Midlands Ambulance Service won a bursary from NHS West Midlands health authority for the 'Making Leadership Cool' year-long study. A survey asking 3,300 staff to rate how cool Hitler was and other figures including Gordon Brown, pictured, and Fabio Cappello appeared in an Ambulance Service newsletter as part of the project to see what makes a good boss. The ratings ranging from a not cool 'One' to cool 'Five' are set to be used by NHS chiefs to help develop a leadership development programme. Fiona McEvoy, from the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "This is an utterly ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. It's pretty obvious what people are going to think of Hitler and has nothing to do with the ambulance service at all. "The whole survey is absurd." Murray Macgregor, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "A survey which is one small part of the project, sought to include an analysis of the dictatorial style. With hindsight, it would have been better to have used a different example to illustrate this. "The project is important in identifying the key characteristics of good leadership, to allow the organisation and the wider NHS to be more efficient."

http://www.ems1.com/ems-news/818308-wash-medic-accused-of-stealing-drugs/ May 13, 2010 Wash. medic accused of stealing drugs 2 vials of painkillers missing, replaced with saline solution KPTV CAMAS, Wash. — A paramedic is accused of stealing a painkiller used for heart attack victims from a Camas Fire Department ambulance and replacing it with saline solution. Bradley Allen was taken into custody last week on suspicion of tampering with and stealing narcotics. The arrest was spurred by a police investigation into missing vials of fentanyl citrate, a liquid drug that is 10 times stronger than morphine. The 22-year veteran was in charge of training paramedics and ordering medication for units. Camas Fire Chief Leo Leon worked with Allen for five years. He said he was stunned when the medics found two vials of the narcotic were missing and one was tampered with during a daily supply check. Allen then produced the missing medication, according to The Columbian. "They did a search of the station and Brad (Allen) was able to find the two missing vials. I was really in disbelief because we all work together. It was shocking, really," Leon said. Police said they believe Allen may have replaced the fentanyl with saline solution — which could have created a dangerous situation in the field, paramedics said. Firefighter paramedic Callie Fraiser said the allegations are disappointing. "As firefighter paramedics, we’re held to a higher standard than other public servants. And things that have gone wrong, it makes us all look bad," she said. Camas police are waiting for laboratory results to determine what substance was left in the discovered vials. Depending on the results, officers said, Allen could face more charges. In the meantime, paramedics are still grappling with the incident. "It's quite a traumatic thing because I think this is probably the worst thing to happen to this department in its history," Leon said.

I will not stand idly by while you advocate violence against homosexuals! Anyhow, I have continued response with my windshield laying in my lap, and blood coming from my and my partner's faces. Shyte happens, and sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

An employer is no more obligated to pay for your fitness training than they are to pay for your college degree. If you want the job, you should put in the money and effort necessary to obtain and maintain that job. Be an adult. Take responsibility for your own welfare and don't expect big daddy to do it for you. And this article is talking about people who haven't even completed school yet, much less gotten a job. If they're not fit to do the job, then screw them. Quit taking up valuable classroom space.

You had it correct in the title, but somehow screwed it up in your post. But yeah, it's the most basic rule of emergency driving, yet one of the most frequently violated. It always amazes me that I actually have to tell rookies more than once. Violation of this rule should be legal justification for bitch slapping your partner on the spot. It's not rocket surgery.

You're rendering first aid. No protocol or medical control is required to render first aid.

Hooray to the NREMT for successfully rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Okay, someone is hurling objects so large at you that they shatter your ambulance windshield. Do you pull the ambulance over right there where he is, or do you haul arse out of the line of fire? http://www.ems1.com/ems-news/817285-boy-charged-after-lager-can-breaks-uk-ambulance-windscreen/ May 09, 2010 Boy charged after lager can breaks UK ambulance windscreen Crew were responding to a call when a full can of alcohol was thrown The Herald Express TORQUAY, England — A teenager has been charged with recklessly endangering life and criminal damage following an incident in Newton Abbot where a can of beer was thrown at an ambulance, smashing the windscreen. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged in relation to the incident which took place at about 9.50pm on March 21. The ambulance crew were responding to a 999 call when a full can of alcohol was thrown at their vehicle as it passed under the Buckland footbridge over the A380 near Penn Inn. The paramedics were responding to a call regarding an elderly woman who had been taken ill. The can completely shattered the driver's side of the windscreen, showering the ambulance cab with shards of glass. Luckily both paramedics, a man and woman, managed to pull the vehicle over safely and neither of them was injured. Det Sgt Neil Ralph, who was leading the investigation, said: "We hope that this charge will act as a deterrent for others thinking of engaging in this sort of behaviour. "There is a very real danger to people's lives of doing this to emergency services trying to go about their business." The windscreen of the ambulance cost £500 to repair. The youth will appear at Newton Abbot Youth Court on Wednesday, May 19.

http://www.ems1.com/jobs/articles/811011-boston-ems-calls-on-ag-to-join-flick-gig-flap/ Boston EMS calls on AG to join flick gig flap Boston EMS alleges that paramedics working on film shoots are violating a state law barring freelance EMTs By Dave Wedge The Boston Herald Related Article: Mass. EMTs cash in on movie 'set medic' jobs BOSTON — Boston EMS workers are calling on the attorney general to step into the fight to wrest lucrative medic jobs from a small group of firefighters and EMTs monopolizing the sweetheart side gigs on taxpayer-subsidized movie sets. Boston EMS filed a complaint with the state Department of Public Health in October alleging that paramedics working on film shoots are violating a state law barring freelance EMTs. Boston EMS union president Jamie Orsino yesterday called on Attorney General Martha Coakley to take up the case, saying, "This is about the legitimacy of the profession of EMS in Massachusetts." A Coakley spokeswoman said the attorney general was unaware of the complaint. Responding to Orsino's call for a review by the attorney general, IATSE Local 481 president John Gates said, "We're happy to have anyone look at this and take it out of the court of public opinion." Orsino and others are fuming that the jobs are not going to local firefighters and EMS workers, who they contend have exclusive contracts for emergency service work. "It's not an issue of fire versus EMS because it equally excludes legitimate firefighters and EMTs throughout the commonwealth," Orsino said. Officials from the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees - the union that provides set medics to Hollywood producers - say they're following rules that have been in place nationally for 20 years and that any licensed EMT can join their union. The Herald reported yesterday that a select group of about 25 EMTs and firefighters, including several from Boston, are moonlighting for IATSE, allowing them to scoop up a windfall of side work on sets across Massachusetts. Among the set medics are a Boston firefighter who started his own EMT service and a top assistant to Treasurer Tim Cahill. Set medics, who administer first aid to stars and crew, can earn up to $50 per hour, but IATSE vice-president Jim Mitchell said they generally make a "minimum" of $30-32 per hour, though "they can negotiate for more."

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone here, unless you're in serious denial. http://www.ems1.com/ems-management/articles/817472-Miss-agencies-report-more-responders-flunking-initial-fitness-exam/ May 10, 2010 Miss. agencies report more responders flunking initial fitness exam Overweight and out of shape recruits for police, fire and emergency medical services are presenting increasing problems for agencies in Miss. and around the nation By Chris Joyner USA Today JACKSON, Miss. — When the Jackson Police Department tried to recruit new officers this spring, more than a third of the applicants were not able to pass the initial physical fitness test. The city's police academy's initial fitness exam includes push-ups, a 1 1/2 mile run, an obstacle course and a flexibility test, Deputy Police Chief Gerald Jones said. Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Jones said it is not just that recruits are fat. "What we are finding is a decline in overall physical strength," he said. "They can't complete the mile-and-a-half run." Overweight and out of shape recruits for police, fire and emergency medical services are presenting increasing problems for agencies around the nation. *Ronald Smith, chief of the Lawton (Okla.) Police Department, said about 15% of applicants to his department this spring failed an initial agility test, including push-ups, sit-ups and a quarter-mile run. "Used to be nearly 100% passed the agility test," he said. *Capt. Doug Shoemaker of the Jefferson City (Mo.) Police Department said "a noticeable number of people" failed the physical exam in the two most recent tests. "I don't know that I have seen this ... as much as I have now," he said. Last year, the Cambridge Health Alliance and researchers from Harvard University and Boston University found that 77% of fire and emergency medical technician trainees in Massachusetts were either overweight or obese. Harvard School of Public Health professor Stefanos Kales, one of the authors of the report, said no national studies on recruits exist, but in localized studies researchers "consistently find that among police and firefighters, generally three-quarters are overweight and that includes one-third that are obese." The picture may be worse, he said. Some departments have lowered physical strength standards to avoid discrimination lawsuits, he said. "In combination with a less fit pool," he said, "that will end up allowing more obese recruits to successfully join these services." Andrew Nesbit, a vocational public safety teacher at South Paulding High School in Douglasville, Ga., heard the complaint from a local fire official when he asked what he could do to turn out better recruits. This year, Nesbit started his junior and senior students on a physical fitness plan similar to what they would face if they apply to a police or fire academy. "At first they didn't want to do it," he said. "They just don't like exercise. A lot of them don't even enjoy being outdoors." And their diet is "garbage," Nesbit added. Part of the problem, according to Texas Christian University kinesiology professor Deborah Rhea, are cuts in school physical education programs. A report this year from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education found that only five states require physical education for all public school grades and that more than half of the states allow physical education exemptions for students, a 61% increase since 2006. Rhea said education leaders need to get physical education classes back in the schools. "You've got to educate them (about) why they need to be active," she said.

"Trying to improve" my arse. They say that a few times every year after they kill another patient with incompetence, yet nothing ever improves. This is criminal. Yet, expect to see the same mayor and council re-elected anyhow.

You won't hear me say the pledge. I am my own government and my own god. Besides, I have proven my allegiance in three wars. I have nothing to prove to anyone.

Nonsense. I been taking them every day for nearly three years now, and I'm not dependent.