Dustdevil

No. The worst that could happen is that you screw up (because you have a whole 120 hours of monkey training and no practical experience) and are found liable for civil damages and criminal negligence, as well as being sued by the state for income tax evasion, who takes what is left of what you own after the victim takes his share. Oh, and of course, you'll lose your EMT cert too, and have a criminal record for a lifetime, but that's the least of your worries. Get a job. A real job. This isn't a game or a hobby.

Wow! Very cool that this story brought Kim out of hiding! Long time, no see! Also very cool that you guys "get it". This guy made a difference -- and EMS history -- with likely no more than a Red Cross card and a driver licence. No fancy rig or drugs. Just a brain and a heart. And that's the foundation of a good practitioner. Adios, Brother. Even in your passing, you continue to inspire the profession. See you soon.

I'm picturing a new bumper sticker slogan!

Yeah, how very altruistic of our "bravest" to want to steal others' jobs just for the money. Guess there were no more legs for them to steal. And if none of the chief's men will fess up, it sounds like his personnel have a serious integrity problem. It's just a silly sticker issue, not a major crime, yet nobody in the department is honest enough to admit it? Just the kind of people we want running EMS, eh?

If DFD and HPDPS didn't send ambulances and honour guard to the funeral, they suck. I wish I had gone.

I finally found that elusive round tuit. I have really come to like Rabbit finally, but dammit, I wish he’d stay away from the bimbo. He can do better. Technical troubles my arse. Technical troubles wouldn't cause those kinds of problems. Rabbit says they need to load and go with the ATV kid, yet he’s dicking around on-scene with 16 ga IVs? Bringing the friend along on the helo? Yeah… how do you “cover” for a missing pilot at a one-bird operation? I guarantee Tyler would be sacked in any metro system in the US for his radio antics. Not even mildly amusing. Everyone in that Laundromat was a male. That’s unusual. The sand bottle collection was pretty cool. You know that had to come from a real story. Thailand, Cambodia... Hell, I’ve been to all those places, and I don’t have a grain of sand to show for it. Bimbo getting emotional over a patient again. I hope this signals she’s nearing terminal burnout. She really needs to go. I’m still amazed how the crews just let the hospital personnel walk away with their cot all the time. Does anyone here really do this?? ROFL@ Rabbit’s Spanish diatribe on Marisa! He was thinking the same thing I was! She must be awesome in the sack! Hehe@ second best way to work up an appetite! For the first best way, refer to the previous listing above. His & Her’s H&K USPs! Nice choice! And yes, I’ve taken more than one date to the range! Even bought a certain fiancee' a Glock for an engagement present. Casey says they put him "on a .50 caliber on an APC". No Iraq or Afghan vet would refer to either of them with that terminology. Never even saw an APC with an M2 in Iraq. I really hope they’re not going to give us some deep bullshyte about PTSD with Casey's character. Enough already. I kinda hope the bimbo calls back the guy from the restaurant, but he seems like too nice a guy to wish that on. Everyone in that department wears a different style of jacket. What’s up with that? Motorola must not have paid for promotional consideration, because their logo gets blacked out on everything. David Clark logos aren't blacked out on the headsets, so they must have shelled out the dough. When they use the hand mic to talk to dispatch in the ambulance, it’s the siren/PA mic, not a radio mic. A-holes standing around outside, arguing with dispatch over the second unit, while making no attempt at patient contact. FAIL! There was a cop car outside the welding shop, but no cop seen on the scene. Where was he? And where the Hell is FD? A patient on fire for once, and FD doesn’t show up? How the Hell did the burn patient end up with a Tension Pneumo? Even when the “system” isn’t screwed up, calls still get rampantly mistriaged, so no surprises here. Any real dispatch supervisor would have either hit Tyler or had him escorted out by police. It is good that they showed dispatch is no piece of cake though. Drunken panhandler is lucky he wasn’t shot. I don't see any problem with Casey's response. I’m still curious if anyone here works in a large EMS system where they really fraternise (i.e. drinking together) this much off duty. I gotta admit, I didn’t figure out the surprise party thing until the last minute! Ha, bimbo kissed the gay dude! I saw that coming from a mile away. Hopefully Rabbit takes that as the sign he should and dumps her arse. Ironic that the bimbo worries so much about Rabbit, and Rabbit worries so much about Casey, yet the imbo is the one who needs a shrink. The dedication at the end makes me worry that this will not be back next season. If it does come back, I figure Rabbit will find the card that bimbo got from the guy at the restaurant, further complicating what he saw with her and Glen.

Hehehe... One of our EMT City citizens was quoted in the 29 April 2010 EMS1.com newsletter:

And the monkeys keep on whining! http://www.ems1.com/ems-advocacy/articles/813064-Fla-officials-honor-EMS-director-for-award/ April 29, 2010 Fla. officials honor EMS director for award Robert Tober's innovation, according to journal, is a 'tiered medical care program' By Aaron Hale Naples Daily News COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Add another trophy to the mantel. Dr. Robert Tober, medical director of Collier County Emergency Medical Services, was honored by the County Commission on Tuesday morning after being named a 2009 EMS 10 Innovators recipient by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. The award comes after Tober was named the state medical director of the year by the Florida Department of Health for 2009. It was his second time to receive that honor. Tober's innovation, according to the journal, is a "tiered medical care program," which promotes basic life-support skills for most of the county's first responders and advanced life support only for the most experienced and well-trained paramedics. That system has created controversy in Collier County, particularly after Tober pulled advanced life support certification from firefighters in North Naples and East Naples last year. He cited inadequate training standards for firefighter paramedics in that district and, in some cases, cheating on medical tests. Dr. Wayne Lee, charter president of the Florida Association of EMS Medical Directors, presented a trophy to Tober for his achievement on Tuesday. Lee, a medical director in Broward County, said the numbers for Collier County EMS speak to Tober's success with innovation. "My survival rates are not the same as his," Lee said. "His are better." In the article, the Journal of Emergency Medical Services credits Tober for creating "a program that has decreased paramedic skill degradation and increased ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) rates." "Return of spontaneous circulation" is a term for when a heart attack victim is able to get a pulse back. The journal cited a 53 percent ROSC rate in Collier County in 2008. The tiered system, as Tober explains it, works this way: In cases of medical emergency, initial lifesaving steps should be taken by the first on the scene, whether it is police, parks and recreation staff or firefighters in the form of basic life-support techniques. The second tier, advanced life support, should be reserved for experienced and well-trained paramedics who may reach the scene later than basic life-support responders, Tober explained. Advanced life-support techniques include defibrillation, the administration of emergency drugs and setting up IV lines in patients. Tober said most responders do not need advanced life-support training and equipment, and, in fact, the infrequent use of such technique leads to a degradation in skills. Those tough pre-hospital decisions, he said, should be left to the most qualified responders. Tiered medical services are nothing new, Lee said. Tober's focus on rapid basic life support as the backbone to the system is the innovation. Despite the recent honors, not everyone approves of the job Tober is doing. Jorge Aguilera, deputy chief of medical services at North Naples fire district, said Tober's decision to pull advanced life-support certification for North Naples firefighter-paramedics was harmful to the community. Aguilera argues the fire district should get its certification back. "The inability of North Naples to be able to augment the first response is without a doubt a detriment to the citizens," he said. "They would be better served at a higher level of medical service."

Another case of firemen believing their own hype. http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/813437-Fla-ambulance-service-victim-of-bumper-sticker-pun/ April 29, 2010 Fla. ambulance service victim of bumper sticker pun The police chief said he just wanted the Fire Department to know police cars are not for advertising points The News-Journal DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A couple of bumper stickers created by the city's firefighters' union that take a potshot at the countywide ambulance service ended up on police patrol cars — much to the consternation of top police brass. No one knows how the bumper stickers — which read "A firefighter saved my life and EVAC billed me" — wound up pasted on the rear bumpers of the cruisers, both Police Chief Mike Chitwood and Fire Chief Gary Hughes said Tuesday. Regardless, the two chiefs spoke about the issue "in passing," according to Hughes. It was a 20-second conversation," Chitwood said. He couldn't recall the exact wording of the talk and said he just wanted the Fire Department to know police cars are not for advertising points of view because law enforcement must maintain its neutrality. Some Daytona Beach firefighters have been fighting for the right to transport patients to the hospital, with the fees they could charge for that service helping to offset the department's costs. Volusia County has turned down requests from cities to cut in on EVAC's ambulance business, fearing it will drive up costs countywide. Hughes said none of his people will admit to placing the bumper stickers on the patrol cars. I made it very clear to my people not to place any stickers on any city vehicles," Hughes said Tuesday.

Despite what all the n00bs think, there isn't a lot of glamour in this job. But every now and then, one of us has a rendezvous with history. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/042810dnmetjfkrike.3f259b1.html Aubrey Lee "Al" Rike: Ambulance driver helped Jackie after JFK assassination 11:02 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News jsimnacher@dallasnews.com On Nov. 22, 1963, Aubrey Lee "Al" Rike had hoped to get a glimpse of President John F. Kennedy's motorcade. Instead, the 25-year-old Dallas ambulance driver became an eyewitness to the turmoil at Parkland Memorial Hospital < http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Parkland_Hospital> , where he would befriend Jacqueline Kennedy, help her transfer her wedding band to her husband's finger, and place the president's body into a bronze casket. Mr. Rike, 72, died Thursday of a heart attack at LifeCare Hospitals of Plano. The emotion of that day would forever overcome Mr. Rike when he would tell his story for interviews, speeches or seminars, said his wife, Glenda Rike of Plano. Few knew of Mr. Rike's amazing story until a researcher located him in 1980, said Gary Mack, curator of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. In September 2001, Mr. Rike told his story for the museum's oral history collection, choking up when he recalled helping Mrs. Kennedy place her wedding band on her husband's finger. When the ring stopped at the first joint of the president's ring finger, Mr. Rike reached for some lubricant, which helped somewhat but not much. "And she said, 'Thank you,' and then she reached out and kissed that ring," Mr. Rike said. Born in Dallas, Mr. Rike was a graduate of Crozier Tech High School. He served in the Marines before becoming an ambulance driver. The day of the assassination, Mr. Rike and his partner were called to transport a man to Parkland. He had fainted across from the Texas School Book Depository about 10 minutes before the motorcade was to pass. While filling out forms at Parkland, Mr. Rike noticed something big was happening. He saw Lyndon B. Johnson and thought the vice president might have had another heart attack. Next, Texas Gov. John Connally was brought into the emergency area, followed moments later by the president, his head covered with a coat. Mr. Rike said he spotted Mrs. Kennedy seated on a straight-back metal chair outside the trauma room. The first lady asked Mr. Rike if he was from Dallas. "And I said, 'Yes, ma'am,' " he recalled in his oral history. "And you know, it's kind of hard to make a conversation with, you know, the first lady." Mr. Rike said he wetted a towel in a nearby scrub room and gave it to Mrs. Kennedy. She cleaned blood from her hands and placed the towel under her chair. Mr. Rike said the area was chaotic, loud and crowded with officials. Out of cigarettes, Mr. Rike got permission to go to a vending machine. When Mr. Rike returned, Mrs. Kennedy asked if she could have a cigarette, he said. As Mr. Rike reached into his breast pocket, a Secret Service agent knocked the cigarettes down, scattering them across the floor. The agent retrieved one of cigarettes and handed it to Mrs. Kennedy and asked Mr. Rike if he had a light. "So I gave him my Zippo very carefully because I didn't know what he was going to do with that," Mr. Rike said. Mr. Rike said he waited with Mrs. Kennedy for the casket to arrive. After the president was given last rites, Mr. Rike and his partner transferred the body to the casket. Mrs. Kennedy wanted to ride in the back of the hearse with her husband. Mr. Rike folded down the jump seat for Mrs. Kennedy, holding her arm so that she could climb inside the hearse. "A Secret Service agent grabbed me and threw me against the door," Mr. Rike recalled. Mrs. Kennedy then said, "Leave the young man alone. This is the only gentleman I've met since I've been here," Mr. Rike recalled. "And so I said, 'Thank you, ma'am.' " He then he helped Mrs. Kennedy into the hearse. "And she said, 'Thank you very much.' " Mr. Rike went on to a 26-year career with the Highland Park Police Department. "Aubrey never embellished his story or changed it in any way - ever," Mr. Mack said. "He didn't make a big deal about what he did." Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home in Allen. Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Mr. Rike is survived by his wife, Glenda Rike of Plano; a son, Larry Rike of Plano; and a sister, Carolyn Hawkins of McKinney.

That's what you get for cutting your head off! That's awesome! The one of Dwayne looks totally real!

Ignorant a-hole. Hey, ya know, the council and the legislature pretty much duplicate the same function. How about we just eliminate the councilmen? They're completely unnecessary! How about that, Councillor Raeburn? Does that make the situation any clearer to you? Sounds like someone's been watching too much American television.

I can't say any of this surprises me. It's just yet another example of how protocol monkified EMS has become. No intelligent thought or critical thinking required. If A happens, do B. We don't need all that book learnin. Not even management. All I have to say is, if you live to be fired from as many jobs as I have, you'll live to about 200 years old. Life goes on. This just makes me again wish that we had put together an EMS system from this forum. I know I could staff a top-notch system with you guys. And Anthony would be towards the very top of that list.

Tomorrow? Mine will probably be up after that. I can't stay awake any longer today, so I'll have to watch it online tomorrow.

I blame the firemonkeys.

Disagree. You collect insurance premiums, YOU buy it, no matter whose fault it is. However, I would agree that it would be good form to offer to pay for it. Or better yet, insist on it. But no, it's not his responsibility, just a classy move. In reality, nobody will pay for it. They're not going to replace the rim for a microscopic dent.

Excellent! And again, I wish you the very best! I was only going on your observation that the atmosphere here at this forum seemed less than hospitable to you. I only want you to understand that this has nothing to do with disliking those with less education, or younger people, or volunteers, or firemen, or females, or anything else. To me, it is simply about wanting the very best for my patients. And to me, that means getting care from the very best qualified and educated personnel. If you ever feel like the tone of this forum is against EMTs, it's not. In fact, encouraging you to immediately continue your education is the most valuable encouragement you could possibly get anywhere. And anyone who blows meaningless smoke up your arse about how great being just an EMT is is doing you and your career no favours. Aim high. Think big. Be the best that you can be.

I got nothin. Ya know, there was a time not so long ago when almost every question asked here begged my input. No matter how many people answered the question, I always felt like I had something else of value, a forgotten pearl of wisdom to add. That day has passed, and I honestly don't know whether I am crying out of joy or sorrow, but I am crying nonetheless. I am just so happy and proud of the intelligent and supportive community that exists here today. Though not as robust in activity as it was at one time, the quality of this forum is unequalled, and gets better with each passing day. Unless you need a historical perspective from the 1970s, there's just not much that I can add here anymore. The question of this thread has been answered so completely and professionally that it's worth it's weight in gold. Every major point taught in any instructors course, and even in college psychology and education classes, was revealed in these two pages. I may have gone crazy with the positive points in this thread, but you guys deserve them. Neb.EMT, you've been here about as long as I have, and somehow have managed to only post 42 times, but you have done so with quality. I am pleased that you chose this forum to ask such a great question in, and I sincerely hope that you'll share the results with us as the student progresses, as well as any pointers you have for us after the fact. Best of luck to you and your students. If you find this site helpful, then please encourage them to join us here. EDIT: Okay, I take it back. I do have something to suggest. This girl -- since she knows her stuff, but lacks confidence -- sounds like a great candidate for one of my favourite educational techniques: The memory dump. Although you know it, she needs a chance to show herself that she actually does know her stuff. But many students freeze up when they are 'on the spot' so to speak. You can set a more casual atmosphere for her by picking a thing or two that you know she knows well, then just call on her out of the blue to stand up and tell us all everything she knows about X. No pointed specific questions. Nothing she has to work out. No specific facts you're digging for. Just a memory dump. Tell us EVERYTHING you know about X. There's no way to blow an open ended question like that. And generally, once a student gets started, it becomes a pretty significant stream of consciousness as they dump everything they remember, in no particular order. There is no right or wrong. The only failure is to run out of the room without saying anything. Very non-threatening. But it is a legitimate test, and the student will be impressed with their knowledge of the subject, naturally increasing confidence.

It depends on a LOT of things, but generally, the salary is just over minimum wage. And that's IF you can find a job, which most graduates never do. Like the old saying goes, if you have to ask, you can't afford it. Good luck!

Wow, this sucks. I really wish I had a foolproof plan for you, but I think that Eydawn and crotchitymedic1986 both covered it pretty well. Stick with the honesty and humility, because that is what you are. You looked and didn't see any damage. You immediately admitted to the oncoming crew, instead of denying it. Those are qualities that I value in an employee. It's sad if they don't. But I also know that the schools are pumping out hundreds of new medics around there every few months too, so they can surround themselves with quantity and not care less about quality if they want to. I once was in a similar situation. I was backing the ambulance into the parking place at the hospital. My nurse partner was sitting in back, with the door open, spotting me back. At some point she says, "whoa!" so I stopped. Then she says, "pull back up a little" so I did. I went inside, but she hung back at the ambulance for a bit. Next day, I get called into the office, with the manager wanting to know why I didn't report hitting a car. I was like, "WTF? I didn't hit any car!" She tells me that my "partner" reports that I hit another car while backing up. I told her I didn't hit any car, and that my "partner" never said a word to me about hitting a car. They both called me liars about that. I asked them whose car it was, what damage there was, and that I wanted to see the pictures. Then they tell me they had no pictures, and that there was no damage. So then what exactly was this all about? I dunno, but I got a written counselling in my file for a no-contact, no-damage "collision", and my "partner" walked away with nothing, despite the fact that IF I had actually hit a car, SHE is the one who backed me into it! Life ain't fair. Sometimes you gotta laugh it off and move on, Bro.

LOL@all three leads You guys aren't seriously carrying 3-lead machines, are you? Paramedicmike is, unfortunately, right. We have to dumb it down to the lowest common denominator, especially in the US, where our common denominator is criminally low to begin with. I like the 5 minute recheck thing. That's an excellent idea.

I absolutely have no problems with younger partners. If I did at my age, I would have nobody to partner with! But I have always judged people on their merits (and demerits), not on age, sex, race, height, or anything else so superficially insignificant. As you say, if they perform professionally and competently, and are pleasant to be around for 12 or more hours, then that's all I care about. I've had no more problems with the professionalism and competency of younger partners than I have with older partners. That said, I can't honestly say that I have worked with many under 21 people, since I have rarely worked for an agency that would hire them. As for everyone starting small, this is not at all true. Many, many, many EMS personnel start their career as a paramedic, with a degree even, without ever spending a day on the street as an EMT. And in my thirty-five years of practice, they tend to become the best medics. There are some notable examples of these people on this forum. EMS is serious business, not a hobby or a game to be figured out on the job. People's lives are at stake with every single decision or move you make. To start out with less than the best possible educational preparation is recklessly negligent, as far as I am concerned. Sure, everyone is in a hurry to hit the streets. But medicine isn't about you or what you want. It's about our patients and what they need and deserve. So again, not everyone has to start small. Only those who think small will do that. I don't work with small thinkers. Which means I don't work with EMTs. I want a partner, not a helper. Does that mean I "belittle" anyone below me? Nope. I simply follow the hierarchy that is already established by the powers that be. I didn't make up the chain of command. I didn't put EMTs below Paramedics. It is what it is, and I have to live by it just like you do. If you go around blaming paramedics for recognising the limitations of your training, you're not going to get very far in this profession. Instead of making excuses for your inadequacies, you'd be much better off just working on moving up in the profession by getting more education. After all, it's not my fault you're not a paramedic, it's your fault. So don't run around the field with a chip on your shoulder about having to be "small" or "under" someone else. You are what you make of yourself. Nobody can make you what you are not. And just FYI, once you're a paramedic, you're still going to be "under" somebody, who will probably be belittling you because they have a whopping six months seniority on you. It never ends, even after thirty-five years, so don't worry, you're not the only one getting picked on. There you go; the very best inspiration, encouragement, and challenge you will ever receive in your career. Free of charge. If it helps you, then consider donating to EMT City. If not, I'm sorry, but I honestly tried. Oh, and SPELL CHECK FTW. Best of luck!

Wow, sad. Another death on the shoulders of Dr. Clawson. It's about time we put this EMD/MPDS crap into the scrapheap, along with SSM.

There is not just a whole lot that I agree with the NAEMT about, however this is one of those few things. I am against medical personnel performing executions, because it legitimises it as a "medical" procedure. If the state is going to execute someone, they need to man-up and take total responsibility for just that, and not try to write it off as a "medical procedure". On the other hand, if they maintain that it is a medical procedure, then they need to man-up and allow that procedure for people who choose to end their own lives.

Exactly. It wasn't that long ago that a medical helo dropped an oxygen tank through the roof of someone's home because of this exact same problem. I'm betting this crew got that news, as the HEMS community is pretty well wired in. So, did they take someone else's lesson to heart? Nope. They ignored it and went off to make the same mistake themselves. Definitely a major FAIL! It's not like there's a shortage of flight medic wannabes out there. Replace them.