brentoli

I was googling something, not even thinking about Dust, and this post came up.

http://www.emtcity.com/topic/12549-hiring-practices-of-fireems-departments/page__st__10__p__202022#entry202022

My poor co-workers last night, I was laughing out loud just reading it.

I also won't fault others that don't feel the conviction to stop. It is a personal decision that carries responsibility to self before others that I don't take lightly.

I was 500 more times gung ho before my daughter was born.

No you are not reading wrong, I am shocked that there are people who carry 10 blankets on an ambulance. I've always either had 1-2 stolen from the ER when on 911 truck (one provider did buy 1 wool blanket for each truck, that we sent in for laundering once it became soiled). Most of the privates either made you steal from the floor during IFTs, or they had some made up with their name on it (like funeral home) that you kept. I always put a sheet over them first to act as a barrier for the blanket, but we have always had "shared community blankets".

We grab an extra blanket every go round from the ER when it gets cold. By the end of a week we have about 10-15 extra blankets on the ambulance. We can completely make up the cot 2-3 times with just supplies on the ambulance, for when we go to the hospital that doesn't give linens to us.

I mean, it's not like we're having to maintain 'military standards' on how we make up the stretcher between patients.

Why not?

Let me rephrase my last posting. If the shoe needs "breaking in", it is not the shoe getting used to the wearer, it is, instead, the foot, possibly painfully, getting used to the boot.

Towel? What's that for besides being a hoopy frood?

We throw two on our cot. One at the head laid out so we can wrap a patients head when its cold/rainy. The second paired up with the blanket... for any.... towlish needs.

Now- yes, sheets are changed on every call- unless of course they only sit on the squad bench for a "taxi ride".

I still change them. 1) Habit. 2) Just like a hotel, you could rent a room just to take a shower and never touch the bed, but those linens are still getting changed, good practice.

The best thing any of us can do (regardless of our level of training) in the situation where we drive up on an MVA is to call 911. You are not going to transport in your POV so what you need to do is get someone there that will transport. I also think we have a different picture of an MVA scene than FNG does. I think he is looking at the rare serious MVA while the rest of us are thinking of the much more common fender bender with lots of Allstateitis.

Pretty easy to forget how a new guy sees the world.

My rule is simple. 1) Is there a life saving intervention needed? 2) Do I have the ability to perform such intervention?

If someone is having chest pain in walmart, there isn't much I can do. On the other hand, if you are bleeding out from a weed eater to the femoral, then there is probably something I can do to help until providers arrive.

Dusty may be "still stirring the pot", but, as I indicated on another thread, that "stirring" provoked a number of us to rethink a good number of EMS issues.

Amen brother. I wish I had the wit and wisdom to come up with a reply that would be befitting of that too.

Disposable sheets are SO expensive in the long run. Thankfully we use hospital sheets here. None the less, you get on the cot, sheets get changed. Doesn't matter if you were bleeding, puking, or just on for a taxi ride. All linens are replaced, even the towels and blankets if they didn't touch you.

I think the biggest thing you can pull away from this is Do. Not. Lie. Every situation is different, there's no way to handle a specific case every single time. All I can do is repeat whats been said here, but the main point is be 100% honest. 100% of the time.

I'm disappointed that AK chose to use this thread to spew his negative opinions on religion. There is certainly a better time & place for this type of "discussion".

Manure stinks, is not pleasant to deal with and can leave unpleasant lingering effects. But spread it on your flowerbed and see what happens - in season. Life is like that - $hit happens that isn't nice but if we accept it as part of what will eventually makes our lives richer, it can give us hope.

Hang in there.

Doogs, with all due respect, this is your 4th post. You don't know AK like anyone else here. Your post is the bigger distraction. Thank you.

Our current protocol calls for a quick clot dressing followed by tourniquet for a major amputation. Our current doc is huge on tourniquets and QC. Very agressive beeding managagement in the protocols.

Our current protocol calls for a quick clot dressing followed by tourniquet for a major amputation. Our current doc is huge on tourniquets and QC. Very agressive beeding managagement in the protocols.

You're not alone. Dust and I talked on a couple of diffrent forums (did you know he was a closet whacker? ). I have logged on recently and thought I haven't seen him for a while, I should look him up. And never did. Then imagine my shock to find this. Felt like a punch to the gut. I've been thinking about it all day today, but, as a result I've been thinking about everything he ever taught me, challenged me about, just everything.

Life moves on, we got to make of it what we can. Greatfully Dust opened a million doors for us while we knew him.

I don't want to distract from the topic, but I do. Welcome back old friends. I am sorry it took this to get us together, please, stay around.

Am I in the minority? I normally have 2 pens, a sharpie, and a pack of listerine strips in my pockets...

Rob changed the way I think about EMS. He never beat around the bush, you always knew exactly where you stood. I can attibute my signature to him. It points out the fallacy in the BLS saves ALS argument. A great guy, and hopefully we can all help spread what he taught us, that would be the best memorial possible.

I'd probably limit your online posting of the situation, and contact either a lawyer or your state labor comission or the EEOC.

Here is a spin....

You make verbal, but not visual contact with a male, he is in obvious distress. Sounds like either severe pain, or labored breathing, hell maybe both. The house is shut up tight as Fort Knox. He says he can't come to the door, no keys are outside, and he wants you to call for a locksmith.

What do you do?

Assuming you called the locksmith, who has a 45 min ETA, after 10min of waiting you lose verbal contact with the guy? Now what?

Though it's nice to believe that any 'good guy' could do a better job in Washington, politics is actually a massive, corrupt, 'good ol' boy' machine. You might as well ask can the common man really do what Rambo does because 'he has a good heart.'

Politics is about deals, and kickbacks, and dishonesty. What 'good' man do you know that has the tools to play on that playground?

The fantasy is awesome, the reality is that our government, and likely the governments of most countries is barely distinguishable from traditional organized crime...the common man just can't compete.

If you work in a polictial job, or a job ran by a political office, its not about who works their ass off, its about who has the better connections. Sucks. When I look at everyone hired before me, and after me, I wonder how I got a job not knowing a sole here when I applied.

The link won't work for me.

From other articles I read, I got the impression this affects people in the FAA who work on the construction/funding side?

I don't know.... I wouldn't be against putting all non-safety goverment employees (at all levels) on a 5 day furlough. It would be a quick and dirty way to find out where you can cut the fat from the budget. Who was missed and who wasn't? Payroll makes up something like 70% of all government budgets.

Yeah, it was meant to be a play on the old SNL skit, "liars club" I think? They lied about everything..starting most of their sentences with something like, "Why.....I....one time there was this school bus...and it was....full of nuns! Yeah, that's it!" And ending with "Yeah....yeah....that's the ticket!"

Dwayne

I don't want to get too off topic here, but, I just googled that, I was in 2nd grade. Thats why the skit didn't ring a bell.

I started college today. Finally going to finish my degree. Going for my BS in Buisness at WGU-Indiana.

First google hit on "pregnancy employment discrimination" is straight from eeoc.gov. Talks about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-preg.html

Is there more than 15 employees? Is that how they treat any other employee with a temporary disablity? As far as dsablity paying you, you would have to check with your STD/LTD provider.

Actually, they do have a point. It's been proved and proved that we offer almost no spinal care with a collar and L/B, so if we take almost none and turn it on it's side, maybe we have lost the little that we gained...not sure, but intuitively it makes sense..

So yeah, you may want to go and fess up to your class brother...scientifically speaking you led them off into the ditch... :-)

Dwayne

I think I read it wrong the first time, reading your reply. I was picturing hiking the side of a backboad up with a supine pt strapped in. Sounds like you guys were picturing someone lying on their side strapped to the board?

Had my smallest/youngest patient ever not too long ago...and it was the first time we were unable to restrain appropriately. After much discussion between my partner, the RN riding with us and me...we determined that the best course of action and need for the 30 minute old baby would be in the arms of the RN who was maintaining stimulation/warmth/blow by O2. So, mom is on the stretcher and I am in charge of her care. RN is in the captain's chair, restrained, with the new life in her arms while she was in charge of her care. OH, and our driver took an off road so that she could drive a little more slowly and carefully.

The smartest move? Probably not. Only option? In our opinion.

But, Waylon - here's another need for a restraint for an infant less than 20 lbs without his/her own car seat and one that needs continuous care.

For the others, what would you have done in this situation?

Toni

What size kids do the inflatable chairs start to fit? Not saying you were wrong, I haven't ever used one, just wondering.