Kenny

Hi, I'm (the loud mouthed) Kenny.. (from amb999)

Have a look at this automatic CPR machine

In the UK a growing problem is the dispariaty between paramedics who have been trained via a degree route and ones who have been trained in-service. While in-service may take longer, it provides a better base of experience of people. The other, which I hope to pursue, does provide a great deal of knowledge in a short amount of time, but possibly limits experience? Another problem is that paramedics are being expected more and more to bridge a gap outside of hospital that doctors have left, since re-negotiating their contracts regarding out-of-hours work. ECP (Emergency Care Practioners) are slowly taking over out of hours cover, they are trained paras, but with more skills in terms of diagnosis. They can also refer above an A&E department (ER to the USA) straight to an appropiate health care service to reduce people being in A&E without need. I feel this is putting a great deal of strain onto ambulance services, in conjunction with increasing call numbers, and I can only hope patient care is not affected.

About the harris county one I read somewhere that many rural ambulance services used to be provided by undertakers, maybe a reference to the black? Also about the hi-vis jackets thing saw an interesting item called flashwear (www.flashwear.com), which is battery powered and dont need reflections to work. Seems like a good idea, but expensive me thinks. Probably a no-go with limited budgets and all that... Also about the reflective films like scothgaurd, one that London ambulance uses is called reflexite, and they fit to how many hundreds of mercedes they have with little apparent difficulty.

Right here in the UK ambulances tend to be decked out in yellow and green batturnburg patterns which are reflective, and sometimes the rest of the vehicle might be day-glo yellow or white. This is all in aid to allow them to be seen, but from the pictures I have seen of american and canadian ambulances they dont seem to have any reflective material. Also we have rear chevrons in red and yellow, but again I have never seen this on an american truck. Does this lack of reflective material make a difference to being seen? Or are emergency warning lights enough? Or possibly do you think ambulance services in the UK have gone over-board with wanting to be seen? Sorry about all the questions just curious lol