paramedicmike

That's most unfortunate, really. So who's system is used to determine who truly needs EMS? Your arbitrarily assembled criteria? Do you have a set of benchmarks that you carry in your pocket and tick off like a check list for every patient you encounter to see if they are *truly* deserving of your compassion? What's more, you didn't sign up for this job to pick and choose what patients you treat. As such, you don't get to choose which patients to whom you show compassion. If you're willing to discriminate based on what you believe to be truly deserving of your "compassion" then you're already wrong. Mobey referenced this thread. It might do you good to read through it. I think you need to go take several psychology classes including abnormal psych. It's plainly obvious that you have NO clue what you're dealing with. Unfortunately, that ignorance is hurting more than just you. The discussion offered by posts before this one do a fair job at describing why you need to change your attitude. The thread Mobey referenced does as well. For what it's worth, a comment was made in another thread recently that we here in the forums seldom see such widespread agreement on a particular issue (like has been seen in the overwhelmingly negative responses to your posts). If we all agree on something there's probably something to it and it might work to your benefit to do some research and consider that you're wrong. -be safe

Kaisu: Standing up for your partner is a noble thing. She recently commented that you were fortunate to have her as a partner. I still don't think that's true. I think it's less true now after reading your post. I think she's the fortunate one. With any luck, she's got enough brains to check her ego and realize that. Unfortunately, while you may dictate professionalism, you have no say over what others are thinking. Thoughts can, in themselves, be a greater danger than what the individual actually feels comfortable saying in public. With that, the oppressor in an individual is never quite driven out. Hopefully you are able to kick her arse a little and get her to open her eyes. How's the job search coming? -be safe

Philly FD runs EMS within the city. They routinely divert money from EMS to support suppression. They have an inadequate number of ambulances on the street (at peak hours they have 40 ambulances deployed, 39 actually on the street for a city of 1.5 million). Most stations run non stop from the start of their shift to the end. Most of their runs are beyond abuse of the system. Many of the medics hired do so only to move over to the suppression side. Those that are left usually burn out within a couple years...if they last that long. What places do EMS well? Not many within the area you're looking. I wouldn't hold my breath. -be safe

Layering is the best way to dress. It's a bit on the expensive side, but there's a company called Smartwool that makes base layers that are exceptionally warm, soft and non-scratchy(!). They also make really good socks, too. I've worn them for a while now and they're phenomenal. Expensive? Yes. But I've not been cold while wearing them (in similar conditions and colder to what you're describing). If that's a little out of your price range you can try some Capilene base layers. Good stuff there, too. Get a good hat that covers your ears. If they don't provide some sort of jacket/sweatshirt for you, make sure whatever you wear on top has pockets so you can put your gloves and hat somewhere on your person when going inside. Welcome to working in New England. -be safe

Just like every other person has said about every other service (with the exception of the guy who works for AtlantiCare), avoid NJ. MONOC is no exception. I have known several former MONOC employees. They all left due to poor management, poor equipment, lousy coworkers and more. Even current (at the time) employees with whom I've interacted have said that given a choice they wouldn't work there again. There was a local newspaper series about MONOC not too long ago. Within the past couple years maybe? It did not paint a favorable picture. I sincerely hope you're seeing a trend in the responses you're getting. So far it looks like the best advice you've gotten is to live in NJ and work in NYC. Everyone else has said to forget NJ. We can't *all* be wrong. -be safe

Proven? Whatever. Let's stick to the topic at hand. Well, the procedure is legal so no. It's not murder. Who is "they"? Are you seriously accusing women of going out and getting pregnant simply for the stem cells that could be obtained from the after effects of a terminated pregnancy? Is there a market for this? Are women being paid to do this? -be safe

Why is it that the media is always "liberal" and "biased"? Especially when they say something an individual doesn't like! I don't get it. Anyway... I fully realize this is going to open a huge can of worms, but here it goes. Abortion, no matter your personal feelings, is a legal medical procedure in the United States. So why not use stem cells obtained from what's left, from a *legal* medial procedure, to contribute to ongoing research? Discuss. Politely and with respect towards other participants, if you please. -be safe

Rid is right. You can search these forums and find endless threads, topics, posts and discussions on the shortcomings of not only the State of New Jersey but also the EMS system, or lack thereof. New Jersey EMS is run by "first aid squads". They are volunteers stuck on the notion that EMS is still a hobby. ALS is hospital based as was mentioned previously. But they still fall under regulations set up and supported by these hobbyists. ALS coverage, for most of the state, is scarce at best. I know several paramedics who still work in various parts of the state and they are, routinely, the *only* paramedic for an *entire* county of several hundred thousand people. It is not a good system. It is not a system which benefits the residents of the state. It is not a system that provides the care the residents deserve. Please seriously consider just how deep a hole you'd be digging for yourself by working in NJ. Please research NJEMS thoroughly. Please research the hospitals providing ALS coverage thoroughly. With any luck, you'll soon realize the best thing about NJ is seeing it in your rear view mirror as you're leaving the state. Good luck. -be safe

Nice! Good for her!:headbang: Now, tell me again why stem cell research is bad? Hopefully, with the new administration we'll be able to move forward with research of our own. -be safe

Please research NJ EMS carefully before you decide to take a job within the State. If ever there was an example of how not to run EMS New Jersey is it. -be safe

Yes, Spen. As AZCEP noted above, I anticipate a difficult airway on any prehospital tube I place. I don't know if it will present as a difficult airway until I look (I may suspect one way or another but have been surprised either way much too often). So, when I go to place a tube, I will have the bougie ready with a tube loaded. During visualization, if it turns out I didn't need it then oh well. It just means I have good practice for all those times when I *DO* need it. But if it turns out I do need it, then I don't have to withdraw the laryngoscope, grab the bougie, load the tube and try again all of which delays getting that patient's airway secure and can cause extra trauma to the patient's airway. -be safe

You've just stumbled into what many of us here have been advocating for years. Turn this into a real profession where people don't give it away for free and the education won't be an issue. There are many long and varied discussions on this very topic here in these forums. I suggest a search of the forums for more reading than you might ever want to do at one sitting. -be safe

Depending on how influential this study really is you might be. [web:61c4cba6d1]http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/health/10heart.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print[/web:61c4cba6d1]

This quote really struck me: That's a positive attitude if ever I saw one. Thinking positively is good. Willing yourself to be strong in the face of adversity is good. You may not be ready to let them run you out of town... ...but are you ready and willing to standby as they ruin your reputation and standing as a paramedic to the point that you will not, under any circumstances, be hired by another EMS agency out there? Are you ready and willing to standby as they crush what little optimism and self esteem you have left? Are you ready and willing to stand by while they continue to make your professional life a living hell until they burn you out? There are very few instances in EMS when it's all about us as the individual provider. This is one of those instances when it needs to be all about you. It's also one of those instances where you need to recognize that it's all about you and get out while you still have your senses and your future intact. Like you said, never underestimate the power of self deception. There are several of us who think that you are being deceived if not by yourself than certainly by others. Do not stand for it. Until they eat their words or until they eat you? It's better to leave on your own terms with everything intact than to leave after a seemingly misguided attempt at "I told you so". Did you ever consider the potential that this is simply a test and God is trying to see just how smart you are? Did you ever consider the possibility that he's merely trying to determine your capacity to recognize a bad situation? Or that he's trying to teach you a lesson in the recognition of a bad situation? Or trying to teach you when and what battles to fight? Or, and try not to laugh, that we might be, in a sense, "guardian angels" trying to guide you down the right road? (Seriously, if you knew who this was coming from you'd laugh.) You obviously have a better handle on what's going on in your organization than do we. You see it every day. We are simply limited to what information you share with us. The picture you paint, however, is not pretty. Picking your battles is good advice. While I understand the desire to show them that you will succeed, never forget that sometimes the best way to show them that is to succeed at something greater than what their little corner of the universe offers. Good luck. -be safe

Find a new job. Find it now. Do not wait. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. The longer you stay, the greater the danger to you. Run. Do not walk. Do it. NOW! Good luck.

Perhaps something can come of this: [web:9c89785bb7]http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/brochures/MostWanted_2008.pdf[/web:9c89785bb7] Or this: [web:9c89785bb7]http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-28-ntsb_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip[/web:9c89785bb7]

...and I finally get my fill of candy corn! Not quite candy...not quite corn. But oh! So good! Anyone else a fan? What'll be in your pillow case this year? -be safe

In light of the Fourth Amendment discussion, I offer this: [web:92bc962b1f]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/27/AR2008102700767_pf.html[/web:92bc962b1f]

I saw this story a few days ago and couldn't decide if I wanted to post it or not. It's a little, well, disgusting. Bon appetit. [web:fd663e1da5]http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20081016/ODD.Big.Burger/&cvqh=itn_burger/[/web:fd663e1da5]

Already being discussed here.

Get them to send you here. You'll get some excellent info, handouts, lectures, hands on and more. It'll be well worth your while. -be safe

Yeah. We know. Ridryder already started a thread on this subject here.

I'm surprised they're just getting around to reporting this now. We've been teaching this for at least two years now. Personally, though, I much prefer Queen's "Another one bites the dust". -be safe

It could be a northern thing. Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing them on cars in funeral processions in other regions of the country. These guys went all out, too. All had headlights and four-ways and the stickers. -be safe

...are an interesting occurrence. Just today, for example, I encountered one that was at least 70 cars long. Yes, that is seventy cars. And those were just the ones I could see. I counted 50. There were at least another 20 down the road and over the hill where I lost sight. They all had their blinkers on and the bright orange "Funeral" stickers on their windows. To be sure, they all plowed through red lights to make sure all 70+ cars made it to the cemetery where there most certainly wasn't enough parking for all of them. It got me thinking, though. In my years in EMS, I've not once encountered a funeral procession while responding to a call. Have any of you? How'd you handle it? Plow through the middle or wait? Or did someone yield to you? There isn't any real importance to this question. It's more for trivial discussion. But I thought I'd ask anyway. I'll save my thoughts on funerals and the idea of a funeral procession for later. -be safe