paramedicmike

Fairfax, Prince William or Loudoun?

Nice story. But maybe you missed the big banner at the top of the page that says "EMT" city? Maybe you missed the url? EMTcity.com?

Take the feel good hooey to the fire sites. They're well into hero complexes, ego stroking and feeling self important.

[*]Actually, the fire department administration has been fairly persistent in trying to kill off the volunteer squads. As I said, we've built good relations with the individual paid professionals, but the administration is a somewhat different story.

That's because the volunteers are a threat to the paid staff. If the county administrators got wind of how extensive the volunteer network is do you think they'd let the paid staff stay on? Hell no! They'd terminate the department and let all you self sufficient volly squads take over.

But what would that get you? A group of people with the same basic training minus the extensive real life experience as the paid staff. It seems the community would lose out in the long run.

Do you really want to be responsible for putting all those guys out of a job while you volunteer guys keep your real jobs and get to play on the ambulance/engine as a hobby?

I understand the point you're making. But let the paid guys earn their money. You have your job, they have theirs.

-be safe.

Dude! Stop yelling!

Any particular reason you're typing in all caps? That's basic forum etiquette. CAPS = yelling.

You weren't saying anything of much depth so there's no need for it.

No caps next time, please.

I don't know what you did there, Richard, but the font came up too small to read. Can you edit this and change the font size?

Thanks.

-be safe.

And to further the discussion, your community may be full of older folks, but there is still money to provide other services. Your roads are paved. Police protection is provided. You have indoor plumbing, electricity etc... There's money to provide all these services but no money to pay for proper EMS care?

If you want to provide the best service to your community, doesn't it make sense to provide the highest level of care possible? And wouldn't that lie in paramedic level care?

And before you label me anti-volly, too, keep in mind that I started as a volly. I worked to become a paid provider simply because, as a volly, I realized that providing this service for free did nothing to further either the industry as a whole or my local community.

Thinking of moving up from EMT to another level? Go to paramedic. I agree with those above. Anything less would be a waste of your time and money.

-be safe.

If there is anything you do not absolutely, positively remember for an absolute, crystal clear fact, just say, "I don't recall."

Indeed. "I don't recall" is the best thing you can say.

If you say "I don't know" it implies you might never have known. "I don't recall" implies that you knew at one time but due to reasonable circumstances (e.g. time between the call and the court date) you've forgotten. Don't say "I forget" as it just makes you look dumb.

Otherwise, follow Dust's advice. It's good stuff.

Good luck.

-be safe.

What did they tell you about it when you asked?

You did ask, didn't you?

Start physical training now!

-be safe.

That's alright, AZCEP. I was thinking the same thing you were. We can take anything and turn it into a specialty center.

I like Nate's idea that we work on expanding the capabilities of existing facilities. However, while expense might not be a limiting factor, the problem I see lies with in hospital providers who might not otherwise do these procedures. Would there be enough exposure for them to remain proficient in these skills?

I debate this issue with some of my coworkers regularly. They seem to think that any hospital with an ER is capable of handling any type of (specifically cardiac) patient(s). My position is if we know them to be having an active STEMI, they'd be better off if we drove the extra couple miles to a facility with an active cath lab.

While I don't think they're necessarily wrong (sure, the local ER can hang NTG, push thrombolytics and ship them out to a tertiary care center which, coincidentally, is the same facility that we would have driven to had we bypassed the local ER), I don't think that's the best thing for the patient as it results in a delayed arrival to cath time.

But who knows. Interesting concept, though.

-be safe.

Perhaps they received a grant for a new vehicle. Maybe they just want to upgrade their unit to something larger because they one they currently have is too small (ie Type II). Maybe they want to upgrade to a larger unit because staffing has picked up and a smaller unit just won't cut it anymore. Don't burst someone's bubble simply because you don't agree with them.

Fair enough. But then that would've been good info to include in the original post now, wouldn't it? Otherwise, it's just a seemingly over eager, over emphasized, under informed request. There's not even enough there with which to disagree. Even more, the web sites he's requesting are a pretty easy find with a simple google search. What's with people today looking for others to do the work for them?

-be safe.

Hate to burst your bubble but you don't need a new ambulance simply because you're upgrading to an ALS level service. All you need is new equipment. It'll work on the same truck regardless if it was a BLS truck yesterday or last shift.

And your organization will save a boat load of money, to boot! Money that could be spent on salaries, benefits, bonuses, station upgrades, even ALS equipment (*gasp*).

And yeah...overdone exclamation points do nothing other than turn people off. Basic elementary school grammar dictates otherwise.

Save your money. Don't buy a new ambulance simply because you're upgrading your service. There are better things on which to spend your money.

-be safe.

You guys were being much too nice in providing a link to the NR website...especially given how lazy this guy states he is.

Hey Fats...a little exertion may slim that screen name for you. Do some research before you post, please. Especially for something as easy to find as this.

-be safe.

Have you looked at your local protocols? What does it say?

Have you talked to your supervisor? What does s/he say?

Have you called your regional/State EMS office? What does your contact there have to say?

There are many places where you can find the answer to your question. Many of them are more authoritative than an anonymous response on an internet forum.

While there is a lot of info here from some very smart people, there are things that you should do before asking a question.

Do your research (have you met my friend www.google.com yet?). Then ask about things you don't understand. It'll help you more in the long run.

-be safe.

This is just the opposite from places I've seen. In my experience, people start at the busier stations and bid, based on seniority, to get to the slower stations. Not that it matters much...just different.

As for sitting around for 12 hours, bring some books. Split your reading to cover some EMS related topics and some fun reading. Any exercise equipment in the station? Can you rig up something for some isometrics? Bring some movies. Taking classes? Great time to do homework. Not taking classes? Why not? You have some great time to do homework! How into the job is your partner? Would that person be willing to work with you on skills review and practice?

I'm with Dust, too. I get bored at work pretty quickly if we don't have many runs. I feel rusty and unuseful as a provider. My coworkers give me plenty of crap because during down time I've usually got my nose in a book. However, rural stations at which I've worked have generally had a couple runs over the course of the day. Those that you get tend to present patients who are just a little more sick than the citiots out there. They generally don't call until they *really* need you.

Then your longer transport times, as Dust noted, give you the opportunity to provide patient care for much longer periods of time.

There are ways to keep yourself busy. But it does make time drag when you're slow.

Hope this helps.

-be safe.

Have you tried talking with this individual directly? Ask her where the problem lies? Is it that she doesn't trust you? Or just flat out not like you?

Or, as could be argued with one particular coworker, is she just trying to get out of doing any kind of work and bullying you around?

From a management point of you, you should talk with this individual and try to work things out with her first. If you go straight to management this is what they'll tell you to do anyway. At the same time they'll wonder if you have a problem working with others there which could then look bad for you. If talking to her doesn't work and she's still creating a hostile environment for you at work, then you talk to the boss.

Make sure, when you talk to this occasional partner, you make notes of the conversation, what was said, how it was taken, results coming from the interaction. That way if you have to go to the boss you have documentation in hand. This will help back your side of the story.

Talk to her first. See if you can reach some sort of understanding with regards to the work environment. If that fails, take your notes with you when you talk to the boss. Maintain professionalism at all times (even if she doesn't). That can only help you in the long run.

Good luck.

-be safe.

Typical response. I have no logic behind my belief, so I will blindly stand behind it.

Cattle. Ugh.

Now DAMN!

That's pretty funny! A joke! With cows even!

Now do you see why it was so easy for the church to subjugate so many people for so long? I bet they didn't even really need to print the bible in latin. If they realized people were so gullible...

oh well.

-be safe.

Portable neon sign?

Marker flags?

Collapsible tent? In bright hunter orange? With marker flags? Under a portable neon sign?

I've seen the flags used. I've seen the tent used (not in orange but other similarly bright, sometimes obnoxiously so, colors). This, in conjunction with a fire officer who is genuinely concerned about the ffs on scene directing them to rehab also does some good (much to my surprise).

Despite the poor attempt at humour...hope it helps.

-be safe.

Interesting.

Please don't think I'm against this. Remember, you asked for questions.

Explain again the incentives for municipalities to contract out through you. With the exception of the municipal services, these private (mostly volunteer based) services don't cost the local governments much in monetary terms. What would be your selling point to have services contracted through you?

Or....

were you looking at leaving these ineffectual, whacker filled volunteer organizations (I can say this as I'm somewhat familiar with this particular area) intact and contracting through them for ALS providers to staff trucks that you don't own in facilities you can't manage? Let them provide BLS level providers?

Would this, could this, become a de facto county based system? (What a novel concept!)

Who would own the trucks?

Supplies would come from where?

Or are you dealing strictly with people and not with the incidentals? (I guess that's what an agency would do...personnel only.)

How would you convince the medics of the county to work through you?

How would you handle billing?

And do you really think any of these little chiefdoms would go for this? How would you convince them?

Not that I think this is a bad idea. I don't think it's a bad idea. And it's crazy enough that it just might work! It would just take an awful lot of convincing of some pretty self important people.

-be safe.

Might that be "Office Space"?

What a great movie.

-be safe.

While the sentiment is not completely lost, it reminds me of something my great grandmother used to tell me. Being a young kid we all wish for things from time to time. This was the reply I got:

"Wish in one hand, $hit in the other. See which one fills up first."

Sometimes you do what you can. Other times it's best to speak your mind. And other times yet it's best to keep your mouth shut.

-be safe.

What about a right ventricle MI?

Please read all the posts in this thread.

The answer has been made available to all just above your post.

Reading = good

-be safe.

I'm partial to the Maryland paramedic patch myself. It certainly beats others that I've seen.

http://www.glasgowfirstaid.org/patches/Sta...d-paramedic.jpg

Of course, you always remember your first.

-be safe.

You may know the difference between patches. But how about the general public? They're the ones who aren't going to know. It doesn't matter where you are. All they'll see is an official looking person with patches on his/her shirt and think "Hey! EMT!" They aren't going to know that RI or MA have different patches. They most likely aren't even going to know what to look for.

Think it would be difficult to impersonate an EMT in between these two urban centers? Try again. There are people who post in these forums who impersonate EMTs all the time. There have been several stories in the news recently about people impersonating an EMT.

And how could you not know you could order patches from NREMT? They send you an order form with the envelope saying you passed! Unless, of course, you didn't pass and are just trying to play it off here like you did. In what size envelope did they send your notice?

Kids these days. Sheesh!

-be safe.

Why pay $2 for 1 when you can get 3 for $1?

For the same reason Rid mentioned. Selling this stuff on e-bay isn't the brightest thing in the world as there are people out there who can and will use it for impersonation. In fact, there have been a couple stories in the news lately regarding people who have been arrested for impersonating EMS and police with equipment, uniforms and patches all bought on ebay.

Further, buying from NREMT is, if you're Registry certified, the right thing to do. And sometimes doing things the right way is a little more expensive whether it be in dollars, time or effort.

Oh! Wait! I'm sorry. This is EMS. This is the same industry where it seems most people try to get the most out of the least amount of effort! Don't know what I was thinking.

My bad.:roll:

-be safe.

So if you're Registered, why do you want to buy them on Ebay? They're $2 a piece from NREMT. You can't get much better than that.

I'm with Rid on this one. Not Registered? Don't wear it.

If you are, then support the organization and buy from them.

This sounds fishy. :?: :shock: