Kansas Stan

I recognize the reason I don't spend much time here anymore. Too many people want to poke people with sharp sticks that asks simple questions. I think it's admirable that anyone wants to do anything "extra" in order to help his fellow human beings. I'm not near the internet interpretor that some apparently are, but I took the questions as honest (probably not overly informed, admittedly) and not meaning to trivialize this profession. Excuse me if I didn't read it correctly because I'm obviously not on the level that some of you all knowing wizards are. While on the subject of knowing everything there is to know about everything, I can easily see why some of you can't get along with fire departments....you can't get along with anyone.

Looks like a pretty bad deal all the way around but one thing I'd point out about the extrication part....they don't give a lot of details about it and without seeing what they were up against, my initial thought is this: it is (ordinarily...with a good crew and properly functioning jaws) sooooo quick and easy to pop a door and flap the roof for a much safer and easier extrication. Don't know as I understand removing roof, sliding door and rear hatch though. As far as entry from where the other car was....I'm on the FD's side on this unless the other vehicle is just in the way and in no way impaled or on top/connected to the patient's car. I can definately see patient's being compromised if you're talking pulling cars apart. Overall though, I gotta agree...it looks pretty bad for those involved

A question for similar small BLS systems out on the prairie or wherever Eagle Med, etc services are called in to fly patients out....who does your landing zone set up at accident site? We have a very good relationship with local FD and they take care of it for us as well as extrication work. A service just down the road pretty much refuses repeated offers of their FD to do LZ work. I guess I wonder why EMS would turn down this offer when they don't have any extra bodies in the first place? Seems patient care or proper set up for the copter isn't going to happen the way it should. What do you guys do?

As far as starting late in life....you're starting EARLY. I finally caved in and did the EMT thing after twenty six years as a firefighter when it appeared we might lose our EMS due to shortage of folks out here in the boonies. I was 50 when I tested, so you're just a kid. LOL

We put in applications twice and were awarded funding the second time. Very fortunate, to say the least. I got lots of input from others. One of the things that was stressed to me was to mention in your narrative the ways that your dept cooperates and assists others (mutual aid, etc) We do a lot of that out here in the vast wilderness of the Kansas prairie. Ours was a 10% funding deal with our city and township sharing 5% each of the truck cost. Any other questions you have...I'd be happy to try to answer.

Plenty of emergency organizations in this area are fire/ems and it seems to work fine. I am a firefighter/emt and think it's biased thinking that assumes "anyone" can be an average firefighter. There is just as much to learn to be a good firefighter as there is to the ems side of the coin. Our FD works very well with our EMS on extrication, traffic control, etc and we aren't even combined. Sometimes I think the biggest proplem in this area is ego that can't take a step back and see there are others doing jobs just as important in that "other" truck.

FF/EMT-B here. Twenty six years as firefighter and two as EMT....two different services. My wife is my boss on the EMT side and I'm Assistant Boss on the other (Assistant Chief that is)

I'm a firefighter/EMT-B. These are separate services....Ransom/Nevada Township FD and North Ness County EMS. Gotta admit that my first love is with the FD but I am very happy that my wife the slave driving EMS director "convinced" me to do the EMT thing.