sirduke

Yes, but only because we use the ART system on our laptops and it is required to validate the report.

I've noticed this trend as well, seems like each new class of EMT hopefuls get bigger and sorrier as well. In the last class we had doing their clinicals with us, only three of 12 were under 250 lbs. The sad fact was that they also seemed to be only interested in getting into EMS for the down time. That was a common comment I overhear, "dang you guys get a lot of time off and if you aren't busy, ya'll got it dicked". I took time to explain to them that if that was their entire reason, then they needed to drop the course right then. I'm seeing a trend in new hopefuls who have no concept of lifting, no sense of urgency, and a lot of "in yo face" attitude. One even dared to ask why students had to take vitals and lift the stretcher. Needless to say, a quick conversation with his instructor and he was bounced.

How very typical. The local group of Firemonkeys here want to combine EMS and Fire, claiming they would be benefiting EMS. The truth is, they have a crappy old station, EMS has a new station, EMS is within budget and they are way over budget. They have decided that they will take over EMS, train us to be firemonkeys, no mention of the fact that none of them are EMT's and forget any of them being Paramedics. The chief Firemonkey stated that we would be trained as firemonkeys first, and when time and funding permitted, then the hose jockeys would be allowed to go to school and become EMTs, but he didn't see the need to have them become Paramedics as we already have medics.

I thought we'd already had this fight.

I was taught to hang NS, and the protocol where I worked then, as well as the protocol where I work now, is NS, however, I also work part-time at another service which has D5W in their protocol, so when there, I use D5W. The reason for posting this in the first place was to bring up the fact that there seems to be no standard being taught that is consistant from one school to another. When I was a paramedic student, this same Paramedic asked me what fluid I'd hang when administering D50, and when I told him NS he threw Hell. And when I informed him, as did one of my classmates, that we were taught to use NS, he informed us that we as well as our instructor were idiots. He even went on to call our instructor and raise hell with her. Our current crop of students are being instructed to hang D5W, and one of them questioned me while riding along, when I hung NS. Anyrate, still waiting for Dust to slip in, tell us all Paramedic schools suck, grumble a bit, and then enlighten us all. I've scoped this out on the Net, read all the pros and cons I could find, and still don't have a definite answer as to which is best.

Dang it mobey, you done beat Crotch to the race card.

Just wondering, our service uses a Normal Saline drip when administering D50, however, our neighboring county uses D5W for the same thing. One of our part-time medics, who has been a medic for about 18 years is very vocal in his opinion that we should be giving D5W. When I went to paramedic school we were taught to use Normal Saline, however the students we are precepting have been taught to use D5W. So I thought we'd open this up for discussion, I searched the forum, but didn't see any topic directly related to this. Can't wait for Dusty to weigh in on this one, ought to be a lively debate.

Just poking at you Dust, but if we'd let them, the Firemonkeys would take over.

I am in AWE !!! In all this, and all the follow on post, Dust hasn't used the term FIREMONKEY yet !!! Dusty, are you slipping son?

GOD BE PRAISED, HE IS DEAD

Lone, a couple of local remedies I've run across come to mind. Gargling bleach for a sore throat. Seen that more than once. Saw one local idiot use a q-tip in battery acid to remove warts.

I shot the Sheriff~ Eric Clapton why are women so hard to understand?

I'm with Ruff, based on prior history.

Unless of course they are black, unless you are also black, or Crotch will advocate you having to pay ! Seriously, it is a concern that should be dealt with. Document every aspect of it, to include times of dispatch, etc. Keep these for your defense should you suffer reprecussions. Duke

God be Praised, Nuff Said.

Amen, I say Amen. The only thing this whole drawn out thread has proven is that Crotch-Cricket is a money grubbing Racist who wants to be paid for hating crackers, kikes, hymies, chinks, honkies, towel heads, and any other group I may have forgotten, but at the same time doesn't want to admit he is FULL OF SHEITE. Crotch, take a flying leap at a Rolling Donut. If my son ever, EVER, suggest that he is entitled to something just because he is half black and 1/4 American indian, I will beat the brake shoes off him. Should he try to excuse a bad grade or poor test score on the oppression of his fore fathers, I'll remind him about sneaking out to play without finishing his studying or homework. I've said it in the past, I'll say it again, Crotch, you sir, are a Freaking Moron.

Yes ParaMike, I'm sad to say, that long after the world has forgotten of his passing, they will still be clamoring about MJ. A sad testament to our society.

It is with sadness I saw that Walter Cronkite passed away a little while ago. He was perhaps the greatest newscaster I ever watched. RIP Walter, 1916 to 2009

First off, yes I am in EMS, I work in a Rural setting, for two different services, both ALS Paid Non Fire services. No, other than Synthyroid and Glucophage, I don't take any drugs, on duty or off, nor do I chain smoke, though I have been known to take an occasional drink. While I'm not Charles Atlas by any means, I am not a short of breath cardiac incident waiting to happen. I've never been on workmans comp except to have some dental work done after a violent patient caught me off guard. As for powdered donuts, wish I could, but like to keep my ACL down, I intend to keep my feet, eyes and related systems until the end. Family history will catch me one day and the triple A will get me, either that or a young eager EMT driver. I merely take humbrage to those who rant and rave and use, and yes you did, use blanket statements about EMS and our "Lack of Concern". Your response seems to indicate that I struck a nerve. Just like with Crotch cricket who assumes that because I'm white, I'm a racist. Wrong again, my son disproves that theory. Anyway, nothing I say will matter at this point anyway, as you have branded me, judged me, and therefore I am wasting my breath. Duke

Yep Vent, I read every single post in this thread, most especially yours. I hate blanket statements, which is why I decided to enter the fray. You kept on referring to "fat overweight donut eating chain smoking EMT(P)s, which infers to me that you have a chip on your shoulder towards Paramedics. We are not all like that no more so than all cops are donut eating ticket writing gun happy profiling bastards. One thought for you ....Xanax PO, PRN Duke

I submit to you sir, try being a small white child walking into an allmost all black school in 1967 like I and 3 other white kids did. Where the teachers and the children all viewed you as their personal opportunity to "get some back". I wore an ass whipping home every day. Didn't dare go into the bathroom alone, nor did telling the black teachers or the black principal do anything but get you a paddling for lying. So KMA, don't tell me blacks can't be racist, I know better.

I'll throw a dog in this fight !!! First, let me ask, why in the very first page of this melee, why did you, Vent, jump on EMT-Ps like a fat kid on a donut? "Seems somebody gots a hateful grudge against the EMT(P)s. (aka Gov. Pappy O'Daniel)" That aside, yes, we need to make an effort to assist anyone and everyone we can, as best we can, and within the limits of our resources and protocols. I've tried my best to help hundreds of people, and perhaps had a bit of limited success with a few. But ! As it has been stated, ad nausem, You cannot help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. At least not very far. I lost a very good friend to ETOH and drugs, despite being there for him every minute, taking him to rehab, holding his hand, feeding his family, but I couldn't stop the self destructive behavior and it eventually killed him. But I didn't give up. We have regulars here that we transport almost every shift, our protocols don't allow us to refuse them. We've reported them to social services, who are very familiar with their cases, and they attempt to help them, but to no avail. So are you saying that I'm just dumping patients on the ER and leaving them to deal with it? I've followed up on so many cases with law enforcement and social services that they groan when they hear my name sometimes. One of the sad case regulars we had is/was a MA of Lit. who taught at the local college for years, fell into the trap of ETOH and drugs, and ended up on the street as a prostitute, living in an abandoned van. Sober, which wasn't often, she was very literate, funny, and sad about her situation, but would tell you that she couldn't change, and didn't want to change. Drunk, or high, she was a demon, hitting LEOs and EMS, nurses, anyone who got within striking range. She once commented to me that she owed the hospital over 500K, but "they can't get blood out of a turnip". What I ask you Vent, did I fail to do in my attempts to help her? You are trying to cast us all as uncaring, lazy, cold hearted bastards, and from reading your post/rants, it seems that no matter what anyone says, you take offense to, deem them as wrong. My last question for you, do you realize that you are coming over just like Crotch Cricket with his race card bullcrap? Peace Out Michael Duke, EMT-P