Scaramedic

Yeah, little reality check here for our northern neighbor. American Fire Departments have always been good at finding ways to fund their little pet projects. Chiefs are excellent about moving funds from project A to project B and covering project A with funds from project C while project C will be covered in the next fiscal year. This is the kind of opportunity FD's love, private ambo's fail to meet coverage and fire swoops in and saves the day. Next levy the FD is taunting how they can do the job better and cheaper to the public. Of course in a years time the public will find out they cannot do it cheaper, but alas it's too late, so let's vote in a higher levy to cover the difference. All that time the FD is siphoning funds from the confined space rescue levy to cover the difference, but hey in a years time they'll get a new tax to make up that money. EMS is a shell game in many states in the US. Chief among them is California, where FD's are running amok taking over ambulance services wherever they can. Has this resulted in better patient? Sadly no, California is really an ass-backwards state when it comes to EMS. A majority of systems in Cali are "Mother may I" systems with quick learn the basics Paramedic programs pumping out as many Firefighter/paramedics as they can. So like Dust said earlier it is suicide for these Medics to go on strike, in time it could cost them all their jobs. Wait, I almost forgot another ridiculous funding option the FD's are enjoying right now, Terrorism Response Funding. In my town of 30,000 souls the Fire Department gets a truckload of cash to prepare us for attacks from Al Queda every year. It's ironic since we don't get a whole lot of money for Mt St. Helen's anymore. Now which is more dangerous an active volcano forty air miles away or Ahmed driving a van of explosives into our local Dairy Queen? Or maybe yet a gas attack at the one of the local bowling alleys, yeah that show the world Osama means business he just wasted 36 rednecks! Oh yes the games goes on, just realize in the States most FD's are covered by tax money of some kind, and their are always new taxes to come up with to cover whatever they want. The only thing Piner Medics have as private providers is to prove to the public they have the dedication to do their jobs. If the public sees one person die because of this strike they will lose any public support they had. Hmmm I think I hear that new $180,000 Fire/Rescue unit responding to a call. Peace, Marty :joker:

37.You refer to someone in severe respiratory distress as a "smurf"... Sound familiar Terri? Peace, Marty :joker:

You've got a giant set of nuts I'll give you that. You come into this forum and your first post is to correct a group of people who probably have ten times the street credentials than you do. You seem to have issues with both Paramedics and RN's, two groups of people who have a higher education than you. Yet you seem to believe you are an expert in electrophysiology because you are a monitor tech, guess what your not. Luckily for you I have to go, please standby for a further rant. :angry4: Peace, Marty :joker:

Back on topic.. You must have a problem to be like TV EMS, examples.. Alcoholic-Tommy Gavin from Rescue Me Sex addict-Carlos from Third Watch Gambling Addiction-Wyatt Cole from Saved Schizophrenia-Doc Parker from Third Watch Idiocy-75% of all the Medics on Paramedics Peace, Marty :joker:

I understand what she said and I agree my is not my life. Peace, Marty :joker:

The reason I was asking is E-Bay has a few at $40, brand new. Just search "Kendrick Extrication Device" and you'll find them, if you just type in KED you get shoes. Peace, Marty :joker:

Does a little bag of crappy peanuts and 2.5 ounces of Diet Pepsi count? Peace, Marty :joker:

The K.E.D. is also strengthened by wood slats just like the one you described. Just out of curiosity are you buying this yourself for use when you first respond? Peace, Marty :joker:

I see a whole new industry being created here... Peace, Marty :joker:

I used to work for a service that if they had a uniform that fit, you would hit the streets that nite. That was 15 yrs ago though, someone please tell me they are not still doing this! Peace, Marty :joker:

I believe this game is an attempt at trying to deal with the tragedy of September 11th. Granted it is in bad taste, but for some people it might help the feeling of being powerless in such an event. Humor has always been a kind of pressure relief valve for tragedy, probably since the beginning of time. I am old enough to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger jokes that went around after that tragedy. Some of them were pretty damn funny too, once again in bad taste but funny. It's funny how the whole you can or can't make jokes rules go. Things you can make fun of... 1. Michael Jackson molesting children. 2. OJ killing two people. 3. Robert Blake killing his wife. 4. World War II 5. Custer 6. Jesus Christ 7. People being killed in Afghanistan & Iraq. Things you can't make fun of... 1. Lincoln Assassination 2. Kennedy Assassination 3. September 11th 4. Muhammad 5. The Holocaust Go figure!!! :roll: Peace, Marty :joker:

This is going to show my age but, I like old mellow rock for calls. Its good at mellowing you out for the call. Some of the music I like... Turn the page-Bob Seger There's just something about that sax mixed with a wail siren, sends chills up your spine. Mainstreet-Bob Seger Melissa-Allman Brothers Midnight Rider-Allman Brothers Rhiannon-Fleetwood Mac Landslide-Fleetwood Mac The Chain-Fleetwood Mac Other groups-Skynard, Seals & Croft, CSN&Y. I like to be mellow when I am on a call. I do not want to come in all hyped up, mellow is best man! :hippy2: Can you tell I was born in the sixties? :happy10: Peace, Marty :joker:

Welcome to the City. Peace, Marty :joker:

Noun 1. dedication - complete and wholehearted fidelity faithfulness, fidelity - the quality of being faithful Dedication, a word that is not used much anymore when speaking of EMS. When I started out in EMS the pay for Paramedics was low, very low. Over the years it has gone up, for the most part greater than inflation. Slowly but surely it is catching up to where it should be. The average Paramedic salary in Washington State is about $22/hr. The average mill job salary in the state is about $20/hr so we're making a little more than people with a high school education. Keep in mind that Washington has the second highest pay rate for Paramedics, behind Washington, DC. Still, overall pay for Medics is increasing across the country. To me none of that matters though. I decided to be a Medic when pay was much lower than it is now. I became a Paramedic to serve the public, maybe it is naive but I was dedicated to helping others. I still am by the way, it has never been about lights and sirens or being the hero, it's about doing my job well. I do not care what I take home every two weeks, money is nice but it is not how I judge my life. I judge my life by the people who are living normal lives because of what I did in their moment of need. I have never cared for commendations, awards or even thank you letters from patients. The inner peace I find is reward enough for me. Wow, touchy feely crap from scaramedic!! Quick someone take his temperature. So how does all this tie into this thread about Medics going on strike in Cali? Simple it goes back to the definition I started this thread with. Dedication: complete and wholehearted fidelity, this is what EMS should be about. Dedication to the public we serve is the cornerstone of EMS. We want respect from the public but are willing to turn our backs on them for money. I equate medics complaining about pay to people who move into a house next to the airport and then complain about the noise. The pay was low when you chose this career, if you got into it for money your an idiot. The only way to have a satisfying career in EMS is to love what you are doing. I agree that we should be paid more but abandoning the public is not the key higher pay. The key to higher pay is better education that results in better patient care. In the end it comes down to the more dedicated we are the more we are worth. Peace, Marty :joker:

Deep, very deep. I agree 100%. [-o< Peace, Marty :joker:

Totally off topic, but I looked up Piner's ambulance and found that they are not just an ambulance company. They have a bunch of businesses on their website. Piner's Ambulance Piner's Guest Home Piner's Medical Supply Piner's Nursing Home Piner's Welding Supply Bicycle Madness Unit 435 copy an emergency 1234 S. Broadway, 48yo Male chest pain, on your way please drop off an arc welder at 345 S Industrial and also drop off a bike chain at 6543 N. Yuppy Way. Peace, Marty :joker: P.S. I am not making this up...Piners.net P.S.S. I am not slamming this service or anybody who works for them. I just thought it was an interesting mix of businesses.

A couple things the original poster left out of the story... From the Sacramento Business Journal... So let's look at the numbers here.. 433 against the contract 425 for the contract 13 declared "void" Total 871 members voted 2200 ballots mailed out So 1300 members did not even vote!!!! :shock: Then there's this.... I'm all for employees getting what they deserve. It just seems ludicrous to go on strike and endanger the general public with less than 1/4 of the employees voting against a contract. Peace, Marty :joker:

OK, I'll give you another hint... ...psychos, did they look like psychos--is that what they looked like? They were vampires. Psychos DO NOT explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a f*#k how crazy they are. Peace, Marty :joker:

That is awesome, I must remember that one. :thumbleft: Peace, Marty :joker:

If I had to guess I would say she had some kind of hypersensitivity to Formaldehyde. Even though that does not equate with the S/S presented, reactions can be weird and specific to the individual. All the other products used in leather would cause a contact dermatitis, Formaldehyde is the only one I can think that would have an inhalation reaction. Peace, Marty :joker:

Ummm... Toronto Ohio, Pop 5,676. Toronto Ontario. Pop 2,700,000 ....I don't see much of a difference. Peace, Marty :joker:

ChBare (Champ Bear) ready for duty. Ahhh Cute factor of 10!!!! Peace, Marty :joker: P.S. Great scenario by the way.

A true classic....PULP FICTION Here try this one... "You can be my slave. And at my command, you will lick the dog sh*t from my boot heel." "No thanks. I already had a wife!" Peace, Marty :joker:

Last time I worked 24's the shift change time was 0600, relief crew would show up about 0601. Peace, Marty :joker:

I can't say I have ever worked in a system like that. I also used to do staffing and I never scheduled that way either. The systems I have worked in give the full timers a set schedule, i.e. MTWT 0800-1800 for a six months or a year. Their schedules are based on seniority or position. The part timers are then filled in about a month ahead of time based on empty slots for the full timers. I do not believe I would work full time without a set schedule. I also believe it would make scheduling vacations a nightmare. Peace, Marty :joker: