akflightmedic

Why would it bother you? Let them do it, who cares.

Where I worked, we utilized communication. The IC for the fire department would tell us his plan and how it may affect the pt as far as movement wise. He would even ask if it needed to be a quick get em out by any means necessary or does he have time to do this or that. It worked great. If the pt was accessible, a medic was inside the car at all times. The medic had the safety sign that would stop all extrication, movement, whatever should that become necessary. The medic is also outiftted with protective gear. As soon as the pt is accessible, the medic was the ones to lay hands on the patient.

All is takes is teamwork and communication.

Let them cut away, thats what they are there for...cutting cars, carrying my patients, doing compressions, fetching equipment, blocking the scene with their big truck, and occassionally putting out fires.

No, but I can say HIPAA

Sorry pet peeve of mine...we can not even spell the name right...

Well the subject got a little off topic. It is a free/paid argument. I have not questioned the level of care provided by vollies. What this thread originally was about is what is best for the community and how vollies continue to take jobs from paid guys due to their kind heartedness. Vollies can be used to augment a system as Dust said, but they should never be the sole providers. Step back and look at the big picture, dont allow your feelings or ego to be insulted. Statistically speaking, which is better for a community? Which would you rather have in your own backyard? A system in place that is ready to roll at a moments notice or volunteers responding from who knows where and how long. Volunteers can not be held accountable for slow response times or failure to maintain training standards unless the administration self imposses that which is rare. After all, they are volunteers donating their time and services..if you dont like it, they will quit..and we can't have that cause that would mean we would have to start our own system. Who does the checks and balances on the system? We have talked many times on this site about how to get the pay we deserve and elevate our positions to one that deserves the respect of our peers. If we continue to give things away for free, the town, city, whatever will continue to abuse it and stuff the money elsewhere instead of the EMS system where it should be. The money is out there. There are federal and state grants for this sort of thing. However, this argument is a moot one due to the nature of EMS. Volunteerism is on a decline and with the increase in education standards, it will all fall to the wayside in a matter of years. Then maybe we will get the pay and respect we deserve. If they would hurry up and enforce the college degree reuirement in EMS, we could elimate 99 percent of the volunteers and start demanding higher wages. If I sound bitter, it is because I do like to help people, but I also need to get paid. IN 12 years of doing EMS, I have NEVER worked only one job or turned down overtime opportunities. It wasn't just me either, cause I tend to live beneath my means. As I looked around at all my co-workers, they too were working multiple jobs and/or returning to school so they could afford to live. If there is anyone on this site that is a full time paid EMS person and only works one job, please make yourself known. It is a rarity I assure you. Even EMTCIty Admin has a second job..this website.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the guard and reservists collect a paycheck when on duty and when activated...

They are beginning to realize it is a losing battle.....

MOUNT OLIVE -- Rescue volunteers are still answering calls when the alarm sounds -- when they can. They're also meeting and competing -- when they can.

Their numbers are fewer today, and the meetings are less formal, said Mount Olive rescue volunteer Debbie Hennessee shortly before she became the first woman to receive a lifetime membership in the squad during a recent meeting. She has been a volunteer for 20 years.

"We're small in number now, but we're really big in heart," she said. "It's not just the individual who touches rescue. We know it takes the entire family. Alone we could not do what we do. I used to ride all the time, and I had a very understanding family."

She told the story of rescue wife Grace Lane, who would get the boots and gear ready for her late husband, Dempsey, when he responded to calls in the middle of the night.

Employers used to help, too. Older volunteers have said employers used to let them off work to respond to calls.

Back in the late 1950s when the Mount Olive squad began, the volunteers depended on the local funeral home for some of their transports to the hospital, especially when there were more than one or two injured, until the early '60s when they got their first ambulance, a Ford truck the squad still has.

"It evolves. It changes daily," Ms. Hennessee said. "We've seen a lot of changes through the years, but there is a lot of honor and a lot of dignity on these walls."

But today, the volunteers have to ask permission from the paid emergency medical technicians to use the building. And since Wayne County took over operations of EMS with paid staff, the other trucks have been dispersed throughout Wayne County.

The volunteers have fond memories when they see the yellow trucks.

"We think about the joy and the friendship we had when we see our truck on the highway," Ms. Hennessee said.

The Mount Olive volunteers were highly respected throughout the U.S. and took home many championships, said Buddy Shaw, who installed the officers.

Shaw said he got into rescue one year after the Mount Olive squad was organized. He's been in rescue ever since.

"People ask what happened to Wayne County?" he said.

He said he has nothing against paid EMS workers.

"There are things they can do we can't, because the volunteers can't get off their jobs."

He urged the volunteers to not give up. He said he doesn't think their role will ever be what it used to be -- including the old days when $6,000 would buy a truck.

Today, that same vehicle costs more than $250,000.

"There's no way volunteers can keep up with that," Shaw said. "Not enough turkeys and pigs can be killed to keep up with that."

It's becoming more difficult to be a volunteer, but he told the Mount Olive rescuers they can still go out into the cold night and hold somebody's hand on the way to the hospital. Sometimes, years later, that same patient might come up to his or her rescuer and say "thank you" for the care he or she received.

Shaw said it has been the thank-yous that kept him going through the tough years.

Dempsey Lane's son, Jerry, said one of the reasons he joined the Mount Olive squad was the kindness the volunteers showed his wife's uncle.

Brenda Lane's uncle, Bill McCullen, had a heart attack.

"The rescue people showed up at the house" Lane said. "They fought a valiant fight to keep Mr. Bill alive."

McCullen succumbed to the heart attack. Dempsey Lane went on to become a state EMT examiner.

Even though they understand the changes might be necessary, the volunteers say they will continue to serve where they can -- and be proud of their accomplishments.

"I don't know why decisions are made to change things. I guess that's progress," Lane said. "It takes a lot of training to keep things going now. I can remember my dad sitting over there studying for the EMT exam. When he passed that thing he was so proud of that."

That is a legacy his son says he will continue by helping others to achieve the same goal.

I am now wondering who my first victim will be and what types of victims should I select....Any advice

Professional Services means to be paid....not the level or quality of care although it is historically better when one is paid.

Volunteer means for free.

That is what he meant by that statement.

As I stated and someone else did before me, there are very few areas left that need a vollie service. Yours may be one of them. But I assure you if there was no ambulance service provided in your area, Rural Metro or AMR would find a way to be there overnight.

But to further touch on your statement, you imply that there is not a significant tax base to fund a service. Not true. I know of several systems that are a conglomerate of different counties or towns. They pooled their resources to make it happen. It is doable.

Volunteers are dwindling, so you need to make preparations for the days when there are not enough to help you when you have the oh so dreaded heart attack.

I had personal experience with an all volunteer area. During hunting season you could forget about getting help or manpower in a timely fashion. It was awkward never knowing if people were actually coming. Just because you call doesnt mean they are coming in a volunteer system. We would end up with 20 people on a stubbed toe and 2 on a cardiac arrest. This was not only observed with this particular organization but many systems that I have been around. What I have observed at every volunteer station however, is there is one core group that keeps the place afloat. These die hards make it work, which is wrong, because then they start planning their life around the volunteer system. Eventually they have no life because "they are needed". If they didnt do it, no one else would. It is unfair to these people. Eventually, they burn out. Then you have lost the core. What do you do now?

As for the standards of the vollie agency, I always had plenty of people willing to drive. When it came to furthering their education, they werent interested. They felt their being there and helping drive was sufficient enough. Continuing education was a joke, as well as training nights.

You can not say this was limited to one area or one agency. I witnessed this behavior in 4 different states and in about 15 different agencies. It was the same in SC, FL,LA, and Alaska. Different place, same story.

If everyone that was able to...

fostered a child, we would have no kids without the love of a family

filled a pothole, all roads would be smooth

hauled their own trash, we wouldnt have noisy trucks in our neighborhood at 0700 on our off day

But you don't see any of these things being done by volunteers. They all collect money for their services. I have fostered, I know. the state paid me monthly. It didnt cover everything but they did pay.

EMS needs to be a paid profession. Not saying volunteers are unprofessional, but saying it needs to be paid. There are very few areas left that do not have the tax base to support a paid service. Why do towns and cities not go paid? Because there are volunteers there that have always done it for free. They sure seem to have the money to pay garbagemen and road crews, so why not EMS? A paid system could allow vollies but the local EMS system should never rely totally on them. What happens when the pool dries up, or people are just away because they have a life?

This is not an issue of paragods as mentioned. The paid system could be all Basics for all I care but at least it is a system set up and in place...not people responding POV from home to the station or to the scene. As long as we continue to do this, we resemble a bunch of Ricky Rescues and shortchange ourselves in the eyes of the professional world.

I like helping others, that is why I tolerate the low pay...but, I do need to be paid. I got to eat as well.

And volunteering is not about being all helpful and doing the community a service, people volunteer to feel good about themselves. Look up the definition. People brag about their vollie affiliations cause they look better to other people. It is all about stroking your own ego and making yourself feel good. If you didnt feel good after doing it, you wouldnt do it in the first place. I am not saying all vollies are of this mentality, but think about it. If no one volunteered, they would be forced to implement a paid system. That would do several things for your community you care so deeply about. First, it would ensure rapid care at all times, second, it would create jobs for your town.

More than a dozen Portales police officers and Roosevelt County sheriff's deputies borrowed an ambulance to swoop down on a county residence and serve a search warrant.

They came away with three arrests and $1,700 worth of suspected methamphetamine.

The bust happened this week after an informant gave authorities information on drugs and surveillance equipment in the home that was used to monitor police activity.

Dispatchers put out a fake call for ambulance crews to respond to a neighboring residence. That provided cover for authorities to be in the neighborhood.

Arrested were 38-year-old Armando Ontiveros, 22-year-old Juan Tovar and 31-year-old Anastacio Saenz Jr.

I can tell you a lot about it. What do you want to know as I have had personal experience with them as some of my old coworkers have as well.

The pay is not great, you work 10, 12 or 14 hour shifts.

They are system status..which means your entire shift is spent inside the ambulance.

If you are an EMT-Basic, all you will do is drive as they require medics to ride in with every patient regardless of nature of illness or injury.

They do not have a good reputation with the city FD, who has control of every scene until they turn it over to you. The FD will always be on scene a good 8-10 minutes before you, so if there are ALS procedures to be done, they will do them, plus they have the option of riding in with you and maintaining pt control.

Orlando ERs are so overcrowded, you spend on average an hour at the hospital waiting to transfer care.

ANything else, just ask.....

Dust..Whats really the problem here? Do you feel because people Volunteer their time for their community that you will never make alot of money as a Paramedic? I would never spend a year in school to become a Paramedic for 2 reasons..I think its crazy to spend $8,000 to become a Paramedic and get paid chump change when you finally do get a job, that you cant even survive on when you have a family..The other reason is this is not something i want to do for a living...I have a Bachlors Degree in Business Administration and i make a damn good salary..Soo if i just want to help out my community without making money for doing it then thats my problem not yours or anybody else's..

Therein lies the problem. Your last sentence supports what others have already said. It is all about YOU! It makes YOU feel good, its all about your ego. You say it is not anyone else's problem, but it is. You have made a decision for your community that they do no need full time ALS care. WHo are you to decide that for them? Also by volunteering, you continue to make it more difficult for the upcoming newbies to acquire employment in smaller towns or to even earn a salary they can live on because people like YOU continue to offer services for free. If you want to help, use your degree to implement a full time service that provides ALS care 24/7. Juts because you do not want to do it for a living and earn chump change does not mean some other people in your community feel the same. They might be more than happy to do it FT and earn a pittance, but you are taking that choice away. So, in retrospect, I guess it IS everyone's problem...not just yours.

For the record, I started out as a volunteer and had many of the same ideas/arguments that you guys are presenting. I never understood why my service was being so heavily criticized by the paid guys. But once you make this your career and wish to see your career earn the respect it deserves, you need to make changes, drastic changes. If we are ever going to make the money we deserve and gain the respect of our peers, we need to quit giving it away for free. I never seen anyone respect a slut, until she cleaned herself up, quit giving it away, got educated and made something of herself. We need to do the same!

That's a question for the EMS bureaucrats of that state.

When I applied for OR reciprocity, it took 13 weeks!!

AK reciprocity took 8 weeks.

FL reciprocity took 2 weeks.

LA reciprocity was 1 week.

It all varies by state of course but for the most part it is the background check that takes the longest. OR took so long cause they do a 50 state background check instead of only checking the states where you were licensed. They contract out the work so it was then out of their hands and in another parties.

My advice to you is to call the EMS board there, they will answer your questions.

Baby Born at Colorado Fire Station OK

Story by thedenverchannel.com

A baby boy who was born Friday at a Poudre Fire Authority station and left there by his mother remains in good condition, said authorities at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

A family has already asked to adopt him, and he has already been placed, said authorities with the Larimer County's Department of Human Services.

"State law requires the Department of Human Services to place Baby Doe with potential adoptive parents as soon as possible. Therefore, as soon as Baby Doe is ready to leave the hospital he will be placed with a certified Foster-Adopt home, one that was approved by the Larimer County Department of Human Services some time ago," said Michelle Hostetler, deputy division manager of the Department of Human Services.

"The people who will be receiving Baby Doe have received the training required and passed a background check, both required by law to become foster-adopt parents," said Tony Passariello, supervisor of the Permanency Unit at the Department of Human Services.

The boy's birth mother walked into a fire station Friday at 8 a.m., and gave birth an hour later. She left the infant with the firefighters and paramedics who helped deliver the child.

Since she invoked the state's Safe Haven law, which allows a mother to surrender her child to medical workers, a hospital or fire station within 72 hours of giving birth, the woman will not face any charges.

This is the first time that the Safe Haven law has been used in Larimer County. Hostetler said it's a good law -- one that obviously helped a struggling mother.

"What she did was an act of love. She could have given birth and put the child in a plastic bag, and she chose not to do that," said Hostetler.

To learn more about the foster-adopt or the adoption programs in Larimer County, call (970) 498-6940.

I will let the others addrsss your questions for now, however the one piece of advice I will give you is NEVER, I repeat NEVER use your email address as your screen name. You open the door for spammers, attackers and the llike by displaying that information. You need to change your name immediately. If you can not do so by yourself, email admin and have him do it for you.

Simple I call P.D. for lift assist. they can determine then, what they want to do. They know when I call there is a reason. Done it before , will do it again. Sorry Ak have to disagree with if some had rectal bleeding due to anal sex...YES I chart mechanism of injury. Sorry, that is the part of the history of the patient. The same if he has an impaled object, or lacerated penis etc... Rectal bleeding non-traumatic would be examined and possibly tx differently, not searching for tears, etc. but medical in nature.

Be safe,

R/R 911

I did not say DONT chart mechanism...I asked would you report it to the local authorities since it is against the law in most states...I was reaching for a situation which is sarcastic enough to prove my point. In your example, the pt TOLD you he had sex, therefore it is relevant. If it is relevant to the condition of the pt, by all means make mention of it but do it in a way that is non accussatory. Just because he is there in the presence of the drugs does not mean he had anything to do with them, therefore it should not be mentioned or implied in the report. You did not test the stuff so you do not know without a doubt what it is. Yes, it may be painfully obvious but you still can not assume.

The information does NOT belong in your report. It has nothing to do with the patients condition.

You want to report it fine, but the point being made is if you were not a public servant, you would not have the trust or ability to enter into their private domain and make this discovery. What if you went to a patient for a rectal bleed and he told you it is because he was having anal sex? Look up your state laws and you will be surprised when you see the number that outlaw sodomy. Sodomy is a crime! Would you report this as well? Your only legal obigations to report are child abuse and elder abuse. You are required to report those. The rest are reportable if you so choose. It is definitely an ethical question and there is no right or wrong, however sometimes you need to step out of the box and look at the whole picture, not just one small narrowminded portion.

Why are you asking us? You are the one who has spent thousands of dollars, had MRIs, CT scans and seen 2 different neurologists. You think a few medics and EMTs on a website are going to give you better answers than all of those professionals you have spent thousands on? According to the website I provided earlier, your diagnosed condition is cause by factors other than epi administration. I think you are reaching here.

Ah yes, the "Code of Silence"...I think that was Chapter 2 in EMT school and then reinforced again in Semester 3 of paramedic school. We know it and live by it. To death we carry our secrets. That was sarcasm in case you didnt realize. There is no code of silence. You as an EMT or medic should know this stuff. In fact, you should know everything you have asked us because you stated you are a medic and EMT.

Please cut the crap and move on.

Your story is losing ground...enjoy it now, by tomorrow no one will have cared. You got some attention for a few hours at least. Feel better yet?

Well it seems like your lawyer would have answered all the questions for you, which again leads me to call BS based on all the other stories I have heard from you. Seems like he would also advised you not to discuss it with anyone.

So you came into an EMS site with a twisted story, using subterfuge to gather information that you can obtain from any ER doc or paramedic textbook. You have not provided nearly enough information for any of us to advise one way or another whether or not the treatment was appropriate. You also admit to trying to get the ER to change the order...this is unethical and illegal. As an EMT/medical assistant and a newly certified medic, you should know all this already. You are employed, do you not have medical insurance. I would not be paying thousands...if you had a legitimate case, a lawyer would be helping you get proper medical treatment, knowing he would be paid off in the end, but alas, your "case" is bogus.

It is great to have you back visiting EmtCity, we have not missed you in chat for several months now..I am sad that you have now found out about the forums and how to post. Maybe you will go troll some other sites...

So at first you didn't have a monitor, but now you do. OK. Your area is sooooo rural that icepacks are the recommended treatment for Vtach??? I didn't get that one in ACLS but I am due for renewal so maybe I am not up to date on the latest since you are a new medic that still works as a basic but does ALS procedures.Hmmmm, gets confusing doesn't it?

As for small towns, yes I have lived in them. As for getting a life, I do have one, its mine and you can't have it. I am one of the forum moderators, it is my job to keep things in order and call BS when I see it. You asked and I responded. Why the hostility? You have no business being in the field if you make a simple med error as such you described. You deserve all the punishment that can be dealt to you. You could have killed someone, what do you say then. Oops it was a mistake and I am sorry I am not as perfect as you. I don't think so.

I poked holes in your story and rattled your cage and you could not handle it. Please heed this notice. If you post frivilous posts again and/or make any personal attacks, you will be dealt with swiftly.

Sara, your stories in the chat room have become old and tired...and now you bring them to the forums. Your story has way too many inconsistencies in it and I am surprised Rid chomped at the bit. In his favor he must have been tired. You screwed up a few weeks ago yet the ambulance company sent the bill to collections after 1 month. HMMMM.....Your pt went into Vtach with no monitor in place, how did you determine this??? You iced your pt down immediately...in the back of the rig???? Did you pull over to the 7/11 and buy a bag of ice??? An ambulance company having insurance will never protect you from gross negligence so that argument is flawed. If a lawsuit were being discussed, I highly doubt you would know about it this early on and you most certainly would be the last to know..usually in the form of a sub poena..so again I call BS on that topic. She was doing fine with benadryl but you went ahead and gave epi...why? In addition to the BS you have spewed thus far, you follow up saying you know the results of the pts medical tests, weeks after the event. This is privileged information and if there were a lawsuit being discussed, you certainly would not be kept in the loop on the day to day medical diagnoses. As for the occipital neuralgia, here is a good website for you to read..focus on the causes please. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/occipit...alneuralgia.htm

Finally, why is an EMT pushing benadryl and epi???

If this were true, I hope you lose all certifications, your job and your butt is sued to the point that all future paychecks are docked. However, we know this is yet another futile attempt of yours to post something dramatic and garner attention for yourself. Please refrain from frivilous posts in the future.

The comment said MAYBE one should not be an EMT, did not say YOU. Anyways, while I can appreciate your personal situation, as I have been there before as well as many others here on this forum, it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand. Having money in the bank does not determine whether or not you know the protocols under which you work.

Please understand our confusion and frustration with the question you have asked. How is it possible for one to not know their scope of practice? How did you make it through school and become certified without knowing whether or not you can do a simple procedure? In addition to not knowing the answer, you came onto a public forum and asked the question to total strangers. Do any of these people here work in your county, city or system? Protocols vary by service and location. So what would you do if half the people said yes and half the people said no? You still would not have a clear definitive answer. What if we all said yes, but we were wrong? Who would be liable? Not us, only you. This is why it is so important that you ask around locally, hopefully at the service that you are working or volunteering for and find the correct answer.

This place is great for many discussions and learning opportunities..it is not a place to find out what your scope of practice is in one particular organization.

We welcome you and look forward to hearing froom you again.

Good luck with the baby and do not worry..they do not think that kind of stuff until their teenage years, so you got a while.

He never directly called any one person in particular those things. He said he can not believe "someone" would be so lazy at to not check thier own protocols. I stand by me decision. There was no direct attack. The only direct attack was you against me.

xselerate,

Wow, is there really any need to slam someone like that!!! Good to know that your prefect. Comments like this only turn new people away from asking good questions on the forum. Lighten up!

You said it yourself...it keeps people from asking GOOD questions....this was a very poor question and the poster deserved some heavy handed guidance for future reference. Xselerate is 100 percent correct.