akflightmedic

Your best bet would be actually contacting the HR department or someone who actually works there or participates in the hiring, instead of asking a bunch of random people on the internet.

Let me give a brief history of the situation. Henderson has experience with federal contracts as he has done them for many years, usually wildland fires type stuff. Anyways, Gold Star EMS was a private service in Texas that went belly up after being accused of Medicare/Medicaid fraud. A lot of people lost their jobs, retirements,etc. 50 ambulances were parked and not being used along with all the normal equipment on an ALS unit. Henderson was also part owner of Gold Star. Allegedly, GSEMS was cleared of the allegations, however this took months, reputation had been soured and people had moved on, new companies had taken their place. The storms hit and Henderson used his brain...sure money is a motivator but he is a business man. FEMA needed ambulances NOW!! Henderson had 50 of them ready to roll and he used them. Blew the dust off of them, stocked them the best they could and sent them down. A lot of people were able to go back to work and make some money since the layoffs. Many old employees returned. I agree, they were not in the best shape nor were they fully stocked, but this was time of a major disaster. We did not need half the crap that we normally carry on a unit. We had very small amount of drugs but we did have lifepaks and cardiac drugs. I can think of no instance where we needed something to treat someone and did not have it. Most of our job was doing transfers and evacuating patients to upstate or out of state. As for the comment of 16 ambulances following the military guys cleaning gutters, this is absolutely ridiculous. Did not happen! Out of all the ambulances that were there during the storms, GSEMS/Henderson had the most. At one point at the command center, there were over a 100 ambulances. It was amazing. There were people from everywhere..from AMR to the tiniest little rescue squad out of South Carolina. I met many great people. Everyone has to understand there was much confusion during this time and sometimes resources were scarce, but we as Americans get in our own little comfortable world and can not imagine it or handle it when things happen differently. Yes there were many things that could have or should have been done differently, but it just didnt happen that way. I think overall, the EMS community pulled together and accomplished some major feats with as few lives lost as possible. Yes people died but it was a huge natural disaster. I am proud to have been a part of the effort. Thanks for letting me rant....

I was promised pay and I recieved my pay. Those guys were there for the money too as that was a very hot item of discussion as you can well imagine. We were given 480/day. Henderson Consulting also paid for my airfare from Alaska, roundtrip so that I may be there and assist. I recieved all monies owed and I recieved my 10-99. These guys are NOT altruistic heros despite whatever fluff they are telling the media. They were despised by many during this ordeal which is sad.

For everyones knowledge, there is always two sides to the story. The first time I went to Louisiana for relief work, I worked for Henderson. I was also there at the same time as these OR guys were there. They are making themselves sound to be angels, however I can speak unbiasedly about them. I do not work for Henderson, have no desire to work for Henderson again...I have no ulterior motives. From the moment these guys arrived, they refused to be team players. They segregated themselves from the rest of the group, they refused to sleep with us and eat with us. They refused to be paired up with anyone else but another OR guy. They bad mouthed the system and continuously freelanced. They refused to follow orders and said they knew best. When the storm was hitting, they refused to evacuate Beaumont. They rode the storm out there and refused to leave with the rest of the group. Instead they holed up with the local FD and stayed there in their station. Mr.Henderson was angry cause everyone else had followed orders and these guys refused. They endangered themselves and the equipment. After the storm landed, they refused to check in and instead stayed in Beaumont. Numerous attempts were made to contact them with no success. As for communications, we were all issued Nextel sattelite phones that had no lapse in coverage during the storm. After almost 2 days, contact was made and they were informed to return immediately to Baton Rouge or they would be charged with stealing the ambulances. They eventually all piled into one ambulance and drove back. I was there when they arrived. Mr.Henderson promptly informed them their services were no longer needed and they got in their cars and left. These guys were problem children from the moment they set foot on the site. There was no room or need for their attitudes especially with what we were enduring. Now it sounds as if they are trying to make more trouble just because they screwed up. Please before you get all worked up over this ordeal, get all the facts. Anymore questions and I will be happy to answer as I worked in LA for 60 days, after Katrina and during Rita. As for the Shreveport guys, they were a great bunch of guys, very friendly. They left because they were only there for 4 days to start with. It was there off time from the FD. I can not say enough good things about them..Thats enough for now, if I remember anything else or yoou have questions, let me know...

While I can not say the system is ineffective or not working cause I do not work in or around it, what I can say is you can not pick on their education standards. The program is phenomonal and it is something we should all strive for. As for the system itself, if it is so inefective, why do they consistently get high grades? I am asking, not defending. Why is there very little negative press? As with every system, there will be chinks in the armor and flaws with one area or another. But in the education arena and as leaders and innovators of new trials and procedures, they have been leading the pack.

I am confused....You are saying it is impossible to find a school that teaches basic EMT, the entry level training for all of our careers??? PLease clarify this for me. And you are also saying the state does not recognize basics but it does intermediates. Usually it is the other way around. Please help my confuzzlement....thanks

I get paid in US dollars

King County Medic One only employs Paramedics. We do not train or hire individuals to work at the EMT level. If you wish to obtain a career at the EMT level, please contact a local Fire Department or private ambulance company. King County Medic One does NOT operate a Paramedic Training Program. The University of Washington is the sole training provider for all Paramedics in King County. After a competitive testing process, we contract with qualified individuals to attend the University of Washington Paramedic Training Program. If the candidate is successful in the educational endeavor, they are hired by King County to work as a Paramedic, sent to orientation and placed on a one-year probation under the direction of Field Training Officers. Call the University of Washington's Paramedic Training Program at (206) 731-3489 or click here to visit their website. To be qualified to test with King County Medic One you must hold a current EMT certification and have 3 years of field experience. Field experience must be in the pre-hospital EMS setting (paid or volunteer Fire Department or Ambulance Technician); 12 months of the 3 years must be consecutive with a single agency. Military medic or nurse / hospital type experience is not accepted. You must have a high school diploma and a valid driver's license. Competitive candidates will possess excellent reading, math and writing skills. You should be physically fit and able to pass a job-related assessment. The successful candidate King County Medic One strives to hire individuals that will perform well in the academic setting. Successful candidates must demonstrate spatial reasoning skills, critical thinking skills, and leadership ability. Candidates should be exemplary in teamwork and customer service skills as well. Qualified candidates are given a series of evaluations, which include: General Knowledge Test EMT Level Test Physical Agility Test Assessment Center Physical Exam Criminal Background Check Two Oral Boards Sorry to make it sound like an ad, but I am displaying information that I think justifies the debate Paramedic Training To become a Paramedic, department firefighters must apply for the position and if accepted, begin a year-long training programming under the close supervision of the Medical Director at Harborview Medical Center and veteran paramedics. Paramedic trainees must successfully complete this intensive 3,000 hours worth of instruction and hands-on training. After completion of their training, Paramedics are required to complete 50 additional hours of medical education annually. They are also required to document performance of required skills in excess of State requirements in order to maintain certification as an Advanced Life Support Paramedic by the University of Washington School of Medicine. These hours are divided into a formal lecture series relating to paramedicine, other medicine-related lectures, alarm review with the Medical Director, and teaching EMS-related subjects. This first link is the best one..explains and lays out the training schedule...now please debate this and tell me it is no good.. http://www.metrokc.gov/health/medicone/trainingschedule.htm http://www.metrokc.gov/health/medicone/action.htm http://www.cityofseattle.net/fire/medics/medicOne.htm http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/dpdarticle.php?article_id=1364 So, having said all of this, the only downside is it is not a degree program yet. I called the college and they are in the process of developing it, but they do give credit for the course so that you may apply it to another degree if you so desire. The bottom line is the paramedic program is NOT open enrollment. You must be hired by one of the participating organizations and then you must attend this intensive program or you can not work as a medic..period. 7 days a week for 9 months, 600 pt contacts..read the list..it is amazing. I wish my program had been like that So, to sum it up...in my opinion, this is what I think makes these medics so much better than medics from other areas..they put the empahasis on education, not just skills.

What impresses me Dust about them is exactly what we have talked about many times. They are taking a step in the right direction with the EDUCATION...You can not just be a medic and get a job with them. They require you to go through a very rigorous and comprehensive paramedic program. One of the best in the nation ( in my opinion) because of the amount of hours and clinicals they require. If all the programs were similar to this one, we would not have "firemonkeys" blindly following protocols. The training is tough, it requires dedication and you do not skate by or get passed because they need medics. I myself was ignorant of this program until I moved to the northwest. I know a few of the guys and I am very impressed with their education requirements. Since this is all you harp about, you should look into their requirements because I think you will then be pleasantly surprised and you may even pass on YOUR approval..lol As for the system flaws, every system will have them, but I see exactly what they were trying to do and it makes sense. Not having worked in the system, I can not comment on whether or not it is truly working, but I have heard no negativity from the guys. The employees that I know are very happy and like I said there is very little attrition.

They did not neglect to respond to anyone....The nurses skipped the system in place and called the private service direct. The nurses are the ones that screwed up the system. The original poster works for the private service and he was questioning whether or not this was an ALS call and should he have called for them and would they have come. Basically, I assume he is second guessing himself and doubting whether or not he did the right thing.

Let me correct my phrasology. They are not DISPATCHED to BLS emergencies, if they happen to roll up on one, they will transport. There is no need for babysitting, the first responders do that. The guys on the engine or flycar, they babysit and call for ALS or BLS. This is for Dust....as critical as you are of US EMS systems, this is one I think you should study before passing judgement. I am not saying they are the end all and be all but they have their act together, its been an excellent system for years and if we all followed their lead we would have the salaries and respect we deserve across the nation.

KING County does NO BLS transports or calls. The private company AMR handles all BLS emergencies. If ALS is needed, then the Medic1 guys roll. You are correct. It is an awesome service and if I were younger or just getting started, I would give them very serious consideration.

AMR is the private service.. JEMS has done many stories on them as well google Medic1...lot of good info. They have been pioneers in many new treatments and therapies.

While you guys make valid points, it just doesnt hold water with this particular area. If I am not mistaking, this may or may not be referencing to Seattles Medic1 which happens to be one of the top services in the nation. Their medic ambulances do not run BLS calls, only ALS. They have very rigourous hiring and training programs and in return you get a nice salary and schedule and are guarenteed to run only ALS calls. How sweet is that? I would have worked for them but I can not go through paramedic school again as is required by their hiring agreement. They dont care who you are or how long you have done it, you will redo their medic program for 10 months. They do pay you but it is only 3k a month while in school. Their program also has very low turnover, no big surprise there. So, to make a long story short, please do not start the private vs municipal argument because it is irrelevant with this particular system. Read up on Medic 1, good stuff...

Well based on that information, its not hard to figure out who you work for and who the other agencies are. Anyways, this guy sounds septic. Could he use ALS intervention? Sure he could. Would it make an immediate difference..I dont think so. Could BLS run him to the ER which is only a few minutes away? Sure they could. Should BLS do this? I don't think so, since a higher level of care can and should be provided when possible. Should the RNs at the SNF stop skipping the process that is established in order to ensure quality care to all residents regardless of the condition. I think so. They should not be circumventing the system that is in place. That leads to problems and questions such as this one.

Kind of funny that I made the very same mistake I was writing about. Anyways, I edited it. There is a reason I do not use spellcheck ever. First of all, I am constantly making myself practice by trying to slow my racing thoughts as I type and force myself to go back and reread my work several times looking for errors. Despite all this, I still transpose letters unless I come back 30 mins or later I usually don't catch it right away. I think we as a society rely on assistance aids way too much instead of learning the correct way in our brains first. If you read my posts, you will see they all have been edited at least once, unless I have had enough time to let it sit before submission. ok I caught my 2 mistakes on this one before submitting...proud of me Dust?? Aside from the spell check, I have to agree with most of Dust's comments. Dang it, found another..had to edit..lol

Does it indicate poor care?.....No, I dont think so..What it really does is imply or gives off the impression of poor care. I use this mode of thinking when evaluating anyone. If my medical records are filled with nothing but poor grammar and spelling errors by my doctor and nurses, I would begin to question their intelligence, then that would lead me to question the answers they have been giving me for whatever treatment I have been receiving. So, if I were a lawyer in court and their report I received was filled with errors, you bet your arse that I am going to attack the education and training of the medical provider to prove a point and make everything their fault. I do understand minor mispellings will occur from time to time, but if it never improves, then there are deeper issues. I have to check my work all the time due to the fact that I transpose letters and numbers quite frequently. Little touch of lysdexia(lol).

KYEMT, I think you got the wrong impression. This discussion has been very civil and non inflammatory until you made your remarks. Do not type in all capitals first of all...second, your comments are just out of line. The thread has been very educational, informative, and pleasant thus far, so please do not ruin it again unless you have something useful and constructive to add.

Alaska and Florida that I know of personally.

Cool, thanks for that link. I will submit some sites to his address. That is interesting cause as I have said, in over 10 years I have never seen any name attached to it. Thanks for following up...AK

Ray, I don't mean to call you out but could you please explain who Calvere or Cal the rebel is that supposedly wrote the poem you posted above? I am curious. The poem you posted has been around in excess of 10 years that I know of personally and as many times as I have seen it, it NEVER has had an author attached to it. It has always been unsigned or author unknown. If you know of the true author of this work, please share and if validated, I will pass this on to about a hundred different EMS websites, poetry sites, JEMS, and Our Designs catalog because they don't know either. So please enlighten us or simply say it was a mistake and author is unknown. Thanks and have a great day...

I will address the ambu bag comment I see Noah is only 21 years old, so he wasnt around when the number one maker of BVMs was ambu, hence everyone saying ambu bag instead of BVM. AMBU was printed in large letters on every BVM we had, so it became common to say AMBU bag instead of BVM. Not local venacular, just a sign of the times...lol Its just like a lot of nurses in CCU will say Tridil drip instead of NTG drip. Tridil is the brand, not the drug name. How many people say turkey baster or tube checker instead of EOD?

I can assure you it is cheap. If the county always managed to stock it on our trucks, then you can bet your arse it is affordable...lol I never had it interfere with the gel.. No problems, no complaints...

Benzoin spray or swabs...works great.

You are so very wrong with this mode of thinking. If you wait till its broke, it might never be fixed. Do you not put oil in your car or air in the tires because they aren't broke? No! This is because its needs maintenance and periodic checks to make sure everything is running smoothly. A marriage is no different. It needs maintenance and periodic work to keep everything running in a harmonious direction. Do you avoid the dentist for cleanings, cause your teeth ain't broke so they don't need fixing. Ok, I made my point. Your comment is wrong in theory and practice. The point being, is if it makes you unconformtable, then its an issue, end of discussion. You do not need to shut up and avoid it or tolerate it. This will only create resentment over time. What you need to do is sit down and talk openly to him about how it is affecting you. No shoouting or yelling. He will get defensive and try to put a spin on it and may even make you seem foolish for thinking that way cause he would never do that to you ever. Stand your ground. Get a solution to the problem. Do not let yourself become the bad guy. His actions are making you uncomfortable. You want more advice, pm me in private. Remember, I know these things. I was a cheater, been there done that, know all the tricks.