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EMT-A: Ambulance

EMT-B: Basic

EMT-C: Cardiology

EMT-D: Defibrillation

EMT-E: Emesis specialist

EMT-F: Couldn't pass the medic final

EMT-G: Works for the FBI, as in G-Man

EMT-H: Hospice transports

EMT-I: Intermittently screwing up medic pay scales

EMT-J: Justice, EMT style

EMT-K: Important for blood clotting

EMT-L: Not as tasty as a BLT, but half the fat

EMT-M: Medical Monitoring and Medication Metering

EMT-N: Politically acceptable code word for offensive slur

EMT-O: Oddball

EMT-P: What the hell is an EMT-P? Neverheard of one. How silly.

EMT-Q: Designer of cool gadgets for undercover British EMT's

EMT-R: Rescue specialist, with the parachute to prove it

EMT-S: Siren operator

EMT-T: Tactical, doesn't know when to let the cops handle it

EMT-U: Located in beautiful Ho-Ho-kus, New Jersey, EMT-U is accepting applicaitons for this fall

EMT-V: Channel 206, if you don't have it, tell your cable service "I WANT MY EMT-V!!!"

EMT-W: Weasels out of house chores

EMT-X: Shadowy figure who passes information onto Agent Mulder

EMT-Y: You're welcome

EMT-Z: EMTZ in the hood, yo

EMT-AA: A support group that many members of EMS should look into

EMT-AT: Four legged walkers good for assault on Rebel bases

EMT-Jr. Little guy who loves the ambulances and we take on ride alongs now and again

EMT-BO: Use some deodorant

EMT-BS: 90% of my job

EMT-CC: Came Close to being a paramedic, HA!

EMT-DA: The criminal justice system is divided into two seperate yet equally important groups. The EMT-J's who investigate crime, and the EMT-DA's that prosecuste them. These are their stories.

EMT-DM: A tragic disease that can be controlled with diet and exercise.

EMT-SS: Derisive name for ball breaking administrative EMT's

EMT-CIA: This level of certification does not exist. You saw nothing.

EMT-JAH: Worshipped by Rastafarian EMT's

EMT-LGA: Over 1,000 flights daily, only 20 minutes from Manhattan

EMT-LAX: Slacker EMT

EMT-EMT: Siamese twin EMT's

EMT-XXX: Yeah, baby, yeah

Personally I think Amazing Grace is bad luck. There are only two times I listen to it, at someone's funeral, and on a certain day in September. Other than that its never on my play list.

Now on a lighter note, our brand spanking new buses have CD players! Woohoo! The other night we were listening to Black Sabbath's Paranoid while going to a call. It was great.

You know what sucks? In NYS the official title of the paramedic level is AEMT-IV, as in Advanced EMT Level 4. I'm sure there are many people who think the title means an EMT who can start IV's, like the ones in Tennesee. First person to say "What's the difference" gets shot with a 12 gauge semi automatic.

Experience? How much and what type?

A year of EMT work, have a trauma call, maybe a code if possible, and a couple of assessments under the old belt. But I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Job status? Are those currently in EMS given preference to those working non-emergency or in another field?

Mmmmmmmm..... Employed would be good. I'd rather have a 21 year old who works at Home Depot to pay for college in my class rather than Larry the 32 year old volunteer EMT who makes ends meet fixing satelitte dishes. Being a field basic would be good, but not entirely necessary.

Prerequisites? How much and what type?

Don't be a moron. Year of EMT work, educational prerequesites as below

Education? Their high school GPA? Their college transcript? Is more always better? Does the MA in Fine Arts get preference over the third year Biology major?

I can tell you your high school GPA isn't really a good indication of your adult abilities, and if they did that well in high school, they probably wouldn't be applying, either. I would weight the college transcript more. Don't take the GPA in itself, rather, look at the classes, the grades, evaluate where their strengths and weaknesses are. If the guy got an A in chemistry, a B in english, a B in Biology and an F in Calculus, his GPA might suck but he's obviously capabable.

And as we all know, fine arts is for idiots. The biology guy gets it. You actually have to study science, rather than talk about your feelings in the arts.

Aptitude testing or intelligence? What kind?

A nice aptitude test would be good. Some puzzles would be great. A good puzzle solver is a good paramedic. Look for people who think out side of the box, have some good memorization skills of a lot of information seen briefly, have 12th grade reading comprehension.

Medical knowledge testing? Who makes the test and what sort of test is it?

Basic medical terminology. Anterior, posterior, medial, lateral, supine, prone, etc. etc. We're supposed to teach them the rest.

Skills testing? What kind?

I'm not sure what kind... I mean its really hard to judge someone's motor skills. My penmanship is awful, I get fine motor tremors in my hands when I'm stressed, and I trip over my own dumb feet sometimes, but I can get an IV on a chubby 3 year old's hand, assemble an epinephrine shooter iwth one hand, and keep my balance doing CPR in a moving ambulance. What would you make of that?

Personality or psychological testing? Specifics?

Personality wise, a good interview should be able to size up a person. Throw a few curves at them, see how they react. But how can you really see how they'll perform under pressure? Pull a gun? As for psychological testing, well, first of all if you if you did a really good psychological screening no one would be left in this biz. Something good to weed out the ones that can't channel their problems into constructive applications like the rest of us.

Physical condition or agility testing? What type, and who sets the standards? How?

They don't have to be Navy SeALs, but I think being able to jog a mile and a half in under fifteen and at least 80 pounds to a chest height would be a good idea. Ask yourself "if I was in the shit, would this person be able to save my neck?"

Drug testing? Urine screening, that is.

Yes. No stoners, junkies, meth heads, speed freaks, dusters, dope fiends or such. Alcoholics are okay, as always.

Criminal history check? What disqualifies and what does not disqualify?

Violent crime is right out, sexual based crimes, or DUI's. Look for a pattern of behavior. One shoplifting pinch isn't a big deal. A couple of them recently is.

Personal interviews? What do you want to ask them? What answers do you want to hear? What answers do you NOT want to hear? What do you want them to ask you?

Why on God's green other would you want to be a paramedic? Answer: Something honest, but answers about being a hero, saving lives, the rush, the excitement and whatever are not good.

Letters of recommendation? From whom would it make a difference?

If someone had a good record at their previous employer it would say a lot. Being able to hold a job and do it well is a big step in the right direction for responsibility, letters of recommendation from teachers would also be good. Show me a good employee who's a good student and I'll show you someone who can be a good paramedic.

Time on the waiting list? Does an applicant who was qualified this time, but was not admitted for lack of space, get preference next semester?

Time on waiting list, I would say we get to you when we get to you. Personally I'd rather not have a list. I'd rather have the best I can get for each class, rather than shut out new potential in favor of the next best from the list.

My main problem with the interview process is this, and don't tell me this doesn't happen. The interviewers should be paramedics, obviously. Paramedics work in a community. Communites get to know each other. No one can be 100% objective for screening applicants if they are doing it in the same community they work in. Nepotism, cronyism, racism, they all figure into how certain people are selected for classes. Fire and PD all ready have a lock on getting their friends, sons, daughters, sisters, and uncles in on the job, let's try to make EMS a little different and get the best qualified and most promising person in the class, even if they're not part of the good ol' boy network. This is what happened to me when I worked in New Jersey. Me, good EMT, not part of the whole volunteer squad hero culture, cannot get into medic courses run by the monopolized programs, applies to college based paramedic course in New York, graduates with honors, and the rest is history. It was for the best, trust me, you don't know how f--ed up the system you work in is until you go some place else and look back.

Look, let's stop wasting time discussing it.. She was nuttier than a fruitcake. The motor was running but no one was behind the wheel. The elevator doesn't stop at all floors. A couple of bricks short of a load. A couple of cans short of a six pack. Looney Toons. Scooters.

Because they don't know how to spell it, let alone know its indications, contraindications, dosage, route, etc. etc.

The problem isn't so much EMT-I's giving Narcan, its an EMT-I evaluating and treating a person with decreased respirations, decreased heart rate, decreased mental status, and pinpoint pupils with Narcan. What if the person was in cardiogenic shock really and it just looked like and overdoes? How would you know at the EMT-I level? What if you wasted precious time with this patient giving narcan rather than calling for medic back up and/or initiating transport? That's why EMT-I's don't get to play with the meds.

Did being an EMT help be a medic? From my experience as an EMT, I will never forget:

1. The siren has three modes. Slow, fast, and real fast.

2. You have to screw the regulator on real tight or else it goes PSSSSSHHHH very loud.

3. You have to push the button on the side of the radio mic or else no one can hear you.

4. People are heavier than they look.

5. BLEEDING is BAD. Put PRESSURE on the BLEEDING to make it stop.

6. When in doubt, call the medics.

7. BROKEN BONES are also BAD. Keep them from MOVING to prevent the person from being in PAIN.

8. The NRB goes on the FACE.

9. Push fifteen times on the chest, THEN put in twio breaths. Repeat until the medics get there.

10. Put the AED pads on FIRST, then turn the machine ON.

This is just to respond to all of the "Medics were EMT's.... and BLS before ALS" stuff on here. I had to learn to tie my shoes at somepoint before I could even become and EMT, too, but no one seems to harp on that much. You know what's even more important to be a good medic than being a good EMT? Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology. They are infinitely more important to the successful treatment of a patient than BLS skills. Yep, you heard me. Good CPR will keep a patient viable, and it is very important to do correctly, and if you can do it well, you will be the vital part of a chain that can save someone's life, but you know what? It won't stop an asthmatic from going into respiratory arrest. It won't reverse a narcotics overdose, it won't stop and anaphylactic reaction from progressing or keep a rapidly slowing down heart from coding.

Who the F is NEMSA? Isn't that the group for like people who's IQ is 8 billion? Oh wait, that's MENSA. No, aren't they the National Institue for Mental Health? No, that's NIMH. The Captain fo the Nautilus? No, that's Nemo. I could keep this up all night, lol.

It's LA, man, not exactly the intelligence capital of the United States. These guys voted for the Terminator as governor, remember.

Just to throw my vote in the ring, you did the right thing, the most important thing was the 02 sat at that point. As for the medic, to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'True Lies', I have no idea what the crazy bitch was on. In fact, I would think you would want more oxygen for a patient on blood thinner, as they would lose hematocrit faster from a wound, but anyway...

Here is your revenge. Go to the ER where this patient was taken. Find who was the attending physician on that call. Then, with big ol' innocent eyes, say "Excuse Mr. Doctor, but ummm, I was on a call with Paramedic Crazyasaloon the other night, a stabbing victim, and I thought that I should put the patient on some high flow oxygen 'cause their sat was 84 and the were bleeding profusely, and she said not too because the patient was on a blood thinner. Why was that?" If all goes according to plans, the doctor should turn a pretty shade of red and then go make a few phone calls.

I don't know of any FDNY EMS live scanner feeds off hand, but honestly, they're really not that interesting to listen to anyway. The FDNY EMS dispatch system is combined with a MDT system, which gives the crew most of the information as a text display, rather than the dispatcher read the particulars, which protects both confidentiality and allows for efficiency of dispatch. (3,000 calls a day doesn't leave much time for chit-chat). Let's say you have a car flip over iwith entrapped patients. This is all you might hear on the radio.

Central: Ten Boy for the assignment, One Zero Boy....

10B: One Zero Boy.

Central: 10 Boy, a trauma, East 69 and Lexington

10B: One Zero Boy, Ten four, sixty three.

Central: Ten four.

Later you might hear them ask for ALS (ha ha ha, ALS would have snatched up that job as soon as it came in) so you might hear:

10B: One zero boy.

Central: One zero boy.

10B: One zero boy, can I have ALS to my location, prolonged extrication

Central: Ten four. One Zero William, back up Ten boy, east 69 and lexington. Coming over.

10W: Ten Will Ten four.

So, like I said, you really don't hear much.

Strictly speaking, the FDNY Operational guide states that sirens must remain on constantly if we are using warning signals. The operations guide says a lot of things.

Practically, using a constant siren is not always the best solution, especially given the unique driving situations in NYC. For instance, at 3 a.m, and there are few if any cars on the deserted street you are driving down, do you really need to have the siren on the entire time, or is it better to use it when approaching an intersection or red light? If you are stuck in gridlock and cannot move until the light change, does sitting there with your siren on really help? Following orders is for firemen. Adaption to situations is for EMS.

I've been in EMS for about 8 years all told, and my last physical proved something I have feared for a long time. I am starting to lose certain ranges in my hearing ability. Diesel engines and loud sirens have a way of doing that. So if someone wants to be conservative about using the siren, I am all for it.

No, actually I'm not wrong on this actually. I didn't say the EMT would be held blameless, I mearly stated that if he or she did something asinine the medc would swing for it. Personally, if I'm having my whole life flushed down the toilet because of somebody else's behavior or action, then it is only small consolation that the other person is forced to find a new hobby.

Lets take an imaginary but I don't think too far fetched scenario.

Let's say me and my good buddy Randy the EMT are working a head injury patient. We'll have an unconscious but breathing patient with suspected head injury. All the spinal immobilization and BLS and scene safety happy stuff is taken care of peachy keen.

Me: Okay, Randy, start hyperventilating the patient while I prep to intubate.

Randy: Intubate? He's breathing pretty well. Why don't we just bag him until we get there with an oral airway?

Now, how exactly should I respond? Should I give Randy a crash course in the protocols of suspected head injury, or should I just ask him again real nice, or do I have to be a bit of a jerk to save time so we can get the nice patient to the hospital? What should I do if he continues to argue? What if Randy goes down to his watering hole later and talks about the idiot medic he worked with who was overzealous and didn't know what he was doing and people listen to him? How can I work through this situation without seeming like a 'paragod'? Please, let me know.

Your not wrong, your right on! As an EMT your play a very important role in assisting your paramedic partner on the truck, just as you stated. Theres tons of things you can do on the truck to help out your partner. When you get done with school, you will see just how much your partner appreciates your efforts as an EMT. A good EMT partner is priceless... That's what everyone has been saying, I'm glad I picked the choice of careers I did, but man, I fear paramedics after reading this board sometimes.

You know, the other thing is that legally speaking, if an EMT screws up while working with a medic, the medic will hang for it. So, if I have to be a jerk and maybe hurt someone's feelings once in a while to prevent myself from ending up in front of a sleazy man in an overpriced Armani suit during a deposition, so be it. If the game is to rough for you, get off the field.

Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm pretty much liquored up and pissed off about the subject (feeling better though, can't you tell?) so lemme tell ya how it is:

EMT's save paramedics. I think we need to add a FAQ on this, as Jeez louise it gets tiresome. Not only that, but somebody thought they were oh so clever and posted it AFTER someone else had already written down the lame-o of all time one liners. I mean, there are people, in this profession, who actually see that T-shirt, and go NEATO!!! That's AWESOME!!!

No wonder we're in so much trouble. I swear to God if I ever see someone with a bumper sticker, T-shirt, what have you with that stupid crap, I'm going to stuff an ammonia inhalant up their ass and glue it shut with D50. Yeah, yeah, you heard me.

You know, while were on the subject, I remember this one sweet 75 year old lady, used to volunteer her time down at the local library teaching kids to read in her off time. Provded a real public service, got no compensation in return. How come she never wore a t-shirt that said something like LITERACY/ILLITERACY: I AM THE DIFFERENCE or asked to have a siren for her car, or something like that? How come she could just be humble and proud that she helped somebody and lived out her life? How come garbage collectors don't go to conventions and show off their new trucks? How come physician's assistants and nurses and all the support staff at the ER do NOT run around saying "Doctor's save lives, nurses and physician's assistants save doctors", which, in all honesty is a LOT closer to the truth? How come they can just do their job and SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT IT? Huh? What? Tell me! I want to know! Are you so devoid of meaning in your lives that you need validation because you friggin helped out with an IV?

And ANOTHER THING! Okay, so let me get this straight. You are with a paramedic, he gives an amp of D50 to a person showing signs of hypoglycemia. They are pale cool and diaphoretic, and the paramedic just sat there blankly scratching his chin until in came the wonderous medic saving EMT (with a cape, no less, and awesome entrance music) and said WAIT! PERHAPS WE SHOULD ATTACH THE MONITOR! and lo and behold, the patient WAS bradycardic! And all was well in the kingdom? I mean, the medic really did not think to start cardiac monitoring on a patient like that. Hmmmm, you know, I don't know EMS systems around the country, but if that ever happeend to me, I would be fired, decertified, and have my ass kicked not perhaps in that particular order. IF that really happened, that medic better have been drunk, or stoned, or really really tired, or something, seriously. So, in conclusion, to paraphrase something my good friend, thespian, and musically talented genius William Shatner once said on Saturday Night Live, GET A LIFE, WILL YOU PEOPLE? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, ITS JUST EMS!!!

Come get some.

Ask simply, straightforward, professionally, and non-judgementally. Inform them of why you are asking. 99.9999% of the time people will respond just fine, if they understand where you are coming from.

Think that's a sensitive subject? I have had to ask, er, I think the proper term now is 'transgendered' patients if they are legally classified as male or female. Really, no fooling, so the hospital records are accurate, it does make a BIG difference what you check. depending on whether they are legally (as opposed to biologicall) male or female. I use that above approach and I have never had a problem, because they understand why I'm asking.

I say EMT's can have the same attitude that medics have when it becomes as easy to kill someone at the BLS level as it is at the ALS level.

I pretty much figure that when I'm at work my civil liberties end. It's not my equipment, they have a right to keep track of it. I also get a kick out of thinking of the people who probably make more than I do sitting around a computer screen watching me do what I do during the day. They will be extremely bored. I'll log everytime I scratch my ass and submit it everyday faithfully if the really want me to.

A physics teacher once talked to our class about tests scores and actually made me aware of something I never new. Teaching theory is that if you chart the test score percentages, the greatest number of scores should be around 75%. Less than that and you either made the test too hard or did not teach the material well enough, greater than that and you made the test too easy. When someone pointed out a teacher probably should try to be working to ensure everyone gets an A, he pointed out we live in reality. Something you might want to bring up to your teachers.

Not on a call, but while working in the ER as a medic student.

Man sitting in very much pain with a nail driven sideways through three of his fingers.

Me: "Oh, so were you using a nailgun?"

No, he sat there with a friggin hammer and nailed it through each of his individual fingers, genius.

Tuesday-----

Call for an unconscious. 19 year old female passed out in class. Reports being sick yesterday, denies nausea/vomiting, BP 80/P, 700cc's of fluid later she's feeling a lot better.

Yours truly the treating paramedic signs up for an overtime shift in the morning, goes home, goes to bed....

2 HOURS LATER....

Hunched over the toilet bowl with violent vomiting, spiking a fever. Needless to say, didn't go to work. All day Wednesday, on and off fever, vomiting, chills the entire day. Have to enlist the help of a friend working the area to get some groceries because I am to weak to leave the damn apartment. Now I'm dehydrated with a blood pressure of 74/Palp, but a can of chicken soup and two bottles of pedialyte later, I'm doing better.

TODAY...

Feeling better but still achey as hell. Took the rest of the week off. Keeping myself hydrated and vomitings stopped. I'm very bored though so I'd thought I'd share my misery. This really sucks. Stupid patients getting me sick.

[quote="1

AED

Albuterol

Activated Charcoal

ASA

Epi-pens

KEDS (They have shortboards)

Okay, paragod, paragod, paragod, etc. etc. What name shall we come up with for those of the members of service who think that 15 years of doing volunteer EMT-B work makes them trauma surgeons cum fire chiefs cum sherriffs of this here town who know the real deal of medicine despite what those silly old texbooks say? How about E-M-TARD? Huh? Actually, I like that. I'm going to start using that. Yes Mr. E-M-Tard Captain of the Rescue Response Squad, I didn't realize my cavalier attitude towards proper placement of the NRB mask endangered the lives of the patient, myself, the crew and the earth in general. Yeah, I know BLS before ALS, yes EMT's do save paramedics, what was I thinking, you think I can treat the patient now?

This was a great article and I agree with the good doctor. It reminds me of a time that an ER nurse friend of mine was telling me a story that happened in the ER with all the technical details, and I realized after the pont the patient had been cardioverted and intubated, I really had no clue what she was talking about. Seriously, drip this, rate that, lab values and such.she could have been talking Chinese. When she then asked my opinion on the subject, I had to admit I had no clue and I had spent most of the conversation letting the words go in one ear and out the other while I looking down her shirt. I didn't want to make it seem like it was a complete waste.

> NO ONE is saying that volunteers ar evil or stupid or worthless....

Except, of course, for that one post where Dustdevil said "Volunteers are evil, stupid, and worthless."