KE5EHI

EMSA in Tulsa, OK

High Call Volume

All trucks are ALS (usually one basic and one para, sometimes two paras)

Excellent equipment

12 hour-shifts

SSM (System Status Management)

Run about every type of call in a shift (A week will usually get you just about everything from minor medical to major trauma)

We have a great working relationship with fire and PD. This is nice when it comes to working with other departments.

http://www.emsaonline.com

I agree with the SAM splint or a towel/blanket. We had a lady fall the other day by tripping on a curb and a c-collar wouldn't fit, so we used a towel and some tape in addition to head-blocks which worked rather well. Turned out she had a C-1 fracture.

I'm glad you saw that because I didn't even notice it until you said something and I looked at the scan! You can see it better in the scan than the real patch. Thanks!

LMAO!!

You sent me running to check the basic patch I received from NR back in October. No errors on that one. Darn it!

Yeah, I've been checking everyone's at work. Now if I find one I'll have to come up with some excuse why they need to take their shirt off... or just hit them in the head with a club and drag them into a closet.

Whoa, I just noticed one of my patches I just got a few months ago for my sweater has a typo on it. Has anyone heard of any others like these? It was probably one of the last old-style basic patches before the switch. I just got it from work and never looked at it until now. Gotta check my other uniforms when I get them back from the cleaners.

That was the one. Are there any others? I found a picture of this one, but I don't know if it's legit.

If you are looking for photos of the old, original NREMT patches (before they said NREMT or Basic on them, and still had the Ambulance rocker on them), I'm afraid I can't help you. I haven't seen one in years.

Yep, that's the one I'm looking fer. Thanks though.

I was looking for some pictures of the old NREMT patches. I can't see to find them anywhere. Does anyone have any they can post/link? Thanks!

EDIT: I just noticed one of my NREMT patches has a typo! See post below.

That can be true as well. I haven't been at EMSA long enough to "learn it all", but from what I understand from some long-time employees there, EMSA is what you make of it. I've heard of some pretty bad experiences, and heard of a ton of good ones. So far I don't have really any complaints, but I'm also working from a Basic's point-of-view. I love it so far, but I'm pretty flexible and it's my first EMS job, so that can play a factor as well.

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Just about what everyone said is up to speed. I know some of these points were already covered, but here's some points (from Tulsa, most are also covered by OKC):

[*]Just bought a new fleet of trucks. All trucks are equipped with an MDT with GPS mapping, text messaging, hospital divert status, open work (ie transfers and special events).

[*]Decent pay with lots of opportunities for overtime.

[*]Great equipment. They're always trying new stuff to see if it helps improve pt. care.

[*]Redundant communications equipment. Each truck has an 800MHz, 400MHz (except 4 of our trucks), MDT, Pager, and Cell Phone (each truck has an assigned phone).

[*]Comprehensive protocols (rarely need to call medical control for anything).

[*]Bonus shifts (when extra staff is needed).

[*]Bonuses for "late calls" (transport within last 60-min of shift).

[*]Room for advancement (Preceptor, FTO (Field Training Officer), Alternate Supervisor, Supervisor).

[*]Materials Department which stock and clean the trucks and can run supplies to you in the field. These guys rock!

[*]SSM (System Status Management) - Trucks are posted around town so you're constantly getting a new post after most calls.

[*]Full-time is normally four 12-hour shifts. Part time is also available.

[*]Great benefits.

[*]High call volume. There are slow shifts (I've heard of some that went 12 hours with 1 call), and busy shifts (I've done 14 runs in 12 hours before).

[*]We have great working relations with PD and Fire (Tulsa). I've heard OKC gets along with PD but not-so-much fire.

[*]You run everything from transfers to cardiac arrests during a regular shift.

[*]Half off at Taco Bell, free drinks at QuikTrip.

[*]6-week training academy which will cert/re-cert you in EVOC, BLS, AMLS, ACLS, PHTLS, PEPP, EVOC, HAZMAT, WMD, and some others.

[*]Just about everyone that works there is awesome! Supervisors rock and the directors are a blast. (If any directors are reading this, can I get a raise?)

[*]Every truck has at least one paramedic. Sometimes there will be a double paramedic truck.

[*]Basics are part of an "ALS team" and function hand-in-hand with the paramedics on scene.

[*]EMSA will help out with paramedic school, as they have instructors at one of the local Tulsa Tech.

[*]Chance at getting on with Tulsa Co. SWAT as a medic (my partner is one).

[*]Special "Teams"; Bike Team, Segway Team, SWAT, etc...

[*]We just got a cool Polaris Ranger 6x6 with our red, white, and blue paint job that's on our ambulances.

lots more...

Current Job Openings

Skin Flautist

Spongebob! I watch him every morning when I get off work before I go to bed.

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable

At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty

You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeeareyouquiz/

Pedro the Lion - Priests and Paramedics

"Paramedics brave and strong

Up before the break of dawn

Putting poker faces on

Broken bodies all day long

The neighbors heard a fight

Someone had a knife

It must have have been the wife

Husband's lost a lot of blood

He wakes up screaming

"Oh my god, am I gonna die?

Am I gonna die?"

As they strapped his arms down to his sides

At times like these they'd been taught to lie

"Buddy just calm down, you'll be alright"

Several friends came to his grave

His children were so well-behaved

As the priest got up to speak

The assembly craved relief

But he himself had given up

So instead he offered them this bitter cup

"You're gonna die, we're all gonna die

Could be twenty years, could be tonight

Lately I have been wondering why

We go to so much trouble to postpone the unavoidable

And prolong the pain of being alive"

Taco Bell 2004 Employee's = 167,000

EMT-B's = 490,649

Plus Taco Bell employee's get to wear that cool uniform and eat all the Taco Bell related food products they could want.

Is there really even a choice?

The correct answer is there isn't...Vote Taco Bell in 2008.

Taco Bell is just one company nationwide, where EMS is one service nationwide. So I would think you would have to factor in all of the fast-food services (ie McDonalds, BK, Wendy's, etc) for comparison for employee numbers. Then you would also have to take into account the demographics of fast-food workers to EMS personnel (which some places can be a thin line, both high and low). So I would see that there are much fewer medics (which usually requires a higher level of education) than fast-food workers. Then you have to ask, would you prefer a grill and fryer or lights and sirens?

Then you have to think about the fact that most fast-food is paid for up front. As for EMS, well, we all know that answer.

...plus we get 50% off at Taco Bell

Let me guess it was either Curtis or Jim?

Lol, one of those is the right anwser

Definately check with local laws on what you can do off-duty.

My off-duty jump kit has basically the following:

C-collars x(2 adult, 1 pedi)

Instant Hot and Cold packs x(1 hot, 2 cold)

Sam Splints x2 (also used to hold the shape of the bag )

Blood Pressure Cuff

Flashlight & Penlight

Box of gloves

Bio-bag x2

Convenience Bag (aka Barf Bags) x2

Thermal Blanket

Wire Splint

Shears

OB Kit

BVM x(1 adult, 1 pedi)

Pocket Face Mask

10cc Saline Flushes x10

Forceps

Misc. sized Kerlix gauze rolls

Misc. sized bandages (lots of 4x4's, some 5x9's, triangle, eye, abdominal, and other sizes as well)

N-95 masks x4

Tape (1" & 3")

few other minor things

EDIT: Forgot, also have a set of OPAs and I might put in some NPAs here soon

Heard this one morning (about 0400):

Unit: "3xx"

Dispatch: "3xx go ahead"

Unit: "We're checking on a possible man down in a white SUV at *location*, we'll advise"

Dispatch: "10-4"

Unit: "3xx"

Dispatch: "3xx go ahead"

Unit: "We're 10-8 (in service), it was just 6xx (supervisor)"

Our supervisors drive MARKED white Expeditions, the crew found one of them sleeping in their truck.

Going from this list, this is the first CD I've compiled for work. It was great the first night we used it.

1) Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

2) Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

3) Queen - Another One Bites the Dust

4) Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55 (Use this for end of shift)

5) Poison - Nothing But A Good Time

6) Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reeper

7) Third Eye Blind - Jumper

8) Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood

9) Guns N' Roses - Knocking on Heaven's Door

10) Foreigner - Urgent

11) Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart

12) Ratt - Body Talk

13) U2 - Vertigo

14) Nickelback - Savin' Me

15) Thrice - Artist in the Ambulance

16) Shinedown - Save Me

17) Billy Idol - Shock to the System

18) Van Halen - Right Now

I'm working on a second one, so far I have:

ACDC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Molly Hatchett - Flirting with Disaster

Remy Zero - Somebody Save Me

Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit

Kool and the Gang - Emergency

ACDC - Highway to Hell

Shocore - BoneCracker

Manfred Mann - I Came For You

Weird Al - Like a Surgeon (just had to, we have some med students)

Ozzy Osbourne - Ghost Behind My Eyes

Snoop Dogg feat. The Doors - Riders on the Storm

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

Glenn Frey - You Belong To The City