TerrfyinFlyinSrvc

Ace wrote: Now there is an issue that should absolutely not be allowed in a health care situation. I've seen some funky, funky fingernail fungi on the fake nail girls. Gross enough that I'd rather be bladed and tubed using an old radiator clamp and a length of heater hose you found in the gutter, than have some of these girl's nails in my mouth. Check the nails you see a convenience stores and fast food joints. Blech!! neal

they realized this,

tragically inadequate resources.

and spontaneously combusted.

a timeshare salesman

Fourth lecture Cement Poisoning: The Surest Toxin.

by the phone

I could imagine part of it esp for new paramedics is after learning all the new skills, to sit there and do plain old BLS feels like they are doing nothing for the pt. So they wind up looking like Liberace at the organ running through every drug and procedure they can think of. Also sometimes, they are running scared. You older hands know that sometimes nothing is the best thing to do. But to a new guy he feels like he's somehow failing if he ain't throwing everything he got at the pt. Or in the worst case, he's just showing off. Without the aggressive instruction, most students will never question the WHY of any subject in any field. I've seen pilot classes where if the instructor said the proper answer is "c. Fly directly into the cliff." everybody would nod, jot it down, and not even blink. I think it is because the modern educational system is pretty much "Sit down, shut up, here's the answer, don't think." Well, she did apologize and explain. So there is room for hope. Maybe you can "train" her to have more confidence in EMS and win a friend instead of an enemy. I've been involved in other professions that were extremely "turf-conscious." I always try to lead off on a friendly basis. Competent and firm, but friendly. Even when I couldn't change an organizational mindset, at least I always had a few friends 8) in the "enemy's" camp. Besides, I can always piss everybody off later.

Soooo, how did you get that through the budget committee?

"Carlton, Your Doorman!!"

the dilithium crystals

styrofoam rock antidote

waving his tricorder

beard and moustache

You raise some great points. Besides the economic factors, I think the improved avionics, egps, taws, etc is driving some of the risk taking. Some of the gear can seem so smart, you start to fly stupid. Additionally, I think there is a tendency for the crew to push the limits a bit, just because of mindset. If the phone be ringin', somebody be needin'. The Coast Guard idea ain't bad (although those guys fly in weather that'd find me huddled in the basement corner). But the helicopter EMS safety officer gotta be a guy who can say "we no fly" with absolute economic impunity. The crew can still say "no go" and it sticks. But also if the SO says "no go", then its no go even if the crew wants to go. That is a fact. The money that you have to spend to fly both legally and safely makes an addiction to strippers and crack look like a prudent investment strategy. Since you are at the sharp end of the stick, I'd really like to hear yr thoughts on yr biggest safety concerns and the biggest changes you'd make if you could. In fact, I like to hear from any flying ems folks. neal

tomorrow at show-n-tell

with murderous intent

I feel worse for the bulls.

of rioting tourists

Great article. While I'm new to EMS, I've spent a lot of time around aircraft/airports. #23% had fewer than 100 hours in the type of aircraft flown. That surprised me. Time in type is a big crash factor across all of aviation. A lot more IMC sim time would probably help considerably. The full-motion simulators can give you years worth of experience in a few weeks and simulate conditions no one could fly in and live through. #Most EMS helicopters have a single pilot. Darkness is tough enough. Single pilot IMC is a tremendous workload under the best of situations. In an EMS situation, you are really asking the pilot to be a 5 handed monkey. Night vision would help, but these also can have issues. #Thirty-three crashes (19%) involved post-crash fire; 76% of these 33 crashes were fatal. Better tanks needed. Also there is a lot of research going on for less volatile fuel. Also better cabins. Energy absorption in aircraft has come a long way. Gear should be strapped down to at least a 20g limit before it comes loose. Something they didn't touch on is better selection of landing sites. This might help some. Additionally, light discipline on the ground needs to be rigorously enforced, esp at night and in IMC. Any lights not being used to mark the lz should be extinguished. Esp light-bars and spotlights. Big vertigo factors there. Just my 2 cents, neal

If you're dyin, we're flyin. If you're bleedin, we're speedin. If you're codin, we're loadin. Our drugs can beat up your drugs. Shoot some smack, we'll bring you back. Haulin the lard that hit the floor hard. When you're cut, we're at Pizza Hut. Thank you for smoking. Want a cigarette with that Value Meal? The faster you drive, the quicker we'll catch you. Don't wear that helmet, we need organ donors. I'll shut up for now. neal

Banned topic idea- country bashing as in Elbonia sux, and their emt's think they're god type things Tried it. My lawyer says there may be problems. Tho there was plenty of airflow. BTW, not to date myself, but I seem to remember Radar doing this on MASH a decade or 3 ago. neal

Ya gotta admit, it sounds like a Monty Python routine. "Doctor, Doctor, this man has been drinking sterno and glycol cocktails." "Well, fix him a nice toddy and he'll be fine." neal

Littmann Master Cardiology. My wife bought it for me. Great scope, but as an EMT-B student its almost embarrassing. 'Scope is smarter than I am right now, I feel like a poser wearing it. Especially when the one instructor has this taped up antique that looks like he stole it off of Hippocrates burro when H wasn't looking. neal