Richard B the EMT

I'll presume someone missed what I wrote. I did indicate (or thought I indicated) when contacting OLMC, the Dr. speaks with the patient as part of determining the patient's mental capacity, before requesting the field supervisor, and the LEOs. Everyone's policies differ. If yours don't require contacting OLMC, don't. I have no issue, as long as local policy and protocols, while different from mine, are followed.

It may be slow, due to it being a weekend. This is beyond my scope of practice, anyway, but I'm going to learn something from the paramedics, anyway.

As always, local protocols rule what you do, and how you do it, at and in your local jurisdiction. FDNY EMS policy is, if the crew feels the patient should go, and the patient feels differently, OLMC is contacted. I apologize for omitting that OLMC can and will request the nearest EMS field supervisor (usually a lieutenant, sometimes a captain, rarely, but not ruled out, a chief) to respond in. The field supervisor will make the official request, if deemed necessary by OLMC, for an NYPD response, meaning one patrol car with 2 cops, sometimes the Sargent as their backup . Obviously, if OLMC says to accept the RMA, we do.

I should restate: Document, Document, Document!

About 2 years ago, Paramedic Bryan Stow was assaulted at a Dodgers home opener, because he was wearing the other team's "colors". He suffered brain damage from the assault. As per EMS-1, while he needs additional rehap, his family cannot afford it, and he is now back home. Follow the link for the story at EMS-1. http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/1459408-Bryan-Stow-returns-home-2-years-after-stadium-beating/

One time a few years ago, we had a drowning death on the beach. The unfortunate "DFD", or Down For the Day victim made several mistakes, First, when the lifeguards go home at 6 PM, they order everyone out of the water. The "Vic" reentered the water about 6:15. Second, the "Vic" didn't know how to swim. Third, he got caught in a "Rip-Current", and pulled out. Afterwards, I went onto the boardwalk to see what all the emergency vehicles had responded to, and was confronted by a TV news crew. I was not wearing anything indicating my membership in FDNY EMS Command, my hat was a modified Aussie "Slouch" type, and was outside of the Line Of Duty Injury "house arrest" restrictions for my then most current injury (8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, as they pay you to be at home recuperating. They'll visit to make sure!). I commented that ocean waters have no respect for the laws of man, and most of the locals know the dangers of our beach. Imagine my surprise, when, during the news cast at 11, I saw myself on TV, identified as an FDNY "Spokesman"! I immediately called my station, and advised the on duty Lieutenant what had happened, to be reassured that I hadn't done anything wrong. Aside from the misidentification, and my embarrassment, nothing actually happened. Yup, TV news man got it wrong.

Historical mentions: Due to monitoring of Japanese communications, we knew in advance Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, but only had the military go to a higher alert status instead of a flat out "At War" status, as we didn't want the Japanese to know we had broken some of their codes. We then disseminated incorrect information about some potentially critical things at military bases, like a busted water purification unit at Midway. When Japanese messages were decoded, and they mentioned the busted water purification unit, we then went all out in what would be referred to, as the Battle of Midway. In 1968, North Korea got back at the US Navy for Electronic Intelligence Gathering, albeit possibly in an internationally illegal way, when they attacked, boarded, and seized the vessel "Pueblo", in international waters, and held her crew for several months. While they didn't execute the crew, they did accuse them, and the US, publicly, for spying.

Per what I have heard, some map companies deliberately insert named streets that don't exist into their maps. If they see a competitor showing the same street on their maps, they sue for copyright infringement. As for GPS units that tell you where the nearest Pizza parlors or steak houses are located, THAT should be updated a lot more often than the roadmaps. Reporters covering stories for their respective newspapers, radio and TV stations are well known for errors in geography. For example, the "Golden Venture" illegal immigrant freighter was run aground in the Fort Tilden section of Gateway National Recreation Area, alongside the Roxbury section of my Rockaway Peninsula, which is Queens County, New York City, New York State. After I woke up from almost 24 hours on overtime working the Multiple Casualty Incident, none of the radio or TV stations got it right, putting the incident as either Brooklyn (NYC NY), or Nassau County NY. A reporter for a local TV station, who normally covers Nassau and Suffolk counties reported on the ongoing repairs from Superstorm Sandy, going on in the Belle Harbor section of the Rockaways, again, Queens County. She said Nassau County, but due to where she normally reports from, I'll let her slide this one time. American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed a mere half mile from my house? The reporters got THAT one correct, Belle Harbor, Queens County, NYC NY.

It is an unfortunate thing, but just because someone puts on a uniform, doesn't mean they will not be attacked. Check recent events. A guy set fire to a building, then shot at responding Fire Department members, killing 2 Fire Fighter/EMTs, before the local LEOs shot and killed the arsonist/gunman. Another guy kidnapped an entire Fire Department apparatus crew, by threatening them with a gun. The crew was rescued when the LEOs shot and killed the gunman. It doesn't even have to be a planned attack. New York City Health and Hospital Corporation EMS EMT Christopher Prescott was working with his partner, Carol Buffa, at the scene of a car crash in Brooklyn. Despite the traffic lanes being blocked by a number of FDNY apparatus and NYPD patrol cars, and all, including the ambulance, with their emergency lights illuminated, some drunk driver felt that it was all right to try and cross the traffic lane. He ended up pinning Chris and Carol between his front bumper and the ambulance's rear bumper-step. EMT Christopher Prescott died of his injuries, and EMT Carol Buffa, due to her injuries, was not able to return to work for over a year. As it was the first Line Of Duty Death in the history of the NYC (HHC) EMS, from it's founding in 1970 (this was 1996), The funeral was large, with multiple states being represented, from Fire Departments, EMS agencies, and Police Departments. Any NYC (HHC) EMS members not working that day, or covering the station where EMT Prescott had worked from, were at the funeral. (EMT Prescott's death and funeral was prior to the EMS being moved from the HHC to the FDNY on March 17, 1996. LEO = Law Enforcement Officer)

If I were the on scene EMT running the call, I'd involve FIRST the OLMC Doctor, with all VS and observations reported. On request, I'd have the Doc talk to the potential patient. Dependent on the OLMC Doc's recommendation after speaking with the patient, I'd either get the Cop witnessed RMA signature, or the Cop's "Protective Custody" for the patient. Either way, "document, Document, DOCUMENT!" (Attention "Newbies": OLMC = On Line Medical Control)

Security let you through, but may not have known what the device was. I'd suggest for the future, if the airline doesn't have an answer if a Defib can go as Carry-On, contact the Federal Aviation Administration, and have a letterhead hard copy of the answer (if yes) to show security, and if need be, the cabin and flight crew. If you're coming back to the US from a foreign country, I'd further suggest, via that country's embassy here prior to leaving, that you ask them to inquire of their version of the FAA, and request, in both the other country's language and English, a letterhead hard copy. In general, keep those hardcopy letters saying permission to carry the Defib be kept with your passport. Of course, all that was just my opinion. It may either not be needed, might not be enough, or will be somewhere in between. I still say ask the FAA, the individual airlines used, the embassy or foreign council's offices, and security working the boarding gates in either direction you're travelling, BEFORE you're scheduled to travel, and carry hardcopy of all affirmative answers with you. Just mentioning in passing, when NYPD Aviation does medevac flights, they have been known to request the batteries for both the Defib and portable radios, as there is possibility of the helicopter's electronic navigation equipment being interfered with by the medical equipment. I have not heard if they ask for EMS crew's cell-phones for the same reason.

1) Older scanners made before 1985 could pick up cell phone conversations. There were also converter boxes enabling scanners made after 1985 to pick up cell phone frequencies. 2) The aforementioned converter boxes, most manufactured prior to 1985, were "grandfathered" in, under FCC rules and regulations. However, newer cell phone frequencies and their signals were migrated, as "G2" and "G3" changed the signals from "analog" to "digital". The converter boxes are not able to translate the digital conversations, and are supposed to not be manufactured anymore. This doesn't mean somebody who knows electronics a lot better than myself hasn't built a "home-brew" one. 3) You probably have noted I keep referring to 1985. It was in that year that Vermont's Senator Leahy (spelling?), who was and is not a HAM or scanner radio operator, pushed through a law known as the "Electronic Communications Privacy Act". This was primarily to protect information transmitted over the internet, but the wording included communications that went over telephone lines. By that, I mean voice communications, as in phone calls. 4) The Cellular Telephone Industry was the group behind Senator Leahy, pushing for that act to become law. They could have made a bunch of money, selling or renting equipment that would scramble and descramble voice communications of critical nature. Instead, the law technically makes anyone with a scanner an outlaw. 4-A) As mentioned in older strings on EMT City, I am a Scanner operator, "registered" with vanity "call-signs" WPC2SC and KNY2SC (please refer to Popular Communications Magazine re the call-signs), and maintain some of the older equipment, including the converter box. I turned 59 last month (May), so I'm hardly a kid with a radio. 5) There's a surprisingly large number of people who don't realize cell phones, and even Satellite Phones, using either voice or text, are actually very fancy and technically advanced 2-Way radio "Walkie-Talkies". I continue to presume Mr. Leahy is still one of them. 6) Considering the cost of the fancier cell phones, and the "apps" on them, the GPS is for recovery of a stolen one, or tracking a kidnapped person carrying one. If a cell phone user is committing a crime, and the LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) track the miscreant with the GPS, well, it sucks to be the criminal. Unless you are actually doing, or are suspected of doing, something wrong, I wouldn't worry. Besides, that GPS chip might be used like a Garmin, Tom-Tom, or other GPS navigation device, so you can find that unfamiliar address and get to the patient quicker. 7) Enforcement? Unless the LEOs are specifically looking for someone for a specific reason, it would be an added on charge when caught doing something else against the law, either misdemeanor, criminal or felony. We probably have machines that can do so, but not yet to the sophistication of "Harold Finch's" "Machine", on CBS TVs "Person of Interest."

Obviously, it is NOT as simple as Sam Spade finding out that while Harry is married to Cindy, Harry met Sally...but I'm trying for the laugh here.

Just thinking back... 1) My usual Costco is in the Lawrence/Cedahurst/Inwood area of Nassau County, and was flooded out by water coming from Jamaica Bay during Superstorm Sandy. 2) My backup Costco is in Brooklyn, by the Gowanus Expressway section of the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway, and also probably got flooded, but by the Hudson River in the storm. 3) When I purchased my Nissan Quest Mini-Van, it would have cost an additional $500.00 for a dealer installed GPS. 4) The Garmin Nuvi I have cost under $100, and was purchased on-line from Costco. Device works great, mostly for point to point, but not finely defined enough for Geocaching. 5) When the Garmin refers me to stores, it may be outdated by years, even with on-line updating of the device. The pizza place I was referred to, is now a housing development.

He getting, or teaching them?

Actually, with all the fistfights and rope climbing, probably a better workout than going to a gym.

The Costco store I tried for was in the Middletown area of Orange County, NY, a hundred miles away from my usual haunts, not coastal, like MY Costco store, which is back in operation.

I presume it acts kind of like locking hemostats, on something that might need stitches (outside my expertise and scope of practice). I also know that some areas of the body just cannot be "pinched".

Different date, same war: United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

I agree with the others, that for tactical EMS work with a SWAT or similar unit, or Helicopter EMS (HEMS), experience takes precedence in the hiring process over exuberance. Perhaps in a few years, you'll qualify for either of them. Perhaps I know them by another name, but what is/are POST cop certification?

At least that we know of, Scubanurse.

Over my career, I've only responded to one motorcycle death. He was travelling too fast, on a curved road under an elevated train track, and split open his helmet and head on a support pillar. I drove a motorcycle only one time, actually before dreaming I'd become an EMT (before I knew what EMT stood for, even). The bike somehow told me to "get off and stay off". I listened, never piloting a motorcycle again. Some years later, in conversation with a biker wearing Hells Angels colors, the biker said, for me, that must have been the correct decision. As a mention, when a motorcyclist is involved in an accident, the NYC FDNY EMS EMD enters the call as a pedestrian struck.

I'm not National Registry. Have you asked the local NREMT coordinator? (S)he would most likely have the answers to your questions.

I trust my Garmin Nuvi GPS device...to a point. When I activate the "find home", and am sitting in front of my house, it still says I'm at least 50 foot away. When I try finding a store at a mall, it leaves me at the entrance to the parking lot, which, unfortunately, usually is the street address for all the stores in that mall. While a Superstorm Sandy refugee, I wanted to go to a particular store. My GPS had the store listed, but on arrival, found it wasn't for the general public, but the distribution point to all the store's branches in the region. This, after 45 minutes driving.