Richard B the EMT

Bumped for additional voting and commentary by new EMT City-ites.

At risk of starting a battle of the badges (again!), we have NYPD Emergency Services, and FDNY Rescue companies. They are always discussing with the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management as to who is in charge of what type emergency. Case in point?... Report of possible explosive device? NYPD (Bomb Squad), unless it blows up, then, it's FDNY (put out the fire). A couple of years ago, a helicopter crashed into the river, witnessed by a FDNY Rescue company specializing in SCUBA. They put divers into the river. Moments later, NYPD Emergency Services Unit, with SCUBA on board, arrived, and ORDERED FD SCUBA OUT OF The Water! As 2 persons on the helo died, both agencies tried to explain that FD didn't speak PD, PD didn't speak FD. Bull! If both run SCUBA teams, the common languages have got to be "Diver/SCUBA", and, as this is New York City, "English" (supposedly, anyway). Different area under the city's dual coverage. Car into tree, NYPD ESU arguing with FDNY Ladder Company as to who's in charge. A "Truckee" ends up in full turnout gear, and Smith & Wesson Handcuffs, on the front page of the New York Daily News, under allegation he went and locked the doors to the NYPD vehicles, with the keys inside. As for the patient, an ambulance crew did a light extrication and full immobilization of the guy and transported, while the PD and FD guys were arguing (this was pre-FDNY/EMS merger).

There's an old line, "The operation was a success, but the patient died". Sometimes, no matter what, the patient dies. It's not only your skill with the patient, sometimes, it's totally unpredictable. Definitely, talk to senior personnel, the doctors and nurses, and clergy, if so inclined, review what you did, and what you didn't do. If you did everything correctly, at least you will have that consolation.

You know what the reference "atom" means. You have a partner who deplores partners who listen for jobs on PD frequencies. You have a portable DVD player, and bring a substantial DVD library along with you to view between calls. Invariably, those tours either have no calls, or the mother of all MCI calls, or that's the tour when the boro chief decides to pay a visit to the street corner you're supposed to be at, except you're 2 blocks away where it's darker, so you can see the screen better.

EMSGirl, you make the mistake that all firefighters use the yellow or lime green coats. NYC uses the basic black (goes with almost anything, LOL). Therefore, I never would have made the connection with the coats. While on the subject, FDNY EMS EMTs and Paramedics wear Navy blue coats, with a different reflective trim than "suppression", and an orange plastic helmet, the firefighters wear black leather helmets. EMS Lieutenants and above wear white plastic ones. Fire "suppression" Lieutenants and Captains wear Black leather helmets, with a white front-piece, and Chiefs wear white leather helmets. On TV, seems firefighters wear the orange helmets, the Lieutenants and Captains wear yellow, and, universally, chiefs wear white ones.

That's like the ambulance being unable to move after loading a patient, until a LEO or Firefighter spanks the rear doors twice after closing, thereby both releasing the brakes and activating the siren. The Emergency Lights and siren will be on while transporting a DOA from the scene, too.

You know what an "89" is. The homeless guy knows your children's names, as well as you know his children's names. Instead of giving a signal indicating the call is received, and you're on your way in response mode ("63"), you tell the dispatcher, "We're in the wind!" On arrival at the call, you tell dispatch you "have a pair", referring to the pre FDNY signal of "88" instead of the current "84". If you need a response from the FDNY's "Fire Suppression" side, you ask dispatch for "Rubber," or the "B.R.T." (Big Red Truck). When there's no room otherwise to park, you block the street with the ambulance, emergency lights lit, and some fool comes right up to the rear doors of the ambulance with their vehicle, and starts blowing the horn, demanding you move the ambulance immediately out of his way. (Charlie, I'm in the system for 20 years now, what is a "duck" in your reference?) 47Adam3

I forget who originated the line:

I think I've mentioned there's no place in NYC more than 15 minutes from a regular ER. I'll temper that with saying, from MY service district, it's 25-35 minutes to the nearest Trauma Center, and 35 to an hour to the Burn Center. Figure about an hour to the "Replant" Center at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital. Like the guys and gals in real estate say, "location, Location, LOCATION."

(Bumped up for the newest members of EMT City to vote on.)

Check local protocols, please. Here in NY State, for any gathering over a specified number of expected people, at least one BLS team has to be assigned to the event, for each multiple of that number, with a plan for treatment if the event becomes an MCI ready to be implemented. Thank the Woodstock Concert, in 1969, for that. I admit not having any idea if the medical plan includes non transport BLS crews, as each event is probably going to be different, but, as far as I know, all ambulances in the state have to be registered and/or certified by the state DoH to the minimum standards. As a mention, I attended a "Brooklyn Cyclones" game at "Keyspan Park" (Steeplechase Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, and they won, beating the New Jersey Cardinals). No ambulance there, but saw at least 6 uniformed EMTs from the Midwood Ambulance Service (Brooklyn, NY) working medical coverage, they told me if a transport is needed, either they call in a line ambulance from their agency, or call 911 for a FDNY EMS ambulance.

As I AM working in NYC, was that directed at either myself or the FDNY EMS, or just a general comment? I take no offense. (Yet.)

Following on what JoEMT posted, look at the string on the EMT who used a Defib on a co-worker, killing the co-worker. Our equipment is not toys, people! ALWAYS spread that to your newbies, when being a preceptor, or partnered with them.

Further mention here, that FDNY EMS has you "married" to your tour. You work a 16-0000 tour, they won't usually switch you without about 14 days notice, normal circumstances. Also, you work 5 days, off 2, work another 5 days, off 3. That way, nobody complains they never get off on a Tuesday so they can't go to a Broadway show, or how a fellow crew-person always seems to get weekends off. Whatever day of the week, you work it for 10 weeks, then are off on that day for 5 consecutive weeks. As I'm typing here, London, England, which was announced yesterday to be hosting the 2012 Olympics, had a Terrorist explosives attack on their transit system. These are not "normal", obviously. If this occurred in NYC, the normal 8 hour tours, at minimum, would be extended by 6 hours, and probably the full "double" of 16 hours, with emergency 12 hour tours being instituted in short order.

A couple of years after FDNY took over EMS, they decided to "increase productivity" by putting on more ambulance tours for each tour of the 3 a day we run. The problem was, while adding units, they didn't add personnel. They put butts into ambulance cabs by mandating overtime. Example: I'd be scheduled for 1630-0030 hours, on 47Adam3. I'd arrive at 1615, and the lieutenant would tell me I was mandated, and going to work on 47David1 until 0630 hours. One of the guys I'd be relieving on 47Adam2, already on from 0830, would be jumping into 47David3 until 2230. While still having 2 hours uncovered on the 8 hours of each unit, while they were on, at least they were available. There will always be overtime sluts, and these folks made out like bandits. The rest of us, however, could, and would, be subject to mandated overtime on up to 4 of the 5 tours we'd work each week. Child care issues? School? Personal life? "Immaterial, you're there to work!" per the supervisors, and per the supervisor's supervisors. (Departmental policy is to advise a mandated crew-person at least 2, preferably more, hours prior to the normal end of your tour.) Call in sick? You'd need a doctors "line" (doctor's note, but on department paperwork forms), and somebody else would have to be mandated to cover the tour, either your regular one, or the overtime one (When calling in sick, per policy, do it at least 2, preferably more, hours prior to the scheduled start of your regular tour). One stunt done was, a crew-person would start the overtime tour, then go off service, "SicMOS" (sick Member Of Service) as too fatigued to safely continue. The department tried stopping that by sending these folks to be checked out by an ER MD, but the union stepped in, saying, it was a contractual issue that a crew-person could go to whatever doctor they preferred, and didn't have to go to an ER, as long as they produced the Doctor's Line on their next time in for work (when they'd probably be mandated again). It finally resulted in a demonstration outside FDNY HQ. The FDNY EMS Chief in Charge, in a televised interview with the union president, lied thru his teeth on the matter, but eventually, they did some hiring, and gave up on some of the additional units. Now, they have hired more personnel, and put them into the additional units. If they plan to have additional units for an expected patient surge, like inclement weather (Hurricane coming, snowstorm), special events (NY Marathon, Papal visit, New Years Eve Times Square Ball Drop)they "advertise" it over the Mobile Data Terminals in the ambulances, looking for crew-people who want to work overtime. Most of the special events are folks on their normal day off. FYI, on the weather necessitated overtime? If the department declares a "Level One", all unscheduled absences must be documented, meaning Doctors lines, even for one day (policy is, documentation is not normally needed, simply recommended, until an absence of three days). "Level Two" means you must wait for your relief, one for one. "Level Three" means ain't nobody goin' home at the tour's end, you're becoming your relief's partner, and MUST work the entire 8 hour overtime tour.

I've mentioned that a friend TOLD me, "WE" were going to join a neighborhood VAC that was forming up at that time, and how a year and a half later, he left the VAC. Add to that, a professor of mine at Long Island University, Brooklyn Center, died, a half mile from an ER, with a delay of over a half hour response, and in an unrelated incident, the friend saw a car crash with injuries, that an engine company heard the rollover, responded to it, but the ambulance, from a station a mile away with no traffic lights enroute to the scene, took an hour, both within NYC, and both in 1973. I also thought it would get me women. It did, one, anyway. My longtime lady companion who I met as another volunteer in the VAC.

While not in that class, I've been the one left secured to the backboard, flipped head down, and face to the wall! My complaints started on my release after they left me like that for 10 minutes.

1) I thought we already had one. 2) Sorry, don't want the expense of having to buy a "compu-cam."

A total guess on my part, and no offense meant, but perhaps you had a panic attack?

Following ReD's lead, if you have to ask yourself when was the last time you used the kit, it's time to check out what you have in the kit, and update/replace anything expired, missing, or in bad condition.

10-Q, radaret.

Prior to the posting, I'd never heard the phrase, "dirty south", so, as a New York, New York resident, have no idea of what it implies. While on that line, aside from the foodstuff of a "Ritz", what is a "Cracker?'

As, in New York State, you have to be 18 to take the state written test, had you achieved that age? I've heard of people who couldn't take the test because they were one day shy, and others who took it on the day of their 18th birthday, at a different training center than where they had taken the classes, due to scheduling, by a pre-arranged agreement by both of the class Instructor/Coordinators. I do agree, maintain a paper trail, of who you spoke to, and when you spoke to them (I'd go with day, date, and time), even if in person or the telephone. Don't forget to include the paper of snail-mails, and printouts of e-mails. Side mention: I only know of one under 18 person to become a NYS EMT. By the time the state DoH investigated her, she WAS 18. That was in 1974-1975, by the way.

Or::: an undomiciled person who took up "residence".

(Bump) We have new members came in, what do you new to EMT City people think?