Richard B the EMT

Reminder to all: No matter how many "Attaboy/Attagirl" certificates one gets, they're all wiped out with even one "AwwShit" certificate.

Just for informational sake, has anyone told this to the governor of Wisconsin? For EMT City members outside of the North American continent, the Governor of the US State of Wisconsin wants to do away with the rights of unionized state workers, such as collective barganing, medical coverage, and other items.

If he does a handstand on the Defibrillator paddles while zapping a patient, it means he watched the old TV series "Rescue 77", one of the shows many on our site hated.

Re the 2 underage sexual partners: When "Daddy" finds out the apple of his eye has been "violated", he'll probably go after any and all parties who knew about it, and didn't tell him in a timely manner. I am old enough to remember actual "shotgun weddings," from my childhood. I think nowadays, they call it "Friends with benefits"? As for the reporting of "recreational pharmaceuticals" on the scene of your patient? A tale I heard, which happened somewhere in NYC, a member of the EMS called in for assistance for self, due to a bad "trip" on the illicit meds. The responding crew had a senior EMT, who actually had, in the past, partnered with the sick EMT, and one only days out of the academy. One, the newjack, who knew the sick EMT as another EMT from the station all 3 worked from, reported the exact wording of what type drug or drugs the sick EMT indicated had been taken, instead of just saying "sick from meds" on the call report. Two, the ambulance senior tech didn't have newjack rewrite the call report without the damning wording, or simply write up a new one omitting the same. Three, on reviewing the call report, the supervisor of all 3 of them read it, and blew the whistle on the sick EMT, without asking if the sick EMT could use the employee assistance program to get into a department sponsored rehab program. The sick EMT was subsequently fired. For reasons of some semblance of privacy for all involved, I have not indicated the geographic area of New York City, the age, sex, or ethnic backgrounds of any of the 4 involved. If the sick EMT had asked for the assistance getting into the rehab program, that EMT might have not been fired, and supposedly would not have had entered any bad records on the EMT's employment records. The senior EMT was given a few months silent treatment by others at the station, backed by the union for the bad handling of the event, and the newjack became a good, hard working, line EMT. I admit the hedging of the report borders on illegal activities, but it could have given an otherwise good person the chance to redeem their standing. I also don't know what I would have done, were I on the responding ambulance.

1) FDNY EMS protocols say, any patient wanting to RMA/AMA (Refuse Medical Assistance/Against Medical Advice), who is under 5 years of age (parents acting on the youngster's behalf, obviously), or over 65 years of age, has to be cleared to do so by the OLMC doctor. 2) Couldn't hear or feel a BP? I'd be hearing alarm bells, as the BP might be too low to be ascertained. There's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear. 3) Cannot move on their own? Sounds like they might be taking a ride with you. Also, looking back at #1, the OLMC doctor will ask if the patient can ambulate, and how well they can do so, as witnessed by you and your partner. 4) I admit I had not previously thought of the down-time element. Good catch. 5) NY State DoH testing has one doing a total head to toe "unconscious patient" evaluation. Looking for broken bones, now might be a good time to do one on our patient. Admittedly, this doesn't have any indicators in the survey to account for TIA/CVA activity. One thing the FDNY EMS Command's OLMC does, sometimes, is allow a patient, whom we've placed back in bed, to remain unattended for at least overnight, IF we have some confirmation that someone is going to look in on them the next morning. Admittedly, if the patient is not expecting a home care attendent, a "paid patient companion", or a family member, OLMC will ask for the local EMS field supervisor and the LEOs with THEIR local field supervisor to meet you at the scene, especially if the patient needs to be placed into "protective custody" pending regular and/or psych ER evaluations. That way, the lawsuit goes to NYC's legal offices, before coming back at the LEOs on the scene, and your EMS team, should the patient sue for us "kidnapping" them. The EMS team then is operating at the behest of the NYPD. We may still be sued, but I have never heard of anything beyond the annoyance of being sued happening, as in no penalties ever came of it.

Sounds like you're referring to the National Ski Patrol. If you are not, although I have no connection to them, I AM referring you to them.

Actually, what I recall, snakes sense by vibrations, and taste, which is why they're always flicking their tongues.

@ TheNaturePhotographer: Just for informational sake, be advised, if you want to come to New York, the NY State Department of Health's Bureau of EMS doesn't accept National Registry, although you can get the NAEMT in NY. Go figure. When I took the High School biology class, one girl seemed totally unfazed by dissecting the frog. When asked by the teacher about her lack of inhibition, he asked if she was in a Surgeon's family. Turned out she was, per her statement, the daughter of "The best butcher in Brooklyn."

Due to location, probabley of no help, but for the entire 8,000,000 people in New York City, the hospital for snake bite is Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, probably because they're close, geographically, to the Bronx Zoo (the one with the 4 legged, winged, or crawling animals, not the NY Yankees ball field).

When I find out, I'll advise.

Link to the story here. This is one of the duo of EMTs that allegedly told the restaurant crew to call 9-1-1, and left an asthmatic pregnant woman to die, in a restaurant off the lobby of the building then housing the FDNY EMS EMD.

Perhaps not on target here, but I direct a question at the OP, 2Rude: Does the system you work in, or the local protocols, have anything on administering moisturized O2? While I cannot recall the last time I administered moisturized O2, New York State DoH requires that the supplies to do so are to be on board the ambulance.

Please relay my wishes of good luck to all EMS and Fire crews responding to the CC areas, from NZ, Oz, and whatever parts of the world!

Just be realistic with yourself as to what you're thinking of doing. Some, as already mentioned, find they can't handle this type job. In 1974, my Volunteer Ambulance Corps had just started, and at least 95 per cent of us were newjacks (Myself included), with no real field experience. We also ran with Motor Vehicle Operators, who at the time, were not required to have EMT certification. We'd later mandate they had a minimum of American Red Cross Advanced First Aid (or equivalent training) under their belts, and even later on, encourage them to become EMTs. On her first call, the EMT assigned to a 2 person crew, got out of the ambulance, told her non EMT MVO partner what equipment to pull from the vehicle, turned to look at the patient, saw the patient's blood, and fainted!

The pictures I have seen of Unimogs, in a used military hardware catalog? Like the Possums that I sometimes see crossing my backyard, they put the UG in Ugly. Also, I have to question if they come in tracks instead of wheels. Roll bars can probably be purchased as after-market, or custom installed by someone who knows how (I certanly do NOT). 15 MPH? NYPD would ticket for obstructing traffic, what the CB radio called a "rolling roadblock". As for Radioactive placards, one of my associates told me her next door neighbor, who was one of those nasty people who always blocks the neighbor's driveway, or takes up 2 parking spots, had them on their POV (Personally Owned Vehicle), but in the months after 9-11-2001, with all the scares, NYPD, on finding no permist for transporting radioactive materials, actually towed the vehicle to the firing range at Rodman's Neck to verify for radiation. On finding none, a hefty fine was imposed, and the vehicle has not sported such signs again (still blocking driveways and taking up 2 spots, however).

As I said...

Wow. Someone quoting ME? The full quote I use is" 4WD helps get you going, but has nothing to do with stopping you."

One time I was actually in uniform when the LEO pulled me over, running home from the regular posting to pick up something before reporting to another location for overtime. No slack, and got me additional scolding from the cop, as I "should know better". I had nearly run into the car ahead of me, when that driver braked hard, when his radar detector went off.

After linking to that picture, I admit being intrigued. The Seattle FD ambulance shown does NOT have a curb side door. To the best of my knowledge, that would make this ambulance illegal in my own state of New York, as, I believe, the rules and regulations call for an alternate means of removing a patient, should the rear loading doors be incapacitated. My evidence is, admittedly, anecdotal. A previous employer was using 2 Chevy Suburban designed ambulances, and when told of this by the state DoH inspector, to prove the older design was still good, was willing to break one of the rear quarter panel windows. Without breaking the windows, the inspector passed the vehicles, but both were retired and replaced less than 12 months later.

The Chiropractor was my friend from first grade (1961), before I had even heard the word Chiropractor. I didn't know she was a practicing Witch until a mutual friend told me, and she confirmed it, in 8th grade (1968). We never dated. When I was told, I was probably chasing a different girl, anyway (whom those who follow my writings here might recall as the one I asked to marry me, but got the "Let's be friends" speech, instead). The EMTs and Paramedics who have identified themselves to me as being Witches have all, co-incidentally, been female, but they all have told me that the term "Warlock" is, for reasons never explained to me, almost strictly an American term for a male Witch. I don't know if that is the case, but it is what I have been informed. Depending on where one is from, both of us might be correct. By the way, it is because of my teenage studies on things of a (perhaps) supernatural nature, that my Citizens Radio Service (CB Radio) "Handle", or on the air name, is the "Witch Doctor"! Can we all now get back to EMS handling of Religious Practices, as it affects us doing our jobs?

There's no one way of things. Crash survivability can vary, both by type accident, and vehicle model.

I googled Seattle FD at http://www.seattle.gov/fire/medics/medicOne.htm What is pictured looks like a regular type 3 box ambulance, possibly a Chevy chassis, by the hood slant.

Dust off your library card, and research thereat in the Consumer's Digest.

A reminder, that was in 1692. We didn't have the War For Independance from England, and the Declaration Of Independance until the mid 1770s. Also, I have a number of friends and acquaintances who are self-proclaimed Witches. Some of them are even EMTs and Paramedics, and one is a Chiropractor with whom I went to grade school.

OK, go for it, and good luck.