Richard B the EMT

DOA Denier Elderly Medical Technician Overworked/underpaid.

Anonymous

Just as reference, how old are you and "Lucy"?

Best write it down. Rewrite as seen fit before saying it. Excise the cursing, if needed. You made a conscious decision to be with the individual, who for discussion's sake, I'll call Lucy*, instead of the group. Then Lucy dumps you for the group? Leaves you in the bad part of town, alone? Even as a duo, there is usually some safety in numbers. "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!" She potentially endangered your possessions, and possibly your life. That explanation better be good, or you're probably better off without her in your circle of friends. Anyone else care to add? *Had to make the "I Love Lucy" quotation fit in.

I've seen postings on Facebook from this humor site. Reminds me of an incident reported to me by a former associate. Back before the EMS/FDNY merger, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation EMS crews went to precinct houses to sign out NYPD portable radios. Tommy had signed out one, and when an ambulance call came in, a local NYPD team called his unit directly, with the "standard slang" of "rush the bus". Tommy replied, "responding with delay, have to stop at the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) garage for a bus. I'm in an ambulance!"

Don't recall that one, but it is sick, as in ill. Did it play in the US?

Family comfort that someone is with the recently departed? I'd go with that concept.

That was a different type device. I met the man who invented that system, and the company (I forget that name) mantra was "Drive With Low Forces". We got pay bonuses for keeping those numbers low, and monthly winners got that company's logo baseball cap. The ones I was actually referring to sometimes look like a second speedometer, and newer varieties are still on the market (NOT in the famous Galls catalog!).

You talking one of those "computers" tells time, speed, distance,L&S engaged, brakes on/off, engine on/off, to interested supervisors, indicating how the vehicle was driven, and when? They can be your worst enemy, or best friend.

Here in Rockaway (Queens County area of New York City), NY, we had several whales seen, in an apparent pod, a few thousand yards off our beach. I will speculate that they were feeding, as the pumping of several million yards of sand, replenishing the Superstorm Sandy destroyed beach, had just been completed by US Army Corps of Engineers, and probably had something to do with the whale food being available. Drat, Drat, and double drat! I missed seeing them!

My Nissan Quest is obviously not an off road vehicle, but I surprised an old friend when he needed a battery jump (NO, not with a Defibrillator). I had to drive up a somewhat steep incline on wet grass to get alongside his BMW, and he totally thought I was going to spin my wheels doing so. What can I say? Front wheel drive, even with 6 cylinders.

Seems standard operating procedure. FDNY EMS does that, calling it "officially" "Presumption Of Death", under the authority of the Medical Director of the service.

Think more Johnson Smith.

Google for police/fire/ems uniform stores, as they probably will have a lead as to where to get the full side reflective stripe pants. Hope you don't have to traverse the country for them. PS Capes? Some of the "Novelty" catalogs I get are selling socks with mini-capes on them, embossed with the Superman "S" logo.

As I am typing this, I am watching a show featuring an original Willy's Jeep. The Jeep is called "Nelly Belle" and is almost always featured in the 1950s "Roy Rodgers Show".

Looking at cars, or intending to purchase? I've been a medical disability retiree now for 3 years and 2 days, as of the time of this posting. Still an EMT, though.

Going later this month to "Pulse Check", the annual Convention, Educational Conference, and Trade Show, of the NY State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association. Surprise! The Crown Plaza in Suffern NY uses a call center in the Philippines!

Kind of reminds me of an old story. The sergeant is giving instructions to a new Military Police Officer... "If a soldier walks up the road to your post, what do you do?" "I challenge him or her, saying 'Halt! Who goes there?'" "What if it's the General?" "Same thing, sergeant." "If the General doesn't have his ID card?" "I'd call for the Captain of the Guard, sergeant, and ask his advisement" "What if an ocean liner came up to your guard booth?" "First, I'd call Private Pederson..." "Excuse me? You'd call another Private?" "No, just Pederson, sergeant. He's from Oklahoma, and never seen an ocean liner." PS, the USCG cutters Cape Straight (spelling?) and Point Huron used to be stationed not too far from me, at USCG Station Rockaway Point, NY. We also had a helicopter base across Jamaica Bay at USCG Air Station Brooklyn (Floyd Bennett Field), NY. Station Rockaway Point is now a National Parks Service boat base, and the former Air Station is now used by NYPD Aviation as their headquarters.

There is a difference between cities. I cannot speak to traffic in Paris during the rush hour, when everyone is on the road, either going to, or returning from work. For me here in New York City, sometimes (regularly), there is no place to move out of the way, to allow any type emergency vehicle to proceed. You will find that there is an ongoing discussion on EMT City regarding overuse of HEMS (Helicopter EMS), as well as too many reports of crashing helicopters due to possible pilot error in deteriorating weather conditions. In NYC, due to tall buildings, overhead power and telephone lines, and trees, not to mention a lack of committed landing zones, HEMS is not practical. When a Medivac flight is needed, the NYPD can and will supply the helicopter, but the FDNY EMS Command has to supply an EMT or Paramedic to go with the patient. As it is extensive, I won't put up the requirements (again), unless requested, on requesting such medivac flight.

Off topic, yes, but has anyone here ever driven a Yugo aside from me?

Re the disrespect of not identifying EMS as also victims of the 9-11 attack, when reading the names at the World Trade Center, WCBS HDTV 2 identified Carlos and Ricardo as Fire Fighters. FDNY doesn't use cross trained FF-EMTs or FF-Paramedics.

I don't know all the EMS names. Carlos Lillo, Paramedic, FDNY EMS Command. * Richard Pearlman, EMT, Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Ricardo Quinn, Paramedic Lieutenant (Posthumously Promoted), FDNY EMS Command. Mark Schwartz, EMT, assistant manager, Hunter Ambulance/Ambulette Service. There were at least 2 more from New York Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Hospital EMS, operating under the NYC 9-1-1 system. Several Volunteer EMTs and Paramedics were at, or in, the Trade Center, working their "Day Jobs". EMT Pearlman was working his day job, but responded to the scene. You can stand down, now, my brothers and sisters in the Emergency Services who perished. We have it from here. *My classmate, New Employee Orientation Program class 85-02, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation EMS

I mention a driver's ed class, where I and 2 other students rode in a Toyota Corolla driven by an instructor, in a large parking lot, with the wipers going in a light rain, a Led Zep tape softly playing, and the car at 40 MPH (64 KPH?). The lesson? Advise when we heard the siren from our own ambulance, which would chase us. We only heard the siren when the ambulance was less than a car length off the rear bumper. At that seemingly low speed, most cars are outrunning the sound of the siren.

Nice of you to think of the neighbors. Hope you have big, open intersections where you can both see other traffic, and they can see you at 2 AM. that the siren shouldn't be sounding. Also nice that you don't cop the attitude "If I gotta be up, EVERYBODY has to be up". However, the OP was referring to a busy area, and at rush hour. PS: Some safety policies call for the siren to be engaged 200 feet from an intersection. Avenue intersections here in NYC are about 200 foot apart.

Cab and bus drivers, as well as any emergency vehicle crew, can and will tell you that driving crosstown in midtown Manhattan, NYC NY, is sometimes considered a full time job in and of itself.