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EMS responding to fire standbys


Don1977

Should EMS respond to all fire calls?  

41 members have voted

  1. 1.

    • all incidents that the Fire department responds to
      13
    • just working/confirmed fires or incidents
      28


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i believe EMS belongs at any type of a gas leak or carbon monoxide detector activations because of the health hazards. As far as Fire alarms go thats when it should be upon Fire Commands Request to dispatch EMS.

In the couple hundred CO alarm and possible gas leaks that fire is toned to here maybe 1% have symptoms associated. Most are paranoia, dead batteries or there is something but with no symptoms. So to send EMS on EVERY CO or Gas alarm goes right back to sending them on all fire calls, its just a waste of limited resources. If you happen to have an ambulance for every fire truck then go for it, but most places do not have that luxury. I feel it is the responsibility of dispatch to find out if there are symptoms.

--Be Safe

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In the couple hundred CO alarm and possible gas leaks that fire is toned to here maybe 1% have symptoms associated. Most are paranoia, dead batteries or there is something but with no symptoms. So to send EMS on EVERY CO or Gas alarm goes right back to sending them on all fire calls, its just a waste of limited resources. If you happen to have an ambulance for every fire truck then go for it, but most places do not have that luxury. I feel it is the responsibility of dispatch to find out if there are symptoms.

--Be Safe

The only reason why I say that EMS should be an automatic dispatch is because you never know if the one who is reporting the incident is giving you all the info you need because of how worried they are about the other people that may be trapped or around the fire scene, so there for it is a waste of time for Fire command to get there and realize there is more to the story than already known and we could have had an ambulance in route if the caller had just said that there are injuries or there is someone here feeling ill, it makes fire commands and dispatches job a heck of a lot easier when it is said that there are injuries or an illness.

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Given the choice between standing by for the FD or responding to a urine soaked nursing home, I'll take the standby. Unlike the TV fanatics I work with, I always have books with me. You know those rectangular things with lots of pages and for the lower end of the spectrum pictures. Even after almost 16 years in EMS, I still try to better my knowledge base and improve the care we deliver. A fire standby is the perfect arena for this. Warm truck, relatively comfortable seat, map light and if we are lucky, we wont be pulled from the standby.

There are always opportunities to learn and improve. If you are on a critical care unit, pull out the hemodynamic monitoring kit and make sure you are familiar with the cables and sets. This isn't for the mutts though, they will be out back of the rig smoking and bitching about being there.

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Unlike the TV fanatics I work with, I always have books with me. You know those rectangular things with lots of pages and for the lower end of the spectrum pictures.

Comics, good idea. I think I'll take some next time. :roll:

I usually have a book or 2 with me also. If not I will reread protocols. I have even pulled out the ambulance manual and started studying the wiring schematics. I get bored easy so try to keep my brain active.

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Comics, good idea. I think I'll take some next time. :roll:

I usually have a book or 2 with me also. If not I will reread protocols. I have even pulled out the ambulance manual and started studying the wiring schematics. I get bored easy so try to keep my brain active.

Yeah, I read the manuals when I'm bored too, lol.

On the plus side, I found out we could test our particular siren without creating any noise! It created a sound out of our hearing range and would display lights to tell if it worked right. Nobody knew that until I read the manual :lol:

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^

Whelen Sirens: turn to "rad" and hold down the manual button. If both lights come on, you're good. Of course no one else knows about it so that aren't impressed when I would complain that one of the siren speakers were out.

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