Your lead off equipment on scene...

[ccmedoc]

Add to the equipment the phrase "everybody goes in together" if its just 2 on a crew, 3, 4 or whatever for simply safety does anybody else follow this?

This should absolutely happen every time. If not for safety, then for not looking like a bunch of monkeys. It is more professional to approach the patient and the scene in general as a team.

I can't believe that you must give this any thought to begin with..:shock:

[stcommodore]

I think alot of the dynamic in this topic has alot to do with the type of system (FD, Responder, MICU only) you work in and the setting (urban, suburban, rural).

[ninjaemtff]

Personally, the two things I take on every call are the jump kit and the oxygen bag. If its dispatched as chest pain or something along those lines I throw the AED on the litter to take it in as well. As far as getting the patient out of the house, normally we are a three person crew, myself (EMT-, a FR, and the driver. Myself and the FR will proceed into the residence with said bags, after examining the pt, I will tell the FR what else I want or weather I want the reeves, stair chair, or the litter, and him (or her) will bring it in along with the driver. Oh and something else I take on every call, a portable radio & a pen.

[KAThomas]

You arrive on scene for a dispatch, what equipment do you bring in?

Do you have calls (ex toe injury) where you or you have seen providers walk in without equipment?

Do you go by the "long and deep" rule where the patient is in a nursing home or high rise for example and you take everything with you (Moniter, 1st in bag/drugs, 02)?

Does your specific squad/department have a rule for this type of situation?

A paramedic I consider a mentor of mine has a phrase that goes something like "without your equipment your nothing but a trained observer" which you can figure obviously means he and I are for bringing anything and everything the dispatch/location calls for.

What about inline stabilization and bleed control... AVPU/MLOC & ABC's... my military medical training enforced adapting, improvising and accomplishing what needed to be done with things around us (no MacGuyver Jokes please) until you can get what you need. I'm not saying don't preplan and consider... but if you so happen to come on without it.

trained observer... Wow! :shock:

[akflightmedic]

So because of your military training and ability to improvise, you think it is perfectly acceptable to walk in the room with nothing??

How professional is that? You show up in a fully stocked ambulance with portable bags/equipment and you may choose to not bring it?

What do you do, ask the patient's family for towels to control the bleeding?

Sorry, in line stabilization is not major priority, you can tell the patient not to move until you are ready to dedicate a set of hands to that patient's c-spine. You are not saving any lines by simply manually holding c-spine.

Bleeding control, again why would you not come in with necessary materials to control it? Yes, you can use anything around you but that is just tacky, unprofessional and stupid when it could of came in with you to start with.

Seriously, your comment did nothing to promote professionalism within our field.

Now I know at the end, you said if you happen to come up on it...but I do not understand when that would be. If you mean in a store or public gathering, ok, but in general we do not just "come up" on things. Whackers do tend to look or listen for such events on their radios or scanners and then place themselves in the area so that they do "come up on it", but it is not a regular occurrence with most professional EMS'ers.

[ccmedoc]

What about inline stabilization and bleed control... AVPU/MLOC & ABC's...

Would you look at all those mnemonics.... :shock: :oops:

I'm soooooo sorry....

[KAThomas]

Whoa... You have it all wrong. :shock:

What I'm saying is even if I had nothing (not that I would ever do that... fully stock Ambo, portable O2, Trauma Bag, AED, fully stocked Gurney... etc)... No true EMS professional is just a trained "observer", even in the worst of circumstance. That statement is a crock. :evil:

I doubt we carry backboards and O2 in our car but we are more (considerably) than "trained observation" without it.

As for 1st on equipment... portable O2, Trauma Bag, AED, & a fully stocked Gurney.

[ccmedoc]

Ya had to be there....trust me

[doc4csar]

I just move to the Gulf Coast from the Reno, NV area. I Have noticed that while working out "West" you better have you equipment when entering a scene or else.... Not only is it important to have you equipment but let the supervisor see you without it... Here the crew are so much more relaxed, I guess...? They give me a crazy look when I want to take my equipment in on calls. Now if it is for a Cardiac arrest or Resp arrest they will bring it in. I think it is better to have what you need on scene with you.

[Dustdevil]

I just move to the Gulf Coast from the Reno, NV area. I Have noticed that while working out "West" you better have you equipment when entering a scene or else.... Not only is it important to have you equipment but let the supervisor see you without it... Here the crew are so much more relaxed, I guess...?

That does seem to be the culture in Louisiana and Mississippi. Not so in Texas or Floridia. I haven't had any experience in the Mobile, AL area, but I suspect they are very similar to MS. Give the choice of either dumbing yourself down to their level or maintaining your professionalism and setting an example, I certainly hope you choose the latter.