I couldn't help myself....sorry!!

[firedoc5]

In my past life, (as a volly) I'd respond in the ambulance and my partner was suppose to meet me at the scene. I'd assess, treat, package, etc. and still waiting on my partner. I'd even get the gurney out by myself, and that was before the one man models. I got use to doing "extra" things to make up time. By the time my partner got there the only thing left was to load. P!ssed me off to no end.

I am guilty of stopping at the scene in my POV, but ONLY if I knew there was a unit on the way. If not I would go on by and get it myself. Talk about embarrassing.

[WolfmanHarris]

One of the biggest plusses of detailed Ministry regulations has got to be that by not keeping up with technology, the old standby's never disappear. Even with all the mapping software, computers and eACR's on the rigs, the big book o' government rules still says they need a mapbook. So the mapbook sits there same as always with the old paper ACR's. Same goes for the number nine stretcher, canvas pole stretcher and a few others. You never know why you need it, until you need it.

[scratrat]

I am guilty of stopping at the scene in my POV, but ONLY if I knew there was a unit on the way. If not I would go on by and get it myself. Talk about embarrassing.

Oh, I've had to stop if I came up on something. But if I was dispatched as a volunteer, I always went for the truck, unless like you said, it was on the way.

[Richard B the EMT]

This seems to me, that it should be not a discussion of unpaid versus paid EMS personnel, but one of upgradeable technology that didn't get upgraded.

In Brooklyn, New York, there is a section known as Paerdegat Basin, with the streets known as Paerdegat 1st through 20th Streets. My girlfriend's high school BFF used to live on Paerdegat 11th Street, so the streets do exist, even if at that time, the computers said they didn't.

After the NYC Public Safety Answering Point at One Police Plaza was established, and went computerized, supposedly with every possible address in New York City in the computer, even into 1990 (I was using the EMS CAD from 1985 to 1996), the damn computers didn't recognize any of the Paerdegat streets, and would have to be "over-ridden" by the supervisors, before either an NYPD patrol car, or an EMS ambulance, could respond.

I feel that, if the computer assisted dispatch system programmers are advised that an entire geographic area is not in the CAD, and that the system still doesn't get upgraded to include that area, now THAT is criminal!

[JPINFV]

My girlfriend's high school BFF

Jill or Rose?

[Richard B the EMT]

Arlene!

[JPINFV]

[Dustdevil]

This seems to me, that it should be not a discussion of unpaid versus paid EMS personnel, but one of upgradeable technology that didn't get upgraded.

Of course, in theory, you are correct. But I'd readily wager that the two problems are inextricably intertwined. The reason that the system is not upgraded is because it is administrated by vollies who are not professionals, and don't concern themselves with anything that doesn't add bling to their POV. And, because there are no professionals in the field to take concerns up to administration, nothing happens.

[CBEMT]

(1.) 2 people responded so they must be part of that covering ambulance squad

(2.) The dispatch software also screwed up.

(3.) The chief of the said squad listed him as a volunteer too.

So, therefore, I get that all of these people are from the same squad. Also, even though the software screwed up, the two people in personal vehciles found the right place. So this goes back to, get the ambulance next time.

I know, I know, I wasn't there, so I should give the benefit of the doubt, but I can't. I can almost guarentee you, the 2 responders O/S personally knew the caller, heard it go out as pediatric and got all "ba-gock" (chicken noise), and FAILED to realize they should get the ambulance first.

You heard the part about them being OFF DUTY, right?

That would tend to imply that there were people ON DUTY.

They can go for the ambulance all they want, but it's not going to be there.

I work in a town with ON DUTY crews. If I'm OFF-DUTY, and a call goes out, why am I going to go to the ambulance? That's what the ON DUTY people are for. If it's a bad-sounding pediatric call, and I'm closer to the scene than the ambulance anyway, guess what? I'm going to the scene (sans any sort of warning device or sticker). In a choice between the scorn of EMTCity and possibly doing some good in a critical situation, the patient wins.

Granted, wouldn't happen since I don't live anywhere near the town, but you get the theory involved. I hope.

[scratrat]

You heard the part about them being OFF DUTY, right?

That would tend to imply that there were people ON DUTY.

They can go for the ambulance all they want, but it's not going to be there.

I work in a town with ON DUTY crews. If I'm OFF-DUTY, and a call goes out, why am I going to go to the ambulance? That's what the ON DUTY people are for. If it's a bad-sounding pediatric call, and I'm closer to the scene than the ambulance anyway, guess what? I'm going to the scene (sans any sort of warning device or sticker). In a choice between the scorn of EMTCity and possibly doing some good in a critical situation, the patient wins.

Granted, wouldn't happen since I don't live anywhere near the town, but you get the theory involved. I hope.

Yes, I heard that part, and it means nothing to me. Newspapers always say that to make it sound better. If TWO off duty people showed up, that means they ere listening and being whackers. Why were the volunteers there if there was a paid crew? Oh, because they jumped the call like they do to be glory hounds? Would they have jumped it if it was the little old lady who fell and broke her hip and layed on the floor for the past 6 hours? Nope. Would they jump the nausea/vomiting call? Nope.

This again goes back to professionalism and why I couldn't deal with volunteers anymore. They all come out of the wood work for an MVC and yet if its the 3am N/V call, I'm sitting there by myself in the ambulance (not bus) waiting for some other shmuck to show up. And they never do, so it goes to mutual aid, blah blah blah.