Force firemonkeys to be medics, and this is what happens...

[spenac]

LOL! Let's hope so! But I've worked with two guys in the past that turned out to be frauds (three, if you include the LVN), and all of them were in-your-face aggressive practitioners. Real know-it-all whackers who were obviously going over the top to try and walk the walk. It was ultimately their undoing.

So are you really a fraud? :shock: :twisted:

[FormerEMSLT297]

Yes, medic students start IVs...was not sure where you were going with this?

As far as him assaulting patients, he probably never even had to do anything remotely ALS. In a system flush with medics, 3-4 on every call minimum, he probably did as little as possible, carried bags, stretcher fetched and stayed out of the way.

This is only a dreamy assumption on my part, but I hope that is what he did....LOL

Where was I going ? I know that medic students can start IV's in the field under the direct supervision of a preceptor. The paper seemed to allude to the fact that since he was a student it was ok for him to start IV's. Well, not while working as acharge medic if he is NOT CERTIFIED... Thats what i meant.

I have NO problem with students doing skills, as long as they are signed off by an IC to do them, and a preceptor is watching. Thats how they LEARN.

[JakeEMTP]

And yet another shining example of why forcing hosemonkeys to become medics is a bad idea..

http://kob.com/article/stories/S434826.shtml?cat=517

[Dustdevil]

And yet another shining example of why forcing hosemonkeys to become medics is a bad idea..

It's also an example of why it's a bad idea to push your department to diversify by making it easier for minorities to pass the tests.

[Mateo_1387]

Did anyone watch the video to the link that Jake sent? The news reporter said the 9 month class was the equivalent of an associates degree. And just think, all this time I could have saved 15 months of my life from school, sheesh ](*,)

[Dustdevil]

Equivalent to an Associates Degree... well, except for all the classes.

My mother has an Associates Degree in Art History, and I'd bet a Ben Franklin that she came out knowing more about Art History than they come out knowing about medicine.

[toutdoors]

Dust, while I am a firefighter, I don't always agree with some of your opinions. I gotta say though, your comment about failed and fd was funny.

I am not 100% in agreement that it is entirely the department's fault that the guy faked his papers. I would see it more as a character flaw than anything else. Good riddance to the weak link that did not have the desire to take his paramedic, learn new skills and become educated. Better now than later. If he had not been busted now, he would have faked something else somewhere.

[Arizonaffcep]

In Arizona (for the most part) everyone is cross trained, there are VERY FEW departments that are "3rd service." With this in mind, I don't know of a single department that requires their FF's to become medics. I think it's a bad idea to force anyone to "be a medic." Should it be encouraged, yes, to the right people (must be somewhat selective), but not forced. This breeds incompetence, and people who are now medics, who really shouldn't be. That's not to say FF's don't make good medics. I know MANY FF/CEP's that are phenomenal! I also know a lot that aren't. Some, who would be more effective if they put the B/P cuff and POx on the monitor, rather than the patient. BUT, there is a similar ratio between FF/CEP's (good vs not good) and private sector (good vs. not good). There was one private medic in Southern Arizona who took a heparin drip on a pump, programed the incorrect dosage/drip rate (based on lack of knowledge/stupidity vs pump error-this medic admitted as much) and infused a 250cc bag of heparin in 10 minutes! They were going for a cardiac cath, which then had to be postponed and the heprinization reversed.

[sirduke]

Our county is separate, we have county fire , EMS, and then the city has Public Safety which is both fire and police combined. The concept of the Public Safety hasn't worked out too good, with them requiring the police officers to be firefighters as well. They are unable to staff their force adequately due to the ones who wish to fight fire don't want to be police officers and vice versa. Most of our county firefighters are EMT's or NREMT registered First Responders, and they are great, but it isn't a requirement of their job.

They are however, highly trained in Rescue and Extrication, and take that requirement off us, which is great. I work in another county which we have to do rescue and extrication, and don't have a paid county fire dept. While we are trained in extrication, we would much rather have another ambulance and give the extrication over to the firefighters, alas, no paid county firefighters, so we can't.

There has been talk in the past, which arises from time to time, about requiring us to become firefighter certified, and making all the firefighters become medics, mainly due to the fact that it would allow the county to save money on overtime pay, as EMS falls under different rules than fire when it comes to hours worked to get overtime.

Hopefully it will not come to that. I don't want to fight fire, to be honest, it scares the hell out of me, and there are many if not all of the firefighters who don't want to be medics.

[jbanagas]

Well this guy didn't kill anyone, so I guess thats a plus, and the department should have the training captain or chief more involved these firefighters education process.