Off to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

[Arkymedic]

Wow, that is a serious amount of resources and manpower. This will be a fantastic test and use of the Incident Command System.

I don't think requirments to work with the first aid team will be overly stringent since BC Ambulance Service is still the recognized EMS provider for the games. BCAS has commited to providing 55 additional ambulances, a dedicated air ambulance, and ALS at each of the venues.

[rock_shoes]

Wow, that is a serious amount of resources and manpower. This will be a fantastic test and use of the Incident Command System.

Resource allocation won't be a whole lot different than any other day for us. We'll just have to put on a few extra dispatchers. Being a provincial service we are centrally dispatched out of three centers. One on Vancouver Island. One for Vancouver and the southern coast area in Vancouver. One in Kamloops that dispatches the rest of the province. In my experience so far our dispatchers are excellent. The MPDS system that determines response acuity on the other hand is far from perfect.

[Arctickat]

Indeed, BCAS is one of the most efficiently run EMS services I've ever inspected. One drawback is that they were quite stingey with the ALS staff, only having them located in 3 or 4 centres if I remember correctly. This was a few years ago, perhaps things have improved.

I just hope that when I hand over my patient to a BCAS crew for transport at the games they respect the fact that even though I have the title of First Aid Provider, I am significantly more trained than that.

[medicmole]

Kat

Have you received any details regarding at what level you will be able to practice? If they only let you do “1st aid”, I think that would be a ridiculous waste of a valuable resource.

ps.

I do recall some mention about buying the 1st beer. :wink:

[iMac]

That's exciting news, good for you. You will have to let us know how the events turn out. You'll have a blast!

[bosc]

Where to Start...

So there are two tiers of Paramedics at the Olympics. Inside the venues there are to be "Volunteers" run through VANOC (olympic committe). These voluteers treat and take patients to field clinics on site. There they are assest by docs.

If they need to go to further care, then BCAS is involved in taking them to hospitals outside the venues.

The stated accredation for volunteers the organizers told me is "some kind of first aid ticket, although maybe like a nurse too".

BCAS was told to volunteer for all roles and not get paid. This is the comprimise that resulted.

Personally, I feel uncomfortable with non-union unpaid volunteer paramedicine for this event. Not the best that could have been done, and a affront to my union. Instead of paying someone in my union, someone will be doing my job for free.

I was at the Olympics in Salt Lake, and will be in Vancouver.

I found it far more missable than you might think, with the Olympic legacy being one of corporate profits and public debt.

I could go on for hours.

[Arctickat]

So...you're saying that my hope to be respected by BCAS staff as the health professional that I am will likely not come to fruition? That i will more likely be treated with disdain and disgust for scabbing on union territory?

Shrug...I'm just in it for the nifty jacket. :roll:

[n0ssb]

As having been a member of a Federal Medical Team at Salt Lake and Flying some CAP ops while there--

But I have a special reason for Supporting the United States Olympic Teams---Long Live the Teams of The U.S

I was a employee of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for years, PT and had the some of the best experiences of my life there as well as some good sports training from the on site Sports Med Team there..

May The U.S. Teams bring Home the GOLD

[rock_shoes]

Indeed, BCAS is one of the most efficiently run EMS services I've ever inspected. One drawback is that they were quite stingey with the ALS staff, only having them located in 3 or 4 centres if I remember correctly. This was a few years ago, perhaps things have improved.

I just hope that when I hand over my patient to a BCAS crew for transport at the games they respect the fact that even though I have the title of First Aid Provider, I am significantly more trained than that.

Unfortunately not all crews respect other providers the way they should because as far as they know "outsiders" aren't actually paramedics. While that was true at one time (all licensed paramedics in BC had to be BCAS employees) that's no longer the case. It's hard to change people some times.

As for ALS coverage in BC you're absolutely right. That is our biggest downfall. I'm working on it though. At least one more of us will be edumucated when I'm done.

Don't worry about us too much. We're just all grumpy about contract negotiations. Hopefully that will have sorted itself out by the time the olympics roll around and attitudes will be much better.

[Arctickat]

I will, no doubt, have a significantly reduced scope of practice at the Olympics and preceding events, and I'm fine with that. I am expecting o end up essentially as a first aid provider with mundo assessment skills. I'll learn more about my role and responsibilities over the next few weeks though.