Ideas About These News Stories

[CostantinoA]

This is from my local news station. I wanted to start a post and get some thoughts from EMS people.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/13897479/i-team

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/13534284/i-team-ambulance-companies-and-firefighters-battle-over-emergency-services

Is the news wrong? Is Fire Department Right? Is Private Ambulance Right?

[Dustdevil]

This is grade school math.

Know why there are no ambulances available? The city sets the standards, not the ambulance service. If they want more ambulances, all they have to do is pay for them. But instead, they spend millions of dollars sending hosemonkeys to the scene, without ambulances, to stand around and complain there is no ambulance. Do you see the problem there? If so, you're too smart to be a fireman.

The ONLY intervention that is consistently proven to make any difference in mortality or morbidity is transportation. Period. So how retarded must one be to spend EMS money on bystanders who cannot provide transport, and then actually not understand why you don't have enough ambulances? Retarded enough to be a city manager... or fire chief.

Of course, if you're a fire chief, you argue that we need to spend more money sending more firemen to stand around and complain about the ambulance shortage, instead of just paying for more ambulances.

Edited May 19, 2011 by Dustdevil

[Richard B the EMT]

Is there a problem?

Yes.

Was it reported?

No.

Yet you want the problem corrected ASAP?

Yes.

Even though you didn't report the problem?

Not my job to report that there's a problem.

Does this sound familier to anyone else, aside from Dusty and me?

[ERDoc]

I loved the one comment along the lines of "They do the minimum they have to in order to meet the contract." Isn't that the whole purpose of a contract? If you want more, then put more in the contract. They also seem obsessed with getting an ambulance on the scene in 9 or 12 minutes for 90% of the calls. How many of those calls actually NEED an ambulance that quick? How many actually need an ambulance in the first place?

[CostantinoA]

What does everyone thing out AMR hitting the arrived button when they are miles away?

[Dustdevil]

What does everyone thing out AMR hitting the arrived button when they are miles away?

I think it will eventually come back to bite them in the arse, just like the firemonkeys and their sick leave scam.

[CostantinoA]

FD does have a point though. They arrive first so why can't the private ambulance companies? Where you live Dust, FD responds to all Medical calls too?

[Richard B the EMT]

Certain call types and call priorities elicit FDNY engine companies responding with EMS units under NYC 9-1-1 control.

[xselerate]

And most of those FDNY engines get credit for the run regardless of the fact they cancelled themselves enroute because ems got there first o O

[CostantinoA]

Here is vegas, FD arrives first 2/3 of the time and private ambulance 1/3 of the time. I think FD has a vaild point and the news uncovered that the private ambulance companies are cheating on dispatching the calls. I know out here in Vegas, when you need a paramedic, you depend of FD not AMR or Medicwest

And most of those FDNY engines get credit for the run regardless of the fact they cancelled themselves enroute because ems got there first o O