N.J. Assembly committee approves bill regulating EMS services

[scratrat]

N.J. Assembly committee approves bill regulating EMS services

First, I'd like to say sorry to any volunteers out there because I'll probably hurt your feelings.

It's ABOUT TIME!!!

We have this lovely little thing called "The First Aid Council" aptly nicknamed, the First Grade Council here in NJ. They “regulate” these first aid squads and volunteer entities. I don’t know about other states, but here in NJ, a volunteer agency is NOT required to be regulated by the Department of Health.

This means there are NO requirements that ANY responder even be certified. You get a circus show of 10 responders to a scene and NOT ONE is a certified EMT. Even after becoming a paid paramedic, I continued as a volunteer EMT because I actually did enjoy it. Know why I left?? I was tired of being the only one who responded on my duty night for the little old lady who fell out of bed. Then in reverse, magically the ambulance would be filled with 18 people who could be on scene of a car accident within 45 seconds of dispatch. You don’t pick and choose you calls. You respond to everything.

This bill is more geared towards providing uniform training for all service providers. In essence, it probably will wind up disbanding some volunteer squads because people don’t want/feel the need/can’t afford/can’t pass/etc the EMT course. If that’s the only collateral damage from bill, so be it.

Sorry for the soapbox, but volunteers in this State are a JOKE! Some have their place. But by and large, they pick and choose which calls they want to respond to. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve also dealt with volunteers that responded all the time, without question, within minutes. But these were usually the same two people. When they took vacation, it was back to no response and mutual aid.

Is it like this everywhere or just this cesspool???

[DFIB]

Without having ever visited your state it seems like a place where a well trained provider could easily shine or drown in a sea of BS.

I am always in favor of raising the bar.

[paramedicmike]

Like everything else in NJ, I think those who haven't worked there or haven't experienced it just really have no idea, and can't comprehend, just how bad it really is. I don't necessarily like saying that. It seems a little cliché and doesn't really give much credit to the experience and knowledge of people here. However, it really is true.

Every system has their good points and bad points. New Jersey really takes it to a whole separate level of mind-boggling insanity.

Unfortunately, I don't see this bill making it out of the legislature.

[cprted]

I can't comprehend how a criminal record check isn't already required ... Our membership requirements to volunteer for St. John Ambulance are stricter than what scratrat is describing ...

[scratrat]

Without having ever visited your state it seems like a place where a well trained provider could easily shine or drown in a sea of BS.

I am always in favor of raising the bar.

That's exactly true. This is one weird state. An EMT and nurse can never work a day and do CEU's and keep their certification. A paramedic that does not actively work loses their certification after 6 months. It seems that is in line with the NREMT though. I seem to notice they do the same thing, although you can request "inactive" status.

If the ambulance is "licensed" (usually meaning they bill), they are required to meet certain standards and possess certain equipment on the truck at a minimum. They are closely followed by the State and can fined for infractions at any time. There are instances of licensed providers doing stupid things, but by and large, they are under much more scrutiny that a non-licensed First Aid Coucil (FAC) volunteer ambulance.

Like I said, volunteers have their place, but there is NO reason that they shouldn't be held to the same standards as a licensed providers. I mean seriously, the FAC does not require that ANYONE even be certified!!! How can you justify someone calling 911 for an emergency and having four people show up who aren't even certified by the State to provide healthcare services??? It simply blows my mind!!!

I can't comprehend how a criminal record check isn't already required ... Our membership requirements to volunteer for St. John Ambulance are stricter than what scratrat is describing ...

As it should be!! Again, no reason to hold them to a lesser standard.

[island emt]

New Joisey has always been one of those places that boggles the mind.

FA Squads with million dollar buildings and party halls that have a hundred members of their social clubs.

They have all the fancy trucks and rescue squads , but don't require state licensure to practice ??????????

[DFIB]

In third world countries where schools to train and Emergency services are few and far between a person could be internally trained as a FR in Spanish they call them "socorristas". This us usually a scenario that can be found in very rural very poor areas of the world. The service, as to be expected, was poor and most often http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUxFQDGC6Bg.

Many countries have passed certification requirements but still turn a blind eye in rural areas and let the empirical providers work in rural areas but are making an effort to move toward standardization.

It does seem a little shocking that the third world is more advanced than a USA state in standardization of education and practices. Raising the bar is always good.

Edited September 25, 2012 by DFIB

[scratrat]

DFIB....exactly my point. Albeit a cesspool, we are certainly no thrid world country. Well, if you exclude Jersey City, Trenton, Camden and so forth . In third world Africa, sure! They don't have much else to go on so I can understand, Any port in a storm.

But as Island EMT pointed out, a squad that has 6 calls a month always owns a ginormous building, three $150k Braun ambulances decked out with all the bells and whistles incuding fancy features and equipment, and yet not ONE is trained properly to use anything other than the bells!! I don't get it

[WolfmanHarris]

Rural should not be an excuse for the kind of care being provided in NJ. (Haven't been or worked there, just going on the descriptions here.)

Ontario has wide swathes of rural areas and remote areas in the north. Rural areas are still served by professional Paramedics exclusively usually with volunteer fire departments serving as first responders only. In remote areas the Professional EMS services may have extremely prolonged responses so many have set up community first response teams where locals trained to an FR or EMR level first respond until EMS can arrive. In some of these remote areas HEMS will also be utilized for more routine calls then they would otherwise be called for in Southern Ontario.

[Kiwiology]

As a former legal resident of the State of New York it is my job to hate on Jersey and I take my responsawbahlity seriously yo!

Back in the day things weren't too great here in NZ either as out in the boonies you might have gotten an ambulance with two Primary Care Officers who had a week long course (essentially First Responders) but certainly 10 circus freaks with first aid cards didn't show up.

Now that there has been a bit of a crack down both from within the Ambulance Service itself and from the Ministry of Health the lowest possible crew skill mix is Emergency Medical Technician and Ambulance Assistant. The Technician course is about a year long as as I've stated many times is more aligned with (and in many cases exceeds) the new Advanced EMT but without IV cannulation. An Ambulance Assistant is somebody who has done the five day course and who will be undertaking the Technician Diploma.

Again, such a skill mix is very rare and would only be used in rural areas.

We do have a number of First Response groups who provide an initial response in very rural areas where there is no ambulance station, paid or volunteer. First Responders are not permitted to crew a transporting ambulance.