Volunteer for Safe Skies

[buckeyedoc]

What do y'all think about this?

TSA enacts program for EMTs to help in emergencies

By Larry Sandler

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)

The Transportation Security Administration has started a program for local emergency personnel to help out in hijackings or other emergencies in the air — almost five years after Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) pushed it through Congress.

Under the Volunteer for Safe Skies program, airlines must set up a way for law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians to register with the airlines and to confidentially identify themselves to the crews of airliners on which they are flying. The unarmed volunteers could then help crew members and armed undercover air marshals in an emergency.

Each airline will develop its own program rules. The federal agency would be required to compile all those rules and send them to police and fire departments and related groups under a Feingold amendment to the 2006-'07 homeland security appropriations bill, which is heading for a conference committee.

Two top public safety officials in Beloit suggested the program to Feingold at a town hall meeting shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Feingold won approval of the plan later that year.

"We're a better country if we're all out there, ready to step up to the plate and help out," said James Reseburg, who was Beloit's fire chief when he proposed the idea with Charlie Tubbs, then the city's deputy police chief. Tubbs is now state director of juvenile corrections and Reseburg works for a development company.

Volunteer for Safe Skies Article

I like the idea.

[Just Plain Ruff]

This is a good idea but I think that the emergency personnel are gonna have to get in line behind me and my other fellow passengers. You see I fly every week, monday morning and then coming home thursday night. I talk to my fellow passengers and not one of them has expressed any doubts about taking a terrorist out even if it meant killing themselves.

I think the sky's are safer than they were before 9/11 as I have flown about 500K miles since 09/11 and I've seen people taken off planes for making stupid statements, saying they have a bomb and what not. There's not many people who would not hesitate to gang up on a terrorist and take them out, they all remember what the consequences were when they were not taken out.

If I see some dipshit mixing some type of liquid together then that 1400 dollar laptop I got from work will be a 1400 battering ram or club and I'll take the guy out, and then take lumps for it later.

someone tries to storm the cockpit then I'm there leading the charge and disarming or taking him out, Air marshall or not.

[flight-lp]

I like the idea in theory, but it just not practical. First off, the Airlines will never back it. It is their flight, their plane, and their crew. They will never relinquish any control to any paasenger on the plane. They will always want to be in charge. 2nd, it would be a jurisdictional nightmare. For example, an EMT is certified in Ohio and is on a plane over Texas when a medical emergency occurs. Can he legally provide assistance as an EMT? Most states will not cover it. Police will encounter the same issue, unless they are federal, they are limited. What about equipment? Passenger airliners have a small "D" cylinder, a Defibrillator, and a first aid kit. Nothing more. They are just not equipped to handle most medical and traumatic emergencies...............

They would be of little more usefullness than any other passenger on the plane.

Still confused on how the firefighter will help. If the plane's on fire, you are pretty well screwed anyways. Nothing they can do............

[buckeyedoc]

I like the idea in theory, but it just not practical. First off, the Airlines will never back it. It is their flight, their plane, and their crew. They will never relinquish any control to any paasenger on the plane. They will always want to be in charge. 2nd, it would be a jurisdictional nightmare. For example, an EMT is certified in Ohio and is on a plane over Texas when a medical emergency occurs. Can he legally provide assistance as an EMT? Most states will not cover it. Police will encounter the same issue, unless they are federal, they are limited. What about equipment? Passenger airliners have a small "D" cylinder, a Defibrillator, and a first aid kit. Nothing more. They are just not equipped to handle most medical and traumatic emergencies...............

They would be of little more usefullness than any other passenger on the plane.

Still confused on how the firefighter will help. If the plane's on fire, you are pretty well screwed anyways. Nothing they can do............

I don't think they are concentrating on medical emergencies. They are focusing on defense of the aircraft. They are taking into account that emergency personnel are apt to thinking on their feet in the face of a crisis. I would be the first to help whatever the case may be. I don't carry my drug bag around with me, so being a paramedic would be useless. I'm fully aware of that. However, the airlines would prefer to have someone with some form of medical training (other than what they get) lead the way. They would be more inclined to let a paramedic assess a medical situation over John Q. Public.

[Scaramedic]

I see a whole new industry being created here...

Peace,

Marty

:joker:

[Asysin2leads]

Great, so now I don't just have to worry about an angry young Islamic man doing something stupid on a plane, I also have to worry about Skippy the volunteer EMT and Billy Raly the hick vollie firefighter sitting behind me itching for their chance to play Rambo? Actually, I read some about this program, and really its just a voluntary database for EMS workers, law enforcement and firefighters to put their names in and then will identify them as such when they fly. I don't think its such a bad idea, though I'm not exactly sure what the firefighters are gonna do in midair, but I hope it doesn't involve ventilation, lol.

[CFerd20]

like someone said allready, an emt or medic should definately take over in any kind of medical emergency up there, although there's really not much to do would you rather be in the hands of a flight attendant or an actual medic. also any treatment of aid that is given would be protected under good samaritan act, at least you are doing something instead of nothing.

[SSG G-man]

Great, so now I don't just have to worry about an angry young Islamic man doing something stupid on a plane, I also have to worry about Skippy the volunteer EMT and Billy Raly the hick vollie firefighter sitting behind me itching for their chance to play Rambo? Actually, I read some about this program, and really its just a voluntary database for EMS workers, law enforcement and firefighters to put their names in and then will identify them as such when they fly. I don't think its such a bad idea, though I'm not exactly sure what the firefighters are gonna do in midair, but I hope it doesn't involve ventilation, lol.

Because a paid EMT or Firefighter would never want to play Rambo!! Don't know why volunteers always have to get the smack down here! Especially since this thread had nothing to do with it. Thank God they did not put cops on the list. I can just imagine all of them getting on a plane packing!

[Asysin2leads]

Well, Skippy the Volunteer EMT has long been a metaphor of mine, I suppose he could be Skippy the Paid EMT, but it just doesn't sound right, and besides, the number of volunteer EMT's with "I Save Lives, What do You Do?" bumper stickers to paid members still is at least 10 to 1. I think you have to admit, given the nature of midair emergencies, having a cop (unarmed) around would be more beneficial than having a firefighter around, because a cop's training could be useful, while I'm still not sure where a firefighter's training would come in handy.

[Asysin2leads]

Well, Skippy the Volunteer EMT has long been a metaphor of mine, I suppose he could be Skippy the Paid EMT, but it just doesn't sound right, and besides, the number of volunteer EMT's with "I Save Lives, What do You Do?" bumper stickers to paid members still is at least 10 to 1. I think you have to admit, given the nature of midair emergencies, having a cop (unarmed) around would be more beneficial than having a firefighter around, because a cop's training could be useful, while I'm still not sure where a firefighter's training would come in handy.