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It's not just a big scam. We make our people keep NR because NR has a higher CE standard than the state. I guess I'm not surprised when you say that the fire guys are the ones dumping NR.

Ok, so I finally got in touch with the people who run the EMT-B course where I live and the lady tells me that I might not be able to get certified because I'm pregnant (really not that big of a deal). I would be certified before the baby is born. I just need some clarification. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11255583# Is anyone sensing a pattern with this guy? Maybe he just happens to find all of the people who like to resist.

Your numbers are impressive but he should also invest in his future in education. Tech education is almost nonexistent in the medial professions. If EMS ever gets its start at becoming part of the medical professions, those who skimped on education and just did the bare minimum may be severely penalized in the future. The old dogs may not have to worry if they are grandfathered and are ready to move on or out. However, the young people just starting out could have it rough if they graduate from a medic mill. Also, figure up the cost of that $12K loan at 10% over the next 15 - 20 years. And, you don't even get a degree or even transferable credits. You also failed to calculate what advancements in education can bring someone in terms of salary. You are essentially calculating on a blue collar basis. Someone who holds a degree can advance quickly through the FD ranks to an impressive salary toward their retirement, much more than a basic FF. Those wages that even a FF makes now may be small fry in 10 years. Also, as far as Southern CA, one can just pull all that OT just so long to make ends meet as a FF. They are by far not the better paid in that state when compared with other places. The FDs also do not know what the future holds for them. I truly believe those that advanced beyond the tech mentality will be the leaders to determine the destiny of EMS. It is a shame that some FDs really do want to keep EMS as just a trade school profession and not look to where even their own reimbursement dollars may have to come from when the taxpayors are not going to hand over their money so easily for so little when it comes to ALS care in their community. Not everyone wants or needs only a taxi ride to the hospital. I would never want to discourage someone, especially a young person, against college or tell them it is not a good investment or that they should just for for a tech cert and the money. There are too many people in the automotive industry that are kicking themselves for at least not getting a two year degree right after high school. Too many in several industries have lost their pensions and investments due to industry changes and that even includes some in health care. If you have nothing but a tech cert, you may be SOL.

Sheila, the Aussie housewife, stepped out of the shower slipped on the bathroom floor. did the splits and suction-cupped herself to the floor. She yelled out for her husband, "Bruce! Bruce come quick!" Bruce came running in. Bruce, I've bloody suctioned myself to the floor," "S'truth, love. " Bruce said trying to pull her up. "You're stuck fast girl. I'll go across the road and get Bluey to help." They came back and tried to pull her up. "No way, " Bluey says, "she's stuck good, let's try Plan B." "Plan B ?" exclaimed Bruce, "what's that?" "I'll go home and get my hammer and chisel and we'll break the tiles under her," replied Bluey. "Spot on," Bruce said, "while you're away, I'll just play with her nipples." "Hey hold on mate - Play with her nipples? Not exactly a good time for that mate!" says Bluey "No, No" Bruce replied, "but I reckon if I can get her wet enough, we can slide her into the kitchen where the tiles are less expensive".

Fortunately all Paramedic programs in California must be accedited by CoAEMSP. However, not all are created equal. If one reads the posts by Diazepam618, you may get an idea of the type of Paramedic Daniel Freeman might graduate. Interest in patient care is not a requirement. Disadvantages to a tech school is the lack of transferable credits. If you are accepted into a community college to do real college level A&P and Pharmacology, it isn't that much of a stretch to stay with a reputable school. You may want to advance your career by going into education or even get a promotion at the FD where a degree will be a head start. You also can get a certificate as a Paramedic at a local college without doing the whole 2 year degree. Someday EMS may even promote the 2 year degree as Oregon (and one other midwest state I can never remember) has already established and those college credits will have given you a good head start. Don't depend on any tech school credits to transfer and even if a few hours are given for the patch, they will fall very short. Also never look at a college education as wasting or locking up your life as some shortcuts may come back to haunt you severely later if you have any ambition for future endeavors. The price per credit hour at a California Community College is almost obscenely cheap at around $25/credit hour. Get your education while these prices last. Paying less then $3000 for a whole 2 year college degree beats a $12,000 medic mill cert. For that price you can have something more challenging at Loma Linda Medical University. Work experience is good but this "street smarts" attitude has also kept EMS providers as "trade" school techs and identified by a few technical skills rather than being recognized as EDUCATED MEDICAL professionals. This has held EMS back in legislative issues for reimbursement at state and Federal levels. One can get an education and then have the "street smarts" stuff make sense with a medical explanation rather than "this is the way we've always done it" or "just follow the recipe". Now if you just want to be a FF, ignor all advice here and follow the lead of the Diazepam618s who brag about making $100K while working well over 3000 hours/year with the FD and patient care is the furtherest thing from their minds. However, you can still be a FF/Paramedic but if you want to be a good Paramedic and not do a disservice to the patients and taxpayors, get a proper education.

I guess it depends on what "physical demands" this program has of you and what your doctor says you are able to preform. I can say that I assisted with a class where we had a pregnant student complete the program.

These car seats are not designed for use on a gurney, therefore there is no correct way to install one. It's unlikely that any car seat manufacturer will even give advice on the subject because they would be sticking their necks out if it didn't work. Here is how I do it: Place car seat facing rearward on head of cot. Use 3 point harness and bring the straps through the handle and slide through the seatbelt slots on either side of the seat, then fasten them to the cross belt at the foot end of the carrier. This only prevents the carrier from sliding forward and limits rearward or sideways movement. I then use a scoop strap and put it across the car seat to prevent sideways and rearward movement in the event of a collision. I loop the strap into the strap holes on either side of the cot. Edit: Remember to ensure that all belts are fastened to the frame of the gurney and not to any portion that is adjustable such as the head or foot end.

If someone is passing their class with flying colors, and failing NR...It's not time to look at NR, you should be looking at what the class is teaching or not teaching. NR is nationwide... people pass it all the time with no problem, so how are those people passing? They had a good school behind their education. It is the EMS education system that needs higher standards. Medic mills and poorly trained instructors are the problem not the NR test. If we want to be taken seriously by other medical professionals we need to have a national standard to practice. Someone already mentioned NCLEX for nursing, the USMLE for the docs and there are tons of other accreditation sources out there. If we as EMS don't have a national test and standards, we are regressing and not progressing in the medical field.

1. You can't keep your story straight. That's not what you just said. 2. The B key is nowhere near the R key 3. There are standards in EMS. Maybe you should learn about them.

I must admit, I'm disappointed. I was accepted as a medical volunteer at the 2010 Olympics. My post is located at the Whistler Sliding Centre. I was quite excited to be a part of the Olympic experience because I will likely never have the opportunity to take part in it again. At the moment, I am drafting my letter to VANOC to withdraw my status as an Olympic volunteer. I doubt that one volunteer from one venue will be all that significant, but I will pass my resignation on to my counterparts and perhaps something will get started.

Dude, A simple google search will yield the Paramedic programs in your area. You can also google the national guidlines as to hours and determine for yourself whether or not it is a good program. Firemedic 65 and chbare both have good points, but allow me to allaborate...... A GOOD program should have more than the national suggested hours for didactics, clinical rotations and for field internships. Because of this, they will give more than enough time in the field before graduation to master some of the more basic yet unrefined skills in the field of EMS. Yes, I am referring the the Assessment. BUT, since most don't. It is best to get some experience working as a basic, so you can master the basics, before moving on to sore more advanced techniques and methodologies. In the end, it is your call......In my book, it comes down to this......YOU GET OUT OF IT, WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT. Got it....GOOD. Good Luck. Also, if it is worth anything.. Look for a program that offers A & P as part of the program, or makes you take it through the school ,preferrably through an accredited college or university. It relates directly to your assessment. That probably didn't help, but hey...I feel better.. Good luck.

Why, a "good" paramedic school should prepare a person for practice regardless of prior experience. EMS continues to be one of the few areas in medicine that mandate working at a lower level prior to moving up. To the OP, good luck with your searching, a good school can be hard to find. Look for degree programs that mandate college level courses such as anatomy and physiology. Take care, chbare.

Ok if that is what you mean. But anywho maybe take a look at what I posted from my MLA as the topic is about the paramedics being forced back to work. So I will try to stay on topic myself

You did miss something, I said I had lost any care of the "GLORY" of the job. Meaning the thrills of 'saving' lives, driving lights and sirens, respect of the public, etc. The things people 'enjoy' when they first start in the industry or when they think of the 'glories' of the job when looking into the industry.

While the various states reserve the right to call each level of care provider by whatever name and title they want, it sounds like the alphabet soup of EMT, EMT-D, EMT-IV, EMT-B, EMT-CC, EMT-P, and even one I heard of called an EMT-4(P), will be cut down. Some standardization will take hold, at least in theory.

Going back to the EMS incident, I think he needs to review the use of force continuum. A 'C' clamp choke hold and baton/asp can be considered deadly force, which isn't acceptable for a passive (marginally active) resister.

Where did I say I have personally lost my care in my job? I am one of the most caring, dedicated and professional people I know when it comes to this job. I have been a part of and experienced almost every aspect of our industry top to bottom, inside and out. I speak based on first hand experience from a labour as well as managerial experience. I commented on being naive because caring is what sets us apart from most other jobs. Do nurses not care when they take job action or strike and walk off the job? How about us? I worked through a strike that involved staff walking off the job, partly because our department publicly promised that service levels would not fall (was a bold face lie, they were running half of the number of units). Perhaps it should be said that it is management that doesn't 'care' and puts the public at risk. The sad reality is that as long as the powers that be are able to hold a gun to the head of this profession (patient's lives, safety, well being, that we care and only want to help people, etc), we will never be in a position to truly negotiate. We will have to reluctantly accept whatever offers are made. There is no requirement for them to negotiate (opposite is true, take it or leave it attitude). They don't need to bargain in good faith as they know the Provincial Government can step in and demand you return to work or Legislate you as a 'temporarily essential service'. As we are not typically deemed as a truly essential service, we are powerless in going to binding arbitration. Another ploy that works to the advantage of the employer. An "imposed contract". Sounds fair to me.

Rabbit is actually from Austrailia. Is Bluey another nom de plume?

You're looking at it backwards. The I/99 isn't the 'new paramedic level,' however EMTs who currently are I/99s are going to be transitioned to being paramedics, and thus they (the providers themselves, not the level) will be 'new paramedics.'

agreed this just proves my mums comment "Im going to bed with a good book, I would say a good man but there isnt any"

you are beyond redemption

Southland was/is a decent show and I didn't know it was back on or had been cancelled/transferred.

I am morbidly obese. Ok I admit it and am proud of my body image and am comfortable with it. I do not eat particularly excessively and have a genuine real problem with my metabolism. I have serious problems with uniforms at work. I have to have special ones tailor made for me(at my own cost). Vehicles are also modified and strengthened to allow me ease of access and safety. My employers are yearly becoming less sympathetic to my problems and special requirements. Recently I have been threatened with disciplinary action if I do not lose weight and become fitter. Those damn pen pushers and money men are claiming my ability to do my job is compromised by my weight problems. I love my job and am feeling threatened and in need of help. I am eager to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if they can offer any advice.

Probably! I'm not too sure about how things are done under the Crown; but here in America, you cannot punish a man for the thoughts in his head, only his actions! And therein lies your second mistake! The first was to put your mouth (fingers) in gear before the brain fully comprehended the actual content of his post. Since you clearly accused Richard of taking time to tape that episode of M*A*S*H prior to answering the call of duty, only to be shown that you were WRONG; yeah, I would at least apologize for sullying his reputation. I recall an article on the home page within the last couple days about a Liverpool medic who completely misdiagnosed a diabetic emergency and then left after his supervisor pointed it out; (without treating the patient, I might add). If that's your example of things being run with 'military precision', then I'm thinking that your whole sysem needs overhauled; with a focus on education! Since he didn't do anything other than answer the call to duty, he's got nothing to feel 'guilty' about! Suck it up, cupcake; and just admit you 'screwed the pooch' on this one!

That is an incredibly profound observation right there! Once you've spent any amount of time in EMS or fire service, you will for the rest of your life find yourself having to frequently say, "Well, I saw pieces of that movie, but never the whole thing." It's annoying as Hell.

Sleep ... eat ... goof off with the cops ... never had a naked pillow fight, but there's a first time for everything ... study ... talk about what kind of call you WANT to get ... get excited when you get the call you wanted to get ... get mad because you got blood on your pants on the call you wanted to get ... stick things to co-workers cars ... fill station mailboxes with random crap ... clean - NO ... watch 5 minutes of the ending of a movie you keep missing the ending on ... go for coffee ... fret about whether or not you'll get off work on time ... have "meow" night on the radio ... dream about days off ... think about how nice it would be at that time to be jumping out of a plane ... help your partner play tricks on their spouse ... go up to their house and ask for random things from the fridge because you "need them for a call" ... I dunno ... I think a lot of us are ADD. Whatever amuses us ...

First of all spenac, don't apologize for trying to make a positive change in the world. Sometimes change itself can be offensive. I'm going to make this statement based on my own opinion, and I'm sure after SKIMMING through this forum it's going to piss off quite a few people, but here it goes, and please read the whole thing before you bend yourself into a pretzel over it. Is it really a difficult concept for anyone to grasp in this day and age that a FT/ paid crew is going to provide better care than a volly service? Think about this for a bit, a paid crew will need to staff the station so they can get their check. Because they are at the station response times will be more regulated, trucks will constantly be maintained as well as the station itself. Walk-in PTs will get immediate care instead of hitting the call box and waiting for a response from home.....yada, yada! It isn't a matter of intelligents, or even education at this point, it's about insuring the response and better servicing the public. I always hear about "dedication" and helping people. If your are available 24/7 to respond to the public when they call, aren't you providing them with more sufficient care? I do this job to help too, but I'm sure as hell going to get paid for my time, shouldn't you?

Hmm. Almost like you should have researched the school before registering for class. Good luck.

Yes, I did read your post. If the paper means so much, I figured $31.00 for full access was more than reasonable. Proper communication etiquette can be your next research paper. EH?

But Dust we are not all vampires like you. But if not a vampire you learn to adapt or find a new job. Yes EMT is just a job. Not a profession, not a life style, just a job. If you want a profession get a Paramedic degree and by the time your done maybe Paramedic will be a profession.

I am aghast with shock and indignation ! Am I alone in thinking that the very fact you even considered taping a purile American sit-com before going on a priority detail showed a gross lack of proffessional , moral and ethical responsibility ? I will not recant my original statement regarding your actions. What is more my colonial cousin ! In England Ambulance Services are run with military precision. Between jobs we do not lark about watching television. We are given a myriad of duties, ie cleaning vehicles,cleaning the Station,checking stocks etc,etc. In England we have no time for slacking ! I can only assume your indignation has been caused by the guilt that my wise words have provoked.

How is the "new" Paramedic an I-99???????????????????? Also, states can ignore the NREMT and do what they want at the state level.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now I understand his statement

Was he a little quick in hooking the guy up? Yea, a little. He did follow the use of force chart. The guy refused the officers verbal commands. He was firm, polite, and explained the police would be leaving soon. (IIRC, they had chased a suspect and the suspect had stopped at that particular location.) Having people walk through while the LEOs are conducting an investigation/during a crime is not good. You don't know who they are, why they are there, what they are doing, etc. Anyone actually used an expandable baton? You HAVE to flip them violently out to expand them. The guy started to resist when he was cuffed by the second officer, one strike was applied, the guy brought to the ground, cuffed, and the situation over. I see a LOT of anti cop attitude. Why, I don't know. Other then hooking him up a little quick, he did everything else by the book.

Its the biggest scam I ever saw. Its setup to make you fail it the first time so you can go take it again. I know people have tooken it 4-5 times. I will be damn If I pay $70 6 times to pass a test that to say you can keep a patient breathing while on the way to the ER. That is what a class for. 70 dollars a pop *EMT-B TEST* is a joke. What ever happend to taking a state class then a test? Oh btw paying to get your CPR card and such. SCAM another money trick. It would be the best go get rid of the NR. Every state has different type of "standards" then others. So Please, quit sucking. BTW this will be my 2nd time taking the NR. If I don't pass it this time. i am getting a new job. I am nothing to have sucker and keep paying. I just take what I learned in class and go with it.

If you want to make some $$$$, get your RN, if you want to be a hero get into medic school as fast as you can so the FD can pick you, but if you want to make peanuts be a private medic.

Your lack of proffessionalism and compassion is to your ever lasting shame. In the name of god, is a human beings life of less importance to you than learing over Hot Lips (or maybe even Hawkeye ? whatever floats your boat Sailor !) Hang your vapid head in disgrace.

What standart?, there is no standard in ems, and most of the guys I know who let their NB laps are from the private realm.

Allow me the privillage to reply to your wildly absurd rant. 1) Firstly the matter of independence, you didnt beat us. History shows that we graciously allowed you your freedom on account of your questionable loyalty and fighting ability against the French, and for your skill and panache for killing native Americans. 2) The war of 1812 is a minor triffling affair and is not even recorded as a proper war such as was fought against real opponants such as the noble brave Frenchies or Spanish. Twas little more than a piffling border dispute with a minor nation. 3) Some people crueler than I may question the USA very late entry into both world wars. I however do not wish to dwell on accusations of cowardice. Suffice to say, thanks very much for the money. You saved us all from starving and freezing to death. Good on you ! Could we have a bit more ? 4) I have never once insulted or poo pooed the ability of American Paramedics. Far from it. They are the envy of the uncivilised world. I have only questioned the moral and ethical traits of the individual concerned.

You can only hope that they discontinue the NR. it's just a big scam anyways everyone i know doesn't even keep the NR once they get fire gigs.