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http://www.screenjunkies.com/tvnews/jack-bauer-has-few-questions-santa-claus

Ummm I don't see me referencing firemonkey, incompetent etc. However, this is called EMT City, not Fire City. I'm not against fire - I was originally a firemedic. I also support our firefighters that are going through some issues right now. Both serve their purposes. However, I do NOT agree with fire based EMS. I certainly think resources and grants that are poured into fire (based on medical runs to pad call volume) are much better directed to be used for EMS funds only. Not to buy a prettier shade of red fire truck when the current one works fine and there are EMS departments that are lucky to have a running truck ! But I won't start that arguement as its been debated to death on this forum. Just understand it wasn't the right audience, we're commenting on that, not fire in general (or at least I can speak that way for myself).

Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year.

Speaking of lack of brains, every time the word fire is uttered, it's "firemonkey, stupid, incompetent, etc. etc.". It's like a Pavlovian response. Such responses strongly suggest a high degree of jealousy. Or did a FF steal your girl, beat you up or something? Your fire bashing is transparent and nauseating. Also, to make the comment that fire suppression requires no intelligence I would assume that you have significant experience in the fire service? Or are you just making blanket ASSumptions as usual? There's a little more to it than aiming an oversized garden hose.

I hope everyone has the happiest of holidays this season. May your patients be merry and light, and may you get to sleep through the night. Take care and stay safe out there.

This might be a little off topic here, but I'd just like to make a comment on the olympics in general. I have found that the olympic games exist soley to enhance the glory and profile of the IOC and in this case COC, and VANOC members. Its certainly not about the world class athletes that participte in the games. Not only has this nonsense with BC ambulance left a bad taste in my mouth, but the corporate ties also seem endless and in my opinion inappropriate. The most ridiculous being Mcdonalds and Coca cola. I know that there is a long standing connection between these brands and the Olympics, but I find it ironic that two junk food companies are the official sponsers of a world class athletic event. Then are is the controversy with the new design of Team Canada hockey jerseys. The IOC says that the hockey federation logo can not appear on olympic jerseys, so now the new jerseys are selling like hotcakes @ $130 each for replicas. Ten percent of that goes to Hockey Canada, the rest? Back into Olympic coffers, not a bad payday. I know that it costs a lot of money to run the games, but the corporate sponsorship seems overwhelming and in my opinion, sucks all the fun out of the event. So this latest scandal with BC ambulance just takes the games one step closer to complete irrelevance.

Ummm Sis? Whose hands are you wearing with that Santa suit? Or is there someone in that suit with you?????? Merry Christmas to everyone at EMTCity, and I hope that you find time to spend some of the Christmas season with family and friends. I also wish that 2010 brings more smiles and joy than 2009 did. Be safe out there.. Annie

Bah Humbug ..... well some one had to say it cheers Ebenezer Squint .

happy... uh... merry... uh... oh you guys know the whole drill lol have a good one, watch your backs... and fronts... and sides... most of all stay safe out there

Merry Christmas and a happy 2010 for everyone here!

I think I have given everyone the wrong impression here, I was basing my treatment on a croup presentation. I understand I haven't been througher in my investigation and assessment but in the initial states of Ben's assessment my diagnosis was leaning towards sever Croup based on the raspy cough, high pitched stridor Phx of croup and use of accessory muscles which are all characteristic of croup. I only had a kid present to ED with similar symptoms the other night. Now, I did go to work today and I did read up on the clinical practise policy (feeling bad that I'd completely messed up and to ascertain my sanity level) in regards to paediatrics presenting in sever resp distress secondary to sever croup. Someone has mentioned nebulised salbutamol, whilst a good idea there isn't any evidence to suggest wheezing and I would agree with chbare that salbutamol is not the drug of choice in this situation because stridor does not indiate bronchospasm. An adrenergic agonist like Neb Adrenaline as a front line drug is a great idea (while it did cross my mind I didn't think to put it into my treatment at 2am when I initially published my first post.) Alpha receptor stimulation (that is a therapeutic effect of adrenaline) may contribute to mucosal vasoconstricting which interm can reduce the amount of oedema in the upper airway (providing the kid has croup, which hasnt been specified at this stage) A corticosteroid like Dexamethasone can also be benifical in reducing the inflammatory response in the upper airway by reducing the number of certain white blood cells (I forget the appropriate name for this process but it's something to do with leukocytes). Prednisolone could also be used but in an emergency situation Dexamethasone would be the drug of choice as the onset, peak a strength of the medication are greater. When you have a kid this sick (deminised bi lat lung sounds, extremely low SP02, tachypneic and general poor perfusion) then intibation, establishing an airway and getting some more oxygen flowing around is of great priorty, espcially in kids... As I'm sure your aware once your oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curve goes blow 85% it's very hard to establish there stats again, especially in kids because they use most backup mechanisms and crash pretty quickly because they have nothing left to fightback, per say. But yes, I do agree... Poor assessment on my behalf, I defiantly should have assessed the patient to greater level before I go all out on a pharmacological rampage. But I would definitely like more info on this patient. Could I also please have a general picture of the seen, is the kid crying? Is he floppy? Sitting up? Lying down? Alert? High amounts of 02 at this stage in an upright position. Maybe give Mum a call to gather a better picture on any relevant past history. Anywho, I'm probably completely wrong (only been an RN for 2 weeks) but I appreciate any feedback... I'm here to learn

A very Merry Christmas and joyous New Year to you also. P

Merry Christmas, Joyous Festivus... and for those of us whose ancestors reign from Ireland, Happy Winter Solstice & Merry Yule!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones as well. Have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday.

Let it be know that I personally luv firemen, my favorite one is the one I own. I would also like to know where all the NYF were last month when my friend went there. She says she didnt see any so no pic for me

Not restricted to Fire Fighters!

Hey man, That is an easy one, Just send me her email, and I will be happy to educate her for you. Sorry, you have to go through this my friend.... Let me know, JW

You will hae vo forgive this poor misguided soul. Remember there is no intelligence required to put the wet stuff on the hot stuff. Brains are an optional accessory.

recommended for state certification! Also, top of my class of 35! I still have the state written and practicals to go through, but with some luck and a little more practice, I could be certified by the end of next week! This is a shamelessly self serving post and I don't really have any questions, but if you have some advice for a brand new emt (hopefully), I'm all ears. I have a job lined up working summer concerts at a ski resort as an emt, and maybe doing a little bit of bike patrol. Super happy I worked really hard and I beat all those other jokers in my class!

here's a more friendly and receptive crowd for you www.firewhackers.com

Lets go back to basics - what could it be? I would suggest we do something pretty quick befofre this kid arrests; we've probably been on scene for 10 minutes, total time since this kid started having hypoxia is maybe 20 minutes

What is your primary job role Tezza??????

I have a partner who relies so heavily on SPO2 and it drives me crazy. He's a piss poor medic. Do you really have to waste time throwing the SPO2 on when the kid is in obvious severe resp. distress? He's cyanotic w/stridor. Barring a foreign object in the airway, I'm going down the epiglot./croup route. (we have no evidence of a allergic rx) Lets have my partner start some racemic epi while I ready the intubation and cric equipment. If the epi does nothing, I will intubate (utilizing versed per my systems SMO), while intubating I'll be looking for a foreign body and/or swelling of the epiglottis. If I see any evidence of this and cannot get the tube, I will be cric'ing. Not slamming you BTW with the comment about the pulse ox. I just feel a good visual assessment is more reliable. We don't need a pusle ox. to tell us whats going on, and in this scenario out on the street with 2 people, I think it is a waste of time to be worried about that. I would probably bust out our SPO2 when we intubate since it has digital capn. on it as well. merry xmas guys

Children play nice together or there will be a lump of coal for you.

Post the tackiest or oddest knick-knack or 'stocking stuffer' you've ever been given.. Or.. post the weirdest thing you've ever given to someone else. In my senior year of High School, we did a Secret Santa type deal in my literature course. You had to get someone something odd, or off the wall. Forgetting about it till the last minute, I had the bus drop me off at the general store near the school. I bought a can of clam juice, a roll of butcher's twine and a pack of toothpicks, and had them gift wrap it... I added a note that said MacGyver could figure this out, can you?

Do you have us confused with Firehouse.com?

REALY???? tell me please that this was a typo or a joke.... if its a joke I get it and yes you got me.... if not then well please just shoot me now... ~Street

You know you're a Firefighter if… 1. You can tell what type of fire it is by the smell of smoke 10 miles away. 2. You have ever had a heated debate over the color of firetrucks. 3. You have ever spent 10 min trying to force open a door only to have someone come along and open it by turning the handle. 4. You have ever taken 10 or more showers in 1 day. 5. You lay out your cloths from that day so if there is a call at night you can find them quickly. 6. You take great joy in smashing the windows of a car parked in a fire zone or in front of a hydrant. 7. You have ever been airborne without an aircraft and water was your thrust. 8. You always wear red suspenders. 9. You have ever slept in a hosebed. 10. You carry a ton of specially modified tools in your pocket. 11. You ever cursed out someone for armor-alling the seats to make them look nice. 12. You've ever clung to the air horn chord for dear life because the driver is insane. 13. You have ever played jingle bells at Xmas time on the air horns to clear traffic. 14. You double your weight every time you go on a job a building. 15. You have ever said, "she's hot tonight" and not been talking about a girl. 16. You have ever had "yoda ears" 17. You have ever called a person found after a fire a "crispy critter" 18. You have ever smoked and there wasn't a cigarette in sight. 19. You have ever stomped out a fire with your boots because you couldn't wait for water. 20. You have ever walked 3 miles into the woods in 100 degree heat in full turnout gear and a 5 gal or more water can strapped on your back just to put out a fire.