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Not really looking for replies, but I am rather just putting out the warning. If you spend any time googling phrases like "privatize ems" or "county cuts EMS budget", you will see that this is the definite new trend (not really new, just resurfacing). Like it or not, private companies can provide EMS at a much lower cost than their government counterparts. There are even several Fire Departments who are under the threat of privitization. You need to make sure that your Chiefs can justify your budget, especially if you run a bloated department (double medic, too many chiefs, running expensive equipment that cost double what you could get it for if you had too, or if you are just a first-responder department that does not produce revenue).

I think the recovery position is a much safer option then this stupid safety pin thing. Survivalists should stick to identifying edible plants, and building shelters, and leave first aid to the companies that specialize in it (Red cross, Heart & stroke)

Although I think I agree with most of this post on a conceptually basis, if one is pro privatization why would one send out a warning for government run entities ? This generates some questions in my mind and knowing that private vs public delivery of any "Health Care System" this polerizes many ideologically from the get go. For example in Canada any hint of this immediately raises eyebrows although we have ALWAYS have had a blended system. This topic is dear to the hearts and minds and akin to the USA and the Right to Bear Arms, nuff said. One has to ask should EMS be considered a business or an essential service ? Does a country "privatize" their Armed Forces, Coast Guard or National Guard ? IMHO believe that Pre Hospital Care should become more aligned with Health Care no matter how it is funded and away from Public Safety Services. Privatizing the Fire Department's could be a very cost effective concept, although it will be met with huge opposition by the organised crime er IAFF. I have no reservations asking for comments or different perspectives.

wow...sorry I was offended guys and it probably wouldn't have been so bad if there had been warning about having naked boobs on the screen. I go to a really strict catholic university and I opened this in the student center and there happened be a priest sitting next to me. I thought I was opening something from the recent threads section (no way of knowing it was in the funny stuff) and I thought it might have been related to the law suit against the site. I wouldn't have opened it if I had known a big picture of boobs would pop up.

It's just a cycle. One group gets in office claims its way to save money so they give it to privates. Another group gets in office and sees $x per call and thinks great way to make money but they ignore the warnings that nobody pays so they take it away from the privates. Just a cycle that never ends.

No problem. Most companies make similar ones. Just look for 'ankle boots' or '6" boots'

Aren't you being a bit harsh on the OP? This is a LAY PERSON who took a CPR course, not someone who is a trained medical professional. Lots of people take the class and as we all know, some instructors are better than others. Many people freeze up when presented with an unconscious person- even if they had a proper CPR course. Clearly she's upset about what happened and the last thing she needs is a brow beating over it. if you are talking about dealing with people at risk, well, in any work place folks are obese, smokers, asthmatics, and gawd knows what else.. Does that mean every person in a work environment should be an EMT or paramedic in case a coworker should collapse? Do you recall your first cardiac arrest? Were you calm, cool, and collected? Did you feel 100% comfortable? No anxiety? I know I was a nervous wreck, and I was trained. Now think of someone who's job is to help people become physically fit- not be responsible for providing them medical care and suddenly they are presented with something like this. As a trainer- especially with my own gym, if I were dealing with folks who may in less than optimal health, I think it would be good to get a physician's release, saying this person is able to tolerate physical exertion. That said, however, the victim was 27 years old- not a likely candidate for something like this to happen. Possible- always. Like I said to the OP, she should take a refresher CPR class, obtain an AED, and be prepared in case it happens again. Not fair at all, in my opinion. Edit: You can tell me to pound sand if you wish, but I think you owe the OP an apology. Old school my arse. I've been doing this for 30 years and never heard of such a thing. I also call BS.

Something like these? http://www.511tactical.com/browse/Home/Fire-EMS/Boots/6-Boots/D/30000/P/1:100:20000:20500:20504

No offense to the FF's on this board, but I'm glad Private EMS is around. Lets me do what I love to do without having to become a Firefighter, which is something I have exactly zero interest in doing.

Bullshit Use your common sence, I really do hope your joking. Patient abuse is not funny, and not welcome in our profession. Please remember the OP is not an EMS provider, and started this thread to reach out to prehospital PROFESSIONALS for comfort and information. This is not the "Funny" area of EMTCity. OP: As was mentioned... NEVER put anything in/near the mouth of a seizuring patient.

Short of the fact that they haven't been privatized yet, what, exactly, is the problem with this again?

I flew search and rescue in pensacola Florida- we used to respond to calls like- Man drowning(thank god for rescue swimmers)-ship sinking, Big ship sinking, jet crashed, pilot ejected. Blue Angels touched wings during training mission go on stand-by. kid missing near everglades with alligators in area. Just really hyped calls. I was a NREMT basic, we had a trauma bag with limited airway stuff, no pain meds- and enough stuff to treat maybee two trauma casess, We trained trained and trained some more so that lots of bad calls were just second nature. We had a flight surgeon who said first thing you do on scene is take your own pulse, follow your ABC's, and if nothing else remember to put the patient in the stokes liter or cot and fly them to the hospital. or get the patient in the cot/ambulance and drive them to the hospital. Currently I am a medic for 15 years-8 years on the road and 6 months in the ER.Now Military stuff and civvy stuff are two different animals- but do your training and remember your basics. With out good CPR and Airway control- ACLS does not work as well. My first call as a brand new basic corpsman was watching 3 marines get burried alive by a tank- Got the first two out in time, guy 3 was bluer than poppa smurf and had suffocated- we worked him anyway-.So my first call as a corpsman my patient died.Talk about depressing, then my first pilot ejection, a marine captain ejected from his burning Harrior jet, he was dead also Broken neck-Broken arm- Torn Aorta,- Just about all my patients as a SAR corpsman were Dead. But I stayed in EMS and learned from every call- and used my knowledge to help others. My kit was so limited that on night missions(without NVG's) I had to put a roll of white tape on the patients chest to watch it go up and down just to see if they were breathing. we learned to adapt and overcome and do the best with what we had. Hang in there-I do this job beacause I like to make a difference. Good luck. Watch your six.

Old school protocal for seizures. One of my practorers was speaking of it.

I was going to say safey pin the tongue through the top lip....

Clearly dear you are not mentally equiped to handle emergencies. Seemingly heathy 27 year olds can have lethal arrhythmias. Arrythimias can look like seizure activity, that is why a AED should have been placed on the poor man who lay there dying without much needed oxygen. The best thing you could have done was called 9-1-1 and yelled at the top of your lungs "does anyone know cpr". The 9-1-1 operator can also give you CPR instruction over the phone, I did'nt see you mention that someone called. If you are going to open up your own personal training facility might I suggest buying a wall poster with the instructions and pictures written out that you may post on a wall. You can purchase that from the American Heart Association. Having obese patients and those with high blood pressure is very risky without having equipment at your dispossal ie: blood pressure cuff, pulse oxymetry. These people are in a very high risk category and you are asking for trouble. I'm sorry if I sound cold and unsympathetic but you providing CPR may be the difference between life and death. Clearly you see this or you would'nt be losing sleep over the 27 year old who is still intubated and may have suffered permanant brain damage from his lack of oxygen. Good luck with your studio and please consider sitting it on a CPR course to refresh or relearn these important skills. just know that it only takes 6 minutes for the brain to begin dying without oxygen and the ambulance may take longer than that.