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This was sent to me and it is really so cute I thought I would share enjoy Stay Calm, Dad - Video http://www.maniacworld.com/stay-calm-dad.html

I guess from what I have in the few minutes the pt was packaged had me jaded. I figured a little "I'm the best of the best." swagger was there but didnt realize more beyond the personal involvement on scene. I will state I have never met one outside of an EMS scene so I do have limited experience. I also guess that the job websites or information pages from the local Flight Medivac in my area painted a rosie picture. For that I digress. In every field we have them so I was nieve to think it wasn't there either. Getting back to Gin. I understand what you ment. As I got into this field in my 30s as well, sometimes we search for the words to describe what is in our heads. The unknown is as you said what your looking for. Thats the best way of describing it. The fact that from day to day you will be experiencing new things, its dynamic not static. Thats what you are looking for. For that EMS is perfect, even in a transfer position, things will change daily. EMS is a great field. I fell in love with it after my first ride along. I love the challenge of pushing yourself and also knowing that every time we are called we are making a difference in someone's life. Even if it is just a shoulder to cry on, put a bandaid on a 2 yr old knee, talk with a lonely elderly patient that just lost their partner, doesn't matter at that point you are making a difference to them. Yes when the tones drop your heart rate goes up, the adreline kicks in, and you feel a physiological change. Its natural. It happens. So does the dry spells, the times when you wish you had a call. Its all part of the industry. Again EMS is a great field to be in. You definatly know how to handle stress and you have life experience. All of which will make you a great EMT. Just don't get into it for the wrong reasons.

We Americans live in a nation where the medical-care system is second to none in the world, unless you count maybe 25 or 30 little scuzzball countries like Scotland that we could vaporize in seconds if we felt like it. - Dave Barry Thought it was kinda funny

I'm not really sure what you mean here...I thought bagging hot students was the main motivation for teaching the classes? Nurses aren't whores, EMS instructors don't screw their students...you know, this whole EMS thing is beginning to be one huge disappointment.. On the flip side, I just reread this thread top to bottom and it friggin' rocks! Awesome, focused advice from a bunch of smart, kind folks. This is the best of what we do I think. We don't always hit home runs, but when we do it's a really cool thing. Thanks to all for participating. Dwayne

Ok well I am not going near the spelling and grammar thing. I will answer some of the questions though as my uncle wore one for several weeks. Yes you are correct. It is an external AED unit that is worn like a vest. It works very well actually. The one my uncle had actaully had the pads placed in the correct locations and the unit was self run. Basically grab the AED off your rig, attach the leads turn it on and wear it around. It does give off an audible warning, so bystandards coming to help don't look like Frankenstien's Bride. No you can not get it wet, he had to remove it for showers and baths. Also HAD to make sure to wear a proper rain coat during rainy days!! Yes apparently thay are that hyrophobic. I believe there was a safety mechanism like a circuit breaker that would cut the unit if it got too moist. Now as to effectiveness, thankfully it never went off on him so I don't have that first hand expereince. But from what I heard from the doctor it was as effective as any other AED on the market. It senses a shockable rhythm and does its thing. They are usually only worn until a pacemaker or internal defib can be installed surgically. In my uncles case it was about 3 weeks before his surgery. He needed a pacemaker but his Doctor felt the surgery could be scheduled and not an emergency operation. So he was given the "vest" just in case somethng happened before surgery. Also if memory serves me correctly he was getting over an infection thus another reason to hold off the surgery. These are not really "permanant" solutions. I guess they can be in certain instances but from what i have heard around and from what i have read they are a temporary thing. From the little instruction tag on his, was bright orange inside the vest, it stated that the plugs can be connected to EMS AED units directly. Basically I assumed that when we get there we undo the vest grab the lead plug and hook to our unit and run it that way. Now being I am not completly familiar with an LP12 I dont know if they have that provision thus I would assume in that case you would undo the lead, rip the pads off, and do your thing with the paddles. Good question to ask because I think we will start to see more and more of these on patient's awaiting surgery and having an unfortunate incident before hand.

OK Kids - don't make me pull the car over....

So, I will be the one too clear the air on my post. After speaking with a member from St. Albert it appears things were not as they were portrayed to me. The events that were communicated to me were indeed done in "good fun". The student I was speaking of was in on the games, and was making and losing bets, which resulted in playful "punishments" Having done a practicum at a fire dept, I can understand how a student gets wrapped up in the horseplay of the platoon, and it is easy to portray it as something more sinister unintentionally. I apoligize for my original post, and have no reason to think St. Albert is any less respectful and professional than any other service. Specific apology to KevKei for calling your service out on a public forum, when I obvioustly took stories as horror, when they were actually horseplay. Sincerely Mobey

Some very good thoughts from the other posters above. Take it from someone who's been married for 36 years,[mostly happily ] and in EMS for 40. this job does bring undo stressors home with you no matter how hard you try to leave them behind. Whats important to your spouse might seen trivial to you after having a great , or really bad day on the job" BUT to them it needs your undivided attention! You mention that you mostly work overnights: Is it the sleeping separation that is triggering it ? Does she want you there at night to be the warmth next to her? Over the years my wife & I have both worked shifts and spent many a night sleeping alone. For some it works , for others not so much. Does she not sleep well when your not there , making her tired and angry about you being away at night? Relationships take lots of nurturing to make them work over the long haul. You and she need to decide what's causing the friction in your relationship and work together to remove some of the issues. My wife currently works second shift as an RN at the local hospital getting home around 1 AM. I try to be awake and able to have a conversation with her , so she can vent and release the stress from her shift even though I need to be up and of of the house at 7 AM. Sure I'll take a little cat nap on the couch while waiting for her to come home , but it makes her happy to be able to unwind with me before going to bed. It's a two way street that needs both of you you make it work. Good luck

News flash, as I have been a part of our hiring for many many years, and we also correspond and work closely with our local LEO's..I can promise you many agencies, especially LEO agencies… are absolutely hip to what you post and how you present yourself in internet land. EMS is a small world, and I know of several would be hires we have passed over after review of what they said and the pics they posted on their face book pages, on internet sites, and such. Fair? No. Reality? Definitely. As for an "in" to being a swat medic? Not to be harsh, but grow up, focus in the first 5-10 years on becoming an oustanding medic. In addition, work HARD on your physical fitness, most LEO circles recommend a cross-fit type program for "functional fitness". I would strongly recommend becoming a reserve deputy/officer in the process. Finially, becoming a part of the "warrior" culture through shooting and martial arts will help too. This is a years long process. I speak from knowing all the members on our TAC-MED team, as well as many LEOs. And trust me, we all can sniff out badge bunnies and B.S. from a mile away. Get serious about your career first, and then worry about the TEMS team. On the plus side, I know of three very fit females on our team over the years who were very successful in TEMS, so it is absolutely achievable by a female. And trust me, not one of them exhibited an ounce of groupie behavior.

EMS is a difficult career and is even harder for our spouses. They think they understand our job and in reality they have no idea what the job involves. I have had many relationships fail due to the sole reason that I was in EMS, they didn't feel that they got enough emotional support. EMS in extremely draining on any relationship. If they have never been involved in EMS then they have no understanding of it. That is why some of the most successful friendships are the friendships we have among co-workers, they know what EMS is and how it effects us everyday. I have been blessed with an amazing woman who has blessed me with a beautiful baby girl (she's only 2 months old). Now this is the reason I mentioned my wife. She was a 911 Dispatcher for two years, for those two years she told me where to go and I told her who to call. We only had seen each other a couple times, then she decided that she wanted to take the EMT-B class that I was teaching ... Now before everyone jumps on me for dating a student, we never dated until after the entire course and I was dared by my Fire Chief to go out with her on just one date. And that was that, she was the last person I dated. I think our relationship works because she understands EMS and how it effects us both. It is something we both have in common and will continue to do side by side. And maybe just maybe our daughter will join along side of us too. I know you are having a difficult time, try to explain your job to her and even look into scheduling a ride-along with your service so she sees what you do at work. This may help her understand and respect what you do every day. Hope this helps. I wish you the best.

Welcome to the City. Pararescue is a very specific, elite title held by those very, very few people able to qualify for it in the USAF. They are the elite of combat medicine. There is no like civilian title. I keep it on my profile as a lame protest of some asshole giving that title to a bunch of yahoo wannabe medics I've worked with. You need to focus on education brother long before you start thinking about excitement. If you want to be as good for EMS as EMS will be for you then you're at least two years from the "YeeeeHaaa" stage. And you didn't like the politics in teaching? You've made a very serious error deciding to join EMS. I've be around the block a few times, and the reason that I will only do remote medicine from this point on is that it, to a small degree, insulates me from the politics. But you also don't move forward very well in EMS without them. And this is meant to be helpful, not hateful. When you come here asking how you can be Pararescue and/or SWAT before you've even gotten your Basic you put the lie to your comment that you've "Done a lot of research" before making this decision and make yourself look foolish. If you'd done any significant amount of research you'd know what Pararescue is, that flight is not the heroic adrenaline occupation you believe it to be, and there are few things more discussed and covered than how to be a SWAT medic. Try to stop getting your information off of glorious TV shows and it will help you approach this in a more realistic manner. I do wish you the best of luck! Dwayne Edited to fix those typos that seem to magically appear only after I've hit the submit button. No contextual changes made.

Hey proper grammar techniques are petty hard. Sure, I have poor grammar at times and my spelling sucks. But I do use spell check and I often proof read what I write. This isn't an English course where we should have to write with logical fallacies and keeping sentences parallel, but it can help. I agree with what others are saying though. Puking words into a terribly written paragraph/sentence that seemingly has no start or end to it makes others not even other reading or taking the questions seriously. Try harder, people will respect it and answer you accordingly. And to answer your questions.. do a scene size up. You know, that thing you do on every call.