craig

thats www.asnsw.health.nsw.gov.au sorry stay safe

might help , our services site has all the details about our responses check them out at www.asnsw.nsw.gov.au might help, might not be needed but ives perspective from OS stay safe

Yep another problem with the system in the states. Here if you dont pass the entrance exams to become an emt you never will. helps that it is a government monopoly i suppose the exam they have is a apptitude test for entrance, reading, comprehension, maths, logistical thought, physical ability etc. pass this then you get the interview.... it dont matter idf you have the "degree" in prehospital care or not, dont pass the test, NO JOB. works well stay safe

All i can say is if you pay peanuts you get monkeys that is the trouble in the states... but then i will be the same here soon as the dickhead that runs the country (the prime minister John Howard) and his government has changed the labour laws here. ass holes. at the moment i am looking at my last pay slip my base hourly rate is 23.05 hr I get a ALS allowance of 208.91 a fortnight I get a on call aloowance of 113.80 a fortnight I get a standby technical reacue alloance of 33.79 a fortnight (it will go to about 70 next week as i get the full allowance) I get time and a half for the first 2 hrs of OT and then double time each hour after that If i get a call out after hours i automatically get 4 hour OT irrespective of how long i am out. If the call last longer than 4 hours i get the actual time worked i get 50% and 75% loading on weekend and night duties and I get 150% for working public holidays therefore my last time slip states that i had a gross pay for the two weeks as 3376.38 before tax. I paid the tax of 1026.00 for the fortnight so my take home pay was $2350.38 for the fortnight just passed. this year so far (July '05 to June '06) i have a year to date gross of $84024.03 With the difference in AUS to US dollars value makes it about 70K in your money with two months to go before the end of the year. So i am looking at about 100k AUS this year. the only difference is that a basic on the same year pay as me will not get the ALS or Rescue allowances. stay safe

Like i said the public only care if it is the ambulance that turns up, not who is on it. We are lucky here in Australia that our EMS services are much better than yours over the pacific. I never said that everyone should enter as equals. far from it. Just a question, when you attend hospital when sick or injured do you ask if the attending doctor is a medical student, a freshman resident, a staff resident or a specalist? especially if you are in pain, injured and bleeding? I think not, if some one is fixing you you dont care. so a basic that has been a basic for years (they may not want to futher their study or cannot afford to) is less in their worth than a person that has just graduated from school as a medic? eventhough the basic has been treating patients for years and the new medic is yet to fire in anger (on his own so to speak) the analagy of the ambulance with you nephew and dog really is pretty silly though.....why send them at all.........maybe just park ambulances on the street corners that have high degree of MVA's.........use a little common sense and see that i was talking about TRAINED BASIC LEVEL OFFICERS. yes there are pecking orders in any area, but along with this there are times that the more trained person is a paragod that only causes friction between levels. I have worked with very knowledgeable paramedics that have the compassion and pesonality of a rock. sure they knew what was wrong, what effects the injury had, what to do to fix it, but not the people skills to HELP the patient. wether we get rid of all the basic levels and have everyone as a medic, we still start at the bottom (we have to start some where dont we) but do we need to put these people down for this. are we better for being in a para class that was completed last year compared to someone that was in a class that finished this year? I know that a ALS truck will be able to do more clinically for the patient than the BLS truck, but like i said, if joe public in laying in the gutter bleeding to death, then all he cares about is that SOMENE attends him and fixes him. If the crew that arrives is a basic one then they, if they cannot carry out the procedures needed should call for ALS to attend. The ALS crew should not constantly remind them that they are not as good as a paramedic. stay safe

This is why there is a percived gap in the ems system. To tell people about the "Low position on the totem pole" that they occupy only belittles them. remember the public when in their time of need dont care if the attending officer is a basic or advanced person...they are injured,hurt and wanting assistance....any assistance at the time. If an ambulance rolls up they are glad, they dont worry that it is a BLS or ALS unit...it's a bloody ambulance and thats what they want...... The high and mighty position that some paramedics place on thems selves only reinforces the paragod syndrome. Here in Australia we have another name for these types.....DICKHEADS... I agree it is a term that I do not like , but so is the insinuation that only paramedics are they good guys and can save lives and are better than anyone else..........S H I T.........if I was above some on on a totem pole shatting on those below, i would worry about who was above me....... We have to remember at time where we ALL started......you dont start at the top rung of the ladder.......these basics that we all at times put down may one day be better paramedics than the rest of us...........a long journey starts with one small step stay safe

prognosis for this patient? isnt that what she is going to the specialist for? and taking the meds? if it was a tia then prognosis will probably be god a long as she remembers to carry out what the doctor tells her to do. hope all goes well stay safe

I am pretty sure that it was written by oscar wilde. it was said 'tongue in cheek' if you see what my bio is in my posts you will see that i am also an instructor and assesor for the service here ( with a staffing level of 2500 officers) in the times that i am not working the road. My wife is an educator in the nsw education department and has been for over 20 years, so i do know a little about the 'teaching profession' have you ever thought that your daddy might have been right?..........lol stay safe

Old saying........."those that can, do. Those that can't teach.." To be constantly reminding everyone ..."our tests scores are...." is a little frightening are they trying to justify there shortcomings? It is good to know that the school that you have chosen is a good one with good results, but to keep 'bragging' about it seems a little concerning. Here in NSW we have only one place that you can get trained in being a paramedic (well two actually, but only one will get you recognised for the position) and thay have 100% pass in both theory and practical, otherwise you are not employed by the service. If you then fail a recertification process, you then get one more chance before being put on a CAPS program. If you fail the CAPS program, then you need to look for another job. If you fail your first school and then the post exams (theory and practical) then there is NO job for you. But you don't here the service bragging how their results are standing up. Food for thought........ stay safe

Firegurl this is where i see the FLAWS in the US system..... I likve in a small rural town (well twin towns, about 3 miles apart) it has a combined population of around 2000. Yes we have a small hospital, but the docotors are not employed by the hospital, they have visiting rights and will attend if they are available. We are approximately 40 minutes on L&S from the next centre that has ambulance response (asl and basic) we cover about 1400 square miles with the staff at our station we do doube crews during the day shift and the same crews are 'oncall' at night that means that we have rostered on duty each day for 8 hours, and the rest of the 24 hr period is covered by the oncall officers. All this and WE are a FULLY PAID service. everyone has the right to have the most for their service, not knocking volunteers but all ems service should be paid.. it is only a short fall negligence from the govt, muncipality, service that will not do this........ stay safe

As I said in the first place the spineboa/ backboard/ rescue board is just an EXTRICATION device abnd alway has been stay safe

Pet peeve sayings............ 1: emergency medical technician 2: paramedics / medics are better than the rest 3: bus 4: cot 5: i would do this job for nothing. becuse i care...(or any similar response) 6: fire fighters saying the are better than any emergency medical service 7: same as above telling me that my job is not dangerous/ risky/ as inportant as theirs thats my two bobs worth............there is probably more........... stay safe

Lets get one thing straight.............. there is only ONE southern cross that counts and it's not the one you find ion the roof of the General Lee or a rednecks buckle.....lol It's the one on the flag down under and it has 5 stars on it........ just setting the record straight. 8) stay safe

DAMN YANKEES......... The South will rise again.............................................................[/font:7c64c3e067]

86 % DIXIE And I am an Aussie............... Well you dont get much more southern than me................ "YEE-HAW, me and Billy Bob is a gonna take the General lee up to the crick and get me some crawdaddies......... Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton.................."

OK Then Men V's Women jokes........ Q. Why are wediing dresses white? A. Just like all the other house hold appliances....the washing machine...then stove.....they dryer......the dish washer.............

seems taht the idea of being a 'TECHINCIAN' or an 'ENGINEER' in what ever field has come from America. seems that you cant be a motor mechanic anymore, you have to be an 'auto service tecnician' a house wife is now a 'domestic engineer' so the term EMT has no relevance to us here in Australia We are Ambulance Officers We may be Primary Care Officers We may be Advanced Life Suport Officers We may be Paramedic Officer we may be a direvitive of any of the above..... but we are AMBULANCE OFFICERS first and foremost. It does help that the EMS (another term not readily used here) system is run entirely different here than in the US. As it is NOT part of the Fire service and is run as a stand alone department in each state. stay safe

Bellicose Do you want the medal or the chest to pin it upon? :shock: wow fire fighters are cocky cause they risk their lives....... so how many domestic disputes do you attend that have guns or knives involved......... here in NSW the AMBULANCE rescue units (thats technical rescue) carry out extremely dangerous rescues, ie vertical, high angle, swift water. building collapses, natural disasters and the like. They are ALL trained in Chemical Biological and Radiation responses for emergencies (think terrorism) Thay are traine in Hazmat fully encapuslate suits and BA. AND this is the SPECIALISED UNITS the every day ambo, has to attend these incidents as well. bit late to tell them that when they arrive the gun toting angry husband has just shot his wife and is still on the scene. Look mate you fireies are not the only ones that have dangerous jobs, and have the problem of being injured on duty or if god forbid killed. Reminds me of the past work colleague that was stabbed with a syringe full of blood saving his female partner from getting stabbed in the back with the same needle. wake up get a life, grow up maybe people will respect you then....remember..... RESPECT NEEDS TO BE EARNED NOT DEMANDED.........

There in lies the problem.............. in the states the medical system is so f*ucked up that it is easier to call the cab......... even though here we have a separate ems system to that of the police and fire brigade we are attached the the department of health and are a separate health division within it. granted that we do not get the monies that we would like (no matter what dept you are it is never enough) we are funded by the govt by the taxes that the public pay, and then charge the fees for the transports. That is why we are better being ems alone and not being firefighters (who would any way.....lol) they jobs are too different and there is a vast level of knowlege that should be invested in when you are in ems that should not be sidetracked by the fire stuff........(cold wet stuff on the hot red stuff) stay safe

try and get a copy of the Mr Bean episode (from england) that has him attempting to revive a collaspe at a bus stop. artifical respirations.....you need to see it.......lol and defib the pt with car jumper cables and the pwoer from a street light.... stay safe

Good idea james the only problem i can forsee is that most ambos do not go looking for tattoos how ever they are inclined to look for medic alert braclets etc as these do catch the eye so to speak. this is what we are taught. there a many people that have tattooed arms legs etc and to have another person with a tattoo could mean that the meaning of the tattoo could be missed or overlooked have you seen some of the tattoos that some medics have, your proposed tattoo could be mistaken for one of these. there are even vendors on ebay that are selling cd roms of medic tattoo designs. and your important one may be thought od as one of these i would still go with the medic alert braclet or neck chain................it's what everyone knows stay safe craig

I'm with rid here make me wonder if those that are putting forward the idea of wearing a helmet in the back would wear one while their wife or husband drove them to the supermaket in their family station wagon? make bloody ambulances more safer with their design.......... stay safe

No where near enough....................................................... but in reality, lats year I made 98K + and I do not hold any rank. so not bad I suppose. Was talking to a city counterpart the other day with some friends abd co workers over a beer. He said to us if he could find a job that paid him 68K he would leave being in ems. We all siad if we were onluy being paid 68K we would leave as well........lol stay safe

A significant mechanism............. so if he was in a gun fight and had a GSW, was holding a gun, whilst bleeding all over the place, do they also not have a choice? if the pateint was alert and conscious they ALWAYS have the choice. woe and behold the medic that physically restrained the patient to a board with straps and head box AGAINST the PATIENTS EXPRESSED WISHES.....have you heard o assult? stay safe

Mechanism may be there Injury may be there remember that this was seen as a passerby not as the attending officer. did the crew actually apply the collar? I have seen numerous people driving their cars with a collar on due to an "existing neck injury" just because there was a collar does it mean that there is a spinal injury? times it is more advantage to transport the patient on a softer bed with their head blocked and strapped in, than to transport on a hard board. did they get the patient out of the vehicle on a board and then move them to the bed? the spinal board or back board is a extrication device not for transport on. the board does not fill the hollows of the back and cause the spine to 'flex' at the points where the hollows are above the board. this then can cause damage to injured areas of the spine. there are many variables to the use of spine boards as a transport device. There is also many studies showing that to transport on a hard board can cause more injuries and that to collar the patient, head block them and restrain them to the bed is more than adequate. here in Australia, many hospitals (including a world leading spinal unit) frown upon the ?? spinal patient being transported on a long board. they would prefer that they get transported in a RED KED or NIJE with a collar. stay safe