Chief1C

If anything, IMO, an older ambulance would be easier to navigate with, easier to see out of. I drove our brand-spankin new ambulance the other day. It's like trying to drive a tank, huge, it sits 6" higher than its near-twin, wider, bigger mirrors. Of course, I usually don't drive.

Sounds like the state of life and living environment that more that half of our patients live in. Had a few that made me vomit in my mouth, or down into my shirt. Stuffing balls of tissue, covered in globs of vapor rub up my nares, if I knew what we'd be dealing with ahead of time. One lady had this problem, where she would save things in glass canning jars, for the doctors. Once, she peeled off warts and moles by putting cider on them for weeks. She saved them in baby food jars, and the resulting scabs in larger jars. I seen her take a jar from her purse while writing my PCR, and she went to hand it to me, and says, this is what I need looked at, my moles. She had a jar full of moles she cut off, and cauterized with a cigarette lighter. The smell, between rotting flesh, vinegar and the odor of pus was too much, I almost puked on her. I had the driver pull over, I got out and got sick. So, we switched; I drove, he teched. We had the lady walk into the ER, leaving her moles in the jar. My partner insisted he didn't want to see, smell, or look at them. I sat outside, still getting sick, almost crying; someone came out and sat with me. It was the most horrific, revolting, lip curling odor. It was in the ambulance, on our clothes. We sat with the doors shut, clorox poured out by the gallon, air freshener. Every time I thought it was okay, I started gagging. Frequent flier, the home was a 1950's trailer, no power, no plumbing, but they used the bathroom still. Filled the tank with water, piped in from a spring up on a hill, flushed, and out it went, onto the ground outside. There was a sharp drop off, and in the snow at the base, was everything from the toilet. I doubt they bathed, ever, four of them living there with at least 30 cats INSIDE, no litter facilities. The first time I went there, I excused myself and went across the road and vomited for a good two minutes solid, returning with dry heaves. I put a mask on, but it took a week to get rid of the odor, and my clothes, I took them off at the station, and went home in boxers with bare feet. I see places like that too often, children playing with dog feces on the floor, or eating in a kitchen with brown stains on the walls. I never complain about taking patients from places like this.. Because anything has to be better. I never realized how people in my own community live. Some people have never had electric, plumbing, running water, an indoor bathroom. Some never bathe, and suffer from infections with odors so overpowering, they won't let us in the ER. It would be different if it was infrequent, but on the thousands of calls I've been on, there has to be more than half, with deplorable living conditions. I don't see how people can live like that, or think it's normal to live in such filth, that it alone is responsible for their health. It has definitly hardened me, I don't get bothered by it that much anymore, but I still get worn down seeing children growing up in those homes. They really have no choice in the matter.. and you're right, social services, should be convicted of some sort of criminal act. They visit these families that are on welfare, public assistance, food card (stamps).. But they leave, and the child stays. They even have a program here, where the state will send someone to clean their home.. or buy them cleaning supplies. I've seen dozens of animals, that eat better than their children. Hell, living in a barn, would be better conditions. Society has really dropped the ball on lower class citizenry. Some people live no better today, than their family did in the 1880's, or the great depression. Almost as if time has forgotten them.

Just remember, it's New Jersey-Vol. EMS, that's a whole different world. I think it's time for this thread to die, before it becomes another bash session. Disgruntled, former, members (no offense beegs) vs Ambo Services; and disenfranchised members airing out their dirty laundry in public, will not trigger sympathy. It will make your service look really bad. That's bad for the morale of your service and community; don't punish everyone, to expose a few rotten eggs.

World War One.. When wars still had romantic era twists. There are some very good documentaries on this. I would high suggest looking into the matter.

We've been losing really good medics, to better paying jobs. They need to work at four or more services, to have a family. They can make that much, with one good factory job. We've also lost dispatchers, EMT's, etc. for the same reason. Not really a big calling for EMT's. People would rather take a good job, than take the time to train to become an EMT or Paramedic, then work a low paying job. It may not be about the money, but our lives require cash flow to work out. We couldn't even get enough people to hold the yearly EMT course. So, we're just going to have a first responder class. They won't be able to get hired, but that will help amend the driver shortage.

That has got to be one of the weirdest things I've ever read. I think you should look for a new place to work. Maybe a station with out a morgue. Or.. have a therapy session with a mortician, they live with the dead. Then again, you could always pull the body out, and check for a pulse, before you go to bed. Do a little CPR, just in case.

That's kinda weird, but kinda cool, all in the same.

Gotta give him a B+ for originality. Didn't see the SS jump in the way of the shoe, maybe they were too hopeful.

I made this into a click-able banner, and added it to the local site. Thought some of you nuts might like to use it for your tots. http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/l..._tax_credit.pdf Too bad I don't keep track of my time.

Ever been in a Western Auto store? The one here, back in the day, sold all sorts of bike accessories. Including.. 9V sirens.

If you search around the net, someone sells a battery powered Kojak type light. Teardrop, I think its called. Has a magnet. You can get this liquid rubber that is supposed to recoat handles of tools. Coat the magnet with that. Avoid suction cups, unless you're just using the light to park along the road, as a measure of safety. That's what I do. But it's hardly worth removing the light. I don't disagree with proper use, because that's how it works here. May not work, or be compatible everywhere, but we do what we need to do. We have both responders and citizens that live 5 to 25 miles from the station. Them going to the scene, gets aid to them up to 30 minutes before an ambulance could. Anyhoo. Magnets, not suction cups, b/c if you use it while moving, you'll never see the light again.

If the vehicles were drivable, you don't need the law involved. Just your insurance companies. If they don't want insurance involved.. Get a new job. Quick. The owner of your service is hiding something.

Sorry, I have to disagree. You see, I had to sit through several seminars to be compliant with additions of codes and federal guidelines. Those included sexual harassment, racism, discrimination, etc. This has been several years ago, but I recall them enough that I could offer solutions, should a member approach me with a problem. One of the terms from racism, whether or not someone could sue our ass, was intent vs impact. Basically, if you tell a joke and it deeply offends someone, and they quit.. Whether your intent was to make them laugh, instead, it doesn't matter. The impact was, it created a hostile environment for them, and affected their ability to do their job. Now, your employer is liable. ..And I agree with it. The workplace is not the kind of environment for sexual, racist, ethnic, etc. jokes that could offend someone. Do that on your own time. Racism can be directed from anyone, to anyone. Black persons calling other black persons the "N" word, isn't okay when they're on the clock. Suppose they did it in public, in uniform, and offended someone? That could look bad for the company. You tell a joke, everyone laughs, so you do it more. People laugh, but inside, someone is offended; it's best to stick to jokes that can't be deemed as a specific racial, sexual, etc, joke. I like to have a good time as much as the next person, to kill stress, but I would never want to make someone feel uncomfortable.

It's a TV show? I thought it was just an amazing coincidence that a camera was there, when it happened. Rather than cameras always there, recording every rescue. Whether the resuscitation is successful, or not.

You must have done your holiday shopping before you began your forty-four day long posting marathon. Almost in twenty-four hour lengths too! I predict 1000 posts by Jan. 1, 2009.

That being the case, it could be set up so that anyone w/ under 10 posts, would see all sorts of ads. I click often.. and I have several items laying around that came from websites advertised on the left side of the screen. EMS Board Games... Christmas stockings.. May seem tacky, but we all know that stuff makes good gifts.

Lets have a little holiday fun..... here's how it works! I'll start a story below, and as you read you add the next post and keep the story going.... No telling where it will end up. -------- 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the ER....

I don't love the lifeguards.. I think it's good that a life was saved. That's all.

I don't think anyone that mattered every called me that. An eBay buyer did once, because I wouldn't send an Emergency! helmet to Guam.. But like I said.. He/she/it doesn't matter.

I can't help but wonder if anyone has every cut anything off, accidentally.

The details are really immaterial, a life was saved. That's usually the goal. Nothing irks me more than putting off the goal, to spot light on the faults. Those who never make mistakes, never make much of anything.

:roll:

We still carry sandbags.

Looks like an amateur radio operator. It's probably a joke, for that.. You'd need a trailer behind that car, for all the batteries to run that crap.