Just Plain Ruff

I just did.

I agree I hope he returns. I do not hold his post against him. I'd love to see what he has to contribute to this forum. It's been sorely lacking a Dust for a long long time.

1.)How old were you when you decided or thought about becoming a paramedic - 19 on the scene of a bad wreck with no equipment and a 40 minute response time from a rural ambulance. watched a family die from their injuries. Knew at that moment I wanted to be a medic. I always wanted to be but that solidified it. 2.) What was your college experience? 2 years in junior college getting prerequisites for 4 year college - then went to UMKC and also got my emt and medic as well. 3.) How many years did it take to graduate? 6 4.) What could you give to someone going into the business? Don't rush it. You have your entire life to do this job. 5.) what is your American dream? to own 10000 acres overlooking the mountains of Colorado or the Rockies somewhere. 6.) is it achievable? no freaking way. 8.) if you could live your life all over again would you become a paramedic again? Why ke why not? Yes I would, but I'd do it differently and get my degree first and not a degree in sociology, but a degree in Information Technology or something tradeskill related. My bachelors degree is Useless. 9.) Was this your first choice of a career? Yes 10.) was there a time when you wanted to give up? My first day on the job my first call was a adult code, then a couple of general call, then we worked a trauma code and then my last call was a pedi code. I nearly didn't come back. but I did and I put all three of those codes in the locked room in my brain and they don't get to come out. Over the years, that room has turned into two rooms. The key is an electronic keypad that only two other people know the code. My wife and my best medic friend. We change the code about every 5 years. You Cannot trust the NSA any further than you can throw em.

or Don't rock the boat

By the way, I hate being told no. Being told that "it's the way it's always been done"

Exactly my friend. that's why I was told to drop it. they knew they weren't going to get paid so they squashed it. Patients didn't know any better so they didn't push it. but every once in a while a patient would ask the question "Can't you just take me to my doctors office" Big paradigm shift, but I can see it happening. Not in my EMS lifetime, but maybe my son's if he decides to get into this line of work.

This is great discussion. I know that in the services where I've worked, there was never any intention and if I tried to transport the patient to the doctors office or the urgent care facility i was met at the hospital (because I was forced to transport there) by my supervisor telling me "We just dont do it that way here" and I always slammed my head against the wall asking the question "why? tell me why do we transport to the ER when the Urgent care or this patients doctors office would work just fine" They countered with "they called the ambulance so they go to the ER, and Mike, Just drop it" I would then counter well we go to the nursing home or a homebound patients house and pick them up, drive them to their doctors office for an appointment and then drive them home, what's the difference. Again, told to drop it. I was told that insurance would never cover the emergency response to the house, and then a drop off at a doctors office or urgent care and the service would not get paid. Again told to drop it. So finally I did. And many times, the service didn't get paid even by going to the ED. So I kind of laugh inside.

i completely agree but do we? are we able to? Can we? how many services "CAN" transport to a urgent care center? I don't know of any services in my area that are able to transport to urgent care facilities and I believe its high time that we begin to be able to. I also think that Urgent Care facilities are pushing back against this though. What if the patient demands to be transported to an UC facility? Can we refuse to transport them there? If it's an appropriate facility then is it wrong.

Is it time that EMS can start to transport to an Urgent Care facility? Should ambulances be able to routinely transport patients to lower acuity facilities if the patients condition warrants it? Take a look at this article and see what you think!!! http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/8238-call-an-ambulance-for-care?utm_campaign=042917&utm_medium=email&eid=302381567&bid=1740908#.WQX4PMmPuZ8.linkedin

Doc that was great, I admit I have no experience in that type of situation or ever worked in the capacity of a Swat medic. I know several that are in that capacity and I'm sure that they would agree with what you posted.

I have long been a supporter of this concept but I have always felt that it's just as easy to evac the injured patient from the hot zone into the loving arms of a EMS Crew that can do just the same amount of skills that the tactical medic does. There may be some situations where a medic in the thick of things is a great thing, but you should be able to evac that injured person out quickly in many if not all circumstances. I think it's just like so many other things in EMS and life in general, you want the biggest and best and quickest thing so why not put a medic in the hot zone.

Plus you probably should have cohones of steel because it's a very stressful job from what my swat medic friends tell me.

But Julia would write and tell in most generic terms how altruistic it is of this person to take this class. But honestly, phone calls are important here. You never know what the real answer is unless you talk to someone and get it from the source of truth.

QUEUE JULIA - this thread just needs a little Julia

did you call any of those programs that you mentioned as needing a HS diploma? I would think that if you called one of them, maybe San Jacinto college is one I found, they might take your closeness to graduation into account, admit you as a provisional student and then you just have to provide them with your diploma as soon as you get it. I find the best thing to do in these situations is to make phone calls and explain your situation.

Did you stop by the place? I would try that first. Someone there might be able to help and point you in the right direction. edit now that I read - it appears that you might not be able to do that if you are in Texas and they are in NC. Had to put two and two together on that one. Try this site https://www.google.com/search?q=jas%2C+north+carolina&oq=jas%2C+north+carolina&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2.4480j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=jas,+north+carolina&safe=off&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=35574716,-78256027,127284&tbm=lcl&rldimm=6540414456961407162&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sEAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

I had a motorcycle accident where the guy flew off his bike, his spine at T12 and L1 was basically bent around the sign. wouldn't fit in a helicopter. got him to the ED, trauma center and complete severing of spine at t12/l1

I have to give the poster the benefit of the doubt that he didn't know dust was being a paramedic in the Afterlife. This also may be the reason why this angry medic hasn't returned.

And the reason why in my original first post, I asked why was this news? It's not, it's just because a chief is getting disciplined and some gal comes along with her story of excess. And before anyone says that I would say differently if it was a guy, I wouldn't, he would get the same response from me as she is. This is a NON story

Me too, I still have his phone number in my old phone. I wonder if his mom kept his phone going or if she got rid of it.

they had other names that I won't mention, sort of like Voldemort, but everyone knows the type. I'm sure she's a very very nice person but really, sex more than 50 times with 8 different FF's in the station that she's admitting to. But I agree that the chief is being scapegoated but he was breaking the rules too so if he's going to fire someone for having sex in the station, then he should be fired as well.

I'm sure it was. I aim to please. I guess when you challenge a dead guy to a mental challenge..... But I'm not faulting him because I'm sure he didn't know the Dustology behind all that.

Well they were one in the same, but at times like every guy, you think, is this the same woman I married, she seems to have more than one personality. But yeah, the only time period in me medic career that I was not married was my first 2 years as a new medic. I don't count my stupid period when I was an EMT. I did some stupid and crazy things but never sex in the station and NEVER EVER EVER sex with my field partner. What a minefield if you go down that route. What's the rule - "don't dip your pen in the company ink"

Is the angry medic coming back?

Send the op of that thread you referenced a PM and ask him these questions. He is your absolute best source of information on this. And I know that he has been very responsive in the past to my questions. good luck.