Kiwiology

Lord knows if the golden hour got proven to be false the IAFF would loose a significant piece of its marketing toolbox!

Our Firefighters work 12 hour shifts; perhaps if the American systems did not work 24 or 48 hours this would not be a problem!

This event is the perfect opportunity for fire based EMS to "come to the rescue" in the eyes of the citizens and city council .... esp coz Pittsburgh generally has third service ambos, boy I bet the IAFF are gonna have a field day with this

If you talk to your local IAFF man he will tell you Fire based ALS and ALS first response improves outcomes. What they DONT tell you is that it seems (see my other thread) that these studies are based upon early 1990s ROSC data of OOHCA comparing third service EMS and Firefighter with AED first response. That is not valid data, any fucktard who turns up with a toaster is going to improve surival rates. Given that in the early 1990s the use of semi-automatic defibrillators was not authorised for EMTs making it an "ALS" only skill we can say "ALS" improves outcomes, when in fact it's just a bunch of hot amoke and mirrors. Let us not forget (see my other thread again) that the IAFF/IAFC support lowering education standards and perpetuate the myth of the "response time" and "golden hour" in order to increase resource levels. I venture a guess that ALS first response probably DOES make a difference given that in the United States it is still acceptable to operate with a basic response level that includes oxygen and AED only. Lets not get cute and say "oh I can ask the doctor to give the patient his nitro", not the same. Studies from systems that LIMIT the number of Paramedics like Boston and Tulsa show HIGHER cardiac arrest survival rates than cities which have a Paramedic on every corner like Los Angeles, Miami etc. The IAFF and IAFC do not seem to be focused on patient care but rather on serving thier own interests, which is understandable from an industrial perspective, but doesn't do much for the profession of Paramedic in the US. I think this says it all .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVIfW6DQouQ&feature=related However, here is what the IAFF want us to believe ... and the rebutal and

Small spuds mate, the Hitler videos are overdone; at least these are still funny

Generally speaking outside metropolitan Auckland we only one choice of emergency department. Having spent time in metro Auckland I can tell you the destination is based upon patients condition, not where they want to go, it's a friggin ambulance not a taxi.

Testify brother!

Did you mean to add something here? .....

Don't be silly JP, the golden hour was invented by R. Adams Cowley who was a DOCTOR Since 40 years later, Paramedics is still overseen by DOCTORS it MUST be true and therefore CANNOT be questioned!

The College of Sothern Nevada program is good and I believe it's the only accredited program in Nevada Stay away from NCTI its AMRs medic mill you know they are spending your tuition five minutes later down on the Strip

The IAFF strikes agian .... doesn't bother me, hell I'm not gonna step foot in North Las Vegas man its bad up there you get shot for your shoes I'll stick to Reno, they have an arch, and non Fire based EMS; both of which I am easily a sucker for

If you want to work at the hospital become an RN (BSN) not an ambo

Weren't the original 12 lead studies done in Phoenix, Arizona with the Lifepak 10 in the early 90s? So much for "progress" eh, I heard some people talkin about coma cocktails the other week .....

I did not see you on COPS cranked off the planet on PCP being tased, you OBVIOUSLY didn't try the right ones!

The IAFF seeks to provide maximum benefit for its members ... which after all is its job. It happens to be that the position of the IAFF is distracting from overall profesionalisation of the profession of Paramedic in the United States and is particularly unpalatable for those of us with international experience because of this. But there are also many other things which distract from the overall profesionalisation of EMS in the US .... funders, government, legislature, volunteers, ambos thenselves, and so on and so on and so on /Kiwi hops off the de ja vu merry-go-round

I say we elect 46Young as the our IAFF representitive! /sarcasm This guy died like two days later! Sounds like another FITH/TSTL realitive using the ubiquidos "the ambos came at some point before my loved one died therefore because they did, they are automatically responsible" With two feet of snow on the ground WTF do you expect OMG If I hear one more argument for fire based EMS I swear I am going to have a stroke it just gets me so mad I see .... well not red, that is the colour of fire trucks, ..... oh my god it doesn't do good things for my blood pressure.

This would be a very, very, very, very bad idea. I could launch into a long, rambling deconstruct of WHY it is a bad idea but that'd be like poking a hornets nest with a stick right about now.

Could be worse, you could be in Quebec

I wasn't replying to you, I was commenting on the skill sheets. Yeah, education makes the difference, I think we've been saying that for 20 posts now

And I agree with you! LOL I am trying to think if when I was working in the US our AEDs said that; I am pretty sure they did because I can remember being given the mandatory "training" despite the fact nobody could figure out why we had to be "trained" on something a layperson can friggin use! May be worth checking the Good Samaritan Laws in <your state here>. To continue in English, press one, Para el español desfibrilador externo automatizado de instrucciones, pulse dos. From my understanding <your state here> will probably have a law saying those who use an AED (like giving first aid) are to be held harmless if they toast you incorrectly (pretty impossible to do, but still)

Well said mate; this thing sounds like a bit of a stink. Sounds like the ubiquidos "my relative died several days after the ambulance came of something that might not be related in the slightest way whatsoever to what they came for, but because the ambo's saw him, they, by default are automatically responsible for him dying!" It's a freaking massive snowstorm what do you expect OMG! And as for this Mayor, what a friggin tard, now he wants to send first responders to every call; that's a good idea lets exponentially increase risk by sending cops and fire trucks screaming through the streets to cut fingers and broken toes because its all about RESPONSE TIMES and THE GOLDEN HOUR! FAIL! Sounds like somebody has thier thumb up thier arse!

Greetings from Kiwi, I do like you Kanuckistanadaians eh!

Those skills sheets look a bit dodge mate. Now I know you did not design them but honestly, WTF - They are written in 2000, like nothing has changed in a decade? - Why are BLS providers failed if they do not provide oxygen? See my many postings on that there is nothing magic about oxygen! - ECG for every shortness of breath .... maybe but not thinking so - Scarily, a GCS is not part of patient assessment in your land? - Ruling out trauma, well, shouldn't that be done at the scene size up; hard to make a decision about c-spine without it I can't find one of ours to compare it too but I'm looking

I agree Wnedy, it is the knowledge that makes it different. For example one ambo I know wrote up he checked the blood sugar of a cardiac patient because they were nauseous and sweaty which are signs of being hypoglycaemic. When quizzed he could offer no further information as to WHY he did it, never mind this patient had no diabetic history and that being sweaty and nauseated were 1000x more likely to come from the cardiac problem than an acute hypo! A few lower level providers ("BLS") have said an asthma patient who it not wheezing is a good sign, well, it might be, but it never occurs to then that they might not be moving enough air to make a wheeze. Not only is assesment different but I find treatment is also different; there was one ambo here who put another cardiac patient on six litres of oxygen because "the heart muscle is not getting enogh oxygen". When asked if the amount of oxygen inspired was the amount that reached the tissues once again cue the glazed over look and the shurgged shoulders. We know oxygenation and ventilation are very different processes. Again .... bravo to Ontario for providing it's Primary Care Paramedics with two years of solid education so they can begin to build good, solid clinical pictures in thier head when they hit the street.