firedoc5

There are Rescue/Pumpers. During my FD career we converted a couple of new pumpers we got, few and far between, but they seemed to have worked out nicely. And we did have one "rescue truck" that was actually a type III ambulance that we could transport if it were in dire need. A few times we did deem it necessary to transport, including myself at least four times that I can think of. Talk about the flack flying over that. But say if you're in a hostile situation with a serious/critical pt., and transport had 10 min. ETA, are you going to just hang around? I don't think so. It's a long story but I'll keep it short. When the city FD decided to go into EMS there was already a private ambulance service in business. They were in business before EMT's were known as EMT's. But for one reason or the other, whether it was for more state monies, increase in population, the Johnny & Roy Syndrome, the FD was wanting EMS. The owner of the ambulance service was furious to say the least. And he had some major political pull, more or less he had a lot of low friends in high places. But they did finally come to the agreement that FD, in the city only, responded to all EMS calls for treatment. But so did the ambulance serv. for transport and assistance. Yes, it took a few years to get things worked out. Luckily by '84 when I started working for that ambulance serv. things had been ironed out and the cooperation worked very well. Of course as with any "mutual agreement" there are bumps in the road. Those in the city were not charged for EMS treatment from the FD or city. Totally tax supported. The private service was able to bill for the transportation. But come to find out, they started charging for ALS services. They were charging for the use of a monitor, when it was the FD's, etc. But then they started itemizing. They charged if a spine board was used, c-collars, etc. no matter what agency's equipment was used. And if there were ALS personnel that responded on the ambulance, even though their main duty was just for transport, they charged for that too. That was a BIG bump for a while. But by the time they got that ironed out I'd already got on the FD full time, along with at least three others from the same ambulance serv. I know some of this may sound piddly, it was a town of just shy 20,000 residents at the time. But our call volume was high per population. So it was like a small city with bigger city problems at times.

I was being hired on as a full time flight medic once. I met all the other crews. Each and every pilot flew in 'Nam. It was a sort of un-official qualification. But now so many of them have gotten up in years (please, no offence intended) and have retired. So now you have younger pilots, who may have more than enough hours of flight-time, but maybe, and I do mean maybe, they just don't have that edge that the former combat pilot had. That's just a thought that came up one time while sitting around the table one day with my dad and brother-in-law. Oh, and the flight medic job. During the hiring process, they decided to make it into two part-time positions instead of one full time. I couldn't afford the part-time, especially since I'd have to commute about 75 miles one way. Now they have a flight crew based right in the town I was living in.

How many times have you been called out to 'someone bleeding'? And when you get there someone would have a gash in one of their extrimities and a "buddy" put a belt around it for a tourniquette. It never failed, especially when some amatures were doing some kind of construction project at home. :violent1:

"Cheap Sunglasses" - ZZTop :glasses7:

I never could keep a "Happy Medium". I was always too slow.

These "errors" have been going on for years. It wasn't until that movie "Tommy Boy" with Chris Farley came out that the general public completely knew about it. It had always been rumored that things like that happened ever since having to register to vote came about. But I think the gold fish would have voted for McCain.

I'm addicted to Jelly Belly's. Hadn't tried any of the candy korn flavor. I just stick with the original flavors.

That's pretty much the same way I would have done it. I was just conversing on why the actual crew did what they did.

We had the same problem when we first started to get the "new" fiberglass boards. We found that we would have to put a twist in them to get them through the handles. Also, those boards were notorious for "paper" cuts because the edges weren't ground off or sanded.

That's basically what I was trying to say, Anthony. Thanks for clarifying that for me.

Man, those were state of the art when I started in the early 80's. Believe it or not, there was the same confusion and arguments then as now. It depended on the patient and circumstance(s). If you need a board for a cardiac patient or had severe chest trauma, do not crass-cross around the chest. They get in the way. Put strait across, from shoulder to shoulder, and the other across the pelvic region. If it's a large breasted woman, you may have to crass-cross them between her breasts. The upper belt tended to slide up to the neck. Think of every situation you can think of and play with them. Get a game plan together. And have an in-service for everyone. We usually only used three belts. One across the chest (over or under the shoulders), one across the pelvic region, and one across the knees. But if need be for severe spinal injuries and needing complete immobility it was not unusual to use up to seven, placed where deemed. It could almost be like wrapping a mummy to a spine boards. It took us forever to actually get head blocks. Good old fashion sandbags worked, at least for the standards back then. Oh, and when rolling them back up, roll them with the larger buckle end inward. It's heavier so if you have to toss it (while holding onto the "male" end) it unwinds easier and larger so you don't tend to have trouble finding it if you are in brush or something. Now that I think of it. I could really go on and on with what we had to use that now has manufactured gadgets that are taken for granted now days. Geez. I am old. If anyone is interested, make a list of what you use every day that is manufactured specialty devices and I'll see what I (and others if they want to) remember of how and what we used. Like spine boards. We didn't have fiberglass one's. Some we actually made with a piece of plywood and a jig-saw.

"It's analgesic, not anal-gesic."

We've got a lot of Amish and Mennonites around here. Since I'm out of the field I've only heard of some refusal of treatments, but not a whole lot. When I was in the field there were a couple of churches that had parishioners that would refuse any invasive care at all, and some really needed it. But you can only do what you can do. Drove us nuts though. Sorry, not intending to high-jack this thread.

Outstanding news. Way to go. :D/

Thanx for the add on, E-08.

I guess one way to put it is that standing orders are those that are set by protocols that you can do prior to contacting medical control. And are expected to have been done, usually before calling in. "Offline" or non-communication treatments are also written protocols that you can go by. Like if we knew we were on the way to a full arrest we could contact medical control, request to use ACLS protocols, then we'll get back to you. Then they know what you are doing without being in constant contact. Basically, know your response agency's and resource hospital's protocols inside and out. Know what is and isn't allowed. I guess you could say that you have your main protocols (standing orders) and have sub-protocols (ACLS, BTLS, etc.) that has already been approved by your resource hospital to be done without having to contact the hospital for everything you are doing. I'm going to shut up now. I don't know if I'm helping or making this worse. I can't type exactly what I'm trying to say in my mind. I'm not as think as you confused I am.

I've ran into that. When I'd have a doc stop and ask if they could help the first thing I told that they would have to ride in with the patient. And actually, about 80% said, "Sure, no problem". A few times there would be a new doc in the ER and over the radio gave us real funky orders. One doc told me to start an IV D5-1/3 NS. It took the nurse with him a minute to explain to him that we only had D5W, LR, and NS. Now some of us later on did start to carry D5-.9 NS when we started to get larger rigs and drop bags. Oh, that ER doc, didn't stay long. He felt the ER was below him.

"Paint It Black" - Rolling Stones

Sometimes more simple is better. Crowded in a bathroom/locker room, not a lot to move around. Would the Muslim thing could not allow IV's to be started? I don't know their beliefs.

Just remember, every computer has the collective knowledge of man. I know, sounds Star Trekkie, but you can not remove the human element. It goes waaayyy back to BASIC computer language of "If/Then" command. "IF you have this, THEN do this". I know BASIC is unheard of now days, but it was one of the building blocks for modern computer tech. I am so glad and relieved that the AED computers are so much more improved. If one is available, I'll use one, but not until I personally know what the circumstances are. But that's just me.

On the news this morning they stated that in the last 11 months that 9 medical helo's went down with casualties and deaths. The FAA is reviewing new standards and looking into new equipment for warning systems of various types. One group (I forgot which) is saying that the FAA is working too slow and started too late on these efforts. I know we all follow up on everyone of these incidents, and a few here probably knows more about it than the FAA. Any ideas, thoughts, comments, letters to Congress and/or FAA?

Didn't Mr. Tober ever watch Johnny & Roy, or is he too young for that?

That's what they all say.

Winnfield, LA (Winn Parish, LA) where my parents live. They lost their local EMS a few months ago. Right now any call has an ETA of at least an hour from other Parishes.

GREAT! I'll hide ya out until tempers flare down, DD.