firedoc5

"Road House Blues" - The Doors/ Jeff Healey Band

You beat me to it, Rib. We're close enough to St.Louis that it's almost local news. I still haven't heard whether or not the gunman set the truck on fire then waited, or if he noticed the truck fire and decided to shoot at anyone that responded. This hits so close to home. It's heartbreaking. With it being so senseless it makes it even more emotional. Godspeed, Ryan. :angel11:

"Into the Great Wide Open" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Take it from someone who is a disabled FF/ Paramedic, this guy is a joke. I have a hard enough time every single day to just do things around the house. Do you think I'm going to train to be physically elite? I've had to give up golf and bowling. And if anyone who knows me, for me to give up bowling is giving up a whole lot. It took me 6 1/2 yrs. to get my disability. They really make you jump through hoops to just apply for it. Guys like this p!ss me off to no end. Believe it or not, I'm shaking. I've had guys think that I'm lucky to be paid while not working. Believe me, I would much rather be doing the job I was trained to do than sitting around and doing house work. It took me a long time to adjust and to accept doing the "Mr. Mom" jazz. I'll stop, but I could go on and on.

I know, different cultures, different societies, etc. But what about "respect" for the dead. If society dictates that it's alright to let them lie in public, even though covered, I personally wouldn't be carousing and carrying on until they were moved, just out of respect for them. I know, it sounds corny, but....People could have waited a few minutes or a couple of hours for them. If they thought they just had to play on they could have considered to go down the beach or something. IMHO

Good thinking.

I've seen it work well, Seattle comes to mind first, and I've seen it work with a lot of problems that eventually worked themselves out, and I've seen it fail miserably. So I'm not pro or con. Still haven't decided. Luckily I worked on a Dept. that it worked out very well. In the late '70's there was only a private ambulance service, who I started out with in '84, and a Fire Dept. that ran rescue alongside of the ambulance service. It was when they started in advancing into EMT-I's and Paramedics, both agencies at the same time, that the Fire Dept. started to provide EMS for the city with the ambulance service doing the transport, sort of like the Johnny and Roy thingy. The ambulance service provided EMS to the county with Rural Fire doing rescue and back up. It has been brought up from time to time for the Fire Dept. to start to transport by having a separate agency as a branch of the Fire Dept., but that would always get canned.

I had an in-service on burn patients out of Barnes/Jewish in St.Louis. It was outstanding. Even though it was an in-service, I think it turned out to be an actual ABLS class, before they had ABLS classes. There were about five of us that went from there and did some other training, sort of freelance. I loved it. Medicv83, I'd say they probably knew their stuff, just didn't know how to teach it. If you're interested look for another class or even see about doing some clinicals through them.

A few times had close calls. Like when going through a construction zone that had high barricades and the guy driving yelled at me, "MIRRORS!". Had just enough time to reach out and pull my mirror in. One idiot, a complete one at that, was driving to a coal mine call. When he turned in he hit a chain link fence with the mirror. He looked at the other guy and said, "You see that mirror fall off?". Yea it fell off, those gate posts don't move.

Being a Paramedic first and then getting on the FD is what I did. I didn't have to other than needing to make more money. As soon as I turned 21 I started to volunteer there. There were three of us at a private ambulance service being top paid at $5.50 an hour back in '89. I took the test and was second on it. The only one ahead of me was one of the other three of us. Got on full time the day after my 24th birthday. I always said that EMS was what I wanted to do, but the firefighting was for kicks & giggles. The Chief didn't like that very much. Even though I was a Paramedic first, my main job was as a Firefighter. I was making a lot more money on the FD, I was only being paid $250 a year to be a Paramedic there.

Good job Mobey! If it's for a trauma response I seriously doubt they would mess with micro-drip, but you never know. One thing is, don't get in a big hurry and accidently miss something. If you think you might be a little slow while making sure you've got everything covered, practice to become faster but still be as accurate. I really don't know but you may want to be able to describe Normal Saline (1/2 NS & 1/3 NS concentrations), Lactated Ringers, and D5W. You'll do GREAT, Anthony!

Just before I left the field work, we had stopped with the calcium chloride, but we would still give bicarb as a last ditch effort. One medic put it as giving it when you have nothing else to do but ventilate and chest compressions. But I really never saw it that way. Some of us were a little hesitant to give it without labs and to do acid-base balance. I did compromise though by just giving a 1/2 amp instead of a full amp. when in the field. Hopefully it would be enough to be effective if it does work, but less enough to do any harm. Clear as mud???

I think I saw it on the news. Thoughts and prayers going out.

"Truckin' " - Greatful Dead

What if a white "rapper" (yes, there are a few) used the "N-word", is that still art? Freedom of expression? When living in Louisiana a seven or eight year old black boy called me a "Cracker". I said, "That's right, with Cheeze Whiz and a side of mayo". Guess I disappointed him by not getting mad and made a joke of it. I wish there was a way to just say, "Stop the racism, reverse racism, name calling of races, etc." I know it won't happen, but... And to me, those who take offense especially if someone said something but not in a threatening way like a joke or friends teasing each other (which I often did), should lighten up. Don't take it so seriously. It's only a word. I'm sorry, I told myself when I first started posting on this thread that I wouldn't get going, but I think I have been.

No, I haven't. But I was in back when someone else clipped a sign. We were bringing in a patient that was a full arrest that we resuscitated. (Coarse V-fib, I defibbed him at 200 J's, converted right back to sinus rhythm). Right before we got to the hospital there was a slight s-curve. Danny, who was the driver, clipped a speed limit sign with the right side mirror. It sounded like a canon going off in back. To make the story a little shorter. We got done at the hospital, went to where he hit the sign, picked the mirror up and went back to the station. We teased him about it for at least five years that I recall. He would have done the same thing to anyone else who had done the same thing. But I did back into a car. Just caught it with the step bumper. It was behind the ambulance building in a place that we have never seen anyone park there. Mainly to the big "NO PARKING" sign he was next to. It ripped a pretty good slash down the rear quarter panel.

Howdy, Welcome, Greetings & Salutations, and all that jazz, to those who have signed up since my last post here. Remember, have fun.

Speaking of "polaks", I worked with a guy with the last name of Kaminsky. We just called him "Ski". One day, in joking of course, I think we were playing poker. One of the guys said to him, "You dumb polak!" Ski turned and said, "My name is spelled with an Y, not an I. I'm Lithuanian." So Ray just corrected himself and said, "You dumb Lithuanian!" We couldn't help but laugh. Can't we all just get along? I know a lot of minorities, which I'm sure almost everyone here does also, but many of those can actually have a sense of humor when just kidding around. One of my best friends I had in the Navy was a big black guy, 6'4" 240 lbs. He's the one that explained to me that there is a difference between a black man and a "N". He'd see guys walking around and would label them. Of course a white guy could never do that without having consequences, legally and/ or physically. I personally have had the very bad habit of using the term "n-riggin' " I guess I picked it up working with my father in the oil field. But I've done better. :roll: I'm so ashamed. :oops:

To expand just a little bit more: Time to "set up" per patient? Artifact and quality scan due to movement? Sit still at scene? Room for equipment? Power supply? Hours of additional training? So many are "specialize", how long does it take to be proficient? Time to be proficient at reading the results? I know many techs. that will not make even a comment on it no matter how obvious it is unless a doc looks at it first. And doesn't a definite diagnosis have to be made by a Radiologist? If it can be done in the field, but not be read, what's the purpose other than already having it done to save a little time after they get to the ER? Maybe I'm just being nit-picky, but I just don't see it happening. At least no time soon.

I was wondering, what call or moment was it that made you realize the reality that you were definitely an EMT?

I think the time period is relative to what kind of incident, Rich. :?

"Rocky Top" - Osborn Bros.

How about just "Eck" or "Burg"?

It's a form of "reverse racism" and not practicing what they do preach.

Actually, contrary to popular belief, I really don't like the term "old" or "new school'. It sort of falls into the category of a lack of a better word or term. When I teach or train I always give the most current and up to date material available. But I also include what has been done before, or what could be done in certain circumstances. I believe that there should be a balance in what is taught. Just because there is a new way of performing certain tasks doesn't necessarily mean you have to throw the old out altogether. Unless the old way was actually doing harm, don't knock it. A well rounded knowledge of your occupation is worth the extra material you may be presented with. Matt (Mateo) put it in a really good way. "Experience is just not something that you can get by education alone." You can learn everything you need to know to be a Paramedic in the classroom. But learning how to be a Paramedic comes from personal experience in the field, and the experience of others.