cynical_as_hell

same here

Always transport to the closest most appropiate facility. That is our job. The way I look at it is, You called 911 because you felt that you needed our services so let us do our jobs and quite making requests. Like someone previously stated, we are not a taxi service. I have always felt that the people in our field are not going to intentionaly cause harm to a patient. If they transport to one hospital over another then there was a reason for it and that medic or emt only did what they felt was best for that patient at that time. The common community is full of a bunch of morons....that's why we all have jobs. Just like you can't believe everything you read on the internet, you can't believe everything you read in newspapers or trust that you will have a great experience just because someone else you know did. Circumstances determine everything.

Prayers go out to the family members and friends of these three brave individuals.

I think that driving with lights and sirens needs to be done away with. Why are we putting ourselvers, our partner, and the community we work in at higher risk just because someone else called 911??? Most of the time when we get there, it really wasn't needed to run with lights and sirens and was only done because it's in policy. In my company, even if you are running code3, med3 whatever each area calls it, we STILL have to stop at stop signs, red lights, and all intersections. What time is really being saved??? It is an unnecessary risk if you ask me. We already have enough responsibilities and liability, why add more?

hey girl i was told to send you a messege from johnnie and it states: "You always crack me up. Always, Johnnie." Can't wait for you to get home. I've moped around the station commenting on how it's just not the same without you and other things like "well if kaisu was here that never would have happened" and so on and so on. When I heard you were coming home I was at work, ran into the dayroom, and started cheering and dancing singing Kaisu's coming home, kaisu's coming home!!!!! Gosh I miss you girl. Glad to hear things are working out for your mom.

I feel that the standard of education needs to be higher. Some of the programs I've seen in my area are so focused on just pushing people through because it's their buddy rather than stating " Hey you didn't make it." that people who are truly not qualified are being certified. I also think that the public needs to be educated on what our capabilities are. They need to be reminded of what truly is an emergency and what isnt. We are not a taxi service and I agree with previous statements that some patients can be left at home. Just because someone calls 911 doesnt mean they need our services and therefor we should be allowed to leave them at home. Time after time after time our services get abused and our resources drained because there is no cure for stupidity. I also feel that if it is a medical call that fire needs to stay at their station and let us do our jobs. More time is spent on scene than needed because fire feels they have some obligation to do something rather than turn over care and allow us to be on our way with the patient. EMS will never truly get the respect it deserves or the recognition as long as fire continues to accompany us on calls.

while some live by the saying of "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" i am not that person. To be labeled a "trouble maker" is ignorant when you don't know what really goes on. While my thoughts and ways of doing things definetly come out of left field sometimes, there is sanity to them and cause. Since meeting Kaisu, i've become a better person. She has taught me things and is what I consider to be my best friend. Management knows they couldn't get me to throw her under the bus. We would end up going down together. However, thank you for your concern and looking at another aspect. No hurt feelings.

Everybody has their own points of views about what should or should not have happened. Were these two wrong for their behavior? Absolutely. However, what is it that everyone expects them to do in regards to the treatment of a seizure patient? The only thing EMS does in treating seizure patients is keep them from harming themselves, provide oxygen, and if called for and allowed, perhaps provide some drugs to help stop the seizure, if you can even get an IV. If these individuals had their unit outside and were able to access the aboved mentioned equipment then absolutely they should be held accountable to the fullest extent. But if they walked over to this coffee place or took their own vehicles, then what more do you expect of these "EMT'S" that somehow makes them more able to help this woman then what the public already knows to do? Again, i agree 100% that their attitude and behavior were inappropiate, but before you call them to the carpet and demand that their certs be pulled, ask yourself if there was anything they could have done with the situation they were in that would have changed the outcome of this woman and her child.

I don't think that anybody is getting the entire story with this. Of course I have all the same questions that have already been asked, but even more so is Why was a second ambulance called? Firefighters have the same training that ambulance crews do and most fire departmants staff a minimal of 2 employees on their units. Why couldn't one of the firefighters ride in the back with the ambulance crew member that had patient care and be on their way? I also understand about not allowing non-employee people driving other company vehicles....however, it is a child in arrest so why are you going to wait? I would rather have to face my boss and explain why a non-employee drove my ambulance than face the family of a child who thinks that my delay in getting their child to the hospital was a possible cause in the death.

My first question is with this medic being the Deputy Chief for your department, was he on call as a medic or was he just on call in the sense of supervisor? If he is in fact on call for the medic side of this, then yes, he is in breach of duty. But he cannot be held negligent because to be found guilty of such, the patient, or whoever is doing the sueing, has to prove that there was a duty to act, that there was a breach of duty to act, that the patient suffered actual damages, and proximate cause. All four have to be proven for a medic to be found guilty. The lead emt made an apropiate decision in requesting the other fire department. Remember, ask yourself "What is in the patient's best interest?" and make your decisions in accordance to that. I'm glad to read that your department has handle the situation and is continueing to do so. The last thing anyone wants is to have any issues arise. One more thing to add and a previous poster asked the same question...Would it have been quicker to just go ahead and transport to the hospital even though you are bls or would it have significantly benefitted this patient to wait for ALS?? If it would be quicker to transport and you wait on scene for ALS than you could potentialy get into trouble for a delay in getting the patient to defenitive care.

we use CCR already in the area i work in. its a very simple concept and from my understanding with the base hospital, they are seeing more positive outcomes with this technique. It makes things a little easier when working a code because now you have another set of hands free to help out seems you are not "bagging" the patient. But as with anything else, only time will tell rather this is a good decision or a bad one.

that is exatly 100% correct!!! I made that same statement to my superivisor and other coworkers after only 2 months of working for AMR. They do bring in some great changes when they take over, but there is also the bad ones too. I guess you just have to look at it with each take over. My biggest problem with AMR has been with the payroll department. There have been many errors with not only mypay, but that of my coworkers as well. And most of the time you are told "too bad. its your faiult, wait until next payday" but that's really been the only major problem with them as an employee.

I agree with you. There are reasons why we don't do some things. But now I have a question for you, and anyone else that wants to dig in....Everybody already knows that the chance of survival from trauma related injuries(severe) are extremely low...but my question is this: Are the chances of survival for a multi systems trauma patient any higher or lower than that of a blunt force trauma patient?? Now this question is asked under the assumption that the trauma the patient suffered is what caused them to go into arrest in the first place.

Great post. Although I must say, reading some of those brought back some unpleasant memories. You can't help but laugh at it though too!!!