Nate

Sounds like a good way to lose your full time staff. I for one would not like that, and many I work with wouldn't. After all, isn't the point of working full time to have a regular cash flow and part time to put some extra cash in your pocket?

I believe that they are all equally important. However; before we can see a change in one, we must come together and make the effort to meet all of the goals listed (and many more not listed). The biggest problem with EMS is that to many people want to be Chief and no one wants to be the Indian. This might hurt some people's feelings, but I think we have a large portion of EMS personal who really shouldn't be in this industry. Lets face it, most of us care about our industry (or we wouldn't be here), however we all know of at least five people who see this as "just a job" and nothing more. The answer to ridding an industry of the "waste" in many fields is to simply raise the bar. This would be great, however we are going to see several people fight this because it would mean change. Heck, just look at the battle that was fought when Texas wanted to require all firefighters to be at least an EMT-Basic. Many small town and older firefighters and fire chiefs were set in their ways and did not want to see that happen. Higher standards, higher education, and less tolerance and exceptions is what we need.

If you cover the blade and then try to intubate...aren't you creating problems because you no longer can see as well?

Like Spock said, it is the clinic/hospital personal that are really needed. You should have seen the massive hospital complex that was built in a few hours in the Reliant Complex here in Houston. It wasn't built by DMAT, but it was staffed real soon by groups as soon as they got there. They were very professional, they treated us (the EMS crews) as well as the original hospital staff well and respected us. Can't say the same for many of the non-DMAT groups.

monster_medic, if you don't mind me asking, what county are in (you can PM me if you want). I can tell you that it would not be a good idea to try to run on one service with another service's gear. Regardless of what your boss says, that is something that needs to be worked out between the medical director for each service. I would not push the issue with them, if they want to be like that...then they can be as big of a little baby as they want to be. In due time, they will learn their lesson and you should be able to return later if you want too

Guns and patients...not unsual down in Texas. :wink:

Yeah, what everyone else said.

Great, so I'll post on there tomorrow that I don't think junkies are being portrayed correctly on TV shows.

I wonder if there is a "crack head" forum some where on the net that is crying about how junkies on TV don't shoot up the correct way.

If you need marketing materials and shirts...(shameless plug for Klassic Threadz).

Maybe it is just me, but I don't think having the word "cum" in your screen name is a good choice either. :wink:

We finally got soft toilet paper in the station, no more John Wayne toilet paper. Nate

I'm still wondering why people are crying about this show.

Dustdevil once pointed out something on this site...nurses are released at the RN level after being in school for two years and going in as a guy/girl off the street. I have seen paramedics that were long term EMT's prior to paramedic, and those that were truly green. My point is that there are good and bad ones from both groups...it is what you choose to do with the classes, how much time/effort you put into the classes, and how you conduct yourself that will determine if you will be a good paramedic or not. I do however suggest to most of the EMT's I work with that are going through EMT-I that they keep going and do not stop. Nate

First off, it sounds like they really need to contract a private service to handle the nursing home calls. I think it is funny that the family isn't wondering why it took a doctor's order to send their beloved elderly mother in the first place if she was really in that much pain. :roll: I've picked up a few nursing home patients that broke bones and they were sent out prior to calling the doctor...I guess pain management isn't considered a priority at that nursing home. I do think it was stupid that they went out of their way to drop someone off...and if they were going to do it then they should have just pulled onto the pad, dropped off, and took off. I don't understand why they took the time to back in, get out, and I still wonder if she was left alone or was there someone in there with her?

Rural Metro use to be huge in Texas. They were in Bastrop, Dallas, and Galveston County (some of their larger areas). They ended up pulling out contract by contract because they were getting caught left and right pulling 911 trucks to run transfers. Then they were having trouble making a profit because they couldn't turn enough transfers to pay the bills for the 911 trucks. RM has however had issues with one major factor. They have a lot of firefighters up top and they don't always see eye to eye with the EMS guys. Like Dustdevil has said, every branch is going to be different from the others.

I ran an MVC a few days ago, upon arrival there were four ambulances already onscene. None of them were 911 providers.

That is the truth, we don't carry it anymore at all. Then again, most of our OD's aren't able to sit up and drink the stuff either. :?

Nothing you could have done. I'm sure the fire crew had more medical equipment then you have, and are capable of managing the patient. Here in Texas, you have to be an EMT-B to be a commission certified firefighter. I think we have a few issues out in rural Texas, but for the most part every volunteer crew even has an EMT on it (around here at least). I usually don't even stop. I did once and got stuck in the middle of a lawsuit that was more of a "he said, she said" then anything productive. I wish I could have never stopped, and for the most part...I don't anymore when off duty.

That medic would have been fired on the spot had he been employed by either service I work at. If he can't handle working the hours he works, then he needs to do something about it...after the call. I think you were doing yoru job 100%, but your patient suffered because of his lack of drive to be a decent ALS provider.

What is it?

Knowing first hand how the media can screw up the truth...I'm wondering what really happened. I've seen some pretty departments that were pretty backwoods here in Texas...but they were not that bad. Also, it never said what the cop did wrong except he hit them. Was he driving to fast, was he drunk, did he run a red light....I'm wondering why they charged him with that.

To be honest, a fair amount of people in this industry don't even need to be allowed near an ambulance. :? This is one of the few fields where a complete putz can stand next to a graduate level educated person who is actually a lower rank then them. :shock:

Lets not forget about Germany and their attempts to cut a deal with Mexico. :wink: You can not agree with the war, you can even protest the war. We are one of the few nations that allow that to happen...consider your self lucky.