AnthonyM83

Makes perfect sense to me. The added padding during physical altercations has probably been the most immediate benefit for me, since I'm not really a big guy.

Ah, sorry, missed that. I guess I kind of assumed you just picked rigs up from the dealer or the factory parking lot and drove off. Can't imagine Ford giving us the five cent tour.

What do you mean a vest that will carry all your supplies? How much do you carry on you? Do you mean a cool one like Dust's with all the little straps and pockets? That's usually just based on the carrier jacket. BUT in EMS, you guys should probably be wearing your vests under you uniform shift (on top of your under shirt). Think of how cops wear them. An added plus is your uniform gets filled out and looks pretty spiffy Shirt stays tucked in straighter, too. But yeah, Spenac, that ebay one looks like exactly what you'd need. Though that looks really freaking cheap for being type IIIA and stab proof. Don't know how bulkly/unbulky it is. Have the Doc take a look at it. I'd also recommend buying the separate trauma plate. Now, I wouldn't feel TOO pressured to buy it, like you're not going to be a proper EMS personnel without it...it's just a really valuable extra that you can buy to keep yourself safe "cause you deserve it" *thumbs up sign*

Elaborate on that. I've never heard of McCoy Miller. What's wrong with their rigs. And how did you end up touring their factory? Are you in management or was this just for fun?

Ouch!!!

Haha, awesome. Good to see you around again, btw.

Mateo, I'd have to agree with Dust on all those points. I'll let him explain, but I don't think he's at the type of base where he's suddenly pinned down by enemy fire while going out to buy his goat milk... In the US, you can't know when you "medical bleed" call is really a domestic violence situation (one of the most deadly types of calls for cops) or the "altered level of consciousness" is a psych patient running full speed at you with a butcher knife. Or when a car's going to zoom around stopped traffic and T-bone your ambulance. But you do know when there's going to be basically your entire police department on-scene providing protection. But anyway, the main point I wanted to make again is that no one is advocating not replacing existing safety measures (scene safe checks, staging, seatbelts, etc) with body armor.

MEDIC2005, compare the exchange that happened here to the exchange that happened in this thread between AZCEP and DustDevil. http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=164293#164293 See the difference, it's in how you take stuff. If you look for persecution, you will find it.

Good, so we don't any of those in this thread (you have to have read more than a hundred of each person's posts to properly decide that, noting their motives and styles), so let's MOVE ON....unless there's more pleasure taken in causing a big deal out of stuff.

Let's not even. Let's just get back to the discussion.

See you're going back to the bashing. Look, you blew up and were called on it, you even got some crap for it. Next time don't make sure a big deal out of it and keep moving forward. You're taking the easy way out by just throwing out a para-god insult.

Saying " Man, let's just stick to the topic. " isn't being overly commanding. I don't want to ruin the thread more by going into that, but just know comments like that are common both here and in the real world (and not just the harsher world of EMS, but in casual social situations or even softer environments like school). If you're taking them as offensive, then something's off.... Edit: He deleted the post after I wrote this.

Like implying Dust is "jerk FF" etc? Yup. Man, let's just stick to the topic.

But if that's what it sounds like you're saying, shouldn't he address that (the thing that's confusing him and us). He had already said right off the bad he wasn't sure he was understanding you.

And interesting you're calling FF's jerks, yet you have a fire link on your signature. (And btw, you're so off base, it's embarrassing to correct you on the FF thing with DustDevil)

Wait, you're angry, offended, and running away because someone contested something you wrote!?!? Dude, re-read what DustDevil wrote...it totally makes sense. He didn't even say anything about you or treat you in anyway? He just replied that he was confused about your points. what the heck...

Dude, exactly what I was going to post. We California kids are awesome

Didn't realize the dad was contesting the DNR in the scenario, sorry. That's almost as straight forward, too, though. If there's a conflict about it, you do continue resuscitation.

We only use those forms when someone who wants a pre-scheduled ambulance transport for whatever reason even though it can't be justified by the insurance. Dispatch will inform them of the cost. I've never had that situation come up...

Could it just be that the original cause of the blackout (whatever causes it, lack of fluid? not enough juice/snacks) wasn't properly fixed so it kept happening... When I gave blood, I got a "flash fever"........within a minute I was burning up . . . felt horrible, like I was sick in bed with a horrible flu...but times ten....the wet towels they put on me felt soooo good, exactly what I needed.

Same here (as what JP said).

Do feel there's a need for needle decompression on the spot or is that something that takes a bit to develop anyway so it really wouldn't be needed immediately?

They might as well not have straps. Unless the patient is wide and goes past the strap holes of the backboard, they can still move an inch or two in every direction...and usually do. Our spinal immobilization is a joke...I wish we used the box method we learned in school. Much more secure. Of course, county FD c-spines pretty much everyone, so they don't want to spend too much time doing each person? I'll say that LAFD does actually do good c-spine. They have sheets pre-ripped that they tie around the patient at intervals from chest to ankles...almost mummy like. But County FD says it counts as "binding" which they don't allow.

What I'm sure all medics would be doing after getting shot is running away if they're able to. I don't have enough info on shootings to decide how aggressively the shooters would have followed the medics (trying to shoot them or just get them away from a scene/patient/themselves?).

It's usually community colleges that will offer that and it's only some. Call around your local paramedic programs and ask. There's some in Los Angeles/Riverside/SanBernardino area that do that.