AnthonyM83

Errr, read the whole thing...

I'd say he has a right to post it. Stuff like this gets told a lot around the stations... but it's up to the poster to judge whether it'll be well-accepted or not. Honestly, little offends me, but I did think it dumb that they're just equating terrorists with Muslims. That's like a joke equating black people with criminals...yeah you can tell those jokes, but you better know your crowd (and Muslim/terrorism is a more real topic right now being at war and all and post 9/11 hate crimes etc)

*Head to forehead* Here we are saying you shouldn't do it for staffing issues. Do it if you're interested in helping kids explore a field, NOT to make up for shortcomings in staff (heh...) But seriously, don't use them as cheap labor. Address the problem and maybe reorganize your local EMS system. Who knows, the new way might spread to other areas.

Hey Fiz, I'm also starting to look into some instructing opportunities. Simple stuff like helping with skills days, traction splints, KED, etc. I wouldn't say I"m qualified to do any actual academic teaching, but I think I can be helpful with basic skills stuff that I've done in the field. I'm starting off by just volunteering at a school where I trust the instructors. I learn a lot each time I help out, mainly as a role-player, some sometimes some minor logistics, but I get to see how a lot of educators teach. I also help with the new-hire skills testing days at my company which turns into teaching when the EMTs have were trained with different equipment than what we have.

Seems like LA County's REGULAR protocols. Every ALS call - O2, IV, sometimes 12-lead.

You might already have these down, because they're so common, but for the common household pain meds, you could spend sometime in the medicine isle at Target or a Walgreens/CVC. See the name, then look at the box to see the generic name. Found myself doing that when buying ibuprofen.

Ah, but that is what people are expecting...wanting to get to the good stuff. The reason I wanted to put this scenario up is to review the order and methods of patient assessment. Perhaps be corrected on steps we might sometimes forget to take. Yes, the patient WILL have a serious injury, but it will not be a zebra...not really.

So, usually when a state department (such as CHP or EMS Authority) comes up with regulations that will act as laws, they post it for the public to see and give input. Here's a link to California EMS Authority's proposal for disciplinary action. It gives a legal minimum, maximum, and a recommendation. You get "time served" if your employer has given you the same discipline. http://www.emsa.ca.gov/brkissue/EMTMDOComnt.asp Mainly refer to the first link and Appendix C which is the "Cliff's Notes" version You have until January 11, 2008 to email adam.morrill@emsa.ca.gov with comments. This stuff will become the LAW that you'll be following. Here's an email of some of the pending disciplinary problems being handled: http://www.emsa.ca.gov/def_comm/2007120511.asp For reference, a PC 290 Offense, is any that leads to you having to register yearly with your local PD as a sex offender, public record. "Division 2.5" is the part of CA law that deals with EMS programs/setup http://www.emsa.ca.gov/Legislation/division25.pdf This is your chance to participate in your state EMS!!! That stuff we've been talking about, here it is!

It does, but I think it's more likely to happen with younger teens. They're also the ones our society tries to protect. It'd be nice to protect all, but after a certain age, it becomes harder and we accept adults might be exposed to worse stuff. Adults are also supposed to have better decision making skills on deciding if it's going to affect them bad enough that they shouldn't do the job. There are many exceptions, but I don't know of a way to tell if the 14yro or 16yro is the exception or not. Also, some places have more traumas than others, so carnage is routine. Like what? What things do "most" high schoolers have to see and deal with everyday that they didn't, either, in most communities?

I'm going to go ahead and refrain from commenting there....

A good lesson in marketing And for those of you who got this far in the thread, you won't be able to resist THIS one: http://af.lygo.com/d/gadgets/poke_gadget.swf

It wouldn't affect your growing up process at the age of 16 seeing things like a baby in microwave, machete'ed family, determining your friend dead at scene of accident, telling your other friend her mom is dead on-scene. It has to do SOMETHING to you. All young people (including myself) feel like we can handle it (and we do, it's not like we curl up into balls and cry)...but in America we have the chance to have kids grow up without seeing F'ed up stuff unlike other countries...when I think about my younger brothers and sisters, I wouldn't want them seeing that stuff. It stays in the back of your mind. Maybe an exposure or two is okay for that reality check you mentioned...not being invincible. . . but you don't want that to be a constant. I've SEEN it affect teen EMT's.

It's Los Angeles, it's hard to be more than simple technicians with the protocols.

But it also reminds you to provide good customer service. Even if you're not thinking in terms of billing, it puts you in mindset of leaving a good impression as you're representing a company and medical field. I usually think in terms of patient, though, but still remember they're also a customer for us.

Probably a bunch. A lot of schools don't have a minimum age limit. The curriculum isn't that rigorous.

I can definitely see how that'd be scary. Go in and consult with your doctor, there might be other options out there like Spenac mentioned...then you won't have to keep having that constant worry.

There are many emergencies where the patient can degrade very quickly (traumas and respiratory emergencies come to mind), so I would say L&S are appropriate, both to call and to hospital. Cardiac arrests also come to mind. Also, when discussing how much time L&S save, one must do it in relation to their own area. In Los Angeles, where every main street may be gridlocked for miles, L&S save significant time.

Gym, self-hypnosis, comedy DVDs/movies, hot showers, stretching/meditation stuff, relaxation tapes. Someone gave me the idea of changing fully in and out of uniform at the station, to make it feel like you're leaving the job back there and not taking it home with you.

I think it's a good idea for FF's to be EMT trained...even in non fire based EMS communities, the public sees FF's as people who could help them in severe medical emergencies. It's good to know about cspine, advanced first aid stuff, and recognizing some medical emergencies. BUT I don't like that so many people who have no interest in EMS or medicine take up space EMT classes. I imagine they also lower the standards, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE DUMB, but simply because so many don't give a flip about it and want the easy cert. Then in some areas they actually start taking up the EMT JOBS until they get hired with a FD.

It seems like anything you would start the pain/deformity/neuro/LOC algorithm for would qualify...because they're technically stopping you there.

Not with our c-spine. The process of setting up the backboard so straps don't get under board, our less than adequate belt system, grabbing at all the straps, sticking this head wedge thing onto board, and sticking the tape, with one person (if partner is holding c-spine) or even with many takes longer (if you're doing good cspine)...at least for us. If patient is altered and grabbing blindly at you (and your face/mouth/eyes/clothes/equipment/straps) with bloody hand, it takes longer than 2.

What do you guys say about blunt trauma to lower back? How do you immobilize? Not talking baseball bat stuff...just stuff where no cervical pain/deformity etc etc, except for lower back.

Funny how ERDoc mentioned a bullet traveling up the spine. On that call yesterday, the bullet travelled up his leg from what looked only like an ankle graze...until we felt it under his skin below his knee. I don't have the studies (PHTLS book cites them...I didn't get it b/c I was a role-player), but I wonder what percentage DO end up with spinal injury that manifests later...0%? Or 0.5%? Our protocol (a guideline...well technically) for EMT-B is ONLY based on MOI . . . For paramedics it seems to be what PHTLS says. So, if EMT's aren't supposed to take into account pain, deformity, neuro deficit, then almost anything would require immobilization... http://ladhs.org/ems/Manuals/Medprotocols/...obilization.pdf

Webster's has the term "tactical medic"? Or did you look up medic and then tactical? That's now a valid way of defining a term, since "terms" don't always mean the same as the definition of both words put together...

Had a multi-victim GSW last shift, medics & FF's were working on the critical patient, so they told us to just take one with a leg wound as our patient. It was one of the few times, I wasn't working in the back as the attendant. My (not regular ) partner wanted to c-spine instead of getting him on the gurney, out of the unstable scene, and transporting. I told him it wasn't indicated (no ALOC, no neuro deficit, no cervical or back pain, no deformity/wound to torso/neck/head), but he insisted again, and since it IS his patient and since I'd rather not argue on-scene we did it. But I realized how frustrating it is when providers aren't on the same level/type of training (which is something I like about my regular partner). Anyway, since the doc hasn't replied yet, what do you guys do for issue where there's might be lower back injury, but no index of suspicion for cervical injury. Just secure the back? Or c-pine just as part of the process of securing the entire spine?