AnthonyM83

What does either loser or coolness status have to do with dedication level? Maybe it has to do with the reason for their dedication, but it doesn't debunk my statement. And go easy on them...if there's anyone to blame, it's the program coordinators.

There are many areas like that. Sometimes it's drugs or police explorer program. Drugs or fire explorer. Drugs or Boy Scout troop.

So, what was it that made it BS, again? If a guy calls 911 for chest pain, but it turns out not to be a heart attack, is it also a BS call? There are BS calls, but even now that you had the chance to explain yourself, I still can't find the BS'ness of the call anywhere.

Like one of the YouTube users who commented on the video page about being scared if he could handle the job, but if high schoolers can do it, then he must be able to, also. Maybe EMT and Paramedic should be considered different professions. Paramedic school takes time, money, effort, education. EMT could be done by freshmen in high school. They're not bringing down the profession...if they can maintain that EMT program for so many years without it tumbling down on them, then maybe the (EMT) profession was never that high to being with. Then again maybe these are just extraordinarily dedicated kids. I'm sure there's a lot of jobs they could do if they had the same motivation and were guided through it in a similar fashion.

Wow, bet teens have a lower mortality rate from MVA's over there.... But see you weren't learning about anything medical because it didn't interest you at the time...but it does interest those kids. They're probably better at the medical aspect then a lot of EMTs out here, because they have such a strong interest and to them it's a privilege to do that work. Passion if channeled properly can go a long long way. To kids like the boy interviewed, it's not just a hobby, it's the start of their medical career. The impression they have on patient is a valid concern, though. Not only because they're young, but the patient knows they're all rookies for sure, unless they were EMT'ing at the age of 8. I also listed some other concerns in my posts above.

Like when patients condition degrades...?

The program in Darien has been around for decades in different forms, so I imagine they have a long history of not getting in accidents, otherwise it wouldn't be financially feasible. Eh, faulty premise there Connie. You're assuming it takes general life experience and not good medical training and on the job training and EMS job experience to recognize anaphylaxis and treat according to scope.

That's probably the best reply right there. Are you mature enough to handle your friend's kid sister tangled under a tire? A wife and infant chopped up with a machete? Baby in the microwave? Pediatric drownings? The eyes of a wide-eyed 13mo old tracking you as you bag it hoping it lives, then goes into full arrest? Waiting in ambulance for PD while family of shooting victim cries against your window pleading to save their husband b/c they love them and don't want to lose them forever? And WITHOUT getting screwed up and becoming cynical at an early age and integrating well with society (NON- EMS society)? As far as my pre-med comment, I've found them to be more mature, have a true interest in patient care & medicine rather than L&S, and I've never seen one get fired for stupid screw-off decisions...they're usually the more professional. They've got more invested then just a fun gig. They also want to be the best, so study hard and are good listeners. I'm always happy when I get a premed ride-along...everyone has been a blast to have along. This was all leading up to my statement that they can be very competent in medical skills. The problem of course is the early exposure and dealing with the non-medical skill aspects of the job...the ones not tested by NREMT.

I meant to write pure breed. You get life experience from your own life, dealing with regular growing up stuff, your schoolmates, you coworkers at a job with people around your age or who at least acknowledge your age and treat accordingly (not that they treat you as kids, but maybe they look out for you), relationships, etc. Then when you get exposed to worse stuff, you've ALREADY learned to cope. I have an 18yro EMT friend and honestly, I've seen her slowly become more and more messed up from the stuff she sees. Not all areas might be that bad, but she sees bodies slung all over roadways all the time (more traumas than I get working in LA), she's dealt with more traumatic peds than I have, she's had to tell a good friend that her mom was dead, and she had to see one of her friend's lifeless body on a TC call. Honestly, it's Effed her up. I can notice it. PTSD is a valid one... I think they're more likely to get a career ending injury from playing sports, though. Most high schoolers are resilient. And you can still be a doctor with a bad back. There's a doctor at Stanford who I think is a parapelgic. Eh, not really . . . just someone who either likes or doesn't mind seeing screwed up stuff. When there's a bad TC, everyone wants to go. It's not like they're forcing themselves. When there's the occasional pediatric call that screws with you, it screws with you like it would a normal person...but then they move on and wear it as a badge of honor about what they had to see. Eh.

What do you mean by competence? If you're talking about actual EMT medical skills, I wouldn't agree, assuming there is a strict selection process. The EMTs in this video didn't seem like goof-off kids just looking for a thrill. Everything looked professional, like they took it seriously, and like they were bright kids. EMT is not that hard. A kid who is dedicated to treating the job seriously and has the intelligence and a strong academic background (even if they haven't done the upper level course-work) could do a kickass job. I saw no signs of whackerism, over-excitement, etc. They said one kid was pre-med, I imagine a large number of them are. If you don't expose them to the whacker side and only to medical professional side (which is what they want to be when they grow up), you could actually have a purse breed of competent EMTS...more than a lot of communities. The downside is they don't have as much field experience b/c they're all young and less life experience, problem-solving experience, mechanical motor skills, for figuring out problems on-scene. That and PTSD would be my only worries with THAT particular program, I think.

That's because you've been over in the sandbox for the last year . . . best of luck when you get back to Riverside County

Found this while browsing...Thoughts? (Embedding is disabled on their video)

I hate it when people say that there's the classroom way, then there's the street way. If you're school is good, they'll teach you the street way....the correct way to do things the street way, that is. They won't give you only scenarios where everything goes smoothly and you can do your assessment A, then B, then C, and just let you know that in the streets it might be different...they'll actually have you practice it. In my opinion. A lot of my student ride-alongs say they're told there's the school way, but they know there's the street way...I think they're trying to get on our good side by saying it and acknowledging that they're there to learn what we have to offer. I appreciate that, but it annoys me that the schools aren't giving more realistic education. I guess in the end it's because they don't have to....most EMTs probably never end up in a 911 job or get a crash course in the field...and no one complains.

He was probably previously an EMT..

We have one EMT who uses it and I know a county deputy who uses it (not TomTom brand, though). They say it works great for them. Probably more important for the cop, so he always knows where he is if he ends up in a pursuit out of his area. Neither should count on it all the time, though. Technology goes down at times.

Eh, around here FD does ask for standby, but it's mainly for possible patients, though some battalion chiefs do request the ambulance to stay while FF's do their work. I don't mind, it's not that often. I've probably done it five times in the last year. PD also asks us for standbies for SWAT activities. I don't mind, only done it once in the last year. It's called mutual aid. We ask for PD assistance sometimes, too. It's not a brotherhood or sisterhood thing, it's just providing favors to the people we work with and keeping relations smooth. In a way, we are all in the same boat...we all interact/deal with random members of the public and sometimes deal with similar headaches, schedules, liability issues, etc...so we're happy to help and take help to/from each other. Not really a big deal...

Boy Scouts is actually a pretty good idea. Probably not the actual scouts themselves, but the adult leaders who teach them the skills. It's probably good idea for your dispatch to have a phone list of resources for all these things. Why didn't FD handle this btw? Couldn't they easily call in for more resources for neighboring FD's, even if an hour or four away?

Why is it questionable? If they have the training and equipment and can get there faster and probably more safely than a big fire truck or ambulance, why would the need exist for EMS to go L&S, but not PD? PD's not going to transport...they're going to get there to defibrillate...the whole Early CPR Early Defibrillation thing leading to more saves. That's probably why right there. The officers don't want to be first on-scene and do all the medical stuff. I've ridden with over 60 officers and I've never had one not roll code to a legit emergency because of a safety issue. Might as well not roll code 3 to catch the guy burglarizing your house or to an attempted sexual assault if the event is over and rapist is fleeing, if it's too dangerous to go code to a cardiac arrest and you have an AED.

That doesn't quite make sense. Why spend all that money on AED's then? For the one time once a decade that someone's going to go down in front of an officer with the AED? I've never heard of police departments being that worried about public safety from going code 3 that they won't even light up for a legit medical, especially if they're carrying an AED. This is a case where you can actually save a life, unlike most of the things PD goes code 3 to. Not all cardiac arrests are a lost hope if you get there early, do good CPR, and early defib....

I'd ask what a site rep is...and if they had equipment to airlift him out from that location. Otherwise, I guess you'll have to makeshift? I've learned about these situations, but perhaps you could secure him on a long spine board and loop a cord around each of the four sides and have you rapell up the side of the cliff with the board to keep it from hitting the side of the cliff. Any medical helicopters available from neighboring areas? If it's a cliffy area, you would assume someone would have proper rescue equipment, airlift baskets, etc...

I have no problem with anyone treating it. It's great you guys have meds for it. It's just that I don't really see it as an emergency or requiring an emergency treatment (except for the the examples given above about morphine or MI's which was a good enough reason for me). Good point...though N/V by itself is an approved BLS transport, not one of the many cases where they pawn off ALS calls to BLS crews.

Do they officially respond without lights and sirens? Or are they doing without them because they don't like medical stuff and don't want to be first on-scene?

Be sure to bring two-player games, so your patient won't get bored...

It boggles my mind that you guys actually have meds for nausea / vomiting. That's a BLS transport for us....

I'm sure Dust always carries protecton.