ClutzyEMT

I saw that... It's so frustrating when people think that they HAVE to get out and drive in weather like that!! Truth be told, most people have enough food in their cupboards to last at least a week if it came down to it, but they still have the 'need' to run out and buy milk or some stupid thing that isn't worth losing a life over.... Stay safe "up" there my friend, we are just getting the beginning of the weather now with visibility less than a quarter mile....praying we make it thru w/out a call.....

According to Lulu.com, this Steve has also written PDF books on Workplace Motivation, Binary options, and How to settle your own IRS Tax Debt Guide...... I read the first six pages free on Lulu and must say, the spelling errors and the use of the wrong words for the context didn't give me confidence.... I would think if the writer was truly wanting to help, he would request to add it to the download page rather than make a few bucks underhandedly..... I think I'll stick with using restraints when needed for my hostile patients, I don't usually have the luxury of standing around on scene analyzing my thoughts when faced with an "escalating" situation.....

Are you asking how hard it will be for you to get malpractice insurance? Or what type of insurance? Or are you wondering how hard it will be for you to obtain employment...guess I'm not sure which you are asking. If it is the job, then I agree with those above, take the time to go and talk to any prospective employers, introduce yourself, be out front about the "incident" and the fact that nothing has happened since, etc..... If it's insurance, well that's a whole different kettle o fish......

After a very long and trying week with everything meeting me at the door each and every morning and demanding my undivided attention at once, it was nice this morning to get a phone call that I have never ever gotten before in my life~~ Ring~ Me~ "Hello" Female Voice~ "Is this Tami *****?" Me~"Ummm, yes?" Voice~ "Well, you don't know me, but you know my husband." OMGosh....little voices in my head are running in circles yelling at each other "What did YOU do? Nothing, what did YOU do? Nothing I tell you! I've been sober for twenty years and haven't touched another ladies man....are you sure?? Yes,"......(okay, well you get the picture) Me~"Okaaay?" Then the "voice" starts out with a quiet little laugh that came across with slight embarrassment and then says, "I guess I just don't know where to start but here goes...You met my husband outside of the casino a few weeks ago. He was the one laying on the ground....." The memory comes flooding back easily, I had stopped at the casino on my way home from a meeting and as I was walking towards the hallway I suddenly felt a female security guard grabbing at the back of my jacket and pleading for me to follow her back outside where they had "a medical" down on the ground. Looking around and seeing no-one else following her I reluctantly followed her as she half ran back to the front of the casino where I was confronted with the sight of an older male lying face down in a pool of blood and several people standing around watching as another older male was feeling for a pulse. When I got close he locked eyes with me and said "I'm glad your here ma'am, he doesn't have a pulse." I went thru the usual questions quickly as I felt for a pulse and gathered the important information that despite the fifty people standing around, not one of them knew him and no one knew what had happened....the gentleman kneeling next to him tho tells me that he is an EMT "from 100 years ago" so I quickly inform him that we are now partners and CPR hasn't changed much so we proceeded to flip the gentleman over and begin CPR while the casino First Responders ran and got us an AED and BVM while we waited for the ambulance (did I mention I used to work for this ambulance? awkward) arrive we performed CPR. We managed to get a pulse back after one shock and I assisted ventilations with a plain old BVM while we waited for the boo boo bus to arrive. Seemed like it was a couple of hours but turns out it was only eleven minutes.... Just as we got a c-collar on the gentleman and had him loaded unto the spine board he lost his pulse again so we quickly loaded him into the back of the rig, restarted CPR, shocked and got a pulse back again. Long story short, I rode along with the gentleman to the ED in the back of my former employers ambulance (did I say awkward before?) where they stabilized him and flew him out to a higher level of care within the hour and I went home to wonder the final outcome. I have to admit that I googled his name a few times in the following weeks thinking that I would see an obituary and finally just kind of put it out of my mind.... Then the voice started to break up and said, "I don't really know how to tell someone like you Thank you for giving me 45 more years with the love of my life. The doctors told me that if you hadn't of been there and done what you did, he would not have made it. How do I tell someone thank you for that?" With a few tears in my own voice I replied....."You just did." Turns out he had a defib/pacemaker implanted and is back to his old self again....

Slow day....hahahahaaa...she said slow day....... Wonder if she is off cloning herself now... Hang tough and have a great time!!

OMGosh....I remember riding in the back of one of those when it was brand spanking new! I claimed it as my own rig for many yrs and nothing ever compared to it... RIP 1410 and I hope Trevor can bring you back to your former glory..... P.S. Glad the employee is okay too of course!!!

What part of South Dakota....I may know better companies for you in SD.....watch your backside with AMR because it is all about bringing in the cash for them.....

You might be in luck then!! The two dogs are currently working on'bloopers' right now... hopefully this time! Just remember, they come with the bloodhound attitude...and are non-returnable..lol! Last time we had pups at our house she had sixteen that lived...yikes

Thinking about our recent discussion on whether this happens "more" or if we hear about it more.... Praying for them...the rig doesn't look good...http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/8178/3956367?title=homepage_channel

Only if I get to come and use the rack there my friend. Are you hiring dinosaurs?? I like the idea of Halogen floodlights...could work dual capacity with them..

So where do we start? I have always been a big advocate of only using air medical when it is 'honestly' indicated and will be of benefit to save a life, but then when we have the air medical teams come to the area to give presentations or put on LZ trainings they advocate for ground to call them en route 'if you feel it could be of benefit to the pt' because they don't mind being turned around. A hospital I worked for in SD routinely sent the bird out to area's less than 50 miles away and in truth, by the time the bird was ready and the team, ground crews could have had the pt at the hospital..

A sad part of this is that in some parts of the world (Here) there are teachers that not only turn a blind eye to the bullying, but perpetuate it by joining in and 'making examples' of the ones who are being bullied, or single them out in front of classmates... I pray daily that my son will make it thru this year and never have a teacher like he does now. She has called him a cry baby, a 3 yr old, and spoiled in front of his entire class when he was struck in the head by a snow chunk with ice in it that left a significant hematoma for days..but she has 'tenure' and will be there until the day she seizes up and dies at her desk...god help me if I am ever called to her emergency...

I am the proud new owner of a pair of thinsulate lined "Hunting" bibs... of course they are about eight inches too long, but I'm sure I can walk that off in a few years...LOL...plus they give me room to grow in the belly region just in case winter lasts too long. The Large in the youth was a bit snug so had to go with the XSmall in the 'grown up' section. (after searching several stores for an XS) I was fortunate that I had both a hoodie and a turtleneck on as well as my polar cap so my face stayed protected pretty well but I've always had trouble keeping my hands and feet warm and I'm sure this experience will not help in the future. Today was in the 20's so I'm hoping the bitter cold snap is over for this winter. Usually when we have a bad accident in this area we can call in resources from 15 to 30 miles away, but due to the weather and blizzard conditions we did not have that luxury this time. I will be putting into place an SOP that will include a "calling tree" for back up during storm conditions as well as HP or LE to transport them to the scene if need be. The back up personnel will be notified during stormy weather that they need to prepare to possibly be called out to a scene should we have something like this in the future and there will be another crew left in town to cover that as well. Fire/Extrication has also been putting their heads together and trying to come up with some portable heat that could be transported in one of their units as well. Everyone was affected by that call, not so much by the nature of the call, but the complete inability to provide basic heat for the patients in such dire circumstances....

Is it just me, or is this happening more and more frequently? Both ground and air? Is it because of "social media" that it seems to be happening more frequently and we just didn't hear about it as rapidly or as widespread before? Thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of those lost~~

Sorry System.. -40 wind chills. The actual temp was around -19 with wind blowing up to 30mph at times. I am going to check with our local fire dept and see if they have an extra pair of the turn out pants. We did not have the available resources that night due to the weather conditions to rotate people out although I like that plan and will be working on some 'Extreme weather' SOP's to help guide in the future.

Unfortunately, working in those conditions have become common place here as well this winter. I had no choice with the windows tho, as three side ones and the front window were already gone when we got on scene..my pt's lower legs were entrapped otherwise I most likely would have controlled c-spine as best as possible and undergone rapid extrication. I just keep thinking that somewhere, someone has devised something to help protect us and our pt's a little better in these situations.... wishful thinking perhaps. Unfortunately my pt succumbed to her combination of hypothermia and life threatening injuries with prolonged extrication and I am still nursing some frost bitten fingers and toes despite the heat packs designed for gloves and boots. I almost think the heat packs excarberated the cold once they lost their'internal' heat.

Recently had a very tough call that involved extended extrication +30mn times, blizzard like conditions, and below 40 wind chills.... Wondering what others do to keep not only themselves warm, but their patient's as well...are there things others are doing? Looking for input besides the warm I'V fluids and blankets...

DFIB Instructor insurance intrigues me..tell me more. I have been instructing for quite awhile and I Honestly don't think I have ever allowed someone to test out that I don't feel is ready but have never thought about that type of insurance..thanks

Kate, Thank you~I didn't think about that aspect, but I will definitely keep it in mind. I have lived in this community off and on for the past thirty years and in my knowledge, we have lost teens to drunk driving and suicide, never a cardiac arrest but I will visit with some others on the squad. It's not set in stone so we can adapt if we feel this may be an issue. Thank you Ed, I'm still on the rez but only part time now. I left for a year and then went back full time which ended up consuming my life again~no time off, no one showing up for shift, and I morally could not walk away from a shift knowing it would not be covered so I ended up staying for days on end, only to have brand new out of class basics come in as my relief....I honestly think I came pretty close to a total breakdown to be honest with you . Never helps to work for an EMS program that has a Director who has never been inside an ambulance, let alone know what it is like to work 40 to 80 hour shifts....the straw that broke this camels back was when they built us a 3 million dollar station out in the middle of nowhere with no phones in the sleeping quarters then put up a huge sign that read "There will no longer be any sleeping between the hours of 0800 and 1800 hrs. You will be required to be up and active between these hours and interacting with the public that is welcome to stop in for assessments at any time."......another of the 'misc' rules was "No staff member is to be found sleeping in the recliners or on the sofa at any time. Sleeping must be done in the bedrooms!" (where there is no phone..and the reservation dispatch does not tone you out, they CALL you out by phone).....and then there was that car load of six fifteen year old girls that hit head on with a semi at 0300 hrs and all I had for help was my EMR driver, a rez cop, and two half sober members of the Fire/Extrication squad.....was time to walk away for awhile after that. I will occasionally agree to working a weekend shift when they need, but it's getting less and less. The ambulance here in town is really hurting and although it's stressful to work at, it's a different kind of stress if that makes any sense......and I can finally sleep more than a couple of hours a night. Walking away from the rez had to of been one of the hardest decisions of my life tho. I've made so many friends and become a part of so much out there that it was hard to pull myself away until I realized my eleven yr old deserved better than what he had for a mom at the time!! Hmm..we do have a squad member that is very active in the Boy Scouts...guess who I will be calling on Tuesday!! LOL great idea!

Oh em gee...LOL I had to play a troll for a bit this morning and check out the site.... I'm just wondering what this kid thinks a backboard and 'c-spine' is all about?? I HAD to copy and paste his directions: 47 General Discussion / EMS/ARFD RP treatment of spinal injuries « on: July 28, 2012, 12:58:36 AM » 1. make sure the scene is safe 2. stabilize neck with hands 3. get a backboard and C-spine 4. log roll the patient carefully 5. attach C-spine to patients head 6. slide backboard under and attach straps 7. transport patient to hospital and finally........this.......he thinks he's SAR Team too.........Noooooooo please say it isn't true..... 10 General Discussion / Request for added and changed EMS equipment. (especially for Engines and Trucks) « on: December 23, 2012, 02:48:54 AM » Hello fellow co-workers! I have taken a look at the EMS trauma bags that we keep on our engine and truck companies. I have some added improvements from me, an IRL Massachusetts Certified First Responder (CFR) and SAR Team Member. and this: 40 General Discussion / Re: EMS/ARFD RP treatment of spinal injuries « on: August 04, 2012, 01:32:41 AM » yeah im in a citezen community emergency response team and we olny got 6 hours of medical ops training i also got the FA/CPR/AED certs from the red cross Sugar you an FF or EMT/Paramedic? and this: 42 General Discussion / Re: EMS/ARFD RP treatment of spinal injuries « on: August 04, 2012, 01:26:17 AM » sorry my bad im 12 and not an EMT. Just read alot of books, watched too many episodes of emergency!, and got certified in First Aid/CPR/AED

Hey All you City Folks, One of my duties with my new part-time paid position on my local volunteer ambulance squad has been to develop a program to educate the general public about not only EMS, but the importance of at least knowing how valuable it is for everyone to know CPR. Developing the CPR/First Aid program was easy...getting the public to come to the training is becoming the difficult part so I've come up with an idea. What I'd like to do is get about six to ten people together and put on an evening "skit" or "play". And this is where I would love to have some input from fellow EMS'rs.... I don't want it to run longer than 30 to 45 minutes total. What I have so far is; Scene One will take place in the earlier 1960's There will be f few "older" men having their morning coffee at a local cafe. One of them will suddenly slump over in apparent cardiac arrest. Another will run across the street or call someone to activate the "local EMS" system. No one will perform CPR or assess for a pulse, etc. and then the local hearse will come screaming in at which time the pt will be loaded unto the hearse's gurney and placed into the back. The hearse will then scream off to the hospital with the pt and hand him off to the ER having probably done nothing more than put him on oxygen, if that. Scene Two will take place in the early to middle 1980's Another scenario with a cardiac arrest. Not sure what type yet but the "tones" will go out and an EMS crew in an Ambulance will arrive on scene. We have an old (not that old since I remember training on one actually...lol) Lifepack 5 that they will drag out of the ambulance and attach and use for the CPR scenario portion but it will be limited what they do, no ET, IV's etc...in other words, there will be pt care done enroute but it will be minimal. Scene Three is going to take place in 2010 Another cardiac arrest of course Tones will go out, EMS will arrive and all of the 'on-scene' interventions will be done right there in front of the audience before the pt is loaded~~CPR, AED, intubation, IV's, etc. ROSC will appear and the pt will be loaded and transported. At the ER the doc will comment on how many things were done "enroute". (This is due to the fact that there are still so many people in our community that don't realize what actually can be done in the back of an ambulance) Scene Four is taking place in 2016 (Most important scene) Due to the fact that our community is struggling SEVERELY with recruiting and maintaining volunteers we are in danger almost monthly of losing our service if we lose one volunteer and despite all our recent efforts to bring in new people, we are still living on the edge of the unknown. This scene is meant to have an "impact" on two points~ the need for volunteers and the need for as many people possible to know CPR/lifesaving techniques just in case we do lose our service. This scene starts out with about six or seven teenage boys playing basketball. One of them will jump up to do a lay-up and as soon as the ball drops thru the hoop he will turn to high five one of his buddies then kind of stumble towards the bleachers and "go down". One of the other boys will check for a pulse and when he doesn't find one he will run to his backpack and dial 911. Thirty seconds later the tones will go out and the page will be "******** Ambulance, please respond to the city park for a 16 yr old male who is not conscious and not breathing. Responding unit please acknowledge page at 1605." Two minutes will pass with no action, no words from the 'cast'. Tones will go out again "********* Ambulance, please respond to the city park for a 16 yr old male who has collapsed while playing basketball. Not conscious and not breathing. This is your second page. Please acknowledge page at 1607." Two minutes will pass with no action, no words from the 'cast'. Tones will go out again with the dispatcher stating the same thing as well as that it is the third page at 1609. At this point, one of the teenagers will walk over and drape a sheet over the downed player.... Then the crowd will hear the "REWIND" sound that you hear when video's rewind and we will have three people scattered among the audience that you would probably never associate with EMS. First person will stand up and yell out..."Wait a minute! I know CPR! I went to the CPR classes last month!" and they will start heading towards the downed player. Second person will stand up and yell out "Wait a minute!! I know CPR too!!" and will run and get the AED in the entryway and bring it back to the downed player. Third person will stand up and yell out the same thing and will run over to the downed player, take the sheet off and the three of them will begin CPR..... END When it is over we will serve coffee and bars and have time for everyone to interact with the current members of the squad, ask questions, sign up for the next CPR classes, tour the ambulance etc... I now humbly ask for comments, advice, critiques, etc........ and thank you for taking the time to read all this!!!

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A car collided with an ambulance early Saturday morning in downtown Indianapolis, leaving one of the medics inside dead and the other severely injured. Police said the ambulance was not on an emergency run when the accident happened, shortly after 3:30 a.m. at an intersection near the Indiana Statehouse. Police said the ambulance had the right of way because it had a flashing yellow traffic signal, while the traffic signal for the car was flashing red. Watch Video Police spokeswoman Sgt. Linda Jackson said the impact caused the ambulance to roll onto its side and slide into an unoccupied parked vehicle, trapping both medics inside. Firefighters pried both victims out of the wreckage and they were taken to nearby Wishard Memorial Hospital in critical condition. Public safety officials identified the medic who died as Tim McCormick, 24, an Eagle Scout from New York who attended St. Lawrence University. McCormick, who lived in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, was driving the ambulance, officials said. The other medic who was in the ambulance was hospitalized in critical condition with severe head injuries, officials said a news conference. That medic's name was not released. No one else was in the ambulance. Both medics were wearing seatbelts, police said. The car's driver was taken to the hospital for a blood test, which is routine in such accidents. Public Safety Director Troy Riggs said McCormick's death is the first known line-of-duty death of an emergency services worker in the city's history. He said medics, police and firefighters are a family. "Today a member of that family is missing," Riggs said. He said McCormick's death will be handled like that of a police officer or firefighter. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said in a statement that McCormick's death was "a terrible loss."

Naw...I usually toss in an OPA, a couple of NPA's (one for each nostril) grab the sticky rolled up stuff I carry on my earpiece, then grab a few towels, chuck em under their neck and use that long sticky stuff to make about twenty wraps around the inserted pieces and the towel. Don't worry if you cover the openings with the tape, at least it will look cool and you don't want them to fall out if he attempts to move or breathe... If you want it to look really cool tho you have to cut the nostril piece off of a N/C then stick the two skinny ends down both NPA's in the nares.....if you don't have portable 02 handy blow real hard on the other end once in awhile.... Once that is accomplished I usually pull up a nearby chair, light a ciggy and wait for the big noisy bus to come and take over....

I'm thinking about having "The Hopper" hooked up just so I can go downstairs and when they call me for dinner I can bang my fishing net on the stairway and yell "Bring me some Pizza.........and a BEER!" That is if anyone will live with me when I get that old.......

Happiness, That sounds like the old CPAP machines....us