Lone Star

When you're awarded "Honorable Mention", that just means you have to try harder next year to at least get "Third Runner Up"!

You've just got to LOVE stupid people! Burglar leaves his Facebook page on victim’s computer MARTINSBURG - The popular online social networking site Facebook helped lead to an alleged burglar's arrest after he stopped check his account on the victim's computer, but forgot to log out before leaving the home with two diamond rings. Jonathan G. Parker, 19, of Fort Loudoun, Pa., was arraigned Tuesday one count of felony daytime burglary. According to court records, Deputy P.D. Ware of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department responded on Aug. 28 to the victim's home after she reported the burglary. She told police that someone had broken into her home through a bedroom window. There were open cabinets in her garage, and other signs of a burglar. The victim later noticed that the intruder also used her computer to check his Facebook status, and his account was still open when she checked the computer. The victim later noticed that she was missing two diamond rings from her dresser in the same room as her computer. The two rings were worth more than $3,500, reports indicate. During the investigation, a friend of the victim told her that he knew where Parker was staying, in the same area as the victim's house. Police then went to the home and spoke with a friend of Parker's. The man said Parker had stopped by his home occasionally, but he said the man didn't live there. He also said that the night before the burglary, Parker asked him if he wanted to help break into the victim's home but he refused. As of Tuesday evening, Parker remained in custody at the Eastern Regional Jail on $10,000 bail. If convicted he faces one to 10 years in prison.1 Woman arrested after theft of ambulance DEL CITY, Okla. (AP) — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a woman looking for her ex-boyfriend stole an ambulance and led troopers on a 50-mile chase from Shawnee to Del City. Troopers say 28-year-old Mindy Jones was at the hospital for a blood test after she was arrested following for driving under the influence and hit-and-run. Officers say she ran from the hospital and drove away in the ambulance about 2:30 a.m. Friday. She was spotted in Interstate 40 and troopers followed her to a home in Del City where she stopped in the yard and was arrested. While in handcuffs Jones told television station KOCO she "had the ambulance and had a pretty good time driving" it. Jones was taken to the Oklahoma County jail. Records do not indicate whether she has yet hired an attorney.2 Teen accused of climbing into the back of Haverhill ATM HAVERHILL — An 18-year-old local man was caught red-handed yesterday, said police, who found him inside an ATM he had broken into in the Bank of America lobby at Washington Square. David Haskell, of 101 Laurel Ave., cut a hole in the drywall above the ATM, climbed into the back of the machine, and was attempting to steal money from it when an alarm sounded, alerting police that something was amiss at the 191 Merrimack St. location, police said. "We answer so many alarms that turn out to be false, it's easy to get lulled into a sense of security," said Lt. Joseph Florent. "When you do find somebody inside a building, it's surprising." The alarm came in about 5:45 a.m., and an arrest was made shortly afterward. Haskell has been charged with breaking and entering, malicious damage, larceny, and possession of a class E drug (prescription medication). Florent said the patrolmen responded to the alarm and when they entered the lobby where the ATM is located, they noticed the hole in the drywall above it and then heard noise behind the wall. They climbed up to look in the hole and realized someone was inside. "He broke through the top of it and got into the back," said Florent, adding that it doesn't appear that Haskell was able to get his hands on any cash. "At one point, he popped his head up," Florent said, adding that once he realized he had been discovered, Haskell gave up easily and was arrested without incident. The bank manager and security officials were called in to secure the scene.3 German arrested after snorting drugs off police car A nightclub reveller was detained by German police after they caught trying to snort amphetamines off the top of their unmarked patrol car. Published: 1:58PM GMT 02 Mar 2010 The 26-year-old was lining up the powdered drugs on the roof of the car in a disco car park, when the two police officers surprised him, a Nuremberg police spokesman said on Tuesday. The man had no idea the vehicle belonged to the police, and it was coincidence that the officers - who were walking by their parked car - discovered him just as he was about to take the drugs. "He's got horrible luck," said Bert Rauenbusch, police spokesman in the southern German city. 4 1 Marshall, Edward. "Burglar leaves his Facebook page on victim’s computer." Journal 16 SEP 2009: n. pag. Web. 5 Jul 2010. <http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/525232.html>. 2 "Woman arrested after theft of ambulance." Muskogee Phoenix 11 DEC 2009: n. pag. Web. 5 Jul 2010. <http://muskogeephoenix.com/statenews/x546271400/Woman-arrested-after-theft-of-ambulance>. 3 Kirk, Bill. "Teen accused of climbing into the back of Haverhill ATM." Eagle-Tribune 14 JUN 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Jul 2010. <http://www.eagletribune.com/haverhill/x93715238/Teen-arrested-for-climbing-into-the-back-of-Haverhill-ATM>. 4 "German arrested after snorting drugs off police car ." Telegraph.CO.UK 02 MAR 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Jul 2010. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7352371/German-arrested-after-snorting-drugs-off-police-car.html>.

I hope I'm misreading this! It seems that fiz is saying that it't not that big of a deal because it's 'only CPR cards' Judging from the 'breakdown' of things, it looks like the majority was because of EMS CEU's (Continuing Education Units)/'Refreshers'. Personally, I don't care if it was continuing education for tying EMS boots! The whole point is that these people cut corners and obtained current certifications/licenses when they weren't in compliance with the rules. I'm actually apalled at the cavalier attitude that some have on this subject. We all cry 'foul' when we're not treated as a respectable member of the emergency services, and yet we stoop to such despicably abhorrent behavior. I've said this before, and it bears repeating. I don't care what the 'offense' was, everyone involved needs to have their certifications and licenses permanently revoked. To claim that 'taking someone's livelyhood away isn't fair', well let's talk about 'unfair'. Is it 'fair' to those patients that were treated by these fraudulent EMT/Medics? Is it 'fair' to the general public that these Instructor/Co-ordinators and State Examiners allowed this to ever happen? If these people had expended the same amount of effort and money to obtain proper documentation as they did to obtain fraudulent ones, none of this would have happened and none of them would be faciing punitive action. A 'mere CPR card only takes a few hours in one evening to do things 'the right way'. In Michigan, to renew my EMT-B, I had to sit through 30 different classes over 3 years in order to obtain enough CEU's (Continuing Education Units) to be eligible to renew my license. Most of these involved sitting in a class for a while and were free (Michigan didn't allow for online CEU's). The only 'investment' was an evening at a time. I don't know how MA does their CEU's, but it obviously can't be THAT different! http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/CE_Record_Form_BHPPA-EMS-127_12-06_186795_7.pdf Based on my experiences with license renewal with the State of Michigan (renewed 3 times after the initial license was issued), the key to doing this was not waiting till the last minute to start the CEU's. It seems apparent that these individuals waited until the last minute to start the process, and attempted to take the easy way out. "Emergency Medical Services Personnel." Forms and Publications for EMS. Michigan Department of Community Health, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2010. <http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/CE_Record_Form_BHPPA-EMS-127_12-06_186795_7.pdf>.

Apparently, the nine month suspension was the 'norm' for this whole fiasco. According to my count, the 211 punishments break down like this: 45 Day Suspension: 22 Nine Month Suspension: 181 Two year suspension: 4 Permanent Revocations: 2 Nine Months and revocation of I/C: 1 Nine Months and Revocation of State Examniner: 1 "EMT Master List." thebostonchannel.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2010. <http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2010/0621/23981055.pdf>.

That's like letting an embezzler keep their job until they pay off however much they embezzled before they got caught. They've already proven that they don't want to do what it takes to keep their license/certification current, so why let them have a 'second chance' at doing it again? With the multitude of EMT's and Medics waiting in the wings to get those slots, let those that are willing to do what's necessary work the field. At least it will prove beneficial to the patient, which is what it’s all about in the first place! We're not talking about an offense as trivial as slipping an extra donut or two into the bag for the customer, we're talking about putting people's lives at risk. 211 EMT's/medics have proven that keeping their education and skills current isn't worth the 'hassle'. If the punishment were to truly fit the crime, then they should have their licenses/certifications/privileges permanently revoked. End of story!

There goes the malpractice rates!

When my license for the State of Michgan expired, I was stuck in the State of Ga. I'm sure I could have fudged the necessary paperwork to renew my license without sitting my butt in the classes. Instead, I did the only honorable thing I could do...I started over (much to the chagin of my EMT-B instructor). Since I did the 'right thing', I've moved up one license level and am waiting for the next medic class to begin so I can go back to it. Had I been able to renew my license on time, I would probably still be an EMT-B. There definately was a 'reward' in doing things properly! *edited to correct grammatical error.

Should we presume that he doesn't like us anymore?

*does the 'No Bad Mojo Dance'*

I've sent him several PM's over the last month or so, and got no reply. I too am begining to be more than just a 'little concerned'. I hope everything is ok for him!

She admits that she should be punished. What does she consider an 'appropriate punishment' in this case? We're talking about people's lives in her hands. As far as the refresher courses having 'no bearing on competence and knowledge', just what does she think these refresher courses are for? How many times have we taken a CPR refresher course, only to find that the AHA (or similar agency) has changed the guidelines? Look at how many times the compression to breath ratio alone has been changed! When I first started they had just changed from using one hand to 'scoop the back of the neck' as we tilted the head to open the airway. The compression to breath ratio was 5:2. Then a couple years later, they changed it to 15:2. Now it's 30:2, and there's talk of the AHA changing it again to 'compression only'. Yeah, it has nothing to do with competence and knowledge..... These courses are mandated for this very reason. To keep abreast of changes in policy, and to implement new practices based on studies of 'the old way of doing things'. These courses aren't mandated because the state/province thinks we have nothing better to do with our time, or to make things complicated for us. They're mandated because they're a necessary tool to keep us up on our knowledge and competency of our role in emergency medical intervention. The fact that MA has suspended her for 9 months for knowingly breaking the rules is far better than the alternative (which should be the 'norm') and revoking her license and certifications PERMANENTLY. As far as what she's going to do.....the only advice I can offer is: "Suck it up, cupcake! Take your lumps, you've earned them.".

In light of there being documentation that the patient was prone to unprovoked attacks and violent behavior, then the responsibility to decide whether to sedate this patient or not should fall squarely on the staff (ie: Doctor) of the facility initiating the transport. I don't believe in procedures that are initiated out of 'revenge' or just to make our jobs easier. Since there is a safety concern, then the treating physician should have either ordered restraints or sedation prior to begining the transportation and transfer of care. Furthermore, it's always been drummed into our heads that we explain everything we do as we're doing it. I really dislike the idea of 'blindsiding' a patient (giving them something without telling them what it is or what it's for). Far too often, we get frustrated with patients that we see/treat that are taking meds and have no idea WHY they're taking them. We encourage our patients to ask questions to be absolutely sure of what they're taking and the effects of the meds they're tatking. To circumvent that by administering a drug without telling them what it is and what it's for, seems unethical and hypocritical at best. If we start randomly sedating based on 'feeling unsafe', where do we draw the line as to what's a 'reasonable expectation/feeling'?

My biggest problem with this instructor was the fact that they really taught nothing. Here's your assignment, if you have any questions; here's my email address. Oh wait! I don't check the email address I gave you on a regular basis! My bad! If you're not capable of running a virtual classroom, then by all means, feel free to go back to the 'brick and mortar' format. Do yourself and your students a favor! *DISCLAIMER*Herbie, this is NOT directed at you! The 'you' in this instance is my former instructor. I'm one of those students that uses multiple inputs to 'lock it in'. I don't think that I'm being too demanding when I insist that the instructor do their job. This is MY education, and if I don't ensure maximum exposure, then I've faild myself, just as the instructor has failed the entire class.

I can understand needing some time to get your head 'back in the game' after losing a family member. I'm not completely heartless. The thing is, the Department Head offered to cover the class while the instructor got it under control, but the offer was refused. The instructor basically did NOTHING other than hand out assignments. The final exam was over material we never covered in 'class'. I'm glad that the class is over and I passed. I've got that credit out of the way, but I can't really say that I learned a damn thing. I actually feel cheated! I'm in college to LEARN, not just 'get credit' for logging into a website 3 times a week! Fortunately, the more 'important classes' (like A&P) will be taken in a real class room. I'm NOT going to take the easy way out, there's too much riding on it. I've had some amazing instructors, and I've had some that make me wonder why they're even 'teaching' in the first place. If this is how the instructors are in the regular schools, then it's no wonder why these kids aren't learning anything!

After the fiasco that was my Composition and Rhetoric class (online only), I think I'm cured of even considering an online course. Composition and Rhetoric was my English credit that I needed for my degree. We were assigned to write an 'argumentative essay' and given a list of topics that we could NOT use. We could choose from a list of 'current event' topics or we could submit our own topic for approval. We were given 4 days to research, write a rough draft (including an outline on the topic) as well as our final draft. Sure, it would have required more than minimal effort; but it was ample time to complete the task at hand. I submitted my topic for approval, and by the time I finally got it approved; I had less than 12 hours to do the assignment. Luckily, I had begun working on a different topic just so that I could turn something in on time. A couple of weeks later, we had to expand that argumentative essay into a research paper (final term paper). Again, if we didn't like the original topic, we could submit an alternate topic to the instructor for approval. During this time, the instructor's mother passed away and no one was 'running the class'. I finally ended up going to the Head of the English Department to file a complaint. By the time the whole fiasco had been resolved, I had less than 7 hours to complete the assignment. Fortunately, I had been working on the original argument in my 'spare time', just to see 'where it would go'. By doing this, I was able to polish up what I had already done, and turn it in. The point is, I had two assignments where the class had 96 hours avialable to work on each assignment (for a total of 192 hours), and I had less than 24 hours for both assignments. It wasn't fair, and I'm sure that my other classes suffered because of it. There were a couple of other assignments that were less than 'satisfactory' due to the inability to ask questions and get a complete description of the instructions. Had this been a regular 'brick and mortar class', I could have had instant approval and clarification before I ever left the classroom. I realize that my experience probably isn't the 'norm', but it does highlight at least one important issue that could be inherent in any 'distance learning' environment. Because of this whole ordeal, I'm leery of even having a 'web enhanced' course. This was a 'mere English' credit course. I shudder to think if it were a more 'involved' course, like Anatomy and Physiology!

[sarcasm] If that's 'too old', I'd better just quit now! At 45, I'm currently in college pushing for my Associates Degree in Paramedic Technology. I've had several 'setbacks' along the way. Maybe they were 'signs' from above that I should just give up! [/sarcasm] The bottom line is this: What do YOU want to do? If you're physically able to do the job at hand, then there's NOTHING that can stand in your way. I've worked with medics that are into their late 50's - early 60's that were more than able to do the job of people half their ages! The ONLY thing that can prevent you from reaching this goal is you! Not only am I pushing for my Associates Degree in Paramedicine, I'm also considering a second degree as a 'fall back' option.

It was explained to me in EMT-B class, that the standard pulse-oxymeter can be 'tricked' by CO. In some cases, the SPO2 reading was in the high 90% range on patients that had just been taken out of a high CO environment. It was explained that because of the fact that CO has a 7 times higher affinity than oxygen, this causes the false high reading.

Ok, I guess it's 'confession time' here.... As an EMT, I looked at a lot of the medics I came in contact with as 'pompous asses' because of their attitudes toward the lower license levels. This thread has forced me to re-evaluate my position. As I climb through the license level ranks, I find more and more that there’s so much I DON’T know. I’m not the first EMT to come to this stark realization, and I know I won’t be the last to ‘figure it out’. Working my way through EMT, then EMT-I and eventually onto EMT-P, I find that when I was a ‘mere EMT’ I thought I knew it all. This feeling was great to hold onto, and gave me confidence to do my job. Then I went on to the EMT-I portion, and realized that I didn’t ‘know it all’ like I thought I did. But I learned more, and still felt good about it all. I was still confident, but looked at things differently. When I started my medic class, I quickly learned that what I really knew nothing more than oxygen, stop bleeding; and keep broken body parts from moving. Those that know my story know that I had to drop my medic class for reasons beyond my control. I haven’t given up, and will be working toward getting into the next class. As I wait for the next class to start, I realize how painfully inadequate my education has been, and how much I still have to learn just to be able to call myself ‘competent’. Terms like ‘good, great and exceptional’ will just have to wait. I do not deserve them … yet. As with every ‘confession’ comes the opportunity to eat a little crow. I think I’ll have mine with a generous dose of A-1, to make it more palatable. To all the medics that I call ‘friend’: I offer each and every one of you a sincere apology. While I thought that many of you were ‘harsh’ in how you dealt with the lower license levels, I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t out of ‘meanness’. You were challenging me to not only prove you wrong, but also push me into learning more. For that, I owe each of you a great deal of thanks and appreciation. This confession serves as a warning to all of those medics (and the Doc’s too!): Since you all have pushed me into going further than I thought I could, each and every one of you will be ‘hit up’ as an information source with even more questions than I’ve already hit you with! To everyone else: This site is a great place to ask questions, debate theories and ultimately LEARN. These ‘grouchy old medics’ may seem harsh and ‘mean’, but they’re only want you to push to be the best that you can be. We’re taking people’s lives into our hands, and the patient’s deserve more! When the ‘old hands’ around here challenge your posts; whether for content or spelling/grammar, they aren’t being ‘meanie-heads’, they’re pushing you to correct the ‘little mistakes’ before they snowball into ‘big ones’. One misspelled word on a PCR can change the entire meaning. It’s been said that those that have successfully completed the medic course (especially with a degree), have ‘forgotten where they came from’. Some have gotten ‘arrogant’ because they’ve completed the course; but most appear to be coming from the same position that the previously addressed medics are. In the United States, our EMS education is very lacking in content. The cliché “You don’t know what you don’t know’ is so very true. The ONLY way to get a glimpse of this is to pursue your education above and beyond the minimal course called ‘Emergency Medical Technician – Basic’! When I finish my degree, I hope to remain the same person that some of you have come to know and at least ‘like’. I’m going to push you as I always have to get more education. I’ve had to re-evaluate what I thought I knew and now have to look at things much differently than I did from the ‘safety’ of my EMT-B world. I hope that many of you will find yourselves in the same position! ER Doc, Thanks for reviving this thread!

Well said! I've long advocated a 'national scope of practice'. Aside from some minor deviations, I would presume that every other professional in the Allied Health Care field has pretty much the same scope of practice; whether in New Jersey, Florida, California or somewhere in between. This is a step that D.O.T/NHSTA/NREMT/NAEMT needs to take. While firefighting training/education isn't quite 'universal'; it IS close enough that I could fight fire in GA with little effort in school, since I was certified in MI. Some 'advantages' that the Fire Service has over EMS include: 1) They are governed by appropriate agencies. EMS should be governed by an entity similar to the AMA, since what we do is MEDICAL in nature. 2) The Fire Service has moved on from the whole "My title is more impressive than yours, so I get to be in charge!" mentality. While most departments have a 'universal rank structure', there are some 'deviations' (just what in the heck is a 'Water Sergeant' anyway?). Ultimately, they have a set structure to their hierarchy. EMS is still trying to create new 'certification levels' rather than just adopt a 'universal set of titles'. Granted we ARE included (even if indirectly) in the medical field, do we REALLY need 'specializations' in the field? The Doctors have earned all that 'alphabet soup' after their names because of YEARS of formal education. Do we really need to flaunt the 'certifications' we've attained after mere HOURS of education? (And the bare minimum hours at that!) EMS really needs to get past the "Me got bigger title, Me hero!" chest thumping and wake up to the fact that we are SEVERELY undereducated. The sooner that we admit this, the sooner we take a giant step toward being recognized as deserving the respect of professionals! As long as EMS resists this; the longer we will be treated like the 'bastard stepchild' of Emergency Services, and the illegitimate offspring of the medical profession.

tracymae, What I find disconcerting is the fact that you’re giving triemal04 hell, but you’re quoting MY post. I can’t figure out who you’re actually replying to. In the post you’ve quoted, (mine), I can’t see anything in there about ‘hating basics’. If anything, I’ve revealed the thought process I had at the time I got my EMT-B. I’m not the first EMT-B to think like that and I won’t be the last to think like that. Just because I can look back and relate the errors in my thinking at the time, does NOT qualify as ‘hating Basics’. I was an EMT-B for 12 years. I think that more than qualifies me to be able to point out the errors of my own thought processes at the time! I’m sure that you’ve had to have some sort of education above and beyond EMT-B to become a Medical Assistant, and a Pathology Assistant. We would presume that with that ‘higher educational level’ you of all people, should be able to see how woefully undereducated the EMT-B really is! With the credentials you’ve stated, I find your lack of attention to detail concerning, to say the least! When EMT-B’s feel that their education isn’t ‘enough’ ….that’s got to say something! It’s not that EMT-B’s are hated on this site; it’s the ones that think they can save the world with their minimal education. I’ve been through the EMT-B course twice now, (the first time about 14 years ago, and again about a year ago): I can see how much it’s changed and how much more ‘inadequate’ it’s become! In retrospect, seeing how minimal the EMT-B course has become: the idea of expanding their scope of practice based on this curricula, is insane at best.

Within the guidelines of Ruff's scenario, there is absolutely NO REASON an EMT should be performing ALS procedures! Each level of EMS has its own scope of practice. There is no reason to step outside of your scope of practice. If you want to do all the ‘cool stuff’ that the medics get to do, put your ass in a class and learn HOW to do it properly, WHY to do it, and WHEN to do it. When it becomes your scope of practice, then you can do it when appropriate. Question for the medics that allow things like this to happen: Are you REALLY willing to risk your license, your reputation and your job just to allow a lower license the ‘thrill’ of stepping into a Medics world? Is it a matter of being too lazy to do it yourself? Is there really any situation that comes along that is too ‘overwhelming’ for you to mitigate until extra ALS ‘backup’ can arrive? (This is excluding MCI situations and multiple patient settings). Granted, I’ve worked some pretty ‘hairy scenes’ where the medic could have definitely used a couple more hands for ‘ALS stuff’, but when I offered to call in for an additional ALS rig, was told not to. I have a difficult time stepping into a position that puts me into a scope of practice that is above my license level.

I don't know how things are done in the Pacific Northwest, but in GA, the EMT-I course (while combined with the EMT-B course) is 200+ hours IN ADDITION to the 120 or so hours of EMT-B. Since the EMT-B course must be successfully navigated first, by my figures; this equates to about 360+ hours to achieve EMT-Intermediate (and this is only the I/85 status). Here in GA, that’s what it takes to reach the MINIMUM level to be able to treat patients in the field. An EMT-B in GA usually does nothing more than chauffer (if they can get hired at that level at all!). This is a point that I’ve been trying to make for a while. Far too much of the emphasis on the curricula standards set forth by the D.O.T, NHSTA, NREMT and state and local governing boards for EMS place far too much emphasis on ‘minimum hours required’. This whole concept only serves to turn out students that have no real understanding of the human body, the systems that comprise said human body and how they actually function. By limiting this knowledge, we also limit the understanding of the effects of our actions and how they affect the various body systems. The whole post by tracymae is so rife with misconceptions and errors in critical thinking; I don't even know where to begin! While I was an EMT-B, I never understood this comment. As I delve deeper into my education, I find this statement to be more and more accurate. The EMS educational curricula structure is sound, each level is a building block placed on the level before it. The biggest problem I have with the whole curricula is that its focus is only on the ‘minimal education needed’. This is especially evidenced by the ‘patch mill’ schools that are churning out the woefully under-educated EMT (at any level). I admit to falling into the ‘We don’t need no higher education’ group as I started out on my EMS career. While I realized that the EMT-B was the thinnest part of that very fine line between the patient and ‘dead’, I felt that I had all the education I needed to go out and ‘save every patient’ that I came in contact with. I won’t be the first ‘former EMT-B’ to ever agree with that statement, and I know I won’t be the last! As one progress through their educational process, they can’t help but come to the realization that “So THAT’S why we do that!”. This has got to be one of the best ‘in your face’ comments I’ve heard in a long time! While I don’t agree with some of the things in the post that comment came from, I have to say I LIKE that last line!

Michigan Flight Schools

Here is the GA requirements for licensure. It also mentions how to apply for reciprocity: Licensing of EMS Personnel