Lone Star

I'm not going to say that my ex-wife was a tramp, but I DID find out the hard way that she was alot like Will Rogers....never met a man she didn't like! The biggest problem, was that she liked them a whole lot more when I wasn't home! Because of her, I have a philosophy on remarriage and its very basic, very simple and straight to the point: I'm never getting remarried...I'm just going to go out once every 4 or 5 years, find a woman I cant stand, and buy that bitch a house. It works out the sam way, but with less hassle and heartache!

I really hate to say this...but I for one am glad this isn't a local 'American problem'!

Ive noticed that with an increase in popularity with places like youtube and break.com, there is a 'market' for stupidity caught on video. I know break.com will pay $400.00 if your video gets on the 'front page'.... I'm pretty sure that youtube has a similar policy. I noticed this trend starting with the always popular "America's Funniest Home Videos". We all want our '15 minutes of fame'....but I think there are those among us that will do ANYTHING to insure they get theirs, and they're really not concerned WHY they get their 15 minutes..... just as long as they get it!

Does a spontaneous pneumothorax present with the same signs as a tension pneumothorax? I speciffically refer to the trachial deviation from midline, and JVD.

Would spontaneous pneumothorax present similarly as FBAO?

Place the patient in high fowlers position on the cot SPO2 assessed prior to administration of O2 (15 lpm via NRB) Reassess SPO2 levels Prepare for syncopal episode, have OPA and bvm ready to assist with ventillations. While getting the general impression of the house and pt, (obviously a full 'nose to toes' IPS isn't the main concern here) do we note any signs of trauma? I know you said that there was no signs of violence, but we also know that signs of trauma and signs of violence arent always the same thing..... Transport pt priority 1 to closest appropriate facility with ALS intercept enroute.

And testosterone is a bad thing....how?

EUREKA! I've just found Dust' newest 'favorite game' online!!!!! http://www.addictinggames.com/donttazemebro.html

I had a 10 year old male completely rip a suction unit off the wall in my truck. He was quiet enough getting into the rig, but when the doors closed, all hell broke loose! Needless to say, he got a nice set of 4 point restraints REAL quick!

Well said! I have to agree the 'not sitting in the recliner for a year' thing is just a pompus display of seniority, and teaches nothing, and breeds alot of unnecessary discord among the 'team'. I don't have anyone do anything that I am not willing to do myself, and if the new member sees me doing it, then it won't be viewed as 'punishment' or 'bullshit make work'. I think that rather than bagging on someone because they slipped up, take them aside, point out the mistakes and help them learn from it, as opposed to turning it into an 'ass jumping episode'. As for making the new person do all the scut work, while the rest of the crew sits on their asses, if I see something like that....you're automatically done! If the person working alone tells me its by their choice, thats a different matter, or if the other person is on restricted duty......but to just make that 'new guy/gal' do all the shit work....aint happening in MY house!

Congrats to medic-_texas! Also, congratulations to the runner ups! I thought there were some really great ideas out there...I did notice a heavy emphasis on the education aspect of our field, and I have to say "I am impressed!" Congratulations to the winners again!

[align=center:5b6fd07905]15 Weirdest Work Stories of 2007[/align:5b6fd07905] By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer Natural disasters, revolutionary technology, pro-athlete scandals and national calamities marked 2007 as an unforgettable year. Yet, amid these major happenings arose stories that were overlooked, unseen or ignored altogether: tales of our nation’s work force. Understandably, these pieces weren’t as newsworthy as Michael Vick’s dog fighting charges or Paris Hilton going to jail. But these stories held an angle unlike any other: They were just plain weird. Here are 15 headlines that exemplify the strange happenings that took place in the workplace in 2007. 1. “Employee eats 32 vending machine items for charity” A juvenile probation officer ate one of every item in a county courthouse vending machine in one day. She consumed more than 7,000 calories and more than 300 grams of fat, eating such items as beef sticks, candy bars, Pop Tarts and potato chips – all to win a bet with co-workers and raise $300 for charity. 2. “Cola wars get physical as Pepsi worker attacks Coke employee” Two employees from the rival companies got into a tiff over shelf space in the aisle of a Wal-Mart in Indiana. The Pepsi worker allegedly assaulted the Coca-Cola employee, hitting him in the face, giving him a black eye and breaking his nose. Police say the two were also accused of trying to run each other over with pallets full of soda bottles. 3. “Alleged robber asks victim out for date” After two men robbed a Domino’s Pizza delivery woman, one of them called the victim from his cell phone to apologize – and to ask her out. 4. “Four women fired for gossiping” Four women employed in a small New Hampshire town were fired for gossiping about a relationship between the town administrator and a fellow co-worker. They were fired on the basis that “gossip, whispering and an unfriendly environment are causing poor morale and interfering with the efficient performance of town business.” 5. “Eau de Lawsuit: Woman sues over scent” An employee in the Detroit planning department sued the city, saying a female co-worker’s strong fragrance prohibited her from working. The woman claimed she is severely sensitive to perfumes and her co-worker not only wore a strong scent, but also plugged in a scented room deodorizer. 6. “Salt lands McDonald’s employee in jail” A McDonald’s employee was arrested, jailed and is facing criminal charges because a police officer got sick after a hamburger he ate was too salty. The employee accidentally spilled salt on some hamburger meat and told her supervisor and co-worker, who “tried to thump the salt off.” The employee was charged because she served the burger “without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it.” 7. “Carpenter free to ply trade in the nude” A carpenter caught hammering nails and sawing wood in the nude says he prefers working in the buff because it’s more comfortable and helps keep his clothes clean. The carpenter was found not guilty of indecent exposure. 8. “Southwest Airlines employee tells passenger her outfit won’t fly” A Southwest employee asked a young woman in a short skirt to leave the airplane, saying she was dressed too provocatively for the family airline. The young woman was eventually allowed to complete her trip after covering up. On her return flight, she came home with no problem – in the same outfit. 9. “Employee accused of faking being cop” A Taco Bell employee was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer and attempting to arrest his managers and co-worker. He passed himself off as an undercover narcotics investigator, going as far as typing fake criminal histories on the general manager, two shift managers and an employee and telling them they were going to be arrested. 10. “Employee took 1 million screws home from factory” An assembly worker hid screws in a specially designed hiding place and took up to 7,000 home with him every day. Over a two-year period, he stole more than 1.1 million screws with an estimated value of $155,000. He allegedly sold the screws over the Internet at discount prices. 11. “Deputy nabbed twice for DUI – by husband” An off-duty jail deputy was pulled over and charged with driving under the influence – by her husband, a fellow deputy. She supposedly left before he could give her a Breathalyzer test, so he pulled her over again and called for backup. She was placed on administrative leave. 12. “Workers killed after seeking raises” A car dealership owner killed two employees because they kept asking for more pay. The employer told police he was having financial problems and was under a lot of stress. 13. “Man demands coupons from radio station employee” A radio station employee was threatened at gunpoint when an angry patron was unhappy with the promotional bumper stickers he received. The patron demanded McDonald’s coupons instead; when the employee didn’t have any, the man flashed what looked like a handgun. She searched her car and found a coupon for a free cheeseburger. The man took it, made a derogatory comment about the radio station and rode away on his bike. 14. “Wienermobile gets cop roasted” When a 27-foot-long, 11-foot-tall vehicle – known to most as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile – was slowing traffic in a construction zone in Arizona, an officer ran its “YUMMY” license plate to make sure it was street legal. A bad computer entry erroneously showed the Wienermobile as having stolen plates, forcing the officer to pull it over. After further investigation, the officer learned that the entry should have read that license plate had been stolen – but only if found on any vehicle that isn’t a giant hot dog. 15. “Drive-through dispute gets suspect jail food” Workers at a Burger King in New York got into a dispute with a customer after he refused to turn his music down while ordering at the drive-through. The customer grabbed the restaurant’s manager, tried to pull her through a window and then attempted to run over a worker who came to help the manager.

Anaphalactic reaction to the local?... As a basic, all I can do is load him up and scream really loud for an ALS intercept!

I'm sure Life Flight from the U of M would be more than happy to bring this young man to you!

Can the tonsil and adenoids actually become inflamed enough to obstruct the airway significantly enough to cause dyspnea? If so, what conditions are we seeing on visual inspection of the oropharynx? Any relief with the albuterol?

*stands back and watches Timmy work, ready to assist if needed*

Just for the record...a 'land line' is a phone that is hooked to the wall and requires wires to make calls....something like Ma Bell would put in your home.

The first thing I would do is set up a tuition assistance program for all employees, to upgrade their license levels (with the condition that if they don't pass the course, they pay back all the 'assistance monies' so that someone who will take the course seriously will be able to attend. Second, I would upgrade the old 'two man cots' to 'one man Strykers' to make patient loading easier. After that, I would insure all trucks had at least two portable air tanks per unit, two of the hollow core backboards (with new spider straps) and a new KED board. All the 'jump kits' would be hard case kits, to protect the contents from contamination. All outdated supplies would be replaced as well. Each unit would be recieving a laptop or other electronic device, for PCRs and incident reports, etc. Each unit would also recieve a new stair chair, for getting pts out of areas you cant put a cot. Depending on what was left over, I would consider elimination of the 'vanbulances' in favor of the modular units, so that with minimal effort, they can be converted from BLS to ALS use. During this time, I would also look into the feasability of establishing contracts with local hospitals and nursing homes, so that a steady flow of income would be available. Crew quarters would be stocked with more than a television and a microwave oven! All units would also have Pulseoxymeters and BGL meters on board. (I think I've already overspent my 'budget' here.....)

The big question here is...first off, is there anything you can really do even IF he tells you where it is? Since there's no time for PD to get there, evacuation seems hopeless as well......

OMG! You mean to tell me that we'll soon be working for Asysin2leads????

Hello 91-1? I just told my buddies, "Hey y'all, watch this!", and will probably need your services at 27845 Laurel Canyon Blvd in about 15 minutes. Can y'all start an ambulance that way now?

First off, Lucky~13, well said! We are only here to treat those that need our services. Whether they've done something stupid to themselves, or to someone else,..... we are not judge, jury or excicutioner. Regardless of what the patient has done to others, or to themselves, we are to remain objective, and are morally and ethically bound to give them the best treatment that we are able to render under the conditions and circumstances in which we find the patient. Secondly, Frog... To narrow down the general public to a certain demographic of the population that would HATE US' only shows your narrow minded bigotry. It's not a 'certain demographic of the population that would HATE US', but the general public that would hate us for violating the trust that we have worked so hard to establish! To sit there in and narrow it down to a 'certain demographic of the population that would HATE US' is not only wrong, but offensive as well. There are many of us that have treated that 'certain demographic of the population' without incident and without prejudice. Obviously by your statements, you have not or cannot do either. The true professional in EMS cannot and will not harbor animosity towards any 'certain demographic of the population', whether they hate 'US' or not. It's not a matter of 'US' against 'THEM', but rather a case of those who respond to those in need.

Yes, as an EMT, I am legally bound to report illegal activities, such as child abuse, elder abuse and the abuse of those that cannot take care of themselves, ie: the disabled child/adult that must have around the clock care. I even have a legal duty to report domestic abuse. I am NOT legally, morally or ethically bound to report John Q. Public that has a hydroponic marijuana setup in his back room, where he cultivates a crop for personal use. Since we don't go around working togather intel for the local/federal law enforcement community, THIS is why we can get access to places that the law enforcement communities cannot get to! The EMT that does NOT wear a badge will get better information, more truth from the patient that has taken illegal drugs because we do not have 'direct arrest authority', and the patient knows that we have to abide by some form of confidentiality rules. Even the Fire Department EMTs are more likely to get lied to because of the badge. When you're sick or hurt, you're not looking closely at the shape of the patch on the sleeve, but that 'shiny thing' on the chest. Granted, even the private company EMT that only wears a uniform, but no badge, will be ultimately lied to about illegal activity, only because the patient is already paranoid in the first place, and the uniform isn't helping things. The threat of reprisal WILL affect future patients care, because we will be thinking in the back of our minds, that 'our day will come', and those that we have ratted out WILL get even! Because of this, we will potentially miss signs and symptoms that can and will affect the patients condition and care. EMS has worked long and hard to build the small level of trust that we have now. If Homeland Security is successful in 'widening our scope of practice' to include covert information gathering, whatever level of trust we have with the general public will be lost forever! What's next? Are we going to be utilized by the local law enforcement communities for accident investigations, DWI arrests, arresting drug users for possession or dealers? If Homeland Security has their way, I see a slippery slope leading to EMS and the law enforcement community being inextricably intertwined....which could jeopardize any patient that we ever deal with after that! I'm all for protecting the community, our homes, and our country, but we are NOT law enforcement officers, and we should leave that job to them!

What I got from that blurb, was that the Oakland Fire Department is dropping the requirement that the applicants already be EMT licensed to apply. That way they can get the bodies in the academy. It didn't say anything about removing the EMS portion from their scope of service. They did mention that the EMT education would be part of the academy ... so whats the big deal here? For all the EMTs (regardless of their license level) that I hear bitching about how fire departments and EMS shouldn't share the same house, let alone be 'associated', what's all the gnashing of teeth about?