akflightmedic

Sounds to me as if the PART TIME FF/Medic did not have insurance and is supplying himself or a family member, Not saying it is right, but that is the only concievable reason I could think for doing such.

First, is this really Hammerpcp???? Where have you been????? Second, this treatment is not unorthodox, has been around for a very long time and it works phenomonally. I have used it on several occassions when other methods have failed. My last patient was a 43 y/o female that was inacute distress upon arrival, didn't respond to beta agonists and was getting ready to buy a tube. Did a little mag sulfate administration and she completely turned around, it was a good feeling for both of us. I agree it is an underused treatment for which there is no practical answer that I know of. I do recall an article questioning that very same thing. The drug is inexpensive and readily avaliable, so why isn't it used more often? It has always been an option however in the last few providers I have worked for.

Yeah I couldnt think of a witty comment about his wife so I left it alone knowing someone else would pick up the slack...LOL. Anyways, Somedic you reminded me of another point that I want to make...thanks. Several times it was mentioned about "putting something in someone's bottom" and now "man recieving man". This is the typical hangup when discussing this topic. It always comes down to man on man sex and that is usually the response most guys will give when discussing this. They will contort the face and say that is just nasty and wrong. But the second you talk about lesbians, or see lesbian porn/pics whatever, its all about "hell yeah, I am all over that!" So why the double standard? Why is it not as repulsive or disgusting when its two women instead of two men??? Michael....great post and great link to the article. Well spoken as always. In that article I did find it funny when it was comparing gays and lesbians and their military desires. I see this every day here. The Army has a HUGE number of lesbians and they are all well respected and tolerated (here at my camp). As far as effiminate men or even men that "acted" gay, I have only seen a handful and they were all Navy guys. Ironic?? Now I know there are gay men in the Army, AIr Force and quite possibly even the Marines (sarcasm), but they sure as hell do not show it and I am sure with good reason. This war is going to change many things and I think one of those willbe the acceptance of gays being allowed to be gay in the military. One major reason for this, which is personal observation from the various camps I have been at here, is the fact that so many weekend soldiers have been activated. In their normal lives, they are "out" and live their lilfe as they should. Now their unit is activated and they must conform and hide themselves 24/7 in these close quarters. Some of them have just said "fuck it, I am who I am and if they dont like it they can send me home." With the military already having to stretch to get adequate numbers to fight this battle, it just isnt prudent to start discharging over sexual orientation. Sex is not allowed on any of these camps over here. Yes, it happens but it isn't allowed due to General Order #1. There are married soldiers but they are housed together and are the exception. Hetero and homo sex just is not allowed and if caught you will face discipline actions. ANyways, great topic, lots of great responses and thanks for keeping it civil thus far.

Good Question, however I do believe this topic is under the NON EMS Discussion...

Yes but as with the Bible, there are people who pick and choose and how to interpret passages to fit whatever they believe in. This occurs everywhere. It is whether or not you are good, respectful and tolerant that makes the person, not which passgae you spew forth. As far as the gay bar....yes that is about sex but so is every other "straight" bar. Show me a nightclub where someone isnt trying to get laid. Yes I have visited them because they were the only ones open after the regular clubs closed at 0200 and they played really good music. The parades are about fun and good times. Again as someone pointed out earlier, there are those that are way too flamboyant but parades are all about being outragous. Are there no "out there" displays or costumes at Mardi Gras?? Certainly no debauchery there, everyone is so prisitine and virginal. Gay TV...well I must say I have never seen or had acces to an all gay tv or channel, however I do not mind my kids watching the sitcoms that portray such. As for the "predictable" debate, for such a thing to exist, one must provide supporting evidence or at least explain themselves, not just say it is bad and quote a few random passages. Why do you feel this way, personally? I truly am intrested and always listen. You have really not provided any evidence as to why allowing such would be a bad thing. Rid, you know I repsect you and I appreciate the way you presented your response. Well done sir.

If you notice, I said MAINLY Christianity cause they are the most vocal about condemning it. As far as the Muslims, you would be very surprised to find out what they are tolerant of. I know it sounds ironic but seeing is believeing and since you are not over here experiencing it first hand and just going on secondhand information, I presume you are spewing baseless facts. As for your wheelchair analogy, why yes they did have to get radical and shout to get their rights equalized. Ever hear of the ADA law? Americans with disability act...it guarentees these people equal rights and treatment and yes many people protested against this law because it was going to cost them way too much money to conform, plus they would have to make certain accomodations for employees. I love redheads...2 out of 3 of my kids are flaming red heads...my father and my sister are redheaded too...but I just never see any of them get discriminated against...maybe I am missing something?? But agian, you closed your argument with a reference to sex. It is NOT about sex! It is about two people wishing to love and be loved and afforded the same treatment as any other "normal" couple. You act as if you can pick out a gay person from any crowd simply by looking at them. This is not true. There are so many that hide it because we make it seem so bad. It shouldn't be that way. As for military service, our policy on that absolutely sucks ass! There are so many gay soldiers over here serving bravely, yet our top brass says Dont ask, DOnt tell. They will be court martialed or discharged if found out to be homosexual. That means they can not be open about any personal activities for fear of being found out. They can not say me and my BF went camping. or me and my GF did this. Why? They are just as capable soldiers as straight ones. This is not throwing it in your face, it is a normal copnversation topic just as it would be coming from any straight couple. But no they even have to keep that hidden. Being in Afghanistan, I have had the pleasure of being around a lot of NATO bases, ISAF soldiers (soldiers from every other nation). It is amazing the amount of tolerance displayed by these other countries and to see that there is no ill effects by allowing such. One day we will grow up and get our heads out of our asses!

Wow...Hmmmmmm it all boils down to anal sex. Can not even say those words without feeling disgust, shame, embarassment....which is it? What about straight couple that have anal sex, what about lesbian couples that don't practice anal sex? How do they all fit into this narrow point of view? Is a loving married couple(man and woman) that are devout church goers yet like some freaky deeky sex, even anal wrong? Will they perish in hell? All because they wish to express their love to each other in a committed monogamous relationship? It is not about sex. It is about two people loving each other. It doesn't involve you so why would you care? That is what we want to know. What is the justification?

When I woke up this morning and saw VS's latest topic, visions of posts reports started flashing before my eyes. I know this will become a lengthy discussion as long as we keep it on topic and civil. Thus far, I have been impressed by the replies. Please do not get off track by starting personal attacks. Let us focus on the question at hand. Now for my response. What a wonderful topic you have chosen! Honestly, I do not know why people have so much trouble accepting it. It does not mean you have to agree with it (as many other things in lilfe) but why make your own life and their lives more frustrating by fighting it or trying to discriminate against it. Why can one not allow two people who desire to be together and by all aperances be happy and enjoy life without someone telling them they are wrong and will suffer forever because of it. If that be the case, then so be it...but it is not your life, so let it be! What are the people so afraid of that are against homosexuality? Are they afraid of being recruited? I can say without a doubt, my life has been threatened enternally more often and I have had more recruiters at my door, malls and on the street by mainstream religion types more than I ever have by a gay. In fact, I have never been asked to join the gay lifestyle. I have never had my car covered in flyers, been woken up early mornings, or seen a little card left in the mens room stalls tellilng me I am going to die or that I need to join the gay lifestyle. I am disappointed!! The gay lifestyle is not based on total sexual debauchery depsite many claiming that reputation. Like Marty said, a small select few have projected that image and have sooured the majority's opinion of gays. But that small select few that always seem to disrupt are present within any group or organization. The same exist within any major religion. You have fanatics and you have easygoing people. A loving couple that wishes to unite should be entitled to all the misery that straight couples endure and should be afforded all the same benefits, such as tax breaks, medical and life insurance. Please do not tell me you would just marry your dog for the same reason because your dog does not enter the realtionship willingly! What it all boils down to is religion (mainly Christianity) versus homosexuality. Ironic isn't it? The love all, forgive all religion can not tolerate an alternative lifestyle. Homosexuality has been around since the dawn of man and it will never go away. Then people argue, well I am fine with it but how do I explain it to my kids? I don't want them exposed to that shit. Well, this statement has two problems with it. First, if you refer to it like that, then you still have issues with it and are not as ok with it as you think. Second, you expose your kids to it just like anything else in life that you deem negative. If you wish to teach your kids the lifestyle is something you do not believe or support as valid, that is fine but there is no need to breed hatred for it. You teach your kids about handicap people, fat people, they are all different and you tell them it is ok and not to make a big deal out of it. You see someone smoking, being mean or using foul language, you tell them some people do that but you do not feel it is ok. You do not teach them to be filled with hate because of it. The people that cannot talk to their kids about these things are the same people that don't even talk about "regular sex" with their children. They wait until the kids are in their tweens or early teens to try and mention it and by then it is too late. Sex education needs to start early and needs to start at home. Part of that education is informing them of all the possible relationships they may encounter so that they may be fully informed and aware and able to come to their own conclusions based on the things you have taught them over the years. When you taught your children the family religion, did you also tell them there are other beliefs but we do not follow that doctrine or did you just ignore it all and keep them in a tiny little box hoping it never gets opened? Ignorance is not bliss, it breeds major disappointment and confusion when one becomes no longer ingnorant. Personally, my children are very aware of alternative lifestyles. I do not speak negative of any religion or lifestyle around them as I want them to be able to make up their own minds. My daughter has a friend in one of her classes that has two mommies. Others view this as immoral while I view it as a child that is loved and has a loving family. How many children out there do not have parents at all or do not love them and we want to make an issue of this one child who has a family? It is that kind of mentality that irritates me. Just because the child has gay parents does not mean the child will grow up gay. That child may actually grow up to be more loving and tolerant than your average child. If the thought process says that a gay child will be produced by gay parents, why do gay children come from straight parents? I teach my children and live my life by accepting people for who they are. I don't care what belief system you are, what lifestyle you live, as long as you are a good, kind person I will repsect you and offer my friendship. The world would be a much better place were we all able to do this, but I know it will never happen so I do my personal best day by day and teach/lead by example.

OK OK you got me APRIL FOOLS!!! In all fairness, the first few posters knew it was a joke cause I tricked them all while in chat. They opted to post in ignorance to keep the joke alive. Hope everyone has a great day!! ( I was hoping admin would fall for this one as bad he did last years, along with everyone else) LOL

I just want to announce to my EMT City family that Afghanistan has been good to me. I have been here 7 months now and in that time I have had a very nice Afghani female translator assigned to me. Over this time, we have grown very close and we are in love. I never thought this would happen but it is, it is such a wonderful feeling. I have met her family and we have their approval as well as the village elders approval. My command of the Dari/Farsi tongue has helped reinforce their belief in me. I am wise to their customs and will be respectful of their rituals. Her parents are already talking about kids!! LOL I have begun the process of filling out the tons of paperwork and redtape to bring her back stateside. I will keep you guys updated and thanks for your support. When we have the time and place set, you all will be invited. April Fools!!

I do not know for sure as I am not familiar with this area, but I read another article that implied there were indeed some EMT workers that were not private. I agree if they are private EMS workers, the company that empoys them should provide any and all benefits. However, if they are government, they are entitled to the same benefit. I think the controversy was over those govt EMTs being excluded because the language was changed to keep out the privates from receiving this benefit. Correct me if my facts are wrong but this is what I understood the problem to be.

Death benefit for police, fire OK'd By TOM FAHEY State House Bureau Chief Friday, Mar. 30, 2007 CONCORD – Michael's Law, which provides a death benefit for police and firefighters killed in the line of duty, passed the New Hampshire Senate yesterday on a unanimous vote. The proposal, Senate Bill 169, now heads to the New Hampshire House, where a similar bill was killed this week. The Senate bill is named for Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs, who was killed Oct. 16 while responding to a domestic violence report. His accused killer faces a capital murder charge, which carried a maximum penalty of execution. SB 169 calls for a $100,000 death benefit to be paid to surviving family from an insurance policy the state will purchase. Current law provides a $20,000 benefit. The bill dropped language that included emergency medical technicians for eligibility. Instead, it creates a study committee that would find a way to cover them, and will decide how to distinguish between public and private service EMTs. The bill at one time was written to benefit Briggs' family, stating that anyone who died in the line of duty after Oct. 1, 2006 would be eligible. The amended bill dropped a plan to get a death benefit from the New Hampshire Retirement System. The system is seriously underfunded, so a change was made to rely on insurance. Prime sponsor Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester, said the state cannot purchase an insurance policy that takes effect retroactively. Sen. Jack Barnes, R-Raymond, said that in its current form, "No one is eligible for it right now, and hopefully no one will ever be eligible for it." Sen. Peter Burling, D-Cornish, said he will work hard to make sure the EMT question is settled in committee. The House killed a bill much like SB 169 this week. The main difference from the Senate version was that it included highway workers who are killed while working. House members disagreed on whether the bill should include EMTs, highway workers and others, or be limited to police and firefighters. D'Allesandro said he thinks this bill, with its committee to continue studying the issue, will pass in the House.

Relax...it is no more silly than you calling the rig a bus and saying you did 12 "jobs" instead of calls or runs. Its a geographical thing that isn't ever going to change, so just accept it or ignore it, and move on. Quite frankly, it seems only the people from the north east practice the silly name calling of bus and jobs.

Correct me if I am wrong but here you are recruiting for the UK, yet in another thread you are soliciting advice on how to come to America to work as America is great and has the best scope of practice. Is this true? I mean the part about you being hypocritical?? Sneaking out the backdoor while inviting everyone through the front...

Ruff, I trust your assessment. Yes I am impressed by his hanging around and not being a pissant like so many others, damn it I should of mentioned it. I get preoccupied and forget to give two positives for every negative...it happens sometimes. However, I was not that harsh, I truly wanted to know the answers to my questions. Anywho, we shall see...

OK, we will discuss what constitutes a save in another thread...however, you have not answered any of my questions. I do not think your elderly population can compare to where I came from...FLorida, the number one retirement center also known as heaven's waiting room. This is not a rough statistic, this is a fact....we were guarenteed a code every shift. They drop like flies every day there and more just keep replacing them. Usually there were several a shift throughout the coverage area, not just my unit alone. So based on your rough average of 2 codes a month and having 12 saves...that is very impressive. There are some very progressive/agressive systems that do a lot of research for the rest of the EMS community and they can not provide statistics as such. At this point, it is ok to eat some humble pie and maybe clarify the situation for us. Did you participate in all 12 of these saves? What was your role/contribution? What state were they left in at the hospital? What was their final disposition? Regardless of your answers, boasting of 12 saves is nothing to crow about. It truly is insignificant and no it is not because we are jealous or whatever other thoughts you may have. It just is not a professional statistic to brag about except maybe to other junior members on the squad I presume. We will help you, advise you and answer any question to further your knowledge and interest in EMS, however it is frustratiing when one is given advice and they miss the point entirely; it just means they are not paying attention. You have yet to give an intelligent well thought out answer to anyone's responses. I would like to hear more from you so I can understand where you are coming from, but you have to be honest and not try to BS anyone, especially someone who has been around the block.

Awwww, you guys beat me to it. ANyways, yes the question is what are you considering a save? 12 ROSC calls that survived to discharge is quite incredulous, especially at age 17 and on an all BLS possibly volunteer squad. You have yet to answer the questions I posed to you earlier in this thread. Knowing those figures would help me appreciate your situation, especially # calls ran and units utilized. There are members here who have been in EMS as long as you have been alive, I am almost there. I have worked in some very busy systems with very mixed demographics and a wide array of situations and I can not claim 12 saves to my name. DO yourself a favor and look at the research, especially the stuff put out by the AHA and tell me what they say about "saves". How often do they occur and how often does the person survive to discharge with all neuro intact and return to the same quality of life they had before the arrest. Now all of this is a moot point if your definition of a save is they got a pulse back before you cleared the ER. Regardless, to list such a thing as an accomplishment is a profound display of immaturity and lack of professionalism. SOmeone else said it earlier and I will repeat...your employer was probably being nice and was quietly thinking you are an idiot or very naieve. I will just assume the latter. We are not here to destroy you or discredit you but please note you do not need to put the fluff in our nutter sandwiches or anyone elses for that matter. ***When applying for a job, let your education and presentation of character do the impressing and securing of the job.***

Dispatch already does!! When I was in Lousiana doing that contract for Acadian, the dispatchers ask the patients weight. If the patient is 300lbs or more, two ambulances are sent. Great idea I think as it does not delay care by getting on scene, making the call and then waiting for second unit. (yes, second unit...fire and EMS are still seperate there in a major way)...

Wow , I must say that is an impressive record, however I would like more information if you would not mind. Over what time frame are those saves (last year, 5 years, 10 years??) How many trucks do you have? What is the population profile you serve? ( number of people and median age) How many calls does your squad run a year? How many of those calls are cardiac? Was there pre EMS CPR or AED? I ask all of this cause it is relevant for me to comprehend 12 real cpr saves to discharge, unless of course you mean they were discharged to nursing homes as vegetables. Thanks

So you are asking if the class will count for each of your students?? Well since your students are from all over, it will be up to them to find out if their state will accept it. If they are doing it for National Registry, no it will not count unless you are a formal registered class, licensed/recognized by a state or sponsored by a school, business, etc. The same goes for several states as well, so it is up to them or you to do some homework and make some calls. I am in Afghanistan myself and have already taught two EMT classes. I did them on my own time and did them through the military college. I had military students as well as WSI guys such as yourself ( I assume). Just be sure to do everything legitimate as you dont want to shortchange your students. If their state will not recognize the class because you are not a certified instructor in their state or not a certified course this could be problamatic. Now if you want some information on how to do a refresher that is sponsored by a legitimate school and recognized by a state and National Registry, send me a pm. I have a very simple solution for this situation. Good luck!

What?? Did I give away The Secret??

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick that day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's cell phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. "Hello." "Is your daddy home?" he asked. "Yes," whispered the small voice. "May I talk with him?" The child whispered, "No." Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is Your Mommy there?" "Yes," whispered the small voice. "May I talk with her?" Again the small voice whispered, "No." Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the Boss asked, "Is anybody else there?" "Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman" Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the Boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?" "No, he's busy", whispered the child. "Busy doing what?" "Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," the whisper answered. Growing more worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?" "A helicopter." answered the whispering voice. "What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive. Again, whispering, the child answered, "The search team just landed the helicopter." Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, "What are they searching for?" Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle. "ME."

Ummm, yeh I would skip the above link. Honestly I don't know where one finds stuff like this however to spare you guys the trouble, I will tell you The Secret. The Secret is.....SCAM! Yes, it is a elaborate website that is full of feel good words but lacking any substance. You know nothing of the actual product, UNLESS you are willing to pay to find out. That's right, you have to join and pay before you even know what you have acess to. Lots of paragraphs filled with sentences to make you feel you are lacking somewhere in life and this secret will fulfill all these needs. You will even get a great job, a great marriage, and many financial rewards. I have my own opinion on what will help you succeed in these areas, so just send me $29.99 and I will tell you.

They said ok, no problem....as long as I do not burn their poppy fields, only their competition's two provinces over.

Once you have spent a little time in this busines, you will realize the sad fact that the terms EMTs, Medics, and Ambulance drivers are all interchangeable. The media and the publlic usually know no difference.