akflightmedic

At least this time it didn't happen in Detroit. Here is a little story out of Washington, enjoy! ----------- --------------- ------------------ Paramedic disciplined for leaving man for dead Tuesday, January 16, 2007 By JOHN BRANTON Columbian Staff Writer Advertisement A Vancouver firefighter-paramedic wrongly determined that a suicidal man was dead, only to learn an hour later that the man was still breathing, an official said Tuesday. As a result, Jesse Avery, who has been with the Vancouver Fire Department for three years, was placed on a 30-day suspension without pay Tuesday, said Fire Chief Don Bivins. Avery also has lost his status as a state-certified paramedic, which represents an advanced level of emergency medical training that some firefighters attain. He’s expected to continue working for the department as a firefighter, but will be on probation for three to five years, Bivins said. Bivins said the Willamette Week newspaper, based in Portland, heard about the incident and called the VFD to ask about it last week. After an internal investigation that began after the Dec. 3 incident, the fire department took action on Tuesday. The investigation revealed that Avery was sent to a west Vancouver location, where the fire department crew found a homeless man in a detached garage. He had what appeared to be a suicide note on his lap. Bivins said Avery examined the man, concluded that he was dead, and left the scene while police and an official with the medical examiner’s office remained. An hour later, Bivins said, the police and other officials called the fire department crew back to the garage, reporting the man was breathing. Bivins said he couldn’t identify the man, or disclose medical details, due to federal medical privacy laws. However, he said the man has been discharged from a local hospital and is alive. “There are very clear medical protocols to follow when you suspect a death in the field,” Bivins said, adding that Avery “did not follow all of those.” Avery cooperated during the investigation and admitted that he failed to follow the protocols, Bivins said. “I think he’s very relieved to have a job.” Avery told officials he didn’t want to speak with news reporters, said firefighter-spokesman Jim Flaherty. Bivins said it was the first such incident he could recall in his 31 years with fire departments, including 12 in Clark County.

Hmmm, despite what your title implies, I found I was able to both understand and laugh at the jokes.

Know your State's Motto: Alabama "Hell Yes, We Have Electricity." Alaska "11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong." Arizona "But It's A Dry Heat." Arkansas "Literacy Ain't Everything." California "By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda." Colorado "If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother." Connecticut "Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedys Don't Own It Yet." Delaware "We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water." Florida "Ask Us About Our Long-Distance Grandkids." Georgia "We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism." Hawaii "Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru." Translation: "Death To Mainland Scum, Leave Your Money." Idaho "More Than Just Potatoes...Well, Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good." Illinois "Please, Don't Pronounce the "S"." Indiana "2 Billion Years Tidal-Wave-Free." Iowa "We Do Amazing Things With Corn." Kansas "First Of The Rectangle States." Kentucky "Five Million People - Fifteen Last Names." Louisiana "We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign." Maine "We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster." Maryland "If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It." Massachusetts "Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's." Michigan "First Line Of Defense From The Canadians." Minnesota "10,000 Lakes...And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes." Mississippi "Come And Feel Better About Your Own State." Missouri "Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work." Nevada "Hookers and Poker!" New Hampshire "Go Away And Leave Us Alone." New Jersey "You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto, Right here!" New Mexico "Lizards Make Excellent Pets." New York "You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney..." North Carolina "Tobacco Is A Vegetable." North Dakota "We Really Are One Of The 50 States." Ohio "At Least We're Not Michigan." Oklahoma "Like The Play, But No Singing." Oregon "Spotted Owl...It's What's For Dinner." Pennsylvania "We're Cooking With Coal." Rhode Island "We're Not REALLY An Island." South Carolina "Remember The Civil War? Well, We Didn't Actually Surrender Yet." South Dakota "We're Closer Than North Dakota." Tennessee "The Edyoocashun State." Texas "Se Hablo Ingles." Utah "Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus." Vermont "Ay, Yep." Virginia "Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?" Washington "We Have More Rain Than You Do." West Virginia "One Big Happy Family...No Really, We Are." Wisconsin "Come Cut The Cheese With Us." Wyoming "Where Men Are Men... And The Sheep Are Very Nervous.

>NEW HUSBAND STORE > >A store that sells new husbands has just opened on 5th Avenue in New York > >where women can go to choose a husband. As you enter the store there is >a >list of instructions of how the store operates. >1. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE !!! >2. There are 6 floors to the store and the attributes of the men >increase as you ascend the flights. >3. There is however, a catch: you may choose any man from a particular >floor but once you choose to go up to the next floor you can't go down >except to exit the building. > > >So a woman goes into the husband store to find a husband. >On the 1st floor a sign reads: Floor 1 --- these men have jobs. >She ascends to the 2nd floor where a sign reads: Floor 2 --- these men >have jobs and love kids. >She ascends further to the 3rd floor where a sign reads: Floor 3 --- >these men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking. "Wow" she > >thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. >On the 4th floor a sign reads: Floor 4 --- these men have jobs, love >kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework. "Oh mercy >me!" >she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!" >Still she goes to the 5th floor and a sign reads: Floor 5 --- these >men have jobs, love kids, are drop dead gorgeous, help with the >housework, and have a strong romantic streak. >She is so tempted to stay, but goes on the 6th floor and a sign reads: >You are visitor number 31,456,012 to the floor. There are no men on this >floor. This floor exists only to prove that women are impossible to >please. >Thank you for shopping at the husband store. > > >NEW WIFE STORE ACROSS THE STREET >The 1st floor has wives who enjoy sex. >The 2nd floor has wives who enjoy sex and have money. >The 3rd thru 6th floors have never been visited.

Things You Can Only Say On Thanksgiving 01. Talk about huge breasts! 02. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist. 03. It's Cool Whip time! 04. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst! 05. That's one terrific spread! 06. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat. 07. Are you ready for seconds yet? 08. It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it? 09. Just wait your turn, you'll get some! 10. Don't play with your meat. 11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it in. 12. Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at once? 13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once! 14. You still have a little bit on your chin. 15. How long will it take after you stick it in? 16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up. 17. Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that! 18. That's the biggest one I've ever seen!

Sure you can do it Timmy, as long as you have a basic understanding of basic algebraic equations you will be fine. I am horrible at math, it is not my strong suit. I took Geometry twice in high school cause I failed the first time. I have a hard time thinking in the way they require. I also took two attempts at college algebra in order to pass. I just have a really hard time with math and it disinterests me so I think that is part of the reason I didn't apply myself as I should have. You will use math often in your drug calculations. You need to have at a bare minimum, comprehension of algebra.

I am hoping your post is not for real cause evidently you did not click on the link nor did you notice this is the FUNNY THREAD! As for people in Iraq dying, I am aware of that as I have many friends and family there. They also die in Afghanistan(where I am currently working and have first hand evidence of this), Djubuti, Philippines, Malaysia, Ecuador and many other places where there are operations going on fighting terrorism. Can we now get back to the joke at hand???

This cat was found abandoned in Iraq. His owner is believed to be hanging around the area but we are not sure. If you would like to adopt this cat, click on link below for his picture and instructions on how to do so. ------AK http://www.bigmattress.com/mt-archives/ATT14.html

Self defense is fine. I was referring to the lesson where you kick him three times while three other coworkers are restraining him on the ground. Reports state he was being threatening and agressive. In all my years, when this occurs I have done one of two things. 1. Got in my truck and left while notifying PD, dispatch and supervisor. 2. Walk away, leave the patient alone until PD arrives. I have never taken a patient down without police presence. I have been forced into bad situations by a psych patient where I had to defend myself but never have I attempted a takedown,especially whent he option of walking away is there. MA1- My Ass First! This applies to life, safety, health and career. Why risk losing any of these when a simple walk away will suffice? It will be interesting to see how this turn out.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs....ID=200670112002 Video shows firefighter kicking Portland man Associated Press January 12, 2007 PORTLAND, Ore. — Firefighters forced a 48-year-old Portland man to the ground and kicked him during a confrontation captured on surveillance tapes. The tapes, recorded from cameras placed in the lobby of the Fairfield Apartments in southwest Portland, show a tenant, Terry DeGeorge, arguing with firefighters and paramedics before being wrestled to the ground. While he was being held down by two firefighters and a paramedic, another firefighter kicked him three times. The Oregonian newspaper, which obtained the video Thursday, posted the footage on its affiliated Web site early Friday. DeGeorge said he suffered a swollen wrist, a bruised forearm and abrasions on his face. “It was animalistic behavior,” said DeGeorge, whose apartment manager provided him with a copy of the video. The video does not include sound. Lt. Allen Oswalt, a spokesman for the Portland Fire Bureau, said there would be a more complete picture of what happened if viewers could hear DeGeorge scream profanities. “He was being very aggressive, in your face kind of stuff,” Oswalt told The Oregonian. “Our firefighters felt threatened.” Oswalt said the bureau likely would ask the police to investigate the incident, which happened shortly after midnight on Thursday. DeGeorge said he was angry because he was awakened by a commotion in the lobby of the apartment that is home to roughly 80 low-income residents. “I spoke loudly,” DeGeorge said. “I was in a negative state. My vibes were not good.” But DeGeorge said firefighters should not have gotten rough. “Two wrongs don’t make a right. Instead of trying to calm me down by talking to me, they jumped me.” DeGeorge said he’s not sure if he will file a complaint. DeGeorge’s neighbors say he has a temper and can be belligerent. But Koddy Hart, who saw the confrontation from a couch in the lobby, said DeGeorge did not take a swing at the firefighters. “The way they handled it was totally wrong,” said Hart, whose call for medical help prompted the visit from firefighters and paramedics. AK, I added the youtube in your post - Admin

Dust you may be onto something...lol Just kiddning! I read the entire 3 page story and throughout it, they use EMT and Paramedic interchangeably ( I hate when they do this). Anyways, their unit was EMT Unit 30, so I don't know what level the guy was (doesnt really matter, does it)? It seems the guy in question was cleared by the intial investigation but not yet by the Sherriff's department. I do not know enough to form an opinion so I will only comment from personal experience. For years, I worked in an area where people magically had a thousand dollars anytime a cop talked to them or someone (EMS, police, fire) went through their pockets looking for ID or for medical alert cards. Or if they have $50, it was 250 dollars originally. Quite the regular occurrence. Was this a similar circumstance, I dont know but this syndrome is out there. I like how the article ends stating that the victim had done his time in prison for murder but he was good now and he was NOT a liar!

Good thing your spinning class was followed by Pilates or you might have been there! Had it been any earlier in the day you definitely would have been there cause they don't have Spandex Power Hour on Fridays! Richard Simmons still loves ya Dust.

No kidding! I have about 60 gigs of their stuff on my external hard drive. I am thankful for them as they have gotten me through some rough times!!

Well, Another company either has a better insurance company or they dont mind paying the higher rates to employ younger drivers. There that was simple. The cities and ocunties usually do not have such restrictions because they are self-insured.

The Turd Watch comment was sarcasm. We use that here a lot and no one believes it is the most accurate show. It is always referenced in jest.

Must be an age thing. It only took me a few weeks before I was looking....no blue pills in Iraq??? Oh wait never mind, you have had your RnR already so you got slapped with some reality. Less than 20 days!!!

No, I dont think it is worth your time to do a ride along. The age requirement was the first indicator to me that this is a non government agency so I looked at the companys website and confirmed what I suspected. They are a private interfacility transport service. Riding along is going to give you zero experience. Now if you are considering serious employment there and really really want the job, I am sure you might be able to persuade them to let you observe a typical work day or ride along for a few hours to see if it is what you really want. But it will not prepare you for anything emergency wise. So, my answer is NO, it will not be of any benefit to ride along, if they even allow it. They may prohibit it due to insurance reasons and since they have age requirements specified which is unusual for most services in FLorida, I think they will be leery of any non employees being in the unit and especially coming in contact with patients. As for them hiring you before you are even FL certified is a long shot. EMTs are a dime a dozen, so what makes you so special to employ before you are even legally allowed to be working by the state? Just stating a fact. There is no shortage of EMTs, especially when the private schools churn them out as fast as they can to make a buck. This is why the pay is so low as well, but then again it is north FL we are talking about so that is to be expected.

BUt Dust, I like wearing my banana hammocks. I was going to post pictures of me standing on the mountain top in the snow wearing nothing but my banana hammock with the locals. Guess I will just keep them private now... it's you guy's loss!!

There is a lesson within Michael. I will use it for one of those off nights, just to stir up debate. And laughingly, I actually thought of you when I used the word steal, I deleted it then put it back and said what the hell.

Michael that was absolutely beautiful. I like it! I am going to steal it and use it for future classes. Great lesson! Thanks

What is wrong with green EMTs having a career goal? Why is this so laughable? AT least they realize what they want early, they are inquiring how to make it happen, and then if they are determined enough and successful enough, they will get what they set out to do. This is no different than the new mail room guy wishing to be management one day. It is a career with many options and they are pursuing what they want. Why do you feel the need to chip away at everyone and think or insinuate their goals are any less worthy? So you don't see the glory in it...so what? Others might, or their reasons may not be "just for the glory". They could just have a lifelong passion for aviation and medicine, so what better way to combine the two. Geez, who cares why they are there. Someone needs to fill the job title and if it is them, so what. You sound hung up on the issue, but that is quite common attitude for many wannabes who never take the intiative to better themselves. I get so frustrated in this business, because the people that always try to get more education or move up in their career are continuously knocked down by others that are stagnant. Just let it go. If flying is not your choice, let it go. Do not pick on or belittle others who decide that is for them. Just sit back, say good for you and then go on about your life. Again I say why is it laughable to see fellow colleagues covered in vomitus? The "flight gods and goddesses", that comment alone reinforces my opinion that you have issues with flight personel. So they got puked on. You insinuate that they never got puked on before they started flying. Remember, they did not just graduate school and become a flight medic. They put in their time on the streets before transitioning to that job. Most flight medics remember where they came from. Yes, there are egotistical jerks out there, but there are just as many on the street as well. But if you are the type to laugh at someone when they get puked on simply because of who they are and the job title they hold, laughing purely out of contempt, then I certainly do not want you as a partner nor as a preceptor to any newbies in this EMS world. It shows such a lack of respect and integrity. I thought the military trained their guys a little better than this. I will clarify before you choose to argue this point. There is a difference between laughing with your partner for getting puked on than laughing at someone out of contempt. You described the latter situation. Real stand up guy, I applaud you. (sarcasm)

I will say by the information you provided, I do not believe you have first hand knowledge of the situation. It is MORE difficult to get hired as an RN than as a medic on a flight service. Also, there usually is NO pay difference between an RN and a medic on a helicopter. This is a huge problem within the industry and if you go to any reputable flight medicine web site, you will have all the insight you need to comment on these topics. First, RNs are usually required to have a minimum of 5 years experience in ICU or an ER setting. In addition, they are required to have many certifications that most nurses do not normally posess. Also, in some states, (FL for example) they are required to be EMTs as well, some go on to complete their paramedic training. Now, being that they need a minimum of 5 years in ICU or ER and the fact that most new nurses do not gain entry into these areas until they have done a few years on the floor, you are looking at 6-10 years before you are competetive in the flight arena. Now medics on the other hand, are a dime a dozen and willing to work cheap just so they can fly. There has been a huge proliferation of flight services over the past few years and many services have lowered their hiring standards. It is now possible to get hired as medic with as little as 3 years busy 911 experience. Thats it! Gone are the competitive days. I will say the only reason it is now difficult to be hired is due to the fact that there are so many applicants due to the lower standards. That is the only thing against a medic as far as competiveness. Pay for the two positions is almost always no difference. This is another huge stink in the flight industry. One always thinks they should get paid more than the other despite there being NO DIFFERENCE in the protocols. The medic and the nurse are the same on most helo programs. What one can do, so can the other. The reason the teams work is that they complement each other. The nurse usually has more critical care experience/knowledge and the medic has more emergent experience. The skill set is the same for both. So to answer your question, you will probably fly sooner as a medic, however in the long run it would be financially advantagous for you to complete your nursing. This is because nursing allows you many more options to fall back on and yes they do make more money in the hospital settings. Regardless of what you choose, do not stop learning. Take every class possible and resign yourself to the fact that it will be probably 5 years or so before you do fly, unless you go as an observer.

Well well well...you have so many different points to comment on, I had a hard time figuring out where to begin! First, your partner. He is new and inexperienced. A year and a half and used to be an FTO (WTF, how did this happen?). Forget what he thinks and be a little more choosier about who you admire or wish to learn from. I mean, everyone has something to offer, even if it is how NOT to do something, but please leave the mindset that since you are new, everyone must know more or better, especially since they have been on the job longer. That doesn't mean crap! Technically, most rules/services dictate that when responding emergent, you will have both lights and sirens on. Is this safe? Yes it is, safe in the fact that it saves you and your service from serious litigation. Seriously, however, you should always run both and not just one or the other but it requires discretion as well. If you are bumper to bumper looking for a hole to cut through, there is no point in wailing the siren on the car in front of you. Occassional toots and beeps of the horn will suffice until you are again rolling unimpeded. It is all about common sense. Night time/residential areas, again use common sense. You should NEVER be speeding through a residential area anyways, so I usually turn everything off. Its not like the lights enable you to get there any faster or safer. Now, as far as how you operated the vehicle. For the most part, you did right. You are in control, you are the operator. No matter what anyone says to you, who is ultimately responsible? You are! I do not even understand why you were running hot to start with if this patient was non emergent. If you were to get in a wreck or harm someone, would the patient care records justify your driving? That is something to always ask yourself. In all my years, there have been very few, and I do mean very few cases where speed was necesary for patients survival. I remember when I first started EMS, I thought everything was emergent. That was just the mindset of where I was at the time. It took many years before I got a clue and realized it was total BS to be driving the way I was for the majority of the calls. There is absolutely no need for it more than half the time. I had a very cavalier attitude, like being in an ambulance gave me the right to speed. I would get angry when people would not move, couldn't they see I was in an AMBULANCE!!! Regardless of my patients condition, I used to have these thoughts. What a clown I was! This attitude is still prevalent today among so many new hires and young people. I see it all the time. I love being a preceptor cause I ask them, what is your hurry? WHy must we speed. There are so many stupid reasons/responses to this question, it is quite comical. Anything from, I just want to get the call done to they interruppted my dinner. Very rarely is the answer, the patient condition warranted it. No one will dictate how fast I do or do not go. That is soley my decision as I have the wheel in my hands. I used to have a spaz partner that always wanted speed. He would yell at me and I would say ok and continue driving as I was. Half the time he didnt even realize that I never complied with his request. The other times we would have a nice llittle chat on the ER ramp. Remember, it is solely you that is ultimately responsible for the well being of all inside that vehicle. It is an awesome responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. The 8 minute response time is great when it can be done properly and safely. I will not change my safe driving habits to conform to a company benchmark, nor will I work for one which expects me to do so. You making an extra minute here or there for the most part is not going to change the patient out come. I surmise that you are in a heavily populated area that has ALS engines first responding. There is a medic there within 4 minutes for the most part, so do not compromise your life, health, or safety for someone else's emergency. You are the most important piece of equipment (this is how you should view yourself) and you are no good to anyone else, much less yourself if you arrive damaged or dead. I hate company benchmarks for time. DO you realize every time you break a rule to make the time, you have just supported the company in their decision to not place an adequate number of trucks in the street? You have justified why they should not hire more people. I am not saying be a rebel and drag ass every where you go, but never ever compromise your own well being to satisfy unrealistic numbers and continue the justification of understaffing or improper utilization of units. Again, your partner is an idiot. To not allow you to drive the rest of the day is juvenile and moronic. It shows you his maturity level, which is nil. Not very smooth for someone who USED to be a FTO. Maybe there is a reason he is no longer an FTO. Driving 75 in a 35 zone is grounds for having his license pulled immediately. There is never a need to go that fast, period. This shows total disregard not only for people out on the road, but it is disrespect for you and himself. He sounds as if he has "Big Box Syndrome". Too many people climb behind the wheel and think they are impervious to all which may harm. This is such a tunneled visioned way of thinking and it is what gets people killed. Me personally, I would get out of the vehicle. I have done that before. I told my partner to pull over and I got out. I called the supervisor and placed my unit out of service until such time that I got a new partner or the one I was with was remediated. I will not allow someone else to place me in harms way when it is completely preventable. I will not climb in a vehicle with a drunk driver, so why would I do it with a reckless driver? Can you live with yourself if the idiot kills someone and you never said anything the whole shift about his bad driving? You are doing the right thing. You are entering this profession with a clear mind. You are able to recognize what is right and what is wrong. I would like to think that is is because of all the wonderful advice you get here and your ability to continuously ask questions. Stay on the path you are on, stand by your morals and convictions. Do not get lazy and go with the flow. There is a majority out there that do not do right and there are a few that try their hardest. Be one of the outspoken, who are looked down upon and fought against when we try to do what is right for all involved. In the end, others will coform and say, ya know, he was right. We should have done it this way a long time ago.

Wow! Then you my friend is very very slooooowwwww.....lol 5 minutes and youo are already in the station?? All the sevices I have worked for has us being en route within 2 minutes. And no I never slept in uniform or with my boots on. I had a zip up jumpsuit for nights and zippered boots.