JPINFV

When I look at a FF "officer" I see them as an officer in the sense of a military officer. He is the one in charge. Unlike a police officer, I'm not expecting a FF to arrest me. Well, if you have a card, I would imagine that a card would be lighter and easier to carry then a badge. Also, more times then not you are not going to be questioned by the public if you act like you know what you're doing. If you are clearing a crowd and the people providing the care are not stopping you, then the public is going to assume that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Confidence is the key, not a badge. If you have a wallet card, do you think that people are going to change opinions because you also have a badge?

Congrats, it's terrorism. Now please educate me on how a terrorist attack is different then any other MCI in terms of how care is given or the problem of lack of equiptment?

First, I haven't seen anyone here make claims either way towards terrorism or not. Second, I fail to see how a terrorism vs not terrorism would change how an MCI is handled. Third, just because it is an MCI does not resolve the provider from doing stupid things. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Lets say this is that patient that probably has nothing wrong with them (c-spine is done simply because it is a trauma, thus everyone is c-spined), but wants to be checked out anyways by a doctor. Lets say that they have already used all of their back boards. Ok, C-collar and put them on the cot and tell them "Don't move". That still doesn't show how incredibly stupid it is to put the patient in BOTH semi-fowlers AND trendelenburg . There is a difference between a lack of resources and doing stupid things. Finally, please educate me on why stupid actions should be overlooks on, say 9-11, but not, for example, on other wide spread MCIs like Katrina? It's like saying that hospitals in NYC would be justified taking patients off of life support (similar to what happened in New Orleans) to make room in the ICU for 9-11 victims.

Leave it to someone who has a quote from Mythbusters to reject science fact for science fiction. Just because it 'makes sense' or 'has been used since the dawn of time' does not make it effective or worthwild.

The Trendelenburg Position: Another EMS Myth http://www.merginet.com/index.cfm?pg=traum...lenburgPosition

Maybe they induced arrest, revived with a defibrillator, then had another go at it. Hell, hoisting pigs and hitting them with base balls from a pitching machine sounds like fun. :twisted:

^ :roll: Damn Canucks! Don't you know that there is a world outside of North America. 8) :read2:

Well, if you google "EMT," the first web page you come up with is the Bureau of Labor Statistics page on EMTs and Paramedics. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos101.htm. The second website is the NREMT website. I'll admit that I came down hard, for multiple reasons. First off, with a little bit of research, he could have easily found out what those "whole bunch of different ranks and what not" are by doing a simple search (google, wikipedia, etc). I don't have time for people who want to be spoon fed basic information, EMS or otherwise. Second, he's excuse for 'just wanting to drive' is because he is a college student. I'm sorry, your schedule is between you and your company. If you have no backbone then your screwed. I would never, let me repeat that, never work on a school night. Once you're on the unit, you're screwed. You can't turn down a call because you have a test an hour after you are scheduled to get off from work. The simple solution would be to make it real clear during your interviews at companies that (assuming a Monday through Friday schedule) you are unable to work overnight or a 24 on Sundays and not during the week. If your company wants you to work, then make a decision to either take the risk of missing class or offer to resign. I've almost had to do that once (didn't go that far, but came to the line), but you have to make sure that you know your priorities and that you have informed your company of your schedule limitations and then you must hold them to it. Third, being in college is not an excuse to do the minimum. Out of everyone, the EMTs in college should be at the top of the EMT-B ladder. We should be the ones that are applying our education (especially if it is a bio education) to our patient care and educating our fellow basics in what we have learned. Now, I will grant that Rush is trying to be nobel and help people out, but you can help people out with an education in finance. I'm sure that there are plenty of non-profits that would love the expert advice and assistance that a person working in finance would be able to provide.

Google is your friend. http://www.med.ucla.edu/wilkes/intro.html http://www.blaufuss.org/ http://www.bioscience.org/atlases/heart/index.htm http://www.medstudents.com.br/pneumo/lungsounds/lungsou.htm

Complements of Turkey and JEMS.com, our contestant this time is an unidentified woman being taken to a hospital following an explosion in Turkey.

Just wondering, are you considering everyone who stops working EMS for what ever reason a burn out?

Precordial chest thump has been studied in a number of case series for patients in pulseless VT and VF. It has been found to convert VT and VF to a perfusing rhythm in some cases, but it also has converted VT to VF and VF to asystole in other cases. This intervention is no longer routinely recommended. http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic633.htm Thumping doesn't work [s:7d7b1c077d]well[/s:7d7b1c077d] in Swine, apparently: http://news.healingwell.com/index.php?p=news1&id=525548 Interesting article on the Thump and "fist pacing" from down under [PDF] http://www.resus.org.au/public/guidelines/...rdial_thump.htm I get the sense that the thump is next to useless, but takes no time to perform, so it's a nothing lost, almost nothing gained situation.

We do an amazing thing, apparently. We call it an ambulance, followed closely by Unit (as in "Unit 62" sucks because the driver's door isn't air tight"). Every once in a while the term "Vanbulance" is thrown around.

I think you misread my post. I'm not arguing against prehospital ALS. I'm arguing against transporting patients who are still pulseless and apneic. ALS still works the patient, but without improvement, all you are doing is toting around a corpse code 3. Unlike fine wine, cardiac arrests don't get better with age.

Jack Bauer is the main character in the TV show "24." He is a counter terrorism agent in the tv show. Each season revolves around a terrorist plot (including drama inside the Counter Terrorism Unit's (CTU) headquarters ) that unfolds over a 24 hour period. The TV show is innovative because each episode represents a 1 hour period in the day. In reality, it's an updated and urban version of Walker, Texas Ranger with a more continuous story line. Chuck Norris doesn't sleep, he waits.

Had a discharge where the patient (full code) was having labored breathing. Told the nurse, she administered another breathing treatment and about half way through wanted to know if we would transport with the tx still going. My partner (another basic) said yes because, "we didn't start it, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?" I said, hell no. Advised dispatch that we would be delayed coming out. Nothing happened that time. Personally, I don't care what the "repercussions" would be. I am not risking myself, my back, or my patient for my company. I'd rather be fired then sued.

Hmmm, they're just down the street from my apartment...

Umm, what other treatments would an MD offer for an asystolic patient (every code I've seen in the hospital [i'll admit, sample size is small) came in in asystole and left in asystole)? Also, if the patient has been resuscitated, then they aren't in cardiac arrest anymore. I'm not saying "don't treat or transport," but driving code three with a clinically, if not physically, dead patient outside of special situations (i.e. hypothermia, etc) is not going to benefit the patient.

Not that I'm arguing, but you could you that argument for just about every cardiac arrest, traumatic or medical. What's the point of transporting someone who is is pulseless when you're going to get to the hospital and the MD is just going to do the same drugs you are?

^ You have a problem of causation there. Is the cardiac arrest because of the accident or did the cardiac arrest cause the accident?

Umm, I am a basic and there are a lot of basics that have a holier then thou complex because they are basics. I'm comparing and contrasting my [apparently wrong] interpetation of itku2er's posts. -5 for not understanding the concept of using of similar examples to illustrate a point. -5 for thinking that examining the level of training and the amount of critical thinking that a lot of basics use is considered a "hit" or bash. The truth might be ugly, but it is still the truth.

:shock: :roll: :roll: :roll: :shock: You do realize that I'm not attacking all SNFs, so I have to ask, why are you protecting the idiots that you work with? I don't go around protecting dumbass EMTs that can't seem to do their job correctly, and I understand why most medical directors are hesitant to allow BLS crews do do anything but the most BASIC care that can be described as advanced first aid. :roll: :roll: :roll:

To reply to the OP about California, I'm not sure about the state cards (we just recently went to NR, so there are a lot of people still using the state cert), but both of my local cards ("Ambulance Attendent" licensed and EMT-B cert) are pictured IDs.

Good employees, good equiptment, and BE ON TIME. That is the one problem that every company in my area has, so call volume is constantly changing (you are on time, you get more calls ->you get overloaded, you start running late ->call volume goes down -> you are on time again). As one basic at my company once said, "If I was ever going to start an ambulance company, I'd call it "On Time."

coal