somedic

Congradualtions: Welcome to the land of fat people, no sense of decency, and a government gone crazy! You should have interesting times here. There is always room for another witty Brit over here! Cheers! Somedic

Paramaniac: Thanks for bringing the ground truth to this sbject. I am told there are lots of people in the UK that want to be Paramedics. I would bet most UK medics would say the same things you are saying. I dont think anyone here is stupid enough to take nremtps idae too seriously. Somedic

nremtp: I neglected to tell you that I am frequently in the UK and know what life is like in the UK. I think you could better use your energy on bringing things to the UK like...A good steak. Rump steak served in all the pubs does not even compare. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see what other systems do. i would love to spend some time over there with you lot seeing how its done. You need to give up the pie in the sky and concentrate on being a good medic. Somedic

Ok Mate, You've been on the piss for too long or you more likely you are on acid. I'd spend the time and effort on something more beneficial in the UK. What makes you think that Paramedics want to come to the UK with the exchange rate as it is, the weather, and the violence that is growing against EMS providers over there. Do you really think Bubba the medic from rural North Carolina (for example) is going to be effective in Surrey, York, Edinburgh or worse yet...Glasgow? Also, just how many EMS providers do you think you could attract with MBAs and PHDs? Not enough to earn the quid you think you should get Im sure But keep us posted pipe dreams are fascinating. Somedic

Dust: +10 points! Another good post from you as I would expect. Total fitness is the right path. Functional fitness is another term heard out there as well. Im in a military unit where functional fitness is everything. On any given day we may march for miles with heavy packs,limb mountains climb ladders climb up ropes and slide down them, swim, kick doors down, break glass and window frames with hooligan tools, carry wounded people on litters or using the ever popular fireman's carry...all this and we must be ready to engage any enemy threat or treat wounded patients exhausted or not. Focus on endurance and not a quick use of strength to lift a patient with. You wont regret getting in shape. Good luck to you. Pm me if there is anything I can do to help Somedic

Thanks Admin! There are just some people who are going to be nasty even when you are being nice. Back on subject: Do you all think that ambualnces should be build for to accomodate "tater hogs" as part of a new design specification requirement or do you think that only a certain number of ambulances in a department should be "bariatric" units? I'm all for making every unit "tater hog" capable though cost is an issue...I know! Im interested in what you all are doing because this is a growing problem...no pun intended! Terri: Thanks for the kind words. I was getting beat up here. Somedic

Connie: So I have struck a nerve! I gave you some ideas on how to get started on the life change you apparently need and have not insulted you at all. If you are working in the field as an EMS provider, you should be seeing daily the reasons to modify your diet and to implement a physical fitness program tailored to your needs. As far as singling you out: Come on Connie! I have never seen you. I do not know you. In fact the only Cannucks I ever met were the ones I beat up in bar fights. In my previous posts about tater hogs, I was referring to fat patients that abuse EMS not fat EMS providers. I've done nothing to get banned from here. I love this forum and the people here. I think you will find that you over reacted and created unessesary drama for yourself. If I can be of any assistance to you in your fitness quest, please let me know. Somedic

Connie: Was that you following me around the Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002 , 2003 and 2005? Were you with me last month when I was deployed again to that other hot spot? If that was you Im sure you would have a different oppinion of my compassion. In fact some of the guys on my team think Im too soft and "motherlike" with them and the locals we work with I must have hit a nerve with you personally. Instead of expecting people like me to condone an ever increasing world of lard asses, get out there and make yourself less and less of one every day that you have. Simple exercise like walking is great and easy to do. Make fast food, and junk food you arch enemies. You owe it to yourself, your family and your patients. My comments about Tater hogs, Fat asses, land whales, Jabba the Huts etc are applauded by many members on the Forum. Move out! Break a sweat! Somedic

EMS49393: I some how see how you could irritate your co-workers and earn the title of "the medic no one wants to ride with". No one has said in this post that EMS should abuse or mistreat fat asses. I agree with you to some extent about underlying problems in patients,but it does not change the fact that tater hogs are a occupational hazard to be encountered on a regular basis. Heed some advice: Stop wearing your heart on your sleeve. Somedic

In my area of the country SE USA We call them "tater hogs". Like MedicNorth stated this is a trend. It appears to be fueled by super sized fast food,"all you can eat" buffets, high sugar snacks, and the usual American laziness. The typical tater hog around these parts has a sense of "the world owes me something". They have been on a constant diet of soda, twinkees, cheetos, and fried food. They sit on their fat ass all day eating and watching Jerry Springer because you and I are out working to support them through food stamps and "welfare". When they feel the need for a taxi ride they simply call good old 9-11 and two grumpy medics show up to cart them off to a hospital. They do not care if they are a danger to the crews trying carry them and if you get injured your management is likely to blame you in some way for things going wrong. It is best for anyone who is serious about working in EMS to consider that in the years to come, EMS will be used and abused by tater hogs more and more often. Department heads/chiefs should be proactive in "bariatric" (Fat ass) ambulances. I view tater hogs as another hazard of the EMS occupation....End Rant Somedic

How are you getting Paramedics to be your lab animals? Are you conducting research within a hospital based EMS system? What do you want to prove with your research? Sorry for all the questions. Somedic

So What would you rather do at a "paid emergency ambulance corp"? "Transport is the life blood of such organizations. Your chances of being getting stuck on a "BLS geriatric response unit" are way greater than you might think. Somedic

Dont forget morale boosting items like tea bags and whisky.

How did you arrive at your decision to use a 9-in roll for flutter valves? Somedic

Your findings are not suprising. Here is the reality of EMS and Radiological preparation: Unless anyone sees a mushroom cloud, EMS responders will respond into danger areas (hot zones) unknowingly and handle any medical complaints just like they do every day. We are the modern day canaries. The second and third wave of responders can assess the incident by the number of bodies lying in a hot zone wearing a star of life patch. Most EMS systems have little to no training in what to do at a dirty bomb or other less dramatic radiological incident and as I have seen in most departments in my area....no one cares to learn about Haz-Mat/Radiological response because its not glamourous like "tactical medicine" or riding in a helicopter.

Try good old hydrogen peroxide!

Congradulations so far: Here are some proven tips fro one who has sat on many interviews for EMS and the military: 1. Listen to the questions carefully. 2.Do not wear gangsta, NASCAR, John Deere, or sports related clothing to any interview. This should go without saying but Americans are obsessed with looking like a bag of shite. 3. Tell them that you want to go to Paramedic school as soon as possible. 4. Make it known that you are ready to continue your training and education. 5. Show you have a sense of humor when posible. 6. Look the MFers straight in the eye. This business eats timid people. 7. No cell phones or pagers. (again, this should be common sense) 8. Dont mention volunteer squads, spouses, children, or the need to be off work on a regular basis. 9. Do your research on the department before you interview. 10. Thank the interveiwer/s for letting you present yourself and leaving with a smile. Hope this helps Somedic

You will be back. We'll leave the light on for you.

Dwayneemtb: Im glad you approve! I just dont understand how some one could be of any real use on a ambulance if they always have to have two extra people to do thier lifting. This again points the need to eradicate volunteers in EMS and replace all systems with members that have passed a fitness test and can lift with out unusual problems. Somedic

Im not trying to be rude here but regardless if any laws exist for or against your husband becoming an emt, He will be a problem to himself and his department. What happens if he cannot get extra help on a call? Does he just sit there and wait on on extra help while some one dies because he cant lift? Volunteers are short most place to begin with and people in your department will tire of doing the lifting for him on every call. Your husband needs to gain some physical conditioning and over come this problem or move to something other than responding to EMS call in his department. This is a recipe for catastropy in so many ways. I wish him all the best Somedic

Asysin2leads: Excellent post bro! I agree that everyone should become a Paramedic because that would eliminate the dead weight oxygen thieving, lifer emt baiscs that plague some systems and are too lazy/stupid to go on UP to Paramedic school. Volunteers as has been dicussed numerous time are a thorn in the Professional Paramedic's Ass. How many volunteer Doctors, PAs, Nurses, etc do anyone see running around giving their education and training up for free? Somedic

How about "Crate" as in "Stand to!" "Stand to!" "Man your Crate...Man your Crate for an incoming call! Somedic

Squirrel killer:Thanks for that huge paragraph of "I've seen worse than you" experiences and absolutely nothing for advice....I think the easy advice is CISD. Cute screen name... Somedic

Well after reviewing your post I can conclude that you are very much a human being. You ran one of the most dreaded calls in EMS. It sounds like you and your crew did what you were supposed to do. One year later does sound like a long time to recover from this one incident but sometimes it takes time. Its hard to give someone advice on things like this but remember you did not cause the probelm you only responded to it. You gave that baby every chance at life that was humanly possible. Stay in touch with us here and let us know how things turn out. Sorry I could not be of more help but trust me I know what it is like for you. Somedic

Bushy.. Its a case of The truth hurts.