Richard B the EMT

Just an observation from my experiences: Things can happen in the field, not just leaving the garage bay. While working for an IFT service, we brought home a patient, into a city housing project, in the middle of a summer day. Nothing to do with my Caddylance being in the middle of the complex, it was just folks getting out of hot apartments in large numbers. I had a bad feeling about the crowd we were about to drive through, to get back to the street, so I told my partner I was going to walk alongside the ambulance, as an additional set of eyes as he drove out. I'm glad I did. Some 8 year old, just as my partner decided to gun the engine to get to 5 miles an hour from 3, grabbed the door handle, and got dragged roughly 10 feet, before my yells alerted my partner to stop! With the exception of being in crashes, and near crashes, that was perhaps the most frightening moment I have had in over 35 years on the ambulances.

I can only address to the EMT-B level, where I have been for years. I had an experience with an instructor who made an incorrect statement, at a refresher class. Ever seen 30 EMTs, mostly half asleep at 0730 hours, suddenly sit bolt upright, and collectively imply "WTF" to an instructor? He was a good instructor. He realized he'd possibly made an error, said he'd check it out. In the afternoon session, he came into the room while another instructor was lecturing, politely interrupted, apologized to the class, first for the interruption, and then for the incorrect information, and gave the corrected information to us.

Actually, no, I don't believe you are. My girlfriend, Lady J, and I have an arrangement: I don't say anything similar to that, and she lets me live! (She's a purple belt in sho-go-tan karate, so I never want to get on her 100 pound, 5 foot 3 inch bad side) This is kind of funny, in a different way, as, while late night channel surfing, I have caught that song being performed (immaterial, perhaps by the same singer, or not) on a religious broadcast station!

I had mentioned the Jessica/Rabbit connection? I couldn't resist this link!

As he is a co-writer of this book, and a member of this site...

Mrs Bull, I realize you're basically forwarding a joke sent you via the internet, but if such person as described actually exists, they need a 24/7 home care aide, or minimally a paid companion. OMG!!! She is a danger to herself.

Dixie McCall, RN, was never in conversations indicating either if, or who, she was sleeping with, on staff at Ramparts General, or at LACoFD Station 51. "Nancy" on the other hand, doesn't even seem to be upset that her colleagues are making cash bets as to when she'll sleep with the newbie EMT. I emphasize, WHEN, not IF! "Chet" was intended as a part time comic relief, and when called on, always came through in a good "Fire Fighter assisting Paramedics" way. I have not yet decided if he has a counterpart on "Trauma". Chet's only brush with pushing his own fame came when he attempted to photograph the Station 51 crew doing a rescue, but got beat out by another Fire Fighter from another station, who photographed the Station 51 crew doing a rescue, INCLUDING Chet in the picture!

Working from my notes, here, as last week... 1) Why has Rabbit kept the boots from the helicopter crash? At least he ditched them at the end of the show, possibly as a step towards his recovery from the PTSD he denies having. 2) Nice lightning show with the sparking wire, the high fall, and the other electrocution/amputation, but are not bucket trucks like the one used have some kind of isolation to prevent the bucket operator from becoming a part of the circuit? 3) They never explained why the newbie fainted. 4) Smelling salts for an unconscious? Not within my protocols, what about yours? 6) Rabbit puking? At least they attributed that to the possible PTSD, which, as already stated, Rabbit denies having. 7) The 2 ground ambulance crewmen waited for the Police before entering the scene, yet they still go in early enough to "clothesline" the escaping perp? 8) I like the significant other being told, even though did nothing, "Shut up and be a Hero!" 9) Am I the only one noting that the patient in the explosion had the electrode pads on, but not even one shock was attempted, or even one attempt at an evaluation? 10) Already noted, FD didn't verify the building was unoccupied. Can you imagine the Chief of Department explaining 12 dead women in the basement of a building, even if they were prisoner/prostitute/undocumented "aliens"? 11) Hey! Fire was shown, here at the explosion, and later with the Re-Bar impalement. They do exist in the "Trauma" universe! 12) Even a trained MD sans license, working as a Paramedic, being assisted by a fainting EMT, would not attempt street-side vascular surgery, even under the OLMC Doctor's license. Or...Didn't we have, a few years ago, 2 Paramedics, operating under their OLMC, do a C-Section to remove a viable baby from a woman who died in the street? I cannot recall if the woman was a traffic accident, or a GSW victim, but it was discussed here in the City, if the Paramedics should be stripped of their licenses or certifications or not. 13) The pimp just waltzes into an ER, ordering the woman to go with him. One word. "SECURITY?!?" 14) When is the last time a "Line" helicopter, even though being weather related grounded, gets "rented" for a joyride and "Do It Yourself" psychiatric treatment session? The FAA should go after THAT pilot. 15) The fainting EMT is writing a book? I don't care if the writer was an unmarried supermodel, that would blow away any chance of nocturnal activity for me, too! Until the lawyers show up to clear any legalities, PLEASE don't tell me I'm going to be a character in your book. 15-A) The book I am thinking of writing is based on ambulance activities over 36 years of experience. Youse guyz is safe! 16) Almost forgot: The bicycle accident victim is Jessica, the rescuer is Rabbit? Where IS, and who framed Roger Rabbit, anyway? (Sorry. Jessica Rabbit is not bad, she is just drawn that way)

OK, I call for equal time: What do the gals do for dealing with stress?

So true. If nothing else, this incident is something to mention to others in all our respective agencies, as something to be attentive to, even if there is no official policy yet. Simple as telling 2 friends, who tell 2 friends, who tell 2 friends, etc. It's a first step, if nothing else.

In "Red Heat", the Chicago Police Captain, explaining about the big fish tank in his office as a stress reliever, asks "Ahhnold", playing the Moscow, USSR cop, what they do to relieve stress. The Russian LEO says, simply, "Vodka!" I personally don't endorse that.

However, things are fluidic, and in motion: After removing the front bumper's cone, and the operator is in back, removing the rear bumper's cone, someone flops down in front of the vehicle, and is not seen by the vehicle operator as the operator starts the vehicle forward. CRUNCH! Don't think it doesn't happen, as how many parents have walked to the back of their driveway to get into the car, and junior,on the big wheel trike, follows the parent, and ends up under the car, and both end up in the next day's newspapers? Hell, my next door neighbor's 4 year old is not even supposed to be in my yard, yet he crossed it, and was in my driveway when I nearly backed over him. I am so lucky I saw something in the mirror as I backed in.

If only from the crime lab procedural programs, by the time I can shine a "black light" onto someone, they're already on "the slab" in the morgue. A "tat" won't help, in my opinion.

I think the responses are more of a howl than the original video.

I recall being in only one, after a member, from the EMD I was then assigned to, committed suicide. I cannot state with any certainty if it helped or not. It did seem to help another service member, who had apparently helped put a premise history for the member into the Computer Assisted Dispatch system, that had an expiration date for the day after the suicide, to the suicide's address. She had been very "down" on herself for not recognizing "signs and symptoms" of someone planning suicide. A side-note on that: As I had been met at the door of the EMD by someone from the tour I was coming in to relieve, with the cold statement of "Did you hear? (Name) committed suicide!", the supervisors ordered the off-going tour not to talk to the oncoming tour, and they sequestered us into a conference room to "officially" announce our colleague's death to us, and proceeded directly into the session, with both the department's and union's CISD personnel in attendance (I was friends with both of them, as well as the deceased).

Hey! Welcome to the madness. You'll find us an opinionated bunch, and numerous amongst us are always right (even when we are not!), but all are willing to share. You'll find some ongoing battles between members, the majority of which are in fun, like spinac and itku2er. Just use the search feature to find if someone else has had similar questions to what you might ask, figure out a spell check program that works for you, and if you feel someone else had a bad answer, give your version as to why that individual was wrong. On that last, give something that stands to some form of logic, as I am only one of many who will jump all over someone for saying, in effect, "You're wrong because you're too stupid to breath without prompting" (used as an extreme example, although on the joke forum, there's one based on that as a "blond" joke). One more thing: Please, no shouting, here represented by going all caps. Again, welcome!

Perhaps you have to pour gasoline on it to extinguish the fire? LOL.

Has it been raining? I just stepped into a poodle. We're all just barking up a tree, here. That video is all bark and no bite. It is also the first indication that George Carlin was wrong when he asked what a dog does on it's day off, as it can't just lay around, that's it's job.

If memory serves me correctly, Johnny and Roy responded to a situation like that. It turned out the gas company repair guys were attempting to flush it's 600 PSI natural gas lines with an 80 PSI water main feed.

"M*A*S*H" was intended as a comedy. They incorporated into itself that the characters would mostly be serious in the operating room, but due to the frustrations of war, they'd be cut-ups (pun unintended, but nessesary)outside of the OR, to the point that they had one episode with no laugh track, placed entirely in the OR. "Trauma" is intended as a drama, with occasional leanings towards "dramady", a blending of drama and comedy. Due to the mistakes noted by us, and the existance of this string, they seem to unintentionally be more to comedy.

Brookhaven still has the bariatric unit. The nurses station has Richard Simmons on the speed dialer. For those who have no clue what I refer to, it is a facility where almost the entire 3rd floor's patient population weighs a minimum of 400 pounds each. When FDNY EMS responds to that floor, we usually run 1 BLS and 1 ALS, or 2 BLS, always assisted by a CFR-D (Certified First Responder-Defibrillator) engine company (usually E328 or 264), which accompanies us to the Saint John's Episcopal Hospital, roughly a quarter mile away.

Me too.

I'm being presumptive that this was addressed to me. A "Conditions Boss" is the lieutenant, or captain, patrolling the district, responding with the units as required, and generally making sure all the crews are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and keeping them safe. The "boss" also is the first EMS officer to respond to assume command at any MCI, relieving the "senior" EMT or Paramedic from the first-in ambulance's command responsibilities at said MCI. Note: our protocols call any incident that either has generated, or has potential to generate, 5 or more patients, as an MCI (Multiple Casualty Incident). The station I run with, Station 47, runs 4 BLS, 1 ALS, and 1 ALS HazTec unit, under one lieutenant, splitting his or her time between "patrol" and "administrative" as needed. The radio designation would be "Conditions 47" from my station. Optimally, there are 2 lieutenants on duty at all times, one on Patrol, one doing administrative duties, on each 8 hour tour, with the captain rotating a week on each tour.

OK, let me take them in order, as I was taking notes... 1) As noted, popping the eyeballs back in, instead of doing the gauze donut and cup trick? Even my Paramedics cannot do that one, so far out of (local) protocols! 2) Cute, Rabbit with the phony eyeballs on springs. 3) They must have a scriptwriter connected with the Johnny Test cartoon, "Sure didn't see that one comin'". The way the family was talking, I thought there was going to be a domestic fight, as they focused on the carving knife on the table, just before the car drove into the room (must have made a wrong turn at the kitchen?). 4)Madam EMT/Pilot is getting bloodthirsty, and is looking for jobs to go on. That is a New-Jack tendency, for sure. 5) See Johnny Test reference again: You thought the skate boarder was going to either get creamed by the cars, or cause a car crash. Nope, instead, he flipped over the safety railing, and rolled down the hill. 6) While I have heard of the hypothermia treatment, it's for cardiac patients, not spinal involvements. Also, even local protocol by me doesn't do it IV, just cooling the body under armpits and on groin with ice packs. 7) Doc yelled at Rabbit for unsanctioned out of protocol treatment. Good! Doc congratulates Rabbit for the save with same out of protocol treatment. Qualified bad! 8) I kind of like the colored tarps for MCI Triage. Add similarly flags, so if covered by bodies, and run with it. 9) How many times is a Medevac or LEO helicopter going to land on a random roof, before one gives way under the weight or vibrations? 10) I am against cell phone conversations from ambulance crews anyway, but texting during an MCI? My partner once got a cell phone call from the EMT driving another unit, telling us what we already knew from listening to dispatch radio: He was on a call! 11) Same Paramedic got text message now compromised, as family member now directly involved. What does you local protocol(s) say on having a service member on a potentially dangerous to member scene, when either a family member, or a partner, is in danger? Keep them away, allow them to work the scene, or what? 11-A)I'll launch a separate string on that soon. 12 Due to his compromise with family member endangered, he abandoned his post! I don't know about your protocols, but EMS doesn't enter a known live gunfire scene without an EMS supervisor, in communication with a LEO supervisor, giving authorization first. 13) Leaving good cover from gunfire to treat a patient is never a good idea, especially when you have no idea where the shooter is at. 14) Vests (soft body armor)cover the trunk, ballistic military helmets cover the head, but even this kevlar setup leaves the wearer open to a face shot. 15) Someone else noted Rabbit caught a shot to the vest, knocking him down. I'm told it is akin to being hit in the chest by a baseball bat wielded by Reggie Jackson in his prime NY Yankees days. You might get up, but with several busted ribs. 16) Please note, once again, I call it soft body armor, not bullet-proof vest, as, with the kevlar "cop-killer" bullets available, the protective vests work, but only to a point, and they will be penetrated, and the wearer ventilated.