Richard B the EMT

There is a meat turnover pastry from the island of Jamaica called a Beef Pattie. It can come in a really spicy variety. My parents went on vacation in Jamaica, and my mom, who had previously eaten the item here in New York, ordered an extra spicy one, presuming in the home country, it would be an experience. They must have wanted to protect the tourists, as what she reportedly got, was so mild, the commercially frozen regular ones here in New York were stronger by comparison.

Spen, you did note I said, as an EMT, I, personally would be uncomfortable with the longer transport times, due to me being used to the short transport times of my geographic service area (the city of New York). There is the story of 2 WW2 US Army soldiers, one a city guy, the other, a so called country hick. They were patrolling together in Italy, when they entered a barn on a farm. The man they encountered was milking a cow. "City" spoke the Italian language, and briefly spoke with the man. He seemed no threat. When they were leaving, "Country" suddenly turned and fired his rifle at the man, killing him. The man, on body search, was found to have a German hand gun, and German Army identification cards, in his pocket. "How did you know?", "City" asked "Country". "He was milking the cow from the wrong side." Days later, "Country" walked, alone, into an alley in a town, and was suddenly surrounded by "unfriendlies". Just as they were about to grab him, "City" suddenly appeared, with a couple of other soldiers, breaking up the ambush. Seemed "City" had recognized the signs of trouble "Country" would not have known about due to the different upbringing. Both had, due to their individual backgrounds, separate and special things ingrained into them, but, ultimately, knew their jobs. Putting that into an EMS framing, I know how to work in crowds, but might have problems with a snakebite, with the reverse from a "Country Cousin" I might be working with. Presumably, we'd combine our knowledge to get the job done. Neither is "better" than the other, just better skilled in different specifics, covering for each other, to the benefit of both, and, of course, the care a patient gets.

I just had a weird thought (not the first, probably not the last): The patient, or someone connected with the patient, just left a plate full of cookies, correct? Is it simply a case that would be described by "Daffy Duck" as, Or... Did the crew that worked the specific assignment have any problems with the patient or the patient's family? If yes, what might be mixed into the cookies? Did you just get a package of "Alice B Toklas" style cookies, with the LEOs notified that the station/garage/base has them, "Get the EMS people for possession of unauthorized recreational pharmaceuticals"? Or, truly the worst case scenario, what poisons have been added to the mix?

Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens said

Oops, didn't notice the sarchasm. We're still friends?

Chocolate/chocolate chip? Yummy!

People, BEHAVE! I work as BLS, in a 2 tier BLS/ALS system, with the ALS having both standing orders and specific medical areas where "Mother/Father, May I" orders apply. I also am admittedly spoiled by being usually no further away from an ER than 15 minutes, or a half hour from a trauma center, and about one hour from a burn, replant, or a re-compression center, without any HEMS being needed or required. I would be, by my current level of training and/or experience, uncomfortable working in areas where, even with HEMS, transport from the scene to nearest ER takes over an hour. I would guess that in some areas of Alaska, or other areas of the world, that would be the norm. However, my Paramedics, for what they do, and where they do it, are just as good as the Paramedics who routinely do the longer transports in "the wilderness", for what THEY do, and where they do it. Under both circumstances, they all are "Real Paramedics".

I thought the VW bug was an air cooled engine prior to the 1970 models? That was supposed to be why so many had engine compartment fires until then. (Don't hold me to the year)

It really is immaterial where they wait for the calls to come in. REAL EMS is taking care of the patients.

Adding to my previous posting, the call reports have spaces for time the ambulance got the call, time response started (usually the same time. Duh!), time arrived onscene, time en route to the hospital, time at the hospital, time back available. There is also other time boxes for when different treatments and vital signs were performed.

I'm told my brother's dog, Daisy, had "Separation Anxiety", and tore the house up when he, and the wife, were both out of the building. They told me she (Daisy) was put on "Doggie Prozac" for a couple of months.

With that Sat rate, I'd hazard a guess you'd gone a bit Smurfy, there. Also, unless you are an ultra-marathoner (I know at least one of them), with a BP that low, you're heading towards one foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel.

Well, wad'ya know! Dis be sumpin I's gonna take up with me posse, from toity toid and toid. Actually, when I have patients suffering injuries from either a fall, or something fell on them, I refer to it as "F. D. G. B. Syndrome..."Fall Down, Go BOOM!" (That is more or less a quote of the Tweety Bird, referring to yet another calamity befalling Sylvester the cat!)

...and then, there were the mid 70s Chevy Novas.

FYI, I not only go to the Darwin Awards link, I am on their mailing list! No, I don't contribute any articles, or at least have not done so yet.

Just mentioning that the Queens County (NY) St Patrick's Day Parade, held in my home area of the Rockaways (held the first Saturday in March), at least in the State of New York, is second in size only to the 5th Avenue one. That is only on the state level, I have no information on interstate. If Savanna has moved up, well, good for all the parade attendees!

Most of you know I've been an EMT from 1973. In that time, I have only seen 3 "flamer" wrecks. They all were high speed collisions, with spilled fuel that caught fire from sparks from ripping metal on the impact. Of those, the deaths were not from the flames or smoke inhalation, but from ejection from the vehicles due to no seat belt being worn. (One victim was found thrown about 100 feet from the car, which literally was split in two by the impact with the power pole. She was traumatic arrest, and pronounced on the scene) I agree, in part, with the statement on exploding cars, but it is not the cameras, but the special effects people setting the car up FOR the cameras. Hollywood, and now, also "Bollywood", are good at that, for dramatic effect. It seems to be a universal setup: Car crashes, and rolls, occupants escape through the windows, run or crawl roughly 2 car lengths away, and the car explodes, violently knocking the escapees face down on the street.

My mom has made statement that she is breaking the law: When a New York City Schoolteacher retires, he or she is supposed to retire to Florida. She didn't. Me? I just have, in Florida, a former girlfriend, whom I've lost contact with, just after Hurricane Andrew. She survived, but the contact was indirect, through her brother, who died last year.

No matter what the language, we ARE a friendly bunch. We are also opinionated, and do not always agree with each other, and give full voice to the disagreements. I was , admittedly, feeling left out, as all my school years, in foreign language, were in Spanish, not French, and I can't speak that either.

Continuing along on Herbie1's response, NYC outlawed "Drunk Tanks" around 1975 or so, due to numerous diabetics suffering the effects of their illness, which we know can mimic intoxication, who died in the tanks, which, incidentally, were IN the ER/EDs. Are there still jurisdictions that still use them?

I've worked with New York State EMTs and Paramedics from Haiti, China, Vietnam, Canada, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Ireland, and known strong accented folks from Puerto Rico and Brooklyn (both USA)! As long as they knew their EMT skills, all that I needed was to acclimate myself to their regional accents, and them to mine.

I'm not from Jacksonville, but welcome aboard, anyway. (Belle Harbor, NYC, NY.) What is/are FCCJ?

I said, in suggestion, Lone Star also suggested, So, obviously, great minds think alike. We just worded them differently, but to the same effect.

Does the service that sent the "scripts" med taking person home have paid sick days or not? Non chargeable time? If the individual loses pay, then most definitely, the Americans with Disabilities Act will be used. On the other hand, if the employee has exhausted their sick days bank, I now don't have a clue.

The "EDD Bulb" is another ZOT for me. What is ZOT?