Richard B the EMT

This caused me to think (and boy, does that hurt!), and I am now envisioning a bunch of Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Tom and Jerry, and assorted other cartoons, where the resident bad guy attempts to gain access to a place defended by the good guy, and splats into the wall/mountain/closed window? As Maxwell Smart always said, Or, George of the Jungle:

As for the radio message asking for what color sneakers the streaker was wearing, I recall from an older version of the board, a report that a dispatcher asked the LEOs to check out a report of someone in the nude, walking down the highway median while carrying a can of tuna. I guess we have to determine which nudist we are after while they are walking down a public roadway. Wouldn't want to grab the wrong "streaker", ya know!

I saw a writeup on this, today, on Yahoo. I also recall a recent storyline on "CSI Miami", where a man responding with a knife to the sounds of a break-in and explosion at his home, got shot to death by the people breaking in. Those breaking in were the SWAT officers, and the explosion was a "Flash-bang" grenade.

Induced Cardiac arrest for practicing CPR? Medical practice without benefit of anesthesia? Any of youse guyz related to Dr. Mengela (spelling)? As for the putting convicted murderers into the prison yard and shooting at them? The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) would have a field day, claiming "Cruel and Unusual Punishment", and I foresee the American Rifle Association protesting a so called "Canned Hunt". (The ACLU and ARA on the same side? The world ends tomorrow at Noon!)

An additional thing against this concept: anyone ever heard the term "Whiplash"?

Spenac, sounds like you are a psychic, as almost everyone can tell the score of a game before it begins. Before ANY game begins, the score is ALWAYS nothing to nothing.

I have a copy of a document indicating the FDNY, which recently closed 4 companies from 1800 to 0600 hours, might be making the closings full time. Also, they are talking of flopping EMS lieutenants back to the ambulances, with associated pay cuts from the supervisor's salaries. If I can legally do so, I'll post the entire document on this string.

The guy who said he picked up something in Vietnam should see someone at the Veterans Administration Hospital, seeing that if he caught some "bug" in 'Nam, it is service connected, and they are supposed to do something. When the deodorant and soap was thrown, did it hit the person? As for the guy smells like a hamster cage, the hamsters should sue for defamation of character.

Wow! I agree!

I concur, entirely.

Tracy, you didn't say where you were a pending Paramedic. All I know is, here in New York City, the order of things is, pass the practical skills test, take and pass the class written final, and that earns you the "right" to sit for the state written test. Pass that, you're golden for the next 3 or 5 years. The reason for the discrepancy is, we just switched from 3 years with classes to recert, and a 5 year continuing medical education recert format, and "they" are still deciding who qualifies for which. NREMT is a separate test, not given through the NY State Department of Health (DoH). (I am a NYS EMT-B, not a paramedic, not NREMT, and am telling you as an FYI.)

If it is me coming back from a late call, I at least tell the relief crew what is needed, or might be needed, both supplies and fuel.

There is always the possibility someone would hear the "urban legend", and decide to try doing the deed so described. It makes sense, therefore, to play precautionary, but also be reasonable. We can get paranoia when there is no need, and not, when we should. Evaluate each situation as it presents. Then, again, I like hearing of this type urban legend. (This is not me singing, although it is one that I do sing and play on my guitar.)

Perhaps it is just me, but if I find my tire flat, I call road service, after attempting to re inflate it with my mini-compressor that is always in the van. If it is true or not, it is a good idea to be cautious if the situation seems to be presenting itself. Also, if I see my tire flat, I'm contacting Mall Security to at least stand by me while I change the tire.

I have to ask: I am a mission specific EMS EMT in the Fire Department of New York, who does treatment and transport. We also have mission specific EMS Paramedics in the Fire Department of New York, who do treatment and transport. The fire fighters are at the lower level of training of Certified First Responders-Defibrillation, and would only be on the ambulances if either the EMTs or Paramedics needed someone to assist, say, in doing CPR (we will address "rolling codes" in another string, please?). Fire Fighters are not allowed to drive the ambulances, by the way, nor are the NYPD LEOs. EMTs and Paramedics are not cross trained as fire fighters, and fire fighters, except for the CFR-D training, are not EMS trained, at least within the department. If they are so trained from outside the FDNY, their skills in the other areas are not utilized. So...as I am in a fire department, even though I am not a fire fighter, am I, by definition, evil?

Who is/was Sam Parker? An actor, or a character played by an actor?

1) Leaving an ambulance BBP dirty is reason, in the FDNY EMS, for a "Command Discipline". 2) Restocking "wrong"? You might feel that yours is the only "correct" way to stock the ambulance, so does the guy from "D", as well as every senior (and even junior) "Tech" that rides that vehicle, on any tour. Call a meeting, and get a "best of all worlds" consensus as to how the ambulance should be stocked, unless the department has a written format as to how this is to be done. You know,

As for the cross trained Fire Fighter in the FD "Piece", may I cross reference to this EMT City string on non transport ALS: http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph...&highlight= I do feel that the fire guys can be useful for assisting on CPR runs, and patient carries. FDNY sends a CFR Engine, automatically, on high priority calls, but most definitely NOT the "stubbed toe" calls. If the stubbed toe call is a bariatric, the crew calls for "additional resources" and dispatch decides if an engine, a cop car, or an additional BLS crew will be called on to assist.

Let me take a stab at this, to put it out of our misery. Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy movie fame, was in movies seen by Kevin Bacon as a child, much as I have!

In the late 1980s, the idea was tested by the NYC EMS, but borne of necessity: Due to a managerial problem, over half the EMS fleet was mechanically "down" for repair. Until that issue was corrected, and the Chief of EMS fired, we had EMTs in Command cars (Supervisor's vehicles), with radio designations like "T" for "Triage" cars, that would respond to calls to at least start patient care, until an ambulance could arrive to effect transport. If the Command car was manned by Paramedics, the designation was "U" for "Union", and same concept involved. Then EMS Station 41 had a lot of their transports done with 41-Union assisted by 94-Larry, also known as Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Part of the problem was, the "specs" for the ambulances were incredibly complicated, to the point that at least one manufacturer or vendor went out of buisiness trying to supply NYC EMS with the ambulances. Another problem was, Central Repair Service was running Monday through Friday, daylight tour only. To get the fleet back up, EMS farmed out the busted down ambulances to the NYPD and Department of Sanitation CRS facilities, just down the street, and a few more to "Red Square", the FDNY CRS a few miles away. A few also got sent to private venders for servicing. FDNY CRS was called "Red Square" because they could, on any day, have more (pumper) engine and (hook and ladder) truck vehicles in and around the building for repair, preventive maintenance, or new vehicle final preparation, than some countries have fire service vehicles within their borders, and, of course, the vehicles are "fire engine red", hence the name. The department purchased a bunch of ambulances that didn't have to be matched to a "spec book" that reportedly was a yard thick, hired a civilian to run the EMS, fired the chief, and got away from Triage or Union cars as the new ambulances got assigned to stations, and then to crews, and started Monday through Friday around the clock mechanic schedules, and daylight on Saturdays. There are also Roadside Repair crewman and vehicles assigned full time for any vehicle breakdowns After the FDNY/EMS merger, the FDNY tried going back to using something like the televised LACoFD "Squad 51", manned by one Paramedic, and one Paramedic Lieutenant, who would bring the start of "definitive care" to a patient, and also do field supervisor duties. The teams were called "PRUs", for Paramedic Response Units, and kind of looked like the iconic Dodge truck from the "EMERGENCY!" series. It didn't work, as the Lieutenants also had to do duties in the stations, so they had to decide if they were more useful in the field or the stations. They eventually took the concept, and the PRUs, off the road, reassigned the Paramedics to Paramedic ambulances, with a partner of course, and turned the former PRU vehicles over to the Roadside Repair crews from FDNY EMS CRS. And, again, I mention we keep turning down the use of the concept of "Mensa Medics" (single field Paramedics) in favor of a "Pair-A-Medics". So, fenwayfrankee, take this as one system's attempt to use non transporting ALS, and list it as a concept failure.

I almost forgot: I am told that US Navy personnel assigned to submarine duty serve 6 months at sea, and then 6 months ashore, so, one way or the other, they should be happy at least half of the year!.

I asked one girl that I had been dating since Junior High School, and on into my time in EMS, where she also was an EMT, to marry me, but there was one unsurmountable hurdle in the way. She said "NO". I was being chased by a girl from High School during some of this time. When the first woman got married (for what was the first of now 3 marriages and 2 divorces), I stopped running away from her, turned around, and "caught" the second one. Does the term "Rebound Date" come to mind? This turned into a 9 year engagement, and a distance separation, me in Belle Harbor, NY, and her in Teaneck, New Jersey. After the 9 years, we both realized it was not going to happen, and we broke up, but remain friends. Almost 2 years after the breakup, I started "hanging" with a lady that caught my fancy at my VAC. She and I have become "an item" now for 20 years (and a few days, as of the date of this posting). She is my friend, confidante, paramour, and as it turns out, have actually known each other for over 40 years, even if it started as a face with a name attached, back in 1967, and in the same schools from 1963 or 1964.

You DO realize that the biggest cause of divorce is MARRIAGE?

I think the phrase is older than 1966, when I recall first hearing it. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong probably heard it prior to that year, also.

Wasn't there a movie a few years ago called "I Married a Space Alien"? I think I remember seeing the title, but neither saw it, or remember who was in it. Google has a 1958 movie, "I Married a Space Monster". On the night before a wedding, the groom is replaced by, shall we say, a "Pod People". It also mentions an episode of the cartoon series "Men In Black", where the male of a married couple is an ET, forced to do stuff by evil ETs. The wife is earth human, and doesn't know. Then, again, as most here might attest to, I'm kind of "Out There."