Richard B the EMT

Perhaps it is just me being polite, but, if I'm in the process of bagging a patient, you know I'm following my protocols. I'd tell the Respiratory Therapist that, too, but then ask, "OK, this is your area of expertise, what do you want me to do differently?"

Per what I have read, the Boston EMS is also the proud home of the very first Regimental EMS Pipe and Drums, as in bagpipe band! I'll also mention, when the FDNY EMS Pipe and Drums got permission to call themselves by the departmental name, and specifying EMS in the name, I was working with the first of the group's band managers, when he got the call from the chief of FDNY EMS. I then got him the number of his counterpart with the Boston Regimental Pipe and Drums. Go, Boston Regimental, the first EMS Pipe and Drums, and FDNY EMS Pipe and Drums, the second (but only chronologically).

Similarly, when I worked as a call taker for the (pre-merger) NYC EMS, the person calling for an ambulance said that he got shot, and I entered it as a call type "SHOT", then asked where he got shot, meaning where on his person. He answered "in Viet Nam!" before telling me he was calling for active angina chest pain. Careful when asking for possible past medical history, folks.

Hey! I brought that one to EMT City a while back. Setup: Yellow School Bus in collision with 2 cars, taking down a power pole, with the bus smoldering. This is approximately 40 patients. Make sure that you have a rope from the pole draped across at least one of the vehicles, and if the rescuer(s) touch the vehicle, a field judge tells the rescuer(s) that they just got electrocuted. Other rescuers then have to take care of the electrocuted person(s), as well as the drill patients. (When we did this aspect of the drill, we "lost" 10 fire fighters, a LEO, and a Paramedic.). We almost lost a rescuer when she went totally "Mom" on us, when her daughter was being seen, as, although not active at that time, the daughter had an asthma history, as "Mom" kept reminding us. As for the "Plane/Train" scenario, as created by the person who created that drill with the school bus, ... At 1517 hours, on a sunny school day Thursday, a 747 jetliner looses power on final approach to the international airport, drops down too low, and strikes the 10th floor of a 14 story "Project Building". The building pancakes, but spreads combined airplane and building debris on the elevated train track, only yards from the site. A train is coming, the train driver sees the debris, and puts the train into "Emergency Stop" mode, but not in time. The train hits the debris, and the momentum causes the last 2 cars of the 10 car train to derail, and fall off the "El" structure, and land on top of 2 school buses overfilled with 12 to 15 year old middle school students. You're first on the scene. What do you do? It is alleged that a London, England, "Bobby", when posed with the question, said that he'd take off his uniform, that he may observe, undisturbed, "what the bloody hell was going to happen next!"

Clarification, please...? Is a "pressure sore" the same as a "bed sore"? I'm presuming different wording for the same problem, which we all know happens some times. Also, anyone please, how long does it normally take for either of them to form? The longest I recall having observed a patient I had left at an ED being left on the board until being "cleared" by either exam or x-ray is at tops, 2 hours, so, have I inadvetently caused them a pressure/bed sore?

I keep hearing research is supposed to be being done. Until it is, despite the protests of that doctor in the Peninsula Hospital ED for following existing protocols by long back board immobilization, and I'm told by the NY State DoH to do whatever new protocol, I'm going to do what is required of me.

Oh My Gawd! I don't remember seeing that type stretcher even advertised for more than 20 years! Anybody/any service still using that...that...THING?

My sister is a smart woman, but about a decade ago, when the so called "home defibrillators" first hit the market, she was pumping me for information on getting one, "just in case!" I talked her out of it, and now, everywhere she goes, she has her laptop computer, instead!

Sorry, Dusty, I was having a lazy day when I posted that one.

Considering what is done to a dead body in an autopsy, I must hope that any video showing an autopsy where the "body" moves is either a total computer generated simulation, or some so called "B" movie Horror Picture. (For the uninformed, for me, a "B" movie is a second feature, possibly not as popular as the main feature. Think a documentary of the life of the fruit fly, for whatever reason, shown as a second feature with "Star Wars-Return Of The Jedi")

I admit I may have missed the mention, but with so many here talking about getting a TASER, I don't recall seeing any mention of getting TRAINING for the usage of the device, including not only HOW, but WHEN to use it. As mentioned, the LEOs (for our new members, that stands for Law Enforcement Officers) both in TV/Movie dramatizations and actual life, get attacked, and then shot with their own weapons. Presumably, these LEOs are well trained in what they do. If we start working with things like TASERs, that is yet another potential weapon that could be taken from us, and used against us. Also, while I can understand certain hours in the middle of the night having a decrease in LEO availability, the concept of zero availability at any time is one I find truly disturbing.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cadaver From the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary... cadaver One entry found. cadaver Main Entry: ca·dav·er Pronunciation: kə-ˈda-vər Function: noun Etymology: Latin, from cadere to fall Date: circa 1500 : a dead body; especially : one intended for dissection — ca·dav·er·ic -ˈdav-rik, -ˈda-və- adjective

Not yet, but it sounds to be an electrifying experience!

While I know, unfortunately, that I cannot help you in your search, please define what the initials ITLS stand for?

Wow. You sound charged up!

We have to go back to "Doctor Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb)", as we seem to be in a "Doomsday Device" race. Just remember, there will be no fighting here, this is, after all, the War Room!

Following up on my "Follow the money" comment, I get, every now and then, an e-mail from persons unknown to me, mentioning a particular "plug in air freshener" brand, and calling it a fire hazard that has caused several home fires. I spoke to several fire marshals and fire investigators from the FDNY (my employer, as most of you already know), who, while not denying the possibility, also state that the e-mails might have been started by folks who might benefit by sales of competing brands of plug in air fresheners over the one mentioned in the e-mails. Kind of, if you can't beat them, beat them down!

Gee. I thought Omar Othmar finally got his picture off the internet, yet you had a copy? On the other hand, what are you doing with his picture? (I was standing by the camerawoman when she took the photo near the 72nd street transverse in Central Park, New York, btw)

I think most of us have seen the guys in the red jackets, with either all the patches of companies sponsoring NASCAR, or similar with stuff related to guns and hunting, or Scouting merit badges. I created a shirt 30 years ago, which had, between EMS, EMT, First Aid, and a bunch of Citizens Band Radio patches, at least thirty patches on it. At least everyone who knew me realized that the shirt was created as a joke. However, due to my weight gain, I am thinking of making an updated one that fits!

A year ago, the FDNY purchased what looks like fire fighting coats, pants, gloves, and boots, for all the field EMS personnel, which are rated as PPE, or Personal Protection Equipment. Per the printed material that came with it, it is good for protection against Blood Borne Pathogens, "Flash" fires, and most of the sharp edged stuff you'd be risking getting cut on, in an extrication. It also states, quite clearly, that it is NOT for use in such as a structure fire. If I heard correctly, it cost the city of New York roughly $1,000.00 per set, per FDNY EMS Member Of Service. Also, if I heard correctly, as every MOS got one, but was supposed to get a second set for use while the first one would go in for gross BBP Decontamination, or to the "Asbestos Laundry", and nobody was given a storage/carry bag for the PPEs, as so they would never have it in their personal lockers, or in their privately owned vehicles, the OSHA might still have a major fine working against the FDNY. EMS is supposed to wear this heavy gear on Multiple Casualty Incident calls, or any call where there is risk of BBP contamination. Wait one, but is that not each and every call we go on? Most of you know we work 8 hour shifts, and are "staged" from street corners, so we have to wear this stuff for 8 hours straight? You'd best stay upwind of me on a hot summer day, I'm probably going to be smelling a bit "ripe". FDNY, the "Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics", and the "Uniformed Lieutenants and Captain's" unions are "in discussion" on this, while still "reasonably" following OSHA's guidelines If you watch the news from New York City, you can tell the difference between the Fire Fighters, and the EMTs and Paramedics of the FDNY. FDNY is in the black protective coats, pants, boots and leather helmets, EMS is in the yellow (gold?) coats, pants, bumble bee yellow and black boots, and the plastic orange helmets. Officers still wear white helmets, both FDNY and EMS. So, at the aforementioned price, best hope for the department to purchase your PPEs for you. They will LOVE you if you supply your own, and they don't have to pay for it, but then, if you get hurt, it's AMF-YOYO (Adios, Mo-Fo, You're On Your Own) as there's no control if they don't supply the outfit, and claim you were using "sub-standard" PPEs, even if it's a personal purchase from the same vendor/supplier as the department.

A question for the ALS, from your humble BLS pal, Richard B the EMT: Due to projected violence from a junkie, whose "High" just got shut down by the Narcan, don't you either, or both, place the patient into soft restraint, or wait until just before you bring the patient into the ED, before the Narcan injection?

I have only gone to "Pulse Check", the 4 day, three night, annual Convention, educational conference, and trade show, of the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association. Nice people, well thought out lectures (now with Continuing Medical Education credits), a state-wide "first aid" drill and competition, and I am still using some of the pens gotten as swag from the convention 3 years ago. If interested, link to http://members.aol.com/theblanket/nysvara.html Oh, nearly forgot: The last weekend of January, the venders have a big 2 day show at the Nassau County Coliseum, in Uniondale, Nassau County (Long Island) New York, referred to locally as "The Mega-Show". While primarily for Fire Departments, they also have stuff, and offer training, for Rescue and EMS, too.

Is that an armadillo holding that guitar? The only one of those critters I have seen was a gray cake, sold during intermission, at a performance of Steel Magnolias.

Consistent with the old adage of there being "Lies", "Damned Lies", and "Statistics", follow the money: Who paid for either of those studies? I duly note that both articles are datelined for Chicago.

If I was already in pain from being entrapped by impalement, I'm fairly sure I would not want the additional pain of the impaled object being heated. Did anyone mention the fire/explosion danger of sparks from the use of any rescue tool igniting vehicle fuel vapors? On a different, but related topic, what about body heat loss from water used to keep the impaled object(s) cool while they are being cut? I speak from living in an area where winter temperatures can and do go below, and stay below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and unlike the other discussion mentioning portable heating units used in even colder environments, I know we don't even have those type units here in NYC