Richard B the EMT

We have a local area phrase that has crossed a state or international line. Please define what a "yellow helmet" is, and I hope that whatever it means, you successfully complete the training. Here in NYC, Fire Fighters wear black leather (New Yorker style) helmets, EMS (leastwise those in the FDNY EMS Command) wear an orange plastic fire fighter style helmet. When required, the NYPD wears a "sky-blue" hardhat, or what appears to be a motorcycle helmet of the same color. Supervisors from each agency, while wearing the same style helmet, either have a white front-piece, or the helmet is all white. FYI, to differentiate between my orange helmet, for on duty, and what I might use when off duty, I also have what was described as an English design helmet, in yellow, with patches on it stating EMT. The girlfriend also has one adjusted to her size, but the patches stuck on it indicate "first responder".

I will be presumptuous that any EMS field crew has discretion to upgrade to L&S from a dispatch that didn't initially require it, after patient contact and an evaluation of said patient. On the flip side of the coin, if the initial dispatch required the L&S, and the patient evaluation shows a stable patient, I again am presumptuous that the crew can downgrade to NO L&S for the trip to the hospital. Again, I refer to New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law #1104, "operate with due regard" to all other traffic on the roads.

Alone Again, Naturally- Gilbert O'Sullivan Try a Little Tenderness- numerous artists A couple of pages back, someone commented on the time and effort I was taking researching this stuff, which, as a musician, I don't mind doing. Then, again, I remember listening to that (Golden Oldies) stuff when it was in first run on the radio. Same stuff is now available from places like the Time-Life CD collections, or from "K-Tell". Could it now be said, as the "Starship" sang it, "We Built This City On Rock And Roll"?

For a moment, I thought the guy was trying to be the Nicolas Cage version of the Ghost Rider.

1) That did seem a bit off track. 2) Julie London, who played Dixie McCall, to me, was hot, but remember that I was just 18 or 19 when first I saw her. She had, until then, been better known as a "torch song" singer, was divorced from Jack Webb, who owned the "Emergency!", "Adam 12", and "Dragnet" shows. She was married at that time to, I think, Robert Early, who portrayed another one of the doctors at the "Ramparts Hospital" OLMC. 3) I don't know who I may be plagiarizing half the time, when I quote stuff here. 4) My mention of problems is broadly mentioned as organizationally, not so much individually, although organizations are large groups of individuals. 5) Interpret my mention of problems as either the individual or group wanting to include EMS in services to be rendered, or having it forced down their throats, as EMS was done to the FDNY by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani (prior to becoming "America's Mayor" and becoming a Republican candidate for POTUS). 6) Under my current schedule, I work 0730 to 1530 (Eastern Time, US), Sunday through Thursday, allow myself computer on-line time from roughly 1730 to 1900, watch a tape-delay of a soap opera (The Young and the Restless, CBS TV), then whatever of my fave shows that evening (CSI, CSI Miami, All of the L&O shows, ER, Las Vegas, Heroes, and Medium. ER is taped for viewing Friday morning). EXCEPT Thursday, when I am usually taking in "dinnerandamovie" with Johanna M, my Lady (or am I her Man? Or both? Hmm?) Friday and Saturday daylight is usually tasks and errands, but evenings are, again, with Johanna. Saturday night is an early end, as I drive to work on Sundays, and leave the house at 0530, so I can find a parking spot (parking is always in short supply, and I don't trust the NYC MTA on sundays). After work on Sundays, I watch a tape-delay of Stargate SG1, and Stargate Atlantis from Saturday afternoon. So, although not much, I DO get out a bit 7) I have veered off topic too much with this posting, so back to the subject at hand...

I now go into TV junkie/trivia mode. Roy was a Fire Fighter in Dr. Kelly Bracket's first class of Fire Fighter/Paramedics at Ramparts General Hospital. Roy talked Johnny, another Fire fighter, into joining up into the Paramedic program, in the second class of Fire fighter/Paramedics. Initially, they had to respond to Ramparts to pick up Nurse Dixie McCall (RN), and operated under her direct on-scene authority. When Dixie got hurt on a call, Bracket gave On-Line Medical Control over the radio to Johnny and Roy, even though the law didn't yet allow it. On the basis that they did OK with the On-line Medical Control, the state legislation voted OLMC in as a legal thing, as opposed to direct on-scene control. (Pilot episode, "Emergency!). I'll say it before anyone else does: I got too much time on my hands!

Did anyone notice that the video was made by an assortment of Fire related agencies? Is it just us long-timers who remember that the first and most visible Paramedics on TV were the cross-trained Fire Fighter/Paramedics of the Los Angeles County (California) Fire Department's Rescue 51, manned by FF/Pm Johnny Gage and FF/Pm Roy DeSoto? Anyone care to challenge me that if the first ongoing series about Paramedics had, instead of being a Fire service based agency, had been a Police/Sheriffs Department based service, this string probably would have been a griping session against EMS based in LEO groups? Then, we long timers would have been singing the praises of not Johnny and Roy, but Reed and Malloy, the 2 cops from "Adam 12", or Jon and Panch of "CHiPs". Historically, EMS IS connected to the Fire Services. I started in an independent community based volunteer ambulance corps, and when I started in the municipal EMS, we were hospital based. The actions of a now former mayor of the city of New York (and thank goodness a failed Presidential candidate) placing EMS under the Fire Department (the FDNY, in my specifications here). I have posited before, and posit again here, things usually work better if a fire agency WANTS to expand their responsibilities to include providing EMS, as opposed to having the politicians TELLING them to expand their responsibilities, or TELLING them to include an existing EMS agency into their "realm". I also feel this causes disharmony on both the part of the Fire Fighters and EMSers. I further posit that the same thing probably happens when one combines Law Enforcement agencies with EMS agencies, but invite members of LEO based EMS to respond (bad wording choice? Perhaps.) in this string on that regard.

Just don't go with a "Blanket Party," as there possibly can and will be arrests, trials and incarceration following one. A "Blanket Party" is, the disliked person (polite wording) has a blanket thrown over them so they cannot see who is doing it, and all the other participants in the group pummel the individual through the blanket. Translate that to read they beat the crap out of them. I suspect that a "Regimental Bath" might have similar undertones, but I'll wait and see what it is, as per Plonker-Bert's definition.

CHART, SOAP, SOAPIE, SAMPLE, or whatever, find a system that feels right by you, or is so "ordained" by your agency, and stick to it. Who is to say one system is better than another? Not I!

NREMT-Basic mentions the potential fuel usage for fire apparatus if they stand by on something like a street corner between calls, as does the FDNY EMS. We don't put Cool Aid into the ambulance fuel tanks, pal, they are powered by diesel engines, too. Multiple good reasons we shouldn't have the engines on, or be at a street corner, too, but we sit where we were told to sit by proper authority within the department.

Going back to the last page here... Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again".

I'll play devil's advocate, here. We have folks here who think having any stickers IDing someone's vehicle, or the EMS crew person, said person with the sticker is a "wanker". Could it be said that the "wanker" label is still going to be used for even the discreet sticker user?

Must be your experiences, that you have never had an MCI when it was dry, warm and during the daylight hours. The September 11, 2001 attack on America was a beautiful warm morning, here in NYC. So was November 12, 2001, when American Airlines flight 587 crashed into my community (Belle Harbor, Queens County, NYC, NY), killing all 260 on board, and 5 on the ground. The gen sets with lights had all day to be trucked in to both sites, as both happened in the morning. The same for the portable satellite linkup telephone trailers. I won't say that the weather cooperates, indeed, in June of 1975, it was a wind shear condition, connected with a thunderstorm that might have been a tornado, brought down Eastern Airlines flight 66, crashing with only the first 10 feet of the jet making it into the outer perimeter fence at Kennedy International Airport, killing 113 aboard. And let us not forget when mother earth herself is directly responsible for the MCI, like floods, tornadoes, hurricanes/cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes, land and mudslides. As for a gen set to a heating device, for temporarily heating a car's interior during an extended extrication, if the rescuers think, during pre-planning for any potential incidents within their response area, that they need one, I would be incorrect to try and tell them "No". They know their territory better than I do. I presume the heating units might be similar to those I see heating and venting electrical, sewage, and natural gas access ports (gotta find a sex neutral term for "Manhole") when Consolidated Edison, the telephone company, or Department of Environmental Protection crews have to go underground. I have a small "feel" for the North Dakotans, as my brother is one, in Grand Forks, ND. He told me they are having a heat wave, as the temperature went UP to MINUS FIVE today.

While I could probably hold my own in a Star Trek conversation, nobody'd sell me pepper-spray (perhaps the ax slung over my shoulder? LOL). I don't like ladders too much, while I might use one to clear away a nest so the birds would not have a home to sing from. I cannot fight, so I throw an ineffective punch, and then I'm a road pizza, courtesy the other guy. As for the scorpion, did anyone find it? Or worse, did the scorpion find any crew personnel?

State EMT license plates (augmented with Star Of Life reflective stickers), a US Flag sticker, a September 11, 2001 sticker, and a sticker matching my EMS Station's shoulder patch.

As youse guyz know, I've been doing the EMS "Thang" for 34 years. A little bit of unease, due to keeping "on your toes" is not necessarily a bad thing. There are NO textbook exact calls. What you learn is probably a mix of large numbers of the same, or should I say similar, calls. We're treating individual humans, not exactly alike automatons. Hence, there will always be nuances making each call, even the most familiar call, or the same type call with the same patient, different.

I think I'll wait for the clarification from Golfermike, himself.

So...is that a bright idea, or just another dim bulb?

Perhaps it is a local thing, but, what is a "Wet Reckless"? I'm coming up blank as to a definition, here.

1) Is it a guy or a gal? Seems nobody knows. 2) Guy or gal, that person has posted here in EMT City. 3) I'm not that person! 4) I believe you already know items two and three.

For those following this string, but don't know what a "remount" is, just think about an ambulance in a crash. Medical compartment damaged too severely to use, but the Cockpit cab/chassis still good? Replace it. Cockpit cab/chassis damaged, but the "box" survived intact? Replace it. Original concept potentially could save a purchaser a third off a totally new ambulance. I once used a new "box" on a 2 year old but unused chassis, so the entire vehicle was considered totally "New". The vendor actually knocked down the price due to the older chassis, but with full new vehicle warranties and guarantees. HOWEVER... Dale and Ruffems both bring up good and valid points (scroll back and read them) for having remountings done.

I don't mind doing the research for musical trivia. I am, after all, a musician ("folkie" and "bubble gum" rock guitarist/harmonica/vocals).

A mention: Across the street from my Fire/EMS House, is a bus depot/garage. Some years before my "house" was built, some 12 year old kid from the 'hood climbed into a bus, switched on the power, turned on the engine, and just drove off in the bus. After damaging both the bus and at least 5 wooden power/telephone poles, he abandoned the bus a half mile away, parking brake on, engine still running. (Witnessed, and NYPD caught the kid, no injuries aside from the poles by the bus) Did I mention this was a key less operation Grumman manufacture bus? I would hope that the key less entry system mentioned as being in the Brauns has built in safeguards to prevent unauthorized persons from stealing the ambulances, like that kid stole the bus. (Newer buses, but same key less system in use, 20 years later, by the way.) Last year, a different kid climbed into a yellow school bus, when the driver went on a meal break, utilized similar controls to take the brakes off, and jumped off the bus. The bus, with no one aboard, rolled down the hill, and crushed to death a 6 year old. The driver responsible for the bus had done everything he was supposed to have done, shy of wheel chocks, but was still fired by the bus company.

I trust everyone here has seen, or worked with, obese and "underweight" partners, and experienced both good and bad EMS skills in both those weight classes. I'm no lightweight, unfortunately I am obese at over 300 lbs at 66.5 inches, but there was an NYC councilman of my acquaintance, stood close to 6 foot tall, and probably the upper side of 500 lbs. I eat heavily, but he could have given me lessons in overeating. He always acted professionally, and dressed immaculately. He told anyone who would listen, "if you can't hide it, cover it well". The big guy sure did! Then, again, I have had even more obese personnel than myself on calls with me, and these people can really be graceful in motion, and have textbook knowledge of anything you might need, or need to do in the field. As long as they dress well, and do what they are trained to do...their weight issue, if it is an issue for them, is THEIR issue. Then, there is so called "common perception". I already said I am overweight, I showered before reporting to work, arrived in a clean uniform, but one partner always complained to me, our other partner, and even the lieutenant, that I had body odor. I must presume her attitude was "Richard is fat, it is summertime and hot outside, therefore, it stands that Richard smells from body odor, even if he just came out of the shower, and came to work in his air conditioned van." She's left the department, and now supposedly went to work somewhere in Florida. Skills-wise, she was good, but her attitude, especially towards me, sucked eggs big time.