Richard B the EMT

Thanks for the reminder: With some of the 4WD stuff, ambulance or POV, remember that it can get you going, but won't stop you on ice, or other slippery stuff.

Brand? Model? Size? Pictures?

I have to get back to you on that one. As for the population served, we're a community of about 8,000,000, with approximately another 2,000,000 transients during the course of each 24 hours. I also don't recall the miles of area we cover, or how many of these calls were done by FDNY EMS ambulances, ambulances run by some of the hospitals in the NYC 9-1-1 system, private ambulances running under contract to the hospitals under the hospitals' contract to provide ambulances to the NYC 9-1-1 system (these last two referred to, in the NYC 9-1-1 system as "Voluntaries), and the independent community based volunteer ambulance or volunteer fire department ambulances in the 9-1-1 system via the Mutual Aid Radio System (MARS).

I was confronted one time by a 'Nam veteran, noting I was wearing a military combat medic badge. My explanation was to honor those who had died, as, per statements from me in other strings, there is much we do was pioneered by combat medics and corpsmen. The vet explained that, as I had not earned the badge, and, indeed, as I never had been in the military, someone who had needed their services might get in my face about me wearing it. He was a friend, and understood my explanation, but others might not. I still have the badge, but only display it on certain holidays.

I don't think there is any law about all ambulances in the US needing to be diesel powered. What I do remember is, Ford became the first truck engine and chassis manufacturer to get some kind of acceptance of design, as previous designs allowed antifreeze boil-over to land on the exhaust lines. Correct me if I am wrong (a rare thing, but it happens sometimes), but isn't alcohol a part of antifreeze? After the water boiled away on the exhaust lines, the alcohol would burn, the engine would follow, and there's a couple of videos at the network news of ambulances pulling over to the side of the road, and the crews jumping out with the patient on the strech. Did I mention this was in the middle of the New York state Thruway? This was due to something in gas engine ambulance construction, alleviated by the switch to diesel.

Now I'm in the Devil's advocates' hat, and ask, does anyone know if the named individual is an EMT or Paramedic in the State of New York? Per what is shown, all I can tell is he is NOT a New Jersey one, and won't be allowed to be one, either.

Weather conditions can change quickly, due to multiple reasons I'm not going to get into here.

On a car chase theme: NYPD "100 Boy" reported joining a car chase with a Nassau County PD 4th precinct car, which ended in the 100 Eddie sector (near me, of course!). The chase had come completely through the 101 Precinct, undetected, in a congested 5 mile stretch, and gotten through the 100 Adam sector area before 100 Boy saw it. OK, it was midnight!

Romania? That reminds me, is Count Vlad Dracula still there, in the Transylvania area of Romania? I heard he still has some kind of "pull" at the blood bank there!

I sometimes call myself an "Ambulance Tech," but that is the Cocktail Party definition, again. Veronica, I apologize for some of my rude colleagues, that was no way to respond to a first time posting person. Some of them don't like things sugarcoated, and that one, admittedly, was a sugarcoating. Incidently, I see it quite often in EMS circles, and once as a wall poster for sale in the OUR fire/EMS catalog. Welcome to EMT City, by the way. Don't let some of our colleagues, including me, make you think you either cannot or should not post anything, just accept that sometimes no matter what you post, they'll argue with you. Sometimes they will argue with you, even when they agree with you!

As for me being a "Black Cloud", please remember that I have been "in the game" over 34 years, 23 alone with a Volunteer Ambulance Corps, overlapping with 5 private non-911 ambulance services, and 23 years 911 municipal EMS. 4 plane crashes (only described 3 of them here), an invasion of illegal immigrants swimming ashore from a tramp steamer, numerous house or apartment fires, assisting at 2 births (both girls), submersions, drownings, shootings, deaths...I actually have no idea how many calls I have been on, what types, how many hours I racked up at the VAC, how much overtime, voluntary or mandated, that I've gotten, miles totaled up on how many ambulances. Figure it this way: When New York City gets nuked, my ghost will be manning an ambulance, somewhere on "the other side"!

Slight issue here. You can ALWAYS be taken to court, but with the statement of "document, Document, DOCUMENT" always being in effect, said documentation [s:4f8f42bda2]will[/s:4f8f42bda2] should protect you.

While I have not had a chance yet to verify this, as per a letter to the editor in the New York Daily News' "Voice Of The People", Friday January 11, 2008 edition, an EMT from Manhattan, under caption "Answering The call", wrote The contract will be discussed in a different string. How many responses did YOUR department/squad/corps/company/agency do in 2007?

While not well, I know a few members of NYPD Harbor. By the GWB, from the NJ side, is that handled by Fort Lee PD, or another agency?

Sorry about the double, the system crashed just as I sent the post. And yet another one, but this time, not a plane crash. June 2/June 3, 1993. A rusty, old "tramp" cargo ship, named the "Golden Venture", ran aground on the ocean side of the Fort Tilden section of the Gateway National Recreational Area, in the Roxbury section of the Rockaway Peninsula, Queens County, New York. That a small cargo ship ran aground was, in itself, a newsworthy item. The real reason it got national, probably international, coverage, was the cargo it carried: 310 would-be illegal immigrants, mostly from the Fijian (spelling?) Provence of mainland China! The "cargo" had revolted, taken over the vessel, and had run it aground with intent to enter the United States, one way or another. Ten drowned while trying to escape the ship, at least one of them died of Cardiac Arrest. While this area is dually covered by the National Park Police New York Field Office, and the NYPD 100th Precinct in Queens, the NYPD brought down almost the entire compliment of the 6th Precinct, from Manhattan. The 6th covers Chinatown, and we needed translators. I still have no idea, all this time later, how many fire fighters, NYPD Officers, National Parks Police, US Coast Guard, gynormis numbers of federal "initial" agencies (INS, FBI), and their assorted vehicles, boats and helicopters, were on this. As for ambulances? Easily 100+ of them. I still wonder how fast that one with Pennsylvania plates got there, crossing New Jersey, and Staten Island, NY, with a run through Brooklyn, to get there. A plan was made, to transport them to 2 buildings in the fort. They'd enter from one door, be contained, and, if necessary, be taken to get medical attention via the other. This was quickly stopped by the INS, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (I did say the "initial" agencies, didn't I?), who wanted to move EVERYBODY to the local hospital (Peninsula Hospital Center) to be checked, and then transported BACK to the 2 buildings at Fort Tilden! With obvious language barriers, after the survivors were moved from the beach front to the buildings, by NYC MTA buses (Metropolitan Transportation Authority, so more initials) brought in from a Brooklyn depot, and we started to process them: Triage tags, BPs, pulse rates, respirations. "Miming" going to the bathroom got laughs in several languages, but got bathroom breaks for those who needed to go. I responded in my POV, off duty, after hearing a lot of sirens heading in, and hearing a report on NYPD Citywide radio. I stayed there until released, roughly 16 hours later, after already having pulled my usual 8 hours at my regular assignment. I was awake for something over 36 hours, ultimately. I also had to explain to my regular supervisors why I wasn't coming in that day, who didn't want to accept it, until I told them, as per the Queens Division Chief in charge, that he had authorized it. A quick mention. Roxbury is a private "gated" community. Amongst the alarms being transmitted, like "Ship aground," and "Someone on the boat is shooting at us!" the locals were calling in to their security and the 100th precinct, that there were Chinese people, soaking wet, randomly knocking on doors, pantomiming for "Telephone", and waving around hundred dollar bills, at midnight. Surprisingly, with all of these rescuers stumbling around in the sand, in the dark, one Paramedic became the only injured rescuer, a twisted ankle suffered when someone gave either an order, or gave permission, for that patient that had the cardiac arrest, to be airlifted out, by NYPD helicopter. Due to the excitement, she didn't feel it until her partner picked her up again, at the NYPD Aviation Base, across Jamaica Bay, in Brooklyn, at the Floyd Bennett Field section of Gateway National Recreation Area. As for me, while I never got closer than 3/4 mile from the ship, it was very "Apocalypse Now", with the silhouette of the ship seen in the floodlights from the orbiting helicopters. Side note: 2 years or so later, another illegal immigrant boat was captured off, I think, Boston, Massachusetts, and one of the passengers was identified as having been on the Golden Venture, and had been sent back to China. This time, the INS let him stay.

One, I doubt it is gonna happen, and two, the challenged party chooses weapons and location, if I remember the dueling protocols, d'Artagnan. I even asked Porthos.

Just thought of a few more. I was also on the scenes, and if I was actually seen by the press, nobody has mentioned it to me. Eastern Airlines Flight 66, in June of 1975, crashed on Rockaway Blvd near Brookville Blvd, Jamaica/Rosedale area, Queens County, NY, with 113 dead. Only first 20 feet of the 727 made it into the outer perimeter fence at J F Kennedy International Airport. Aircraft caught in what would be the first documented "Wind Shear" event. Pilot caught an updraft, put the "stick" forward to correct for it, and caught the downdraft on the other side. Hit the landing lights towers and crashed before the pilot could react, and attempt to pull up for a "go-around". Responded as a part of Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps. US Air Flight 1010, crashed on a failed takeoff attempt at La Guardia International Airport (somewhere 1985 to 1995). Wrongly set control wing surface caused too much drag, the aircraft never achieved flight air speed, also didn't attempt to stop until too late. Rolled off the end of the runway into the waters of the Bowery Bay, Flushing, Queens County, NY. One person on the aircraft killed, by a piling in the bay came up through the floor on impact, crushing him into the ceiling. Responded with the PVAC, but all except the deceased had already been evacuated from the plane, and the scene. A small news reporter (height, not importance) was doing a "stand-up" live-remote from the scene, and an imposingly large member of the Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps, in "Team" Jacket, was standing just behind her. Someone else from PVAC told him to turn around, away from the camera, and all replays of the report showed our Corps' logo. November 12, 2001. American Airlines Flight 587, moments after takeoff, reportedly ran into turbulence from another jet. Allegedly, the pilot over-corrected for the turbulence with such excessive force on the control surfaces, that the composit material tail fin and both engines of the Airbus 300 type aircraft broke off. The plane crashed in the Belle Harbor section of the Rockaways Peninsula, Queens County, NY, killing all 260 on board, and 5 more, in their houses, on the ground. This incident happened a half mile from my residence. I responded, off duty, from my house, and was on scene for about 7 and a half hours, as a member of the FDNY EMS Command. (FYI: the National Transportation Safety Board blames the pilot's actions. My locals blame the composit material used in the Airbus 300 series of jets, as this stuff has failed, but not as spectacularly, on other Airbus 300 series jets. The Canadian equivalent of the NTSB, using the same data as the NTSB, seems to be in some agreement with my locals, that it was aircraft structural failure, and not pilot error, but the NTSB still wants to keep the blame on the pilot. Keep selling defective aircraft, guys, tomorrow the airplane will fall on your house) Summer, 2005. Multiple drowning in "Rip" currents in the waters off the Rockaways, with NYPD and FDNY regular and specialty units, as well as the US Coast Guard, assisting each other in the rescue/recovery operation. Channel 2 WCBS/TV news crew interviewed me, off duty, no uniform, wearing an imitation Aussie "Slouch" hat, commenting on the fact that the rip currents of the water are difficult for the locals who know of them, and potentially even more dangerous for the "day trippers" who ventured into these waters after the lifeguards had gone home for the day (Summer coverage only, 10 AM to 6 PM. Local issue of trying to extend the hours for the water, the beach itself, and the boardwalk, then as now, continue between us Rockawayites and the New York City Parks Department). The news report had me by name, and identifying me as a spokesman for the FDNY. Not usually a problem, but I was on an extended leave at the time! I called up my captain to let him know, just in case there was a problem. There wasn't.

Just thought of a few more. I was also on the scenes, and if I was actually seen by the press, nobody has mentioned it to me. Eastern Airlines Flight 66, in June of 1975, crashed on Rockaway Blvd near Brookville Blvd, Jamaica/Rosedale area, Queens County, NY, with 113 dead. Only first 20 feet of the 727 made it into the outer perimeter fence at J F Kennedy International Airport. Aircraft caught in what would be the first documented "Wind Shear" event. Pilot caught an updraft, put the "stick" forward to correct for it, and caught the downdraft on the other side. Hit the landing lights towers and crashed before the pilot could react, and attempt to pull up for a "go-around". Responded as a part of Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps. US Air Flight 1010, crashed on a failed takeoff attempt at La Guardia International Airport (somewhere 1985 to 1995). Wrongly set control wing surface caused too much drag, the aircraft never achieved flight air speed, also didn't attempt to stop until too late. Rolled off the end of the runway into the waters of the Bowery Bay, Flushing, Queens County, NY. One person on the aircraft killed, by a piling in the bay came up through the floor on impact, crushing him into the ceiling. Responded with the PVAC, but all except the deceased had already been evacuated from the plane, and the scene. A small news reporter (height, not importance) was doing a "stand-up" live-remote from the scene, and an imposingly large member of the Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps, in "Team" Jacket, was standing just behind her. Someone else from PVAC told him to turn around, away from the camera, and all replays of the report showed our Corps' logo. November 12, 2001. American Airlines Flight 587, moments after takeoff, reportedly ran into turbulence from another jet. Allegedly, the pilot over-corrected for the turbulence with such excessive force on the control surfaces, that the composit material tail fin and both engines of the Airbus 300 type aircraft broke off. The plane crashed in the Belle Harbor section of the Rockaways Peninsula, Queens County, NY, killing all 260 on board, and 5 more, in their houses, on the ground. This incident happened a half mile from my residence. I responded, off duty, from my house, and was on scene for about 7 and a half hours, as a member of the FDNY EMS Command. (FYI: the National Transportation Safety Board blames the pilot's actions. My locals blame the composit material used in the Airbus 300 series of jets, as this stuff has failed, but not as spectacularly, on other Airbus 300 series jets. The Canadian equivalent of the NTSB, using the same data as the NTSB, seems to be in some agreement with my locals, that it was aircraft structural failure, and not pilot error, but the NTSB still wants to keep the blame on the pilot. Keep selling defective aircraft, guys, tomorrow the airplane will fall on your house) Summer, 2005. Multiple drowning in "Rip" currents in the waters off the Rockaways, with NYPD and FDNY regular and specialty units, as well as the US Coast Guard, assisting each other in the rescue/recovery operation. Channel 2 WCBS/TV news crew interviewed me, off duty, no uniform, wearing an imitation Aussie "Slouch" hat, commenting on the fact that the rip currents of the water are difficult for the locals who know of them, and potentially even more dangerous for the "day trippers" who ventured into these waters after the lifeguards had gone home for the day (Summer coverage only, 10 AM to 6 PM. Local issue of trying to extend the hours for the water, the beach itself, and the boardwalk, then as now, continue between us Rockawayites and the New York City Parks Department). The news report had me by name, and identifying me as a spokesman for the FDNY. Not usually a problem, but I was on an extended leave at the time! I called up my captain to let him know, just in case there was a problem. There wasn't.

Speaking of which, anyone remember this international case, of Cuban raft surviver Elian Gonzales, no matter which side of the issue you might have been? http://www.thesmokinggun.com/cubanboy/elian1.html

I wonder (out loud/in text) if anyone is aware that there is a/an association of Public Information Officers? I lost contact with an associate, who was the Secretary for the New York State Chapter.

1) Perhaps "Layers"? 2) No need for a PM, just joking around. No offence intended, and my apology if you were.

Anyone care to comment further, that there are 4 types of EMS personnel: Those who are able to bottle it up and wait till alone to cry. Those who might be called "emotional" and start crying at the earliest opportunity. Those who end up with a PTSD. The true stone hearts who never cry. Comments? Other categories?

Would I be correct, Dust, that you have no love of politicians, no matter what party? Correct, Rudy Giulianni put EMS into the FDNY, to "keep FDNY jobs". Read that as no excising personnel. He also made the NYPD, the Housing Authority Police Department, and the Transit Authority Police Departments into one big happy family. Now, instead of 3 somewhat unmanageable agencies that somehow work, into one somewhat unmanageable large agency that somehow works.

I made CNN. Drunk driver hit 4 of a family of 5, killing 3, in the Howard Beach community, NYC. Next night, got a phone call from my brother, the professor at University of North Dakota, Grand Forks ND, telling me he'd seen me on a report on stopping drunk drivers before they kill someone else. If you see the replay, I am walking left to right on the scene shown, wearing a "slut-jacket" from the NYC HHC EMS Communications Division. Eagle holding a torch, in front of the crossed flags of communication, kind of like Army Signal Corps' emblem, on which it was based. FYI, the driver was so drunk, he didn't even recognize the first LEO on the scene as a LEO. When I was extricating him from the car, stepping over body parts of his victims still wedged under the car, and strewn over the scene, I almost got a contact high from the alcohol on his breath. AND...I had responded off duty. It was the last hour of my birthday, and a local politician was having me drive us to a late-open restaurant to buy me a piece of birthday cake.

OK, then what are you inferring by saying and ? I'll grant that neither of you actually stated