Richard B the EMT

One of the first 25 calls I've done, over my 38 years... 1 AM (ish), late May of 1974. Responded for a car versus elevated train line pillar, with the Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Municipal EMS already on the scene on our arrival. My VAC crew had never worked together, and this might have been our very first call at all, so we were more than a bit uncoordinated. EMS had one on the stretcher, told us we could take the second, walking, victim. We placed her on the long backboard, already on the stretcher (a Ferno 30TC, in the low position), effected full body immobilization, and loaded her into the ambulance. About 4 minutes later, we arrived at the hospital. First off, all 4 of us thought someone else had the release handle to "drop the landing gear", so we bobbed up and down a few times, before somebody pulled the release. Then, we bobbed a few more times, until that someone remembered to release it, locking it in the highest raised position (I honestly cannot recall if I was the one on the release or not). Then, we rolled it into the ER. and were directed to place the patient onto an examining bed. We released what we thought were the straps to the 30TC, and attempted to move the patient, on the backboard, to the examining bed, but the board only moved a few inches, and stopped. We pulled harder, and the patient complained. Oops, we'd undone the long-board straps! We released all the straps, and moved the patient, on the board, to the bed, and stood around, as we'd never recalled instructions on removing the board. After a quick check of the patient, the Doctor told us we could remove the board, which we did, but in the process, we managed to pull the patient's wig off! Somehow, we managed not to laugh at our situation until we got out into the corridor again, then we almost ended up rolling on the floor with laughter at our ineptness. Our timing was off, as that happened, just as an NYPD Highway Patrol LEO walked in, and wanted to know what was so funny, only to be greeted by more laughter from us. FYI, of our quartet, myself and one other eventually retired after years of service with the Municipal EMS, even after the merger into the FDNY. Another went on to briefly be a combat medic in the Israeli Army. I don't recall who our 4th riding crewmember was.

Not knowing the circumstances, I hope she is all right now.

The guy with the Dust Buster? Let me guess: Trying to use the device as a mechanical Viagra, and got stuck? Or worse, chewed on the end of the short arm by the mechanisms of the device?

That is, if they don't sleep too close to the edge of the bed without safety rails. As for the Ambien, someone I know crashed his car 2 miles from his home, and truly had no idea how he came to be there, as he had taken Ambien before trying to go to sleep. In another incident, some woman taking the drug crashed her car through the wall of a house at the turn of a road, and was not aware of where she was, which was 2 counties away from her home.

As per the JEMS E-Newsletter today, some illegal immigrant called 9-1-1 for transportation off of a worksite where he'd had a disagreement with the boss. No real medical nessessity, just wanted transportation. Local LEOs arrested 10, and turned them over to Immigrations, where they now await deportation hearings. As for the first call I referenced? The guy actually said he was already diagnosed as being an Emotionally Disturbed Person.

I'll see if I can get the checkout lists for both one of the FDNY EMS MIRVs (Major Incident Response Vehicles), and/or one of the FDNY EMS Division Logistics Support trucks, and reproduce it or them here.

Island, for me, a bit too late that advice. But good advice that is. Also, as long as you aren't going to work, let yourself be a bit loopy with whatever meds the doctors prescribe, as long as they are NOT going to interact with each other in a bad way.

After 38 years? Let's start with: Working as a call taker for NYC EMS, got a call from a self admitted EDP, wanted to be taken to a specific hospital's Psychiatric ward, as "they have the equipment that will mask my life-signs from the Crystal Starship". Later, I pulled the call up on the Computer Assisted Dispatch screen, and found the responding crew had made it an "Unfounded", as they didn't find a patient. That, however, left me with a question. Had the patient gone via some alternate means to the hospital, changed his mind and simply walked away, or had the Klingon's gotten to him first? Then, at the same call center, we were getting calls from a private garbage carting company, claimed he'd fallen off the back of the truck. I was one of several operators spoke with the guy, but each time he called in, his changed locations were each getting closer and closer to that neighborhood's hospital ER. What? Was he getting back on the truck and falling off again every few blocks?

I don't care if the guy was volunteer, municipal, or contracted out. What he did was a disgrace to the uniform he was wearing. Momma B was looking over my shoulder and asked what I was writing. She commented that he is a thief, as he stole the beer from the homeowner.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department is looking for a stolen delivery truck, hijacked from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, New York, that had approximately 2 tons of Viagra on board for distribution in Europe. A PAPD spokesman indicated they were looking for 4 suspects, described as "Hardened" criminals.

At the BLS level, it is my understanding that NREMT is obtainable IN New York State, but not accepted from OUTSIDE the state. My information is dated and may not be still in effect, please check with NYS DoH.

Either he somehow doesn't know, doesn't care, or has already been reprimanded by his higher-ups.

Reviving the string, as this is newer information. http://www.jems.com/article/news/former-trainer-pleads-guilty-emt-trainin?utm_source=bm23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Ex-Trainer+Pleads+Guilty+in+EMT+Training+Scam&utm_content=RCBTHEEMT%40AOL.COM&utm_campaign=JEMS+eNews+04-24-12

I can understand ladies/guys night out, Here, I'll stir the pot a bit, by saying that they are all right, as long as no guys "outside the family" get invited to the ladies gathering, or ladies to the mens gathering. Strip clubs and Chippendale's are possibly exceptions to this. As for "alcoholidays", never let your drink out of your sight, as "Roofies" have been known to circulate by the hand of uninvited "guests".

As my Lady J is a Substitute Teaching Paraprofessional in the NYC Department of Education, and usually tells me horror stories, this was a relief. I'll be printing it out for her.

No one here has made mention of using the on board computer assisted dispatch system for sending messages, such as, along with status change from onscene to enroute to hospital, the hospital notification of patient vitals, ETA, and such. addendum: This might be more for agencies where hospital contact is through the dispatchers, not directly with the field crews.

Tweety-Bird Not operational in this instance.

Comedian David Brenner once noted that if a manhole exploded, a "typical" New Yorker would look at the 200 pound manhole cover spinning in the air, snap his or her fingers, and say "Heads!!"

Cell phones were first coming on the market at the same time I first started working municipal EMS, in 1985. At that time, NYPD and NYC*EMS personnel were not even supposed to have a cell phone with them while at work. Later, they figured out that it was beneficial that members have one, as making "call your base/call your dispatcher" responses were faster than looking for a working street corner pay phone. Clark Kent has a problem even looking for a street corner pay phone, to attire himself into his Superman persona, as nowadays, we have so few pay phone booths, let alone pay phones. When I used to get mandated for overtime, onto the midnight to 8 tour, almost all of the crews would keep in touch with each other using their cell phones. If a crew didn't answer the Dispatcher calling them, they'd be called by one, or more, of the other crews, telling them to pick up the radio. What disturbed me was, more than occasionally, I'd hear a crew acknowledge a call, and then my partner's cell phone would ring, and be the driving EMT of the assigned ambulance, telling us they were doing a call. This meant they were using the cell phone while driving. I don't want to think of potential accidents, or explaining to EMS Lieutenants, Captains, Chiefs, and Division of Safety Fire personnel, both rank and file and their supervisors, as to contributing factors to the accident. By the way, pre-merger, no matter what, municipal EMS crews were always in the wrong, in-house, for any company vehicle accidents. As a scenario: "Joe" would park the spare ambulance, when the regular unit became available, back in the row of spare ambulances in the street. 2 weeks later, a drunk driver, traveling at extreme high speed being pursued by the NYPD, would roll the car, which would hit the parked ambulance. "Joe" would be charged with the accident, as he parked it where the car hit it, even if he had gone on vacation immediately after parking the spare truck. I also mention that, in the ambulance company I worked in prior to EMS, I was singing along to the AM/FM radio, monitoring my portable Citizens Band 2 way and Police Scanner radios, while communicating with my base on the company 2 way radio, while traveling at full emergency status to an assignment.

I hope nobody is cheating, as in inheriting the old family runabouts. For me, that would have me including a 1970 Plymouth Valiant 100 (on which I earned my driver's license), a 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon, and both a 1979 and 1980 Plymouth Horizon, all of which had been owned by Momma and Poppa B, and I was allowed to drive, prior to the original list of cars I owned (see opening posting of this string). A mention: I have only owned, never leased.

But...that's every day stuff for me. I live in NYC! lol

Obviously, I'll be referring to not only across county/parrish lines and state/Provence lines, but the international border as well. New York State has what is called the Taylor Law. What it does is fine a civil service union member, while on strike, for 2 days pay for each day that employee is out on strike.

Wow, this got resurrected from a year ago. Nice seeing "Dusty's" postings again, and still miss him As I already posted, if someone calls me Doctor, or "Doc", I thank them for the promotion (and hope for a title appropriate raise in salary. The concept of calling someone by the title they may be working for, while they are still in that training class, is a bit foreign, personally, for me. Actually, there is a group I do allow to call me "Doctor"- the "Citizen's Band" radio operators on 27 MHz. That dates back to a weird part of my history, back from the 1971- 1972 school year, when I was doing....wait for it.... SÉANCES in my senior year of high school. My "on the air" "handle" or name, is "Witch Doctor". When I'm on the air, I'll be on CB channel "trucker" 19.

I'm wondering if the punctuation is off. Is that "Why?? Do you need a script for medical pot?" or "Why do you need a script for medical pot?"

I thought it was a river in Egypt.