Richard B the EMT

MoneyisinEMS, first off, welcome to EMT City. You seem to believe that starting an EMS service, even a non-transporting agency, is easy. I can only comment on almost 38 years of ambulance work, all in New York State, that it is NOT an easy thing. However, I don't have a listing of your pedegree, which might be from somewhere where it actually MIGHT be easy, or at least a good bit simpler than NY. Please enlighten us, as to what county/parrish, state/provence, and/or country your experience is from?

On this specific, is there any difference between US Army Medics, and US Navy Corpsmen? On a related item, is there a specific term for USAF "military medical personnel"? I woiuld presume "Medic," as a holdover from the US Army Air Corps days, but I have, believe it or not, been incorrect before.

Were this my own New York City, New York, instead of Santa Clara, CA, I'd indicate that making sense is apparently against the rules, regulations, or the Law, here.

Funny you mention sensory/smell. Totally unrelated to the job, as the first time I heard Diana Ross and the Supremes doing "Reflections", I was in a Pizzaria. Now, I hear the song, and suddenly, I smell pizza!

I have not had similar experience, but have heard of it happening on NYC's public transportation system as triggering an asthma episode.

As noted, it takes different periods of time for different individuals. Here it is, all these years later, but every now and again, I wake up from a nightmare, where I am reminded that babies died in the first major Multiple Casualty Incident I responded to, Eastern Airlines Flight 66, from Louisiana to JFK, June of 1975, with 113 souls dead on the scene, or within 48 hours at the local hospitals. My trigger? A burnt teddy bear. I have not had the dream in over a year, but now that I am mentioning it, I'll hope not to dream it again tonight. (Note: both of my postings were supposed to be together as one posting.)

We will excuse it, but ONLY if you were NOT driving when typing!

Seems another case of "Don't go in the water untill you learn how to swim".

If from Long Island, the newbie will be from either Nassau or Suffolk County. Welcome aboard! Now, what community in LI are you?

There is "Probationary", and there is "Provisional". Everyone who gets hired by FDNY EMS Command is in a 6 month "Probationary/Provisional" member. For cause, probation may be extended. At the end of the provisional period, employees are supposed to file for "civil service". Due to some loophole in the way things are, there are a bunch of provisionals on the job for years. Technically, as provisionals, they can, as with the probationary, be fired without reason, even though after initial probation, the union (local 2507Uniformed EMTs Paramedics & Fire Inspectors, DC 37, AFSCME)) represents them. I am told that members of the Sikk religion applied to the London, England, Metropolitan Police, and with special dispensation, are allowed their turbans, which are of the same color as the rest of the normal "Bobbie" uniform, with the Police cap device attached in the front. If turban is not the proper name for the head covering, would someone with such knowledge please advise me of the correct term?

Not a record for a revived thread, but... Just a reminder, if programming a radio for listening, unless it's in the Cell Phone frequencies, have at it, and enjoy (let me know what the frequencies are, I might want to listen on MY scanner radios). If you're intent on transmitting, you're going to need a licence from the Federal Communications Commission, unless, like I did, have permission to use a personally owned radio on agency frequency, to assist in agency bisiness, hence my using "PVAC 19" as my on air ID with Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps, on 155.28 MHz, licence KAO349. Squad's no longer in existance, but the other squads know me, and know if I come up on the air, there's some kind of emergency in progress.

Timmy, the link to the article about the New South Wales LEOs and EMS Officers had one line that kind of summed up the situation: Damned if you do, Damned if you don't. I recall one situation where an EMS team, an EMS supervisor, an NYPD patrol car team, and their sargent, were trying to talk a man from a car accident into going.The man had an obvious head injury of a bruised and bleeding forehead, and an "outie" "spiderwebed" windshield, obviously hit from within the car. I was only aware of the call, as I'm a friend of the EMS supervisor, but was passing by while I was off duty. I don't recall the field outcome.

...and which community? Welcome to THIS city. Hopefully, you'll join into the medical and ethical discussions we have here, not just the "War Stories". We ain't just swattin' flies while swappin' lies, here.

Part of the reason one company I used to work for "went under", was, Under the Carter Administration, Medicare stopped paying for dialysis ambulance trips, which then was roughly 75 percent of our caseload.

Just passing this along. Even with scene safety, things happen.

I have never had On Line Medical Control throw it back to me as discribed in one of the postings. If the OLMC doc says the patient goes, then with the backing of my supervisor, at least one duo of LEOs and THEIR immediate supervisor, the patient GOES. If, after describing vitals, meds, past history, current events of the injury/illness, and even one time that there was only the bathroom with a lighting bulb in it, for the entire apartment, OLMC states "leave 'em, collect the signature", at least I am covered. It falls on the OLMC's licence. I also do not have to like it, but it's under "Higher Medical Authority".

On another string, a member asked about transporting a patient who may be drunk, and is definately Altered Mental Status possibly due to the ETOH ("booze"), but wants to decline transport to, or evaluation at, the ER, to the point of asking you to leave theml alone, or leave the location. If the person is streetside, some of our policies allow for the LEOs to make the decision by placing the individual under "Protective Custody", as the individual may be a danger to either others or themselves. However, in reference to the other string, what if the individual is in their own place of residency? What are your local policies on removing said individual from their home? Does your agency even HAVE such a policy? If possible, please refer to your agency ops guides, county or parrish protocols, state or provence protocols, or national protocols, and not on your emotions, as I am attempting to resist such temptation, myself.

If the 9-1-1 system is activated for a Cardiac Arrest, here in New York City, there's going to be paperwork, as you'll have an FDNY Engine company, both ALS and BLS EMS response, and the local NYPD sector car team. All have paperwork to fill out, even if whatever the EMD was told is nowhere near as bad as the caller described. However, for someone who appears to be drunk, has the apparent smell of alcohol on the breath, is not aware of where/when/who they are, were it my scene, I'd be requesting the supervisor and NYPD put in an appearance, especially if the patient doesn't want to go to the hospital. Consider the "apparent" intoxication to be a distraction of some possibly worse problem. Consider something possibly diabetic in nature, at a minimum. I make note at this point, that, due to me being an EMT, even if I am drunk from drinking alongside the "patient", I cannot call that individual "drunk", as it could be considered slander/libel, in our overlitigatious society.

This is a request for an e-mail be sent to your NY state Senator and State Assembly representative, regarding all our safety, specifically, rear facing blue lights, which are not currently allowed on EMS vehicles. Feel free to use my letter as format, adding or subtracting details as you see fit.

First off, welcome to both the profession, and to EMT City. I started the field at age 19, and am now semiretired, at age 57. I have to tell you, I miss the view of the world through that big picture window...with the steering wheel in front of it. A quick comment, however: WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?

"aline's" post (# 5 of this string) is based on a "JEMS" article called Reilly's Rules of EMS. I refer to it a lot. Item 16 has a Corollary: Never turn your back on a proctologist!

That means we have at least 2 people who write the textbooks we use, and possibly others. Dr. Brian Bledsoe is also a member here.

My condolences to all who knew him.

Obviously, that would be decided by those in power in a local jurisdiction.