Richard B the EMT

Any and all writing implements have a nasty habit of becoming nasty with blood, and will usually be left with whoever bloodied them. Get something that comes by the dozen, like the "Bic Stick" pens, or similar.

Dusty will probably back me on this: An associate of mine working as an EMT got into an RN class, where, on day one in class, mentioned he was an EMT, was first congratulated by the instructor, then told to forget everything he had learned as an EMT!

Admittedly a common practice, but not recommended. That first call will be the one without the necessary whatchamacallit on board, or that's when the State DoH Field Inspector pulls you over for an unannounced equipment/supply checkout.

LOL back at ya! Northern and/or Western hemisphere.

While I never did it, I have friends who are so wiped by a double (16 hours), rather than risk falling asleep driving home, will "crash" at their station, or at a nearby one, on the couch for a few hours, then return to pull their usual next 8 hour tour.

I'm just retired from FDNY EMS Command. We "stage" from a street corner, 8 hours at a time, 3 tours a day, 24/7/365. Some of our tour one (00:00-08:00)people would like to have a bed in quarters, but that, unfortunately, is not to be. Most times, if you have one of the 2 person team awake, the other can grab a quick cat-nap, while the other monitors the radio. Take turns, but just hope nobody who doesn't like ambulance crews isn't lurking with a cell phone camera. FYI, the most any personnel on one of our ambulances can consecutively work is 16 hours. They have to take off the next 8, as per the contract. Years ago, a few of our crazies would work a "double", from 08:00 to 24:00 on Saturday night, but as Sunday was the start of the new work week, they then would work 00:00 to 08:00. As it was 2 pay week periods, nobody except a few supervisors would know. Nowadays, the supervisor, as well as the personnel doing the unofficial 24, would be written up, the supervisor for failure to supervise.

Welcome aboard, Doris.

Interesting: a revived string started originally in 2006! While seemingly a Canadian string, originally, we have members of EMT City from Germany, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Texas. (Texas at one time actually was a country in it's own right.) Me? I'm a (now retired from gainful employ) New York State EMT-Basic of almost 38 years experience, 25 in municipal service to the city of New York, and was covering New York, Richmond, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York State. I live, and have been living all my life, in the Belle Harbor section of the Rockaway Peninsula area of Queens County, New York City, New York State, United States of America, North American Continent, Planet Earth, third planet orbiting the star known as Sol, in the Milky Way Galaxy. With that pinpointing, if you cannot find me, you're so lost!

Depends on geographic area, or municipal service versus private service provider under municipality contract, or other factors. FDNY EMS Command is Local 2507 (Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors of the FDNY), of District Council 37, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Other cities may be International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or other agencies I admit to being unaware of.

Some take the attitude that if you're in a uniform, someone has you in the cross-hairs of a sniper rifle. Oh, by the way, I was at a Police equipment store today, and was updated that the average cost of most "Threat Level 3" Kevlar vests are now over $500.00, not the $350.00 I previously mentioned.

The concept of the CAD system automatically giving the GPS directions is supposed to be the second step up from where the system currently is at, for the FDNY.

Timmy, what was the initial action on this call here? What eventually happened?

Well, my union local went to bat for us to have the FDNY give us the "vests", with an "over the uniform 'carrier'" available at our own expense (mine was $90 USD). Those of us who didn't want to be assigned a vest had to sign an official departmental paper, basically absolving them of responsibility if one of us were to be shot while on duty, in a body part normally covered by a vest. Prior to this, I knew a number of service members who had purchased their own vests. One purchased a second vest for his then fiancee, who was also on the job. The bad joke on this was, and I witnessed this, myself, both vests had a secondary "ballistic plate" covering the mid chest, with notation on the plate saying FYI, the vests cost NYC and the FDNY roughly $350 per "under the uniform" carrier and kevlar sections.

Using my local protocols, extrication would be Long Spine Board, and O2 would be 8-10 LPM via Non Rebreather, but otherwise, I'm with ya.

Body armor, as in so-called "Bullet-Proof Vests". As long as there are illegal Teflon "Cop-Killer" bullets available, nothing on the market is truely bullet proof.

Have a map as backup to the GPS. FYI, the automatic GPS system installed on all FDNY vehicles is to assist the Computer Assisted Dispatch computer reccommend the closest unit, or find an EMS crew straying too far from the assigned street corner they're supposed to "stage" at between calls.

Nassau County (NY) Police Department runs an ALS EMS. The Paramedics are civilian PD employees (with brown, not blue, uniforms), and are mission specific. They drive themselves to a call scene, enter, and start evals and treatments, joined onscene by an NCPD LEO, who assists, and eventually drives the ambulance from the scene to the hospital. If it's a one man PD cruiser, the cruiser is left at the scene, and the ambulance eventually returns the LEO to it, otherwise, the LEO's partner picks him (her) up at the hospital. FYI, other Nassau County towns with their own Police Departments do similar.

I have had pretty good experience with the "Game" brand "Job Shirts", so I own a bunch of them. Some had to be retired from active service due to chlorine and peroxide burn stains, but I continue using them, as, in winter, those suckers are warm. Patches are removed. As for summer shortsleeve pullover knit shirts, they have no pockets. I use pockets. Doesn't your service provide uniforms?

Actually, I have had a few of them, too.Then, we have the fun of calming down the patient, and the patient's family, no matter the original reason the doctor called for the ambulance.

Hmm, just thinking perhaps the doctors in private practice are under the same illusion as some patients, the patient will be seen quicker if brought in by ambulance? Emergency Medicine is a specialty, after all, most MDs or DOs might not have that knowledge.

Did we lose the EMT City store when we moved to this server? I remember seeing an online store here, that sold things like that.

Open with vital signs, then general patient history, followed by history of current illness. (Duh!)

Bin Ladin apparently had gone on record, saying he felt only Allah could judge him. The SEALs have arranged his going to that courtroom!

A number of Doctors who called for an EMS transport, to my experience, almost refused to even advise me what they suspected was wrong with their patients. I suspect they felt we were dumber than some stereotyped cab drivers.