Richard B the EMT

Back in 1974, the NY State EMT class I was in, required an 8 hour rotation in an ER. I did as asked by the doctors and nurses, "hold this here", "take a pulse", "hold him down while we put in this IV". This was when all I knew of was EMTs and Paramedics, no EMT-D, EMT-A, A-EMT, EMT-IV, EMT-CC. I'd hear of them later on. Also, the starting EMT classes back then were 45 hours long (plus that 8 hours in the ER). In 1985, when taking my 3 week orientation classes for the municipal EMS, I rode third on an ambulance, where, in addition to being utilized as a pack mule, some of the crews actually had me take vitals and treat some minor wounds. They knew I was already an EMT, being taught to do things in the ways approved by the service ("the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way").

I'm glad you prefaced with that. As for the backboard, perhaps their training is, for any "Man Down" (unknown situation) calls, presume the patient to have fallen, with associated C-Spine involvement, so do immobilization. Just saying...

Wyle E doesn't know of the check the Acme Company is holding for him, as he has been hit in the head so many times, he forgot he works for them as a products safety checker. As for the second item, have you been spying on me again?

Without background as to what transpired prior, that made no sense to me.

Due to lacking the time to complete the list, I'm going to say, re "Oh, my nose", as being either when Marsha Brady got hit in the face by a thrown basketball (football?), or The Moth's comment following almost every fight sequence he was involved with, on "The Tick. I'll do a full rundown in a near midnight future.

Different regions, different training, or level(s) of training. However, I agree, if the LEO had the basic HazMat Awareness Level training, he forgot it while attempting the rescue of the "man down".

Best take cover. Betty Freidan is loading her shotgun.

Lone Star, your point 2 is what's been drilled into me as Rule One of Rescue: Never do anything in a rescue causing you to also need rescuing.

Re the video: That rescuer is going to have a story to tell, on how he got whiplash in a car travelling 0 MPH. Actually, file that under a possible miss under scene safety. That airbag sure rocked his world.

Sometimes, it's that one degree off of the truth that makes somerthing funny. While not a full LOL for me, I was giggling.

I recognized all of them, but won't spoil the fun for the "kids" trying to answer.

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is in the mangled mantra: "Don't just do something, stand there!." The LEO saw someone he thought he could help, and became another victim from lack of information, tunnel vision, lack of, or improper equipment, or a combination of all of these items. 1) Fail on someone's part not to have the LEO's dispatch advise of what the truck was carrying. 2) Where both the LEO and FD parked, watching the "smoke"/vapors leads me to believe they parked at right angles to the wind. 3) This was definately a situation where "Upwind, Uphill, Upstream" should also have been joined by the "Rule of Thumb". That means, stand off enough of a distance that your thumb, at extended arm distance from your face, covers the scene. Also, remember that even with the Rule of Thumb in use, you might still be too close!

If the man was in hospital for 2 days before dying, whatever ailed him at the time of the car accident may not have been evident enough for either EMTs or Paramedics to diagnose. The ER staff, or the people on floors might have caught on after you turned care over to them, so it might not even be something covered within our scope of practice. Did the hospital advise you of what happened after transfer of care to them? It might have been something not told you in the patient's history that suddenly went acute. Also, do not jump to conclusions, and tell your classmates that, too. There's the old story of a man went home, early, from a dinner party because he didn't feel well. With the party still in progress, the hostess got a phone call that he died. She rushed everyone, all the remaining 15 guests, to the hospital, where they all had their stomaches "pumped", fearing it was her cooking. Then, they all found out he died, because he got hit by a truck while crossing against the traffic light!

Just suggesting becoming an EMS consultant. While some reject it, as consultants usually end up as professional witnesses against other EMTs or Paramedics in court, it might be a viable job. After 38 years, between the Volunteer, proprietary, and 25 years alone in Municipal EMS sectors (overlapping), I am on partial disability medical retirement. Bad back, knees, and elbow, wear and tear. I understand the age difference between us, as I also started at age 19 (1973) but also understand that EMS is not the be all-end all.

Such a coincidence: I heard, only hours before posting here, of a Fed site with stuff like that in mind, but also admit I have never used. Try www.tripwire.dhs.gov

EMT-B55, were you under the airbag's path of travel, and just frightened by the shotgun sound, or actually hit by the bag as it deployed? I keep hearing anecdotal stories of EMTs, Paramedics, LEOs, and Fire Fighters, even after the vehicle battery is disconnected, being hurt by late deployment of the bags during patient extrications and disentanglements, and recall seeing restraining devices that cover the steering wheel airbag. I do not, however, recall seeing any ads for a cover for the passenger side, or the "curtain" style side air bags. Has anyone seen any ads for them? Just on a precautionary note, I will add shock absorber style energy absorbing bumpers. In front or rear end collisions, they absorb the impact by moving into the vehicle, but sometimes get stuck in a compressed status. From after they became the standard, I have read of rescuers walking in front of them (obtusely, in back of them in a rear collision), and getting creamed when the bent plastic or metal suddenly releases, allowing the bumper to fly 30 feet or more, along with parts of the rescuers unlucky enough to be in the way.

T Shirt Saying:

Perhaps you are the person to recall the non Christmas song, "50 Ways To Kill your Patient"? I've been trying to get a copy of the lyrics for years.

You will be fighting resistance in one area that I recall from years gone by, that of the EMTs and Paramedics from the smaller communities in the low population areas. They will claim hardship due to travel distance to training centers, especially during snow season, when they can get stranded for days in towns over 100 miles from home, or the commute of vast distance twice, or in some cases, three times a week.

Don't stop, keep going!

I love this joke that always ressurrects itself every year at this time.

Hey, Lone Star? Suggest you repost your last comment from this string into the Pun=demonium string.

PUM? Wazzat?

Not for nothing, Jim, but the newscasts concerning the new scanning equipment always seems to show the TSA folks wearing gloves. While the contac itself might be at a personal level, the gloves seem to be attempting to keeping it at a clinical level.

Sounds a bit like contract negotiations. Workers ask for an unrealistic high number, management asks rediculosly low, then they bargan, usually ending up with something a bit better than the last contract. Everybody postures, and at the conclusion, workers claim big win, management claims how low they kept the workers, nobody is happy, yet everyone is. They'll do it every time.