EMS Cadets/Explorers?

[BushyFromOz]

ok, you young uns and you older badgers.....i am actively involved in cadet program as an adult, so believe when i say this, it has merit behind it..

Its not about protecting, you, the maturity of that young people may or may not have, the type of stuff that cadets do, the service they are with or whatever....

Its about what is legally, ethically and morally right. Arguments for that include are some kids are mature and enthusiastic and may be better than a lot of adults, and i can dig that, but it is still a null and void argument because as a minor you are not legally responsible, accountable nor professionally liable for your actions, and the dropkick adult is....

You cant plan ahead, you cant decide "hey son you better stay here, this sounds blike a bad one", you cant say that we sit around doing transfers all day. Emergency services is built on analysis of risk - the risk that something will go wrong, and while it might not go wrong very often when it does, its a shit storm, and i gurantee you that there will be a great ruckus afterwards when people start screaming "why was a minor there?"

EMS juniors is a great thing, but it does not matter how mature we think they are - god knows i know some awesome 16 year olds, but in the end its what is legally, morally and ethically acceptable, and services who allow minors to be front line personnel, even as ride alongs, are not thinking about their level of service

Back on topic now.........

I think ems cadets or whatever is a fantastic thing, and there are many cadets i have met that are really good at the first aid they provide. Out of all the people here, Timmy is the man to talk to. I would guess you are a cadet leader mate???

P.S. Asys should get a medal for that post - way to go!

[Asysin2leads]

Nice post Bushy. I'll concede that while I am against young people on ambulances in principle, and I don't think anything will sway that fact, there is a big difference between a formal cadet program and a volunteer service that allows 14 year old ride alongs and 15, 16, or 17 year old EMT's.

If you want to make a program, train teens in first aid, get them interested in the field, fine. I'd say if you want to take them out at the very end of the program and let them do a ride along or two after they have succesfully proved themselves in class and are with a mentor, I'd say okay.

But that is a far cry from 16 and 17 year olds responding to their vollie squad building to go out on whatever call comes in through 911, and really, that is where I have the problem.

[Timmy]

I agree Asysin, cadets shouldn’t be allowed to ride emergency calls until they are at the appropriate age with appropriate training and I’d say if they were young and new without the supervision of an experienced member.

The cadet program we have in Australia lets cadets go out to standbys or event coverage this being the local school fair, football match, sporting events, festivals, rodeos ect…

Before there let out on standbys they must have completed a first aid course and various other training. We have weekly training nights and they are regularly assessed.

There are certain rules that must be followed when cadets go out on duty. There MUST be at least 2 adult members at all events, we discourage younger cadets from attending high risk events, 2400 hrs is cut off time and no body under the age of 18 is allowed trackside at a motor sports event.

There is also very strong child protection laws in place and every adult member is informed about what the cadets are capable of and there obligations to the cadets. If the adult member isn’t happy for a cadet to be with them, then they don’t go.

[Dustdevil]

[EMS49393]

I suppose nothing graphic can been seen at a sports standby. :roll: Why do all you kids want to grow up so fast? I've been spending my free time trying to figure out how I am going to build a smurf village in my spare bedroom to play in. Being an adult, for lack of a better word, BITES! If I had it to do all over again, I would have stayed 15, forever. No job, no bills, a guaranteed bedtime, meals provided...

Incidently, if you get hit in the head with a football at the correct speed it will actually break your neck, rendering you DEAD. I'll call that graphic, a dead 12 year old.

[rayster]

Thanks for that picture dustdevil.........! its beautiful. excuse me while I turn my head in the opposite direction.. I'm not going to lie and say that the picture doesn't gross me out, and that I'm a perfect example of a young first aider who can do anything and handle everything. Ok, I lied again. The picture doesn't gross me out... but If I saw that in real life then yes... i'd be a little (ok, more then a little) freaked out.

I feel like, although you do say otherwise, that there is a general dislike of youngens. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit one sided here because I know that things have been said along the lines of appreciating young involvement and interest in EMS, ect, however I do feel a huge and almost overwhelming "get the heck out of here" feeling. I do find this a bit puzzling, but I'm thinking it might be because I have no idea about what goes on in the states along the lines of volunteer services or 16/17 year old EMT-Bs. I know that if I wanted to be a paramedic in Canada, I wouldn't be able to do this until I was 20 simply because of the 2 years required for the college degree. wooohooo

Somehow somebody is always upset about the question of young people... whether it be the question of young people participating in ride alongs, or in cadet programs, or getting involved in the profession to early... I don't think everybody will ever be happy. Theres a big grey area when it comes to young people and their abilities, and of course the idea of us young people simply growing up too fast... and this grey area is perhaps why its such an issue. I shrug my shoulders. I don't know. I just get fustrated with all this back and forth.

....the anwser my friend, is blowing in the wind.... the anwser is blowing in the wind.

p.s., EMS49393... being young RULES... If I could live in neverland (as in, peter pan land... not MJ's house) I TOTALLY would. But, as this is not happening... well... I have no choice but to grow up...sort of.. it can wait for later. I'll tell you one thing, when I'm getting grey hair i'll still be young (at heart). Either that or I'll be hit with the grey hair at a young age gene that seems to live in my family in the next few years. I admire your ambition to build a smurf play house anyhow...

[BEorP]

There are certain rules that must be followed when cadets go out on duty. There MUST be at least 2 adult members at all events, we discourage younger cadets from attending high risk events, 2400 hrs is cut off time and no body under the age of 18 is allowed trackside at a motor sports event.

Under 18 can't be trackside at motor sports even but you can run onto the track to save the day?

Sixteen year old first aider Tim Ivone was the first medical assistance on the scene.

http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5974

[Michael]

Theres a big grey area when it comes to young people and their abilities, and of course the idea of us young people simply growing up too fast... and this grey area is perhaps why its such an issue. I shrug my shoulders. I don't know. I just get fustrated with all this back and forth.

....the anwser my friend, is blowing in the wind.... the anwser is blowing in the wind.

The illustration above is the big grey area blowing in the wind atop shoulders shrugging back and forth in frustration that no matter how many times someone says it's not about the young people's experience of the patients, but rather about the patients' experience of the young people, the rejoinder is always "Don't worry, we young people can handle it." Result: one noisy, messy, miserable waste of an exceptionally fine head, lost in explosion. Thanks a lot.

[Asysin2leads]

25 divided by 5 is 14. You can't argue about it.

[JPINFV]

^

Naw, 2+2=5 is double plus good.

I wonder what would happen if I start writing my narritives in newspeak?

Oh, and if you don't get this post, you need to read some more.