Teenage EMTs - YouTube Video

[akroeze]

Did anyone else watch the show "In a Heartbeat" by Disney?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_A_Heartbeat

[WestSideBorderPatrol]

Just something I noticed on the Darien EMS website:

The following are the criteria mandated by the Southwest EMS Council, in which a Paramedic will be called to assist the Post 53 crew:

1. Cardiac Arrest

2. Unconsciousness

3. Difficulty Breathing/Shortness of Breath

4. Trauma Patients involving extensive extrication

5. Chest Pain

6. Diabetic emergency

7. Seizure

8. Syncope (Fainting)

9. Any situation determined by Darien EMS

So with the above mentioned ALS upgrades, what is left for BLS to respond to? All that I really see left is the general, "sick person" and the minor MVA's. Seems to me that Darien EMS should hire an ALS crew b/c from the outside looking in, BLS can't do much...

I dunno...maybe I finally realized how futile BLS services are :?

[spenac]

Just something I noticed on the Darien EMS website:

So with the above mentioned ALS upgrades, what is left for BLS to respond to? All that I really see left is the general, "sick person" and the minor MVA's. Seems to me that Darien EMS should hire an ALS crew b/c from the outside looking in, BLS can't do much...

I dunno...maybe I finally realized how futile BLS services are :?

This makes it sound that they may not have anybody with them. They are to call for a paramedic. That is scary. Again I am all for them being third member of the team, but not be the primary.

[triemal04]

If an ALS ambulance is automatically dispatched for the listed types of calls that's at least a bit of an improvement. If they're not and have to be called once someone gets on scene...that's pretty disturbing, to say nothing of negligent.

But, if all they are responding to on their own is a pure BLS call, that's a little better than it sounded in the news clip. It's all well and good that this program has been around for so long, but maybe it's time to trash it and move on to an appropriate level of care. It can still function in some form or another with 1 or 2 kids riding as the third/fourth members of an ALS crew, but today, and with the call volume that's listed, there's no reason for this other than making people feel good about themselves.

[Timmy]

Did anyone else watch the show "In a Heartbeat" by Disney?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_A_Heartbeat

Are you serious! Please give me a break, a TV show! Now their whackers! Probably rich whackers but it still makes them whackers!

When I was 16 I was doing EMS, Fire, Sports Trainer, High School, maintained a social life and sometimes rode motocross with mates… No one wanted to make a TV show about me and I really didn’t think anyone really cared what I did. Hell most weekends I barley managed to get 6 hours sleep (most teenagers sleep all day) but a TV that’s way OTT man! Geez talk about volunteering for glory!

[AnthonyM83]

Age is not the issue. Education is the issue. So long as these "kids" have at least two years of full time, focused medical education under their belts, they are welcome on my ambulance any day. Until then, I have no more use for them than I do any other 110 hour wonder, regardless of age.

What about the issue of having experience problem solving, helping people deal with mature life events (family losing a person, wife crying to you with blood test results b/c husband intentionally gave her HIV, dynamics of a domestic situation). That's not even touching the issue of having the kids grow up normal so they can assimilate in the professional and social world normally which betters EMS workers' image.

I have to say I am ashamed that something like this happens this close to me. I agree with all who have said that this is a horrible idea, and a disgrace to our profession. It makes me sick to know that people believe this job can be handled properly by people barely old enough to get a driver's license. It is a reflection on how EMS is generally viewed by the public

The fact that they are doing the job is NOT a disgrace to the profession. The fact that they CAN do the job, that it IS easy enough for a high schooler to do (and do well, probably, at least medical aspect of it) is what's a disgrace. It shouldn't make you sick people believe HS'ers can handle the job, because they're believing correctly. HS'ers CAN handle and do handle it. I realized that way back when I started my EMT course and realized my 14-year-old brother who hadn't even taken high school biology could have gotten an A in the course with some studying.

[AnthonyM83]

If they are exposed to anything that a "16 yo shouldn't see" at what age do you suggest? Wasn't anyone else here an explorer scout? anyone? I know i'm not the only guy who didn't get lai...i mean was a member of the explorers.

16 might be an okay age to start riding out with an adult who regulates what they see ("stay in the car for this call") 18 is probably an okay age for full exposure, though later would probably be better. 18 is college freshman age, not thrown into full experience age, as general rule...but if violated at least it's easier to handle. It's not good when all a person knows is a the career world they've been a part of.

Similar to kids who go from police explorer applicant at 13 1/2, parking officer or CSO at 18, officer at 21,...all they freaking know is the LE world, used to having pretty much immunity since 14...only have LE values and outlooks, not as in touch with real world and people they serve. I imagine there might be a similar effect with kids who start EMS in HS and just stay in it.

I did explorers...it was definitely real world exposure, but officer still protected me a bit...not like a parent would, but maybe how a big brother would...they'd show me the cool stuff, but they'd draw the line if they thought I really wasn't ready. Though, what DID screw me up from it was all the non-LE stuff...inner department, interpersonal relations stuff of the raw LE community there, not the field stuff itself.

[AnthonyM83]

I know that even after all of this points have been brought up (and I will admit a lot of them are good points) I still stand behind my original opinion, I think its outstanding what they are doing. I will openly admit that I have been affected by the stuff "16 year olds shouldn't be exposed to.

So, you openly admit that while it might screw some kids up and all the other points made that you acknowledge, you don't care about them (enough), because getting into it young helped YOU. Seems on the selfish side to me....

Additionally, you (and me) are still on the young side....we couldn't judge how it really helped or hurt us overall until maybe a decade later, I'd say.

[AnthonyM83]

Am I f--ked up in the head? Yes, I am. I have seen the things that some 16 y/o shouldn't have to deal with, including aforementioned arrest. However, it is a choice I made that my parents agreed with. It probably was because I was always mature for my age, all the way back to elementary school.

But how would you know the choice for you was right AT THE TIME. It might have been wrong, yet you likely would have made the same choice. The problem is you can't tell before the fact. And also even after the fact, there's a tendency to rationalize why it was good for you, especially since people like to appreciate the experiences they have whether good or bad b/c it's brought them to where they are today.

As far as DRIVING, that should be based on their LOCAL stats. Maybe their crash rate is significantly lower than most other systems, for whatever reason. THEN maybe they should drive. If it's even close to comparable with other systems, THEN I'd say no. Do it by the numbers, guys.

Sorry for all the posts. I'm playing catchup.

[AnnaBanana]

The idea of a 16 year old driving an ambulance is insane. No matter how "good" a driver they are. You'd think EMS people everywhere would have respect for the however many thousand pound weapons of destruction those trucks are. And what happens to the people inside during an accident. That's the main reason for the high fatality rate in EMS (ff not included).

I do think it's not such a bad idea to let them treat patients and gain knowledge/experience. As long as there is a medic with them! As someone else said, teenagers do not have the life experience and critical thinking skills even an 18 year old might. (although being 18 is no guarantee of that either but I do think there's a big difference developmentally between 16 and 18 )

So in my opinion the premise of the program is awesome, but they are waay too liberal with what these kids are allowed to do. And they should never be missing school to do it. It just instills the idea that doing their EMS thing is more important than their education. If they are pursuing medical careers (or even continuing in EMS) the last thing they need is any kind of disdain for school. What happens when they are knee deep in anatomy and pharmacology books and have to spend every minute in class or studying just to pass? They will not get to go on exciting calls in the middle of class or have the luxury of "making up" a biology quiz to run a call.

JMO