should we do away with EMT certification

[Timmy]

To elaborate.

Any Joe Blow off the street with some level of common scene can help control my bleeding, offer reassurance, use a break glass AED in the local shopping mall, preform chest compressions, support C spine ect; hell, I bet most people are capable of driving an ambulance.

What Joe Blow can't offer is medications to help eleviate my pain, read my cardiac rhythm and administer relevant medications, provide advanced airway management, decompress my chest and so on.

If I have something as simple as a # tib/fib you cant even offer me basic pain medication, you may be able to apply an air or fracboard splint but it's most likely going to make my excruciating pain even worse while your fiddling around. Your more than likely going to have anxious relatives asking you questions like “why aren't you giving my son something for the pain!!” While your telling the parents that your doing everything you can the patient begins to go into shock, you can't auto infuse because you cant give pain meds and you cant give fluids. The patient then begins to feel some nausea and begins to vomit but you cant give metoclopramide. See how a simple situation can turn quiet sour and all you needed was basic medications that are commonly carried and used on an ALS truck.

Personally I'm paying $90 a year for ambulance membership, if I call the emergency number for the ambulance service then that's what I expect to have turn up, a fully equipped ambulance with trained paramedics who can do what ever is needed in a professional and timely manner.

If I wanted first aiders to come then I'd call my mum or one of my mates who are advanced first aid trained, they can do the same as a basic and take me to hospital in a car.

The service I used to volunteer with doing event FIRST AID had a better scope that an emergency EMT and we didn't deal with a huge amount of timed critical patients nor did we work emergency response or transport patients. We had everything you'd find in a basic unit plus S4 drugs and a few other bits and pieces of equipment to play around with.

It makes me quiet angry when an EMT goes on about saving the paramedics and I don't even reside in America. Put it this way, in Australia a level 3 first aid course which goes for 3 days entails the same amount of scope that an EMT has. Level 3 first aid is the required course for most workplaces like factory's and offices. I fail to see the purpose of EMT basics in the emergency pre hospital care setting.

[Cowboy7427]

Bigj1130,

I must clarify a little.. I love working w/ medics in our system. I learn a lot from them. Nothing but respect for them.. The ones on these forums that think they are above it all are the ones I refer to as the "Paragods". Sorry for the confusion.

[Dustdevil]

The ones on these forums that think they are above it all are the ones I refer to as the "Paragods".

That's one of the biggest benefits of eliminating EMTs from EMS. Without EMTs, there are no more paragods!

[Cowboy7427]

Well, We know where you stand if we need advice..

By the way: Nice occupation

[Dustdevil]

By the way: Nice occupation

It's hard work, but somebody's got to do it. Better me than you, right?

[towheadedmule]

It's hard work, but somebody's got to do it. Better me than you, right?

well, just to flame the fire,,,,,maybe he will ''save'' you Dust :headbang:

[Boolancedriver911]

We should do away with medics, that would solve it all....

[AnthonyM83]

We will be there to carry you when you start to fail. "And yes you will one day- Nobody is perfect.. Headed to a new forum..

WTF, how does that help your argument? I've "saved" nurses, paramedics, EMTs, and cops times...so what? Does that mean I'm more qualified than another nurse to save a nurse?

Like you said, everyone fails sometimes, but everyone saves others from failing sometimes too. That doesn't magically qualify them to be as good as a partner of the same medical level. Does that make sense?

[brentoli]

We should do away with medics, that would solve it all....

[sirduke]

Just one man's opinion, and knowing it will get me flamed, here I go...

I think that the EMT level is important for one reason if no other, it takes the beginner in and exposes them to EMS and gives them a chance to gain some experience before becoming a Paramedic.

Having worked with several of what we call "fast track" paramedics, who went from street to Paramedic without any previous training or experience, I feel qualified to offer this opinion.

The ones I worked with were without any previous experience, except what they gained on clinicals, and when they were on scene with a traumatic or stressful scene, did not preform well. And for the record, they were some very intellegent people, just didn't have any experience.

On the other hand, I've worked with many paramedics who had two or three years as a EMT before going to paramedic school, and they are some damn great paramedics.

That alone made me decide to get a couple of years experience under my belt before I started school, and I am glad I did. The first couple of codes I worked with my paramedic, I knew what I had to do, but hadn't a clue really what they were doing, but after I got used to my part, then I could do my job and observe them at the same time, and learn. When I started paramedic school, I had a much better understanding of why we did this or why we pushed this drug, believe me, it helped.

Am I saying that every "fast track" paramedic is sub standard, NO, nor am I saying every paramedic who has EMT experience is great, but the figures speak for themselves.

Anyway, it is a useless argument, because as long as the private services can hire EMTB's to work at minimum wage, there will be Basics.

Georgia only recently decided to acknowledge the Basic certification, and the reason was due to lobbying efforts by the big city private services.

None of the county or hospital based services I know of will hire Basics.

Just one man's opinion. Go ahead Dust and tell me what a fool I am.

Besides, you'd have to change the name of the website...