Live saving drugs pulled from fire truck in Naples, Florida

[Kaisu]

I am so tempted to send this Councilman a letter, giving him some honest and intelligent insight into what the problem is.

Do it Dust - do it! If I can help with the letter in anyway (I doubt it - you are a knowledgeable and eloquent SOB) let me know.

[Just Plain Ruff]

12 of 14 medics failed the test after a month of study allowed. That's like a 5% pass rate. DISMAL

Too bad these guys are not given a test every two years or so to keep their licenses.

And to the guy who was not concerned but didn't take the test, I wonder how well he would do.

This just plain scares the hell out of me.

[akroeze]

I am so tempted to send this Councilman a letter, giving him some honest and intelligent insight into what the problem is. Even after all these years of beating my head against the wall, I still occasionally get these idealistic notions that someone who can do something about it might actually listen and "get it". But nah... knowing Floridia today, Gary Price is probably a recent frostback immigrant from New York, who still thinks that the Long Island volly system is wonderful.

I suggest you make a form letter so that in the future you can easily send them out.

[VentMedic]

I don't believe the pharmacology is the biggest issue here. Remember these FFs still have their notes cards from the medic mill.

I seriously doubt the test was given as "What is the dose of Epi for....?"

It was probably word problems or scenarios. Now you have:

Reading comprehension?

Math?

AND medical assessment?

So, where is the actual deficiency?

40 hours will not be enough to correct this mess. I can't believe the test wasn't given out to the entire department but that would have disable EMS in Naple to where Collier County EMS would have had to step up to the plate.

Dustdevil, remember the thread you started about the Marco Island FF faking his credentials? Marco Island is next door. This is not an exception to the standard for the area.

[VentMedic]

Now, for another issue in this problem county:

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/30...on-idea-electe/

Collier fire chiefs to take consolidation idea to elected leaders

By I.M. STACKEL (Contact)

6:21 p.m., Saturday, August 30, 2008

The next step to fire district consolidation in Collier County is in the hands of elected officials.

Collier fire chiefs agreed Thursday night to take a proposed consolidation study back to their fire commissioners, or, in the case of cities and the county, the councils or county commission.

The Collier County Commission likely will hear the presentation on Sept. 9.

The fire chiefs also agreed to put out a request for proposals on how to legally accomplish the job of consolidating 10 currently separate organizations in order to take ambulance service off the county’s hands, and eliminate duplicate service.

Right now, county government-operated Emergency Medical Services has the ambulance concession in Collier. While some fire districts have paramedics, they don’t have the transport vehicles to take patients to hospitals.

More than two years ago, county commissioners asked fire districts to start meeting to find out if they can consolidate into one large Collier department covering fire, rescue and emergency medical services.

A consolidated department would have its own elected officials, and would be independent of the County Commission and county budget.

Currently, in addition to EMS, commissioners have to approve budgets for Ochopee and Isles of Capri fire districts while others are under the direction of elected fire commissions or city councils.

Golden Gate Fire Chief Bob Metzger presented an overview at the Fire Chiefs Steering Committee meeting on Thursday night, saying the plan requires further study.

“Elected officials must determine whether they want their organizations to participate in this concept,” Metzger said, reading off the report. “Once determined, the legal research will need to be performed to map the process necessary for consolidating the participating organizations.”

Also, chiefs, elected officials and a consultant need to identify the new governing structure, and how to even out property taxes that vary from district to district.

The Collier County Fire Chiefs Association Operations Committee, chaired by Assistant Chief Orly Stolts of North Naples Fire-Rescue, asked for the study at its Oct. 25 meeting. The numerous chiefs and firefighters from most of the districts since have volunteered their time to construct a workable plan.

The committee began by looking at the location of each fire station and EMS station within the county, identifying equipment assigned to each station, and by looking at overall and shift staffing.

There are a total of nine fire department-only stations, 16 combined fire-EMS stations, and four EMS-only stations. The four EMS-only stations are close to fire stations, according to the report.

Among the 10 agencies, there are 25 engines, seven aerial ladders, five water tenders, two crash fire-rescue trucks, and 25 ambulances available for service at any given time, meaning there’s more equipment than used per shift.

The fire chiefs agreed that consistent fire-EMS training throughout the county would benefit all Collier residents, and, therefore, would have its own independent training and safety program.

Although it wasn’t an aspect of the consolidation presentation or discussion, Big Corkscrew Fire Rescue Chief Rita Greenberg reported that talks are under way with Edison State College to include a county fire academy.

Chiefs around the county have all acknowledged financial hardship as a result of declining property values, mandated tax rollbacks, and annual union negotiations. They will all, soon, be presenting their final budgets to the taxpayers.

That includes the existing EMS service controlled by county government.

East Naples Fire Rescue Commissioner Tom Cannon suggested that the steering committee send official messages to the Fire Chiefs Association, stating that the steering committee supports the consolidation study.

“It would look good,” Cannon said.

Those involved in developing the consolidation study believe a tax rate of $1 per $1,000 of property value throughout the county could support a countywide fire-EMS department.

ANOTHER ARTICLE:

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/23...ill-alive-coll/

Fire-ambulance consolidation talk still alive in Collier

By I.M. STACKEL (Contact)

9:59 p.m., Saturday, August 23, 2008

Adding in Advanced Life Support engines pretty much reduces response time, Page said.

But there are different types of response times, Aguilera said after the meeting, such as initial repsonse time and that of the transport vehicle.

“EMS is a service, not a company,” Aguilera said firmly. “EMS is not a trademark.”

When someone in need calls 911 and gets an ALS engine arriving on the scene, that person is getting EMS-quality medical attention.

That’s one type of response time.

“Transport ability is a different question. The transport vehicle may not be there, but the service is. The person is being treated,” he said.

However, Aguilera said he doesn’t want to minimize the importance of the transport unit arriving in a reasonable time to take the person to a hospital.

“A transport unit coming to you in a reasonable time is an essential part of the service,” he said.

[Chief1C]

All I have to say is...

[align=center:7b797ac0d1][/align:7b797ac0d1]

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[align=justify:7b797ac0d1]Since you ate all the young rookies, you'll have to clean that up yourself.[/align:7b797ac0d1]

[Dustdevil]

I wonder how the commissioners would feel about eliminating county commissioners and just putting more money into letting the state legislature do their job for them?

[brentoli]

Thats going to be the next big thing here in Indiana now that its on the internet. They are consolidating and outsourcing everything here.

Send your ideas to:

Office of the Governor

Statehouse

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797

[Richard B the EMT]

12 of 14 firemedics failing a pharmacology exam is not a fluke. It is an indication of just how serious they take EMS. I would hazard a guess they didn't even study for the exam. Failing it would get them off the ambulance or ALS calls on the engine.

This is indeed scary to me. Could this possibly be another sign of why Fire and EMS should be separate?

I once again post my position, admittedly without documentation to support, when an FD agency CHOOSES to increase their lifesaving efforts by including EMS, it usually is successful, but when others outside the agency TELL them they are to take on EMS responsibilities, due to resentment of being told what they "have to do", rebel in numerous ways against it.

Could this be why so many "failed" this test?

Actually, until such time as they get to the bottom of this failure rate, I agree with the OLMC doctor that pulling the meds is, regrettably, the proper course of action.

[CBEMT]

"They have to follow my guidelines because it's my license they're operating under," said Tober.

I wish. In my area, any medical director who suggested such a test would be replaced before it could ever take place. Hell, they'd be replaced just for proposing the idea that they should be more than a signature on a supply order form.