Controversial Exam for D.C. EMT's

[crotchitymedic1986]

Very true dust, but i dont remember a "bear" section in my paramedic book, maybe this one question is just a good example of several more questions that are unfair to the urban medic. Now if they had questions on their like translating ebonics, how to roll a blunt, or what the street value is for an 8-ball to balance out all of these "white-country-cracker" questions, I am sure the FF's would pass.

[WolfmanHarris]

But it's a multiple choice test right? So even if you think there must be something unique about treating a bear attack pt. (or any other such scenario that might be out of your frame of reference) you can look and see that there is no crazy bear option. It's not like the test would have all these almost right priorities questions that deal only with the trauma and one that says "Shoot the f***er and turn it into a rug." That makes someone go "Well that is the only answer directly related to the bear." I know Basic is a joke, but if each question has to be spoon fed to someone with direct text quote presentation, then they may be too stupid to have any responsibility of the lives of others. Fire or EMS.

I mean come on. Could you imagine providers that narrow minded; "Hmm... they're pale, diaphoretic and SOB but they don't quite have crushing retrosternal chest pain. Must be indigestion, they'll be fine." Oh wait. Nevermind.

- Matt

[crotchitymedic1986]

now that was funny doc.

[under-dreaming]

Very true dust, but i dont remember a "bear" section in my paramedic book, maybe this one question is just a good example of several more questions that are unfair to the urban medic. Now if they had questions on their like translating ebonics, how to roll a blunt, or what the street value is for an 8-ball to balance out all of these "white-country-cracker" questions, I am sure the FF's would pass.

Before we get too carried away with ghetto bashing...

I believe the point of the question is to test your confidence. A bear attack is going to require a great deal of bleeding control and airway management. You might even need to locate a limb or two. It doesn't take a mountain man to see that. There are a lot of strange things that we have/will come across as emergency providers. If you can't think fast and act appropriately, your out.

[crotchitymedic1986]

Thats fine if you want to put it on the NR exam, but this is an interdepartmental exam (as a result of that EMS killing someone again), that you are required to pass now that a lawsuit was settled to keep your job. You could be a 20 year medic, with a clean record, and lose your job and benefits because you cant pass one written test.

And before all you whippersnappers start saying if you cant pass the test, you shouldnt do the job, I want you to look 10 years into the future, and say "sure i can pass any NR exam with a score of 90 or above" (also noting that it took several times for many of you to pass it right after school).

If a medic is incompetent they should be reeducated and then fired if they do not progress, but to be called in one day after you have been a model employee for years, and to be told you will lose everything if you cant pass this test, is wrong.

But this is typical EMS management; two sorry employees mess up one call, and the rest of the department (that didnt screw up) has to pay the price.

[under-dreaming]

Thats fine if you want to put it on the NR exam, but this is an interdepartmental exam (as a result of that EMS killing someone again), that you are required to pass now that a lawsuit was settled to keep your job. You could be a 20 year medic, with a clean record, and lose your job and benefits because you cant pass one written test.

And before all you whippersnappers start saying if you cant pass the test, you shouldnt do the job, I want you to look 10 years into the future, and say "sure i can pass any NR exam with a score of 90 or above" (also noting that it took several times for many of you to pass it right after school).

If a medic is incompetent they should be reeducated and then fired if they do not progress, but to be called in one day after you have been a model employee for years, and to be told you will lose everything if you cant pass this test, is wrong.

But this is typical EMS management; two sorry employees mess up one call, and the rest of the department (that didnt screw up) has to pay the price.

If what you wrote here is the accurate situation, then you are on the right track with your argument.

[JakeEMTP]

And before all you whippersnappers start saying if you cant pass the test, you shouldnt do the job, I want you to look 10 years into the future, and say "sure i can pass any NR exam with a score of 90 or above" (also noting that it took several times for many of you to pass it right after school).

It is your/my responsibility to keep our education current with today's standards. It is not the responsibility of my employer to keep me educated and current. As a professional it is mine and mine alone. If the employee in question couldn't pass a FF requirement should we continue to give him multiple opportunities until he passes or kills someone? If a plumber can't fix my leak at the house, I fire him.

Oh, and FYI, I passed on the first attempt.

[spenac]

Thats fine if you want to put it on the NR exam, but this is an interdepartmental exam (as a result of that EMS killing someone again), that you are required to pass now that a lawsuit was settled to keep your job. You could be a 20 year medic, with a clean record, and lose your job and benefits because you cant pass one written test.

They failed NR not some private exam. Per the article and I qoute:

"Staton's dream was shattered when he was among the 28 percent of firefighters who failed to pass a new national registry exam for EMTs, put in place after graduation. Staton had already passed state standards. "

[crotchitymedic1986]

Read the article again. They all passed NR and got their certs, but because they killed someone, as part of the settlement of the lawsuit, all employees have to pass a NR test again, or be fired. I imagine many of their medics and EMTs were grandfathered in (dont know when DC adopted NR) and have never taken a NR test. I am all for training and testing, but some people do not test well, and to base your whole career on one test (that has a high failure rate) is not fair.

[Richard B the EMT]

As has been noted repeatedly, I live and work in NYC. I personally do not expect to be responding to bear or poisonous snake attacks.

However, some people have illegal (for within the city) exotic pets, so there is always an outside chance you might be treating for the exotic pet attack, either a non-escorted visitor, or the pet escaped.

Then, of course, there are the fools who go into the bear cage, and these fools are not the keepers, as witness by this story on the link. I was working the EMD that night, and like most there, felt the LEOs shot the bears more to say, later on, "I shot a bear in the Prospect park Zoo".

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...756C0A961948260

Then, there was a circus in Forest Park, which in different years, had an elephant go berserk during a performance, and the Bengal Tiger escape.

The tiger caused several accidents on the Interboro/Jackie Robinson Parkway. Wouldn't you be taking your eyes off the road if you saw a full grown tiger sitting by the roadway, in the middle of a big city park where usually the biggest animals seen are raccoons?

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1...elephant_p.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2..._chaos_in_.html