Timmy Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 I have a real problem with rodeo standbys and after tomorrow night I hope never to do another one as long as I live! This rodeo event I was on standby at last night was horrible! I was scared to respond to riders on the arena in fear of what the rodeo officials would say to me. First our tent was set up in the most bizarre, smallish, less accessible area you could imagine! The crowd had no way to access us and we had this little gate to climb though to get to the riders. The tent was also plastic and it was so hot! There was no way to you could have stretcher access or room to work if you had a critical patient, the ambulances were parked a far distance away and we were blocked in by tractors and utes. They also refused to supply meals for the 16 hours we were there! Our first call was to a rider down in the area were they all congagate after their ride, my only direction was the patient was located behind blue gates, I had no idea were this blue gate was. About 4 people gave me different directions and to go through 4 different gates as I was walking over the commentator pulled me up and starting getting into me about a slow response and if he was hurt he wouldn't want me helping him, after I tried to explain I didn't know were to go and attempted to seek directions he called me a dickhead and walked off laughing. Eventually I found the patient, he told me he had a reoccurring ankle injury and if I wasn't going to give him morphine he wasn't interested in any treatment. All in all from the time of call to the time of the patient signing the refusing treatment form and me leaving was about 5 minutes, I don't considered that to be a slow response. About an hour later the commentator called for the ambulance officers to attend a rider down in the same area, again the rider refused treatment. I then approached this commentator man and requested that he confirm with the riders if they needed medical treatment before requesting us. He then muttered some smart ass comment under his breath. This guy really ticked me off! I told him if he spoke to me like that again we would packed up and leave, again he walked off laughing. Towards the end of the night we had a rider go down unresponsive after he was bucked from the bull and the bull rolling on him. About 7 rodeo officials and clowns were by his side upon arrival, when requested to move aside none of them did. The RN and I tried to push in but no one would let us, one official tried to move him attempting to take off his helmet. I bluntly told him to stop and not to touch him. He told me to calm down and informed me that “he'll be right mate”. Eventually I was able to make my way to the patient by literally wedging myself between the clown and timekeeper. By this time the rider was regaining consciousness. The RN took the head and I applied a collar, the medic and 2 first responders came out in the ambulance. With the 5 of us we managed to get most of the officials away from the patient. We started a primary assessment and rolled him onto the spine board. We asked for a few people to help us with the stretcher, the RN instructed everyone on the count of 3 will lift then this man bluntly says “get on with it mate, just lift the bloody thing” we got him onto the ferno, as we were applying the straps they all start yelling for us to get him off the arena “just load him in guys! Don't worry about those straps”. We got him off the arena and began a full assessment, his family came over and started knocking on the ambulance door, the medic told them we were still doing an assessment and to wait a minute. After a while the patient started to refuse treatment saying he was fine, as much as we tried to convince him he kept refusing. The medic and I went out to chat to Mum while the RN was doing vitals and paperwork. Before we said a word the mother told as she knew what we were going to say then told us that he'd be fine. The medic gave her all the usual talk about the legal side of refusing treatment and that if he didn't want us to take him to hospital would she consider taking him up ect ect. I went back into the ambulance to help the RN, by this time the patient had self removed the collar and was sitting up, he has cervical pain, right should pain, thoracic pain, headache ect but was adimit that he was fine and wanted to leave. After about 20mins of us treating him he left, thanked us very much for our help and walked off with his family with a cigartee in one had and a bottle of Jim Bean in the other, needless to say this kid was 15 and his parents had specifically bought these items over. Rodeo frustrates me to the point of wanted to punch someone in the head. It's impossible to actually provide medical care to these people and the officials at this event were horrible. The event in general was horribly run, they were so far behind the program to the point of going 5 hours over schedule. We had a very competent team and tried to treat the patients as best as we could but you still come away feeling like crap. What can you do to get the officials from interfering with treatment and preventing medical care? You can tell them to move aside, reassure everyone that everything is going well ect ect but it made no difference. We had done nothing to provoke this attitude. I got the impression that it was an inconvenience for us to be there, that we were only there for insurance reasons. After all, money before life. Tomorrow night is the last rodeo of the circuit and I pray to god that nothing happens so I don't have to deal with these 'extraordinary' rodeo officials/riders and there crappy attitude. We've decided not to cover this event next year, needless to say the organisers will be getting a nice bill in the mail.
firedoc5 Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 I can more than relate. We were lucky enough to place crews all around the arena. Plus we always had a tour of the facilities so we knew what was where. I grew up with rodeo so I knew most cowboys would try their best to refuse treatment. About the one you mentioned with the ankle wanting MS, I'd tell him that if wanted MS he'd have to be treated and transported. Or else, no MS. We had one medic that was a flag racer, so between runs he'd be working with us. Sorry you've had so many bad experiences at rodeos. We always had a blast. And we definitely didn't have the hassles you had. As far as the officials we worked with, they rarely interfered with us. In matter of fact they were outstanding of clearing the arena for us to get to a rider, especially if it was a bull. We didn't worry too much if it was a bronco still running around. I wonder how much different the officials in Australia differ from here in the states. I never gave it much thought until now.
reaper Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 The problem is where you are at. Rodeo in Aussie land is still considered back woods and have not been setup in a professional matter. Here in the states you do have your little backwoods rodeos that are a joke. The Pro rodeos are all governed by the PRCA and have rules they must follow. Medical care is a high priority for them. Riders are in a whole different world, to any pt you have had to deal with. The pros do this for a living and know their bodies and the problems they have. These guys walk around with injuries and pain that would put a normal person in the ICU. This is just a way of life for them. Most medical providers do not know how to deal with them, so they get frustrated. I rode pro for 17 years, so I know how to relate to these Pt's. It just takes a way of reasoning with them, to get them to understand. Hopefully one day, you will get to work a real rodeo and you will see how fun they can be to work at. You just can't expect to treat them like regular Pt's!
aussiephil Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 Timmy, people with brains know you eat meat from a bull, they are not meant to be ridden. Most of the people that go to these have 6 fingers. The crowd want to see them hurt. Although now we would be able to argue that under the mental health act they dont have a choice but to attand hospital!!!!!!!! Dont worry about them mate. They will realise one day that your concern for their welfare might have been justified. That is after their 20th or 30th concussion........ Phil
firedoc5 Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 We have a small Saddle Club that has some rodeo events. The larger high school in the county has a sort of unofficial rodeo team. Even though it's not considered a team they are recognized by the National High School Rodeo Assoc. Most of them are FFA members. But they do put on a good show. A few have made it into professional rodeo circuit. We occasionally trained barrel racers so we'd go to different rodeos. Some at very small arenas and would be considered as back woods or in the boonies. I personally enjoyed going to any of them whether it was to be on stand-by or just on my own.
Eydawn Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 Be really assertive and bring one of your largest buddies with you to help be a bouncer. Tell them that you'll report them for child endangerment if they don't let you get to the underage riders in a timely fashion, and insist that your tent gets set up in a locale that facilitates good care. In other words, tell them that if you're going to be there, you're going to do your job and if they don't want you to do your job properly, they can fark off. Be pushy. Be aggressive. Let the good ol' boys know you're not going to get shouldered aside because they don't understand the mechanics of trauma. Wendy CO EMT-B
spenac Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 Timmy, people with brains know you eat meat from a bull, they are not meant to be ridden. Most of the people that go to these have 6 fingers. The crowd want to see them hurt. Although now we would be able to argue that under the mental health act they dont have a choice but to attand hospital!!!!!!!! Dont worry about them mate. They will realise one day that your concern for their welfare might have been justified. That is after their 20th or 30th concussion........ Phil Bulls are not eaten usually. Young steers are. Bulls are left equipped so they can breed your cows. Rodeos are a dignified professional sport. Only real men would ever attempt. But sounds like you aussies don't have that level of rodeo there.
BushyFromOz Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 Bulls are not eaten usually. Young steers are. Bulls are left equipped so they can breed your cows. Rodeos are a dignified professional sport. Only real men would ever attempt. But sounds like you aussies don't have that level of rodeo there. no money in it bro, all the good guys went to canada or the US. I don think this was national comp though, it was an amateur.
BushyFromOz Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 Hopefully one day, you will get to work a real rodeo and you will see how fun they can be to work at. You just can't expect to treat them like regular Pt's! no offence bro, but what they do for their bread doesn't change my treatment. treating hem diferently is asking to make a stuff up. if they want to refuse treatment thats fine, but after i do my job. no matter how "tough" these "real men" are, i bet they'll have no quamls about suing anyone who treats them "differently" and misses an injury.
Richard B the EMT Posted December 28, 2008 Posted December 28, 2008 Timmy, you stated this rider was given a bottle of Jim Beam, and he was only 15? Is there any minimum legal drinking age in your country? Here in the United States, the age is 21, somehow tied into individual states getting Federal monies for highway building and maintenance, which would not be paid out if the state had anything lower. This has been in effect for at least the last 20 years. Just stating the case, not mentioning pro or con on the issue.
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