No MEDICS!

[LyonN]

I work for a primary transport Fire department that run about five calls a day we serve over 10,000 residents. We cover 40 miles in every direction. The nearest hospital is an urgent care facility that often times transports or air lifts the patients out, the nearest level 1 hospital is over 100 miles away in Albuquerque. Now here is the dilemma we are an EMT-Intermediate service (I-1985), no medics for miles! If we want ALS the only way to get it is by chopper. We recently came under attack by an Albuquerque news crew (link below). In this article the Mayer is asked, why not? His response is the “city can’t afford them.”

Now I have been with this department since 2005, in 2008 against all odds and against everybody advice I became the managerial ugly step son. Using all of my vacation and some of my sick leave I attended paramedic school. Without any help from the department financial or physical I commuted to Albuquerque 5 days a weak for a year while working my 56 hours a week until I was done. When the news crews were hanging around our station I was told by the chief not to talk to them for fear of my license getting out to the public.

I have never once told these guys that medics are better. I have never once tried to push this issue. The only things I ever do is if I see medical care being done wrong I will try to take patient care over in a polite and respectful way, and I make sure I am in the ambulance when my shift has a critical patient, I have utmost respect for Socorro Fire Department. I have seen some of the best and worse EMS done here in Socorro by our EMT’s, I have been in situation were my skills could have been potentially life saving, and did nothing, I have been on the tail end of MANY Paramedic jokes, but I also have an self serving bias for this particular issue. Does anyone else believe this to be unethical? I’m attempting to leave the department soon, I just had to hang around and start a union for them. So, should I let the issue die with my departure, or should I push it even after I’m gone, like a ghost! Does anyone have any potential solutions?

Somebody please tell me in not the only one with this problem!

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/health/NM_city_has_thousands_of_residents_no_paramedics_470485

[chbare]

I was not aware there was a paramedic in Socorro. Socorro has always been this way and I can only imagine the culture that exists in the EMS community. It is pathetic and embarassing that a community that size does not offer a paramedic level service ( about 10,000 in Socorro proper ). I live in a smaller, poor border town, and the fire department here at least offers paramedic level care to the public. Good luck if you push for changes, you face an uphill battle. You will most likely have to deal with a shit storm after putting your name out here as well. Change will only occur after sufficient public outcry. However, New Mexico is not the most progressive state. Good luck mate.

Take care,

chbare.

[spenac]

I say go for broke and contact the news agency and let them hear your story. Let the citizens know that because the powers to be chose to save a few hundred dollars a year lives have been and will continue to be lost. Hopefully this will allow for advancement to be made for future Paramedics as it sounds as if your time is done there no matter what transpires.

[paramedicmike]

I say go for broke and contact the news agency and let them hear your story. Let the citizens know that because the powers to be chose to save a few hundred dollars a year lives have been and will continue to be lost. Hopefully this will allow for advancement to be made for future Paramedics as it sounds as if your time is done there no matter what transpires.

I was thinking the same thing. However, if you want to keep your job, even if for only a little longer, be careful how you do this. Add to that the idea that you don't want to burn bridges as you leave rather makes discretion the word of the day.

My question is how long do you plan on staying? You answer to that may influence the answers you get here.

Good luck.

-be safe

[Kiwiology]

Hmm I seem to have read somewhere before that this City said iy was content with having no Paramedics?

Guess not eh

Edited March 2, 2010 by kiwimedic

[aussiephil]

Isnt this a reaso to look at an across the board skill set change?

Lets face reality, times have changed & what changes have been made in the past 30 years to an EMT-B or an EMT-I?

To demand a medic is not always the most appropriate thing, we have many stations that do not have 'medics' on them, with the nearest, i some cases over 1 hour flying time away, but with upgraded skills that have been developed over 30 years, we can adequatley treat these patients & get them to appropriate care.

In my humble opinion, that is, right across the country, going to be more beneficial that stamping your foot demanding medics in 1 area.

As a suggestion, if you have some down time, go back over your cases for the past 12 months & work out how many really (not just might have) needed the services of a medic. I think you will be genuinly surprised at how little they are needed.

[Kiwiology]

Isnt this a reaso to look at an across the board skill set change?

Lets face reality, times have changed & what changes have been made in the past 30 years to an EMT-B or an EMT-I?

To demand a medic is not always the most appropriate thing, we have many stations that do not have 'medics' on them, with the nearest, i some cases over 1 hour flying time away, but with upgraded skills that have been developed over 30 years, we can adequatley treat these patients & get them to appropriate care.

In my humble opinion, that is, right across the country, going to be more beneficial that stamping your foot demanding medics in 1 area.

As a suggestion, if you have some down time, go back over your cases for the past 12 months & work out how many really (not just might have) needed the services of a medic. I think you will be genuinly surprised at how little they are needed.

I agree mate, the only reason our Intensive Care Paramedic will become needed is for intubation and some fancy cardiac drugs (amiodarone/atropine) or for ketamine

[chbare]

We are talking about a city of 10,000 people, a city that supports a college and the state fire academy in addition to the state police academy. When patients present to the hospital, there is an RN somewhere in that emergency room, I do not think it is too much to ask to have paramedic level of care available outside the hospital.

Also remember that the paramedic in the United States, specifically New Mexico can be completed in about one year versus how long for the Australian ACP? The New Mexico intermediate can be completed with less than 300 hours of total training. Therefore, if patients require any modalities beyond the EMT-I scope of practice, I am not sure how that level of care is delivered. With the variable weather and many days of dust storms with low visibility in southern New Mexico, you cannot always rely on air-medical evacuation. With no specialty services in Socorro, patients requiring intervention such as cardiac resources have to go to Albuquerque somehow. Heparin and nitroglycerine infusions are well beyond the NM EMT-I SOP, therefore, how are these patients transferred?

Take care,

chbare.

[spenac]

I agree mate, the only reason our Intensive Care Paramedic will become needed is for intubation and some fancy cardiac drugs (amiodarone/atropine) or for ketamine

My kiwi and aussie friends NM does not allow the emt-i to do much. This community is remote and should have quicker access to Paramedic level care. 1 life saved by having a Paramedic justifies the few hundred extra dollars a year it costs.

[Kiwiology]

We are talking about... a city that supports ... the state fire academy...

Say no more, the IAFF should be having an accident on themselves turning on the lobby machine to get support for Fire based ALS!