Quarters: do you have them?

[Just Plain Ruff]

I'll bet he will prove you wrong but won't prove that you are an idiot.

Can you honestly say that being up for 24 hours straight is a good thing? That's what a lot of services 24 hour crews do.

Is that safe for patient care. Are you saying that you are just as awake at 20 hours straight than you are at 3 hours into shift?

I think not.

I have no studies to prove it but I can tell you from working 24 hour shifts and seeing myself and my co-workers trudging into the crews quarters, sitting down, and immediately falling asleep that this was definately a big safety issue.

If you have a chance to sleep during your shift then that makes a difference but if you are not able to sleep because you are running 24 hours straight you cannot convince me that 24's are a good thing.

I'll let dust respond too.

[Emtpbill]

<br />I'll bet he will prove you wrong but won't prove that you are an idiot. <br />

<br />

Can you honestly say that being up for 24 hours straight is a good thing? That's what a lot of services 24 hour crews do. <br />

<br />

Is that safe for patient care. Are you saying that you are just as awake at 20 hours straight than you are at 3 hours into shift? <br />

<br />

I think not. <br />

<br />

I have no studies to prove it but I can tell you from working 24 hour shifts and seeing myself and my co-workers trudging into the crews quarters, sitting down, and immediately falling asleep that this was definately a big safety issue. <br />

<br />

If you have a chance to sleep during your shift then that makes a difference but if you are not able to sleep because you are running 24 hours straight you cannot convince me that 24's are a good thing. <br />

<br />

I'll let dust respond too.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

From a rare, and I mean extremely rare, tour I may not get any rest in that 24. In Philly they can't do 24s as they don't usually see the station after the shift begins. But in the surrounding counties, where I practice, 24s are still allowed because there is almost guaranteed downtime.

As far as being awake at hour 20 compared to hour 3 , absolutely not. Even if I slept half the shift, I still wouldn't be as sharp, but 24s still have their place, simply due to shortage of ALS providers.

[Dustdevil]

Apparently you completely misunderstood my post. The first sentence should have told you that I accepted certain exceptions. Even the closing statement indicated that.

But yes, there have been many studies on EMS, as well as drivers in general by the DOT, and medical practitioners in numerous medical journals. 1992 was just yesterday in the grand scheme of things, so don't expect that you are saying anything we haven't covered exhaustively before now.

[Emtpbill]

<br />Apparently you completely misunderstood my post. The first sentence should have told you that I accepted certain exceptions. Even the closing statement indicated that.<br />

<br />

But yes, there have been many studies on EMS, as well as drivers in general by the DOT, and medical practitioners in numerous medical journals. 1992 was just yesterday in the grand scheme of things, so don't expect that you are saying anything we haven't covered exhaustively before now.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Well then this board would be a ghost town if topics weren't regurgitated.

[ambodriver]

I work 24 on and 72 off, with a large municpal FD that has single role medics

We have a full firehouse with an ambulance, engine and truck company.

After rig checkout and house duties (medics don't really do house duties because we do all the calls) the day is ours, unless there is some training to do.

We have a workout room, tv room, kitchen, bunk room.

dinner club is $15 bucks a person.

I work part time at a private ambo company for shits n grins. I work 12 hours shifts there, no quarters, sit in a small van ambulance like a bitch all day. Not even sure why I do that job to be honest, guess I like to stay busy. The pay is horrid.

[chappy]

Well, back when I was in the street, we worked 24 on 48 off. Technically, we had sleeping quarters, but it was not uncommon for the down-town units to work 25-30 or more calls in one shift. So, yea, there were beds, but who could actually use them?

Can you honestly say that being up for 24 hours straight is a good thing? That's what a lot of services 24 hour crews do.

No

Is that safe for patient care. Are you saying that you are just as awake at 20 hours straight than you are at 3 hours into shift?

No and no. I have actually been questioned about paperwork on calls that I simply could not remember.

[HotelCo]

We have quarters. Tv, couches, kitchen, office, classroom, workout/billiards/ping pong area. Separate quarters for ALS and BLS personell, so one isn't woken up when the other is toned out.

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[Emtpbill]

<br />We have quarters. Tv, couches, kitchen, office, classroom, workout/billiards/ping pong area. Separate quarters for ALS and BLS personell, so one isn't woken up when the other is toned out. <br />

<br />

<br />

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I like the last part, separate quarters for ALS crews and BLS.

[HotelCo]

I have actually been questioned about paperwork on calls that I simply could not remember.

I've fell asleep on calls while writing my report. :/

You can see this line from the last word I wrote, that trails to the edge of the paper, from falling asleep while writing.

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[FireMedic65]

Working a 24hr shift is rough. Been there, done that, don't really want to do it again. It is not healthy for yourself, unsafe for patients, and unsafe for other drivers on the road. I have not read any studies about this, but I can just speak from experience. This is why I feel 24s are a bad thing. But, on the other hand, if you were allowed to sleep, then you could be rested. Although, I am not so sure the public would be too happy about having to pay taxes or whatever for ambulance services where the crews sleep half of their shift.

There have been times where I went into work for a night shift and a person from the other crew would clock in, check the equipment and go to sleep. Would not see him until morning when it was time to go home. How is that fair to other people who actually have to work? It was brought up and the argument was always settled by what I had stated above "rather be rested".

In my opinion, if you come to work and need to sleep, find a new job or a different shift. If you feel differently, you can paypal me $15/hr tonight while I am sleeping.