BS calls

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Flammer you need to take this thread for what it is worth. The intention isn't for a moral debate on our responsibilities as health care providers. It is a venting point for dumb calls. If you want to debate if there is such thing as a BS call and our responsibilities as care givers then start up a thread on it insted of highjacking this one. Just let us have our fun insted of doing your devils advocate thing. I'm not saying you don't have a valid discussion topic, I'm just suggesting you have it somewhere else.

[Vorenus]

We obviously won`t agree on that topic.

Just one question: Where do you see any indication for EMS in the first scenario that was pointed by the OP: I`m cold, 5 min walk from home?

Edited November 8, 2011 by Vorenus

[flamingemt2011]

I do not think I am hijacking anything, I believe contrary to the OPs point, and I am "on-topic", I did not change the topic, I just disagree with the statement that there are BS calls.

Easy Vorenus, without any details from the OP about what the real temperature or weather conditions were that day (raining/windy):

The definition of hypothermia is when the body temperature drops below 95 degrees.  If a child is walking in the cold (even if dry and not windy), without proper insulation, it would not take long for mild hypothermia to settle in. I imagine the child was starting to feel those symptoms, and realized he could not make the rest of the walk.  Who knows, if instead of lecturing the child, we actually took his temperature, we might have discovered that as well.  

Now if it were 98 degrees outside, my argument does not hold.P.S. They stated they DROVE for 5 minutes, not walked for 5 minutes:So let's say they only drove 30mph (5280 feet x 30 = 158,400 feet per hour / 60 minutes = 2640 per minute x 5 minutes = 13200 feet / 5280 feet per mile = 2.5 miles the kid would have had to walk.

Edited November 8, 2011 by flamingemt2011

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Yes you are on topic... by highjacking I mean you have ruined something that could have been a lot of fun.

[Vorenus]

I do not think I am hijacking anything, I believe contrary to the OPs point, and I am "on-topic", I did not change the topic, I just disagree with the statement that there are BS calls.

Easy Vorenus, without any details from the OP about what the real temperature or weather conditions were that day (raining/windy):

The definition of hypothermia is when the body temperature drops below 95 degrees. If a child is walking in the cold (even if dry and not windy), without proper insulation, it would not take long for mild hypothermia to settle in. I imagine the child was starting to feel those symptoms, and realized he could not make the rest of the walk. Who knows, if instead of lecturing the child, we actually took his temperature, we might have discovered that as well.

Now if it were 98 degrees outside, my argument does not hold.P.S. They stated they DROVE for 5 minutes, not walked for 5 minutes:So let's say they only drove 30mph (5280 feet x 30 = 158,400 feet per hour / 60 minutes = 2640 per minute x 5 minutes = 13200 feet / 5280 feet per mile = 2.5 miles the kid would have had to walk.

Lol.

Yeah, I do so like to interpret stuff in simple statements to make them sound magnificent.

So, do I have to drive someone to a Burger place, just because he`s hungry(good blood sugar level/no history of diseases). I mean, he may sometime, at someplace get hypoglycaemic. Come on dude.

I`m not talking about someone with hypothermia as a symptom of a pathological state. I feel cold sometimes, too. Believe it or not.

[Just Plain Ruff]

so the person who drives their wheelchair 2 miles and the battery runs out and all they need is a ride back to their house is not a BS call?

Your definition of a bs call and mine are vastly different.

Plus I take slight exception to the fact that vollies can call these types of calls BS and not paid EMS providers. Who do you think pays for the gas for the ambulance? Who pays for the providers to come to the scene? It's the other patients and the other staff members who have to take up the slack for a "BS" call.

Being a taxpayer, I have a significant issue with people who call 911 for non-emergencies and take the last ambulance out of the city leaving my family and others ambulanceless.

You can say that that person felt they had an emergency but someone who calls for a sore throat or some other non-emergent problem that could have easily been taken care of at an Urgent care center or a doctor's office is where I get a little frustrated.

I will never deny a patient the right to an ambulance or a right to enter the health care system but there are more appropriate venuus out there than taking an ambulance out of service.

WE in the united states have become spoiled to the point of "I want it now" so I'll call the ambulance and they will come right out. We in EMS and FD have become our own worst enemies. The fire service in order to stay afloat relies on EMS calls to keep their budgets up. The fire service has done such a good job in fire prevention that they made it a necessity to get into EMS becuase let's just say, there's not a lot of fires happening anymore, at least not like in the 1970 and 80's. EMS has done sucha good job in getting people to call 911 that they many times have more calls for service than they do ambulances.

I can't begin to tell you the number of days that the ambulance service in Independence MO or KC MO have gone down to level 1(meaning 1 ambluance for the entire city) because of ems calls, many of which are not emergencies.

Are we our own worst enemies?

Flammer you need to take this thread for what it is worth. The intention isn't for a moral debate on our responsibilities as health care providers. It is a venting point for dumb calls. If you want to debate if there is such thing as a BS call and our responsibilities as care givers then start up a thread on it insted of highjacking this one. Just let us have our fun insted of doing your devils advocate thing. I'm not saying you don't have a valid discussion topic, I'm just suggesting you have it somewhere else.

But remember, flaming is the only voice of reason on this forum. Everyone else is wrong, all the time.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Ruffems

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

let's say they only drove 30mph (5280 feet x 30 = 158,400 feet per hour / 60 minutes = 2640 per minute x 5 minutes = 13200 feet / 5280 feet per mile = 2.5 miles the kid would have had to walk.

Maybe if he had walked instead of sitting down in the park he would have warmed up...

[flamingemt2011]

I remember something someone said on here (sorry do not remember who) that stuck with me. In EMS we have far more opportunities to "Touch" a life than we do to "Save" a life.

Yes I would have gladly rescued the person in the wheelchair, what is the better option, leave them there till some citizen comes by ? Then do you leave the expensive wheelchair on the side of the road because it will not fit in their trunk ?

It is like when fireman are called to cut up a downed tree in the road or to get the cat out of the tree, it is not what they went to school for, but it comes with the territory. Sorry Roy and Gage, but EMS isnt like what is portrayed on TV.

[mobey]

Sorry voranus, those are real calls. HLPP, give me a list of examples of your definition of BS calls, I will prove you wrong.

Baaaa hahahaha.... Is this guy for real?

What was that post about Cons on this forum.....

[Yarbo]

Medic 21 you're responding for a 44 y/o female possible loss of wedding ring, fire will be responding with you.