Atlantic City EMS

[ambman142]

OCFD has MICU Medics on staff as well. They dont run ALS...yet, but with only 2 medic units close by, I cant see why not

OCFD does employ MICPs, but not as MICPs, but as EMTs. OC can not run ALS calls because they do not have a CN and no Online Medical Control. The Medics than are employed by OCFD are top notch and work for AtlantiCare as Medics.

[resqrat369]

From what I understand Cherry Hill hired theirs to be Medics but was not given the approval to put ALS trucks on the street so the Medics work as EMTs.

[FireGuard69]

Ambman, you are correct there. I have nothing but the utmost respect for OCFD, and cant wait to get on with them. Hopefully, by that time, they will be ALS..........nah, the way our state moves, thatll never happen

lol

[ajm0615]

I couldn't disagree more in reference to paid emt's vs. volunteer emt's... they both have their own pro's and con's... I am in college right now, and I am a volunteer EMT in my home town and a part time paid EMT while I'm at school. It's pretty simple - Paid and Volunteer EMT's have the same certification - no difference about it at all. Volunteers have to keep up their skills etc. and volunteers do this because they love it - I know many paid EMT's who could care less - they just want to make money b/c it is the highest paying job they have. Some of the paid guys I work with love it and some hate it... but you are pretty much guarenteed someone who loves it when you are dealing with volunteers!

[mediccjh]

Ambman, you are correct there. I have nothing but the utmost respect for OCFD, and cant wait to get on with them. Hopefully, by that time, they will be ALS..........nah, the way our state moves, thatll never happen

lol

And nor should they be. Volunteer organizations do ALS here out in PA, and it's not always the best.

ALS should be hospital-based. The motive is more focused on patient care, not the bottom line.

[Dustdevil]

Some of the paid guys I work with love it and some hate it... but you are pretty much guarenteed someone who loves it when you are dealing with volunteers!

How much some whacker "loves it" does not exactly instill confidence in thier competence. I don't give a damn if my provider "loves it." I only care that he is damn good at it.

[FireGuard69]

If the goal is pt care, then why should one provider that is stretched thin be the only one to do so?

When I have an unresponsive pt. and Medic 7 from way far away is coming, when I could have ALS from a non hospital provider, then why?

Take a look at Florida's EMS system, specifically Brevard County. They have a Medical Control Dr., and they are, in my opinion, some of the best FireMedics around. And they are NOT hospital based., instead, municipal based Fire-EMS.

Step back and look, if GOOD ALS can be provided from a non hospital org (eg Municipal), then WHY NOT?

QI/QA/ Quality whatever can be just as, if not better. Its time the Northeast looked OUTside the box, and moved away from hospital based only ALS.

I have seen the outside world, and it is better.

Its time Jersey got with the 21st Century.

[paramedicmike]

Step back and look, if GOOD ALS can be provided from a non hospital org (eg Municipal), then WHY NOT?

I have worked for a municipal 911 service. Their bottom line was "keep the taxpayer happy". It was not "provide top notch prehospital medical care". Further, the practices of this service reflected it. They retained a rubber stamp medical director who only got involved at our insistance (but would back down if the program director said he was meddling too much :shock: ). If we provided the best possible care for a patient but, for some reason, they complained (didn't take them to their hospital, bumpy ride to the ER, could have been everything), we got a tongue lashing about how we were worthless, replaceable and how the trash men were more important to the working of the municipality than were paramedics (I kid you not! I argued with the boss over this a couple times.). When approached for new equipment the response was, "Well, what's wrong with the 10 year old monitor you currently have? What's wrong with the 10 year old ambulance you have that doesn't start half the time? We can't waste taxpayer dollars on things just because you *want* them!"

Hospital based services has, as their main focus, proper care. The emphasis is proper care. Their system is designed that way.

Jersey does a lot of goofy things. But this might be one thing for which they get bonus points.

Just a thought.

-be safe.

[ambman142]

The point that I am trying to make is. With volunteers, even though they have the certification, you have no recourse if they don't cover their duty night or break squad rules, etc. Oh, you can suspend them for not making a call on the duty night, but that only hurts the person who has to cover their duty both for the infraction and for the suspension. It doesn't hurt them where it counts, in their wallet. I'm also saying that you can require a higher calibre of provider, if you're giving them a paycheck. I realize that volunteers do it because they love it, but sometimes loving it isn't enough. There has to be a degree of professionalism, if we're ever going to earn the respect of the rest of the medical community. Desire is not a direct reflection of compentency. With professional personnel, you can require uniformity. Many volunteer squads takes calls in civilian attire because they were living their lives,which doesn't lend any credibility to their service and dosen't give the patient the sense that they are being cared for by a professional. As for professional providers not caring, that's BS. If we were only doing it for the money, then we would do something that pays better. I do it because I love it, but I still need to pay my bills. You pay someone to fix your car, pick up the trash, and deliver your mail, but the general public expects EMS to get out of bed @ 03:00 in the freezing cold rain to pull someone out of a wrecked automobile after they have been drinking. All this for free, and the volunteer still needs to get up & go to work in the morning. If you have paid staff, they are already there working, with a duty to act and it doesn't infringe on their regular job, because it is their regular job. On top of that, volunteer rescue squad has to stand on the road and beg for donations for much needed equipment. I don't understand this train of thought at all. Lastly, I have worked in both hospital & municipal EMS system and most municipalities do not have enough allocated money to support a proper ALS system. As previously mentioned, most municipalities are more concerned with keeping tax dollars down, while hospitals have reputations to think about, so in turn require better patient care. Hospitals are also have a better grasp of the cost of medical equipment and following State Dept. of Health regulations.

[FireGuard69]

To be clear, I am not advocating Anytown, NJ be granted ALS capabilities, but those who a) have Medics on staff, have the finiancial resources to do so, and c) who can find a MD to actually be involved in the program. Not like it has been stated, but who is willing to dig in, and get dirty to fix what is wrong.

And if THAT dont work....

then put more f*cking medic units on the street!!

I feel bad for poor Medic 7.........