What's missing on the ambulance and why?

[hfdff422]

"Unresponsive" always means cardiac arrest either when manpower is low or ALS is unavailable. Of course, it will definately mean cardiac if your BLS truck has no AED. Murphy's law is most dominant in EMS.

[Nate]

In Texas your ambulance wouldn't pass...you'd get laughed at. I don't actually think I'd work for a service that didn't put an AED on a BLS rig. I have never seen a service carry an epi pen. Wait, I take that back. I have an epi pen (some assembly required :wink: ).

ASA and Albuterol are basic medications in Texas.

[ToledoEMT]

All of our cars carry AED's, we're a private service, but we are also contracted to do 911.

All of these are in our Basics Drug Box:

Albuterol

Activated Charcoal and Ipecac (blah.)

ASA

Epi-pens

We also carry KEDS, although according to most of the people I've worked with, they've never used them or maybe just used it once.

[Dustdevil]

We also carry KEDS, although according to most of the people I've worked with, they've never used them or maybe just used it once.

If that's because they never run MVA's, great. If they are running MVA's and not using them, RUN from that service ASAP. It's a bunch of lazy, ignorant, unprofessional losers who will be a bad influence on you and eventually get you involved in a lawsuit.

[Ridryder 911]

I agree Dust, there are 2 things I do when I inspect an EMS unit. I check the KED and suction unit. If the KED looks like it is brand new and the suction unit still has the original tubing .... I cringe !

R/r 911

[Texas50981]

Ok, I can't belive that on your bls trucks you don't care AED's. I also work for a privet company in Louisville, Ky that also does some 911 calls but, we all care AED's, Activated Charcoal, and KED's. We have to by state law. You might want to check your laws and if you are to have any of those things report it. If you report something thats is requied be law that you are to have i bet within a couple of hours you will have it. Now about the Albuterol and ASA we don't have that on are BLS trucks but the 911 metro they do have it on there BLS trucks, it sucks to work privet but it will get you through school thats what im doing.

[AKmedik8or]

AED Kind of stupid if you ask me... An ambulance without an AED...

Albuterol

Activated Charcoal

ASA

Epi-pens

The above listed medications are not often needed in the world of transfer medicine, however as several folks have pointed out, the first step may first be cardiac monitoring if you are going to proceed down the path of patient treatment that the fore mentioned medications would be given for, however more to the point is what level of airway intervention is your service prepared for? given the type of patient these medications treat, early triage and appropriate ALS vs BLS transport treatment may keep your service from creating a very bad experience for a BLS providers war stories.

[Soothar]

I agree, every Ambulance needs an AED. The BLS rigs my company uses are all stocked with Lifepak 12's and everything you would need short of a drug box. Since any of our rigs could become an ALS truck in a heartbeat, we treat them all that way. As for the drug boxes, the medics all carry them on whatever truck they are on.

[Medic One]

My rig is missing a krups coffee machine. It would be great to have it readily accessable for those late night calls.

[Richard B the EMT]

First off, Congrats, Medic One, for the old string resurrection.

I must explain to everyone who is NOT from New York, Part 800 is the NY State DoH minimum requirements list for ambulances.

I'm going to mark my commentary in red, but mention that this is per my perception as an FDNY EMS member.

Just curious. I know there are services - private companies that mainly do transfer services, but do take emergent calls as well. However, their ambulances are missing certain medications/equipment. This is for the BLS side. I've worked for a private company that lacks :

AED :shock: Kind of stupid if you ask me... An ambulance without an AED...

From the time of the original posting, AEDs are now a part of the Part 800 requirements, and, at least for participants in the NYC 9-1-1 system, must be brought in on all calls.

Albuterol

On recognition that ALS is going to be needed for an Asthma call, BLS units are to request ALS, start albuterol treatments as per protocols (unless contra-indicated, also per protocols), while packaging the patient and bringing the patient down to the ambulance. If, at that time, ALS has not arrived, an ETA is requested for the ALS. "Stay and Play" versus "Load and Go" will be determined by which is the shorter interval: time to the nearest appropriate ER from the scene, or the arrival of the ALS on the scene. This has been addressed by me on other strings, by the way.

Activated Charcoal

We are supposed to carry, unless "800" has been updated and charcoal removed, as some years ago, ipicac was removed.

ASA

Chewable baby aspirin is an "800" item...now. Protocols are for chest pain, unless contra-indicated.

Epi-pens

Protocols are in the process of being changed, and they are becoming part 800 items. However, questions are beinfg asked, especially by non municipal paid services in various 9-1-1 systems, as to who is going to foot the bill for the epi-pens, as well as the autoinjectors from the expiring "Weapons of Mass Distruction" kits.

KEDS (They have shortboards)

Shortboards are Part 800 acceptable. KEDS (Kendricks Extrication Devices), IDEAs (Iron Duck brand Extrication Appliance), and similar, are just easier to apply. Given the choice, I'd go the KEDs or IDEA, although some drill teams try to impress the judges by using the short boards. Most times, the short board is a writing table in the back of the ambulance for me.

These are seemingly not part of the part 800 as these vehicles pass DOT inspection. As if the BLS scope of practice isn't small enough to begin with...

From the time this was originally posted, both NY State DoH Part 800 and the BLS protocols we use have been updated. Wanna bet in 5 years time, they will have changed yet again?

Just to add... this company is huge.

I suspect I know who they are, but don't want to be sued for slander/libel.