Equipment checks

[Defiant1]

I'm a high school student still, but I have interned with the rescue squad in my town. Every monday through friday, I go down there at 800 in the morning, and will go through our main rig, check EVERY medication, the flashlights, AED, 02 cylinders, and what not. i could tell you the expiration dates of all the medications in the main rig. our crash i go through whenever it has been out, but i always check the medications. so no, you are doing nothing wrong, if i was on the same squad with you, i'd rather have you for a partner than those other guys. and the same thing goes for Roost.

[Ridryder 911]

There are some services that have personnel to stock and maintain the truck. I know at least EMSA in OKC fleet maintenance, is responsible for the back as well as front. Every shift things are accounted for, and tagged, once the seal is broken, and the end of the shift, the fleet maint. re-stocks the truck.

R/r 911

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

You're correct. Although, I might question the thoroughness of the job if it only takes you ten to fifteen minutes.

I would fire the other shift.

You can check a squad in 15 minutes. A bit more if your short stocked, drastically short, or otherwise.

James

[JPINFV]

There's always the possibility that something could turn up missing or just be overlooked while being stocked, even by the crews that staff the truck for the day. The people who stock our units do more than just stock trucks, they are operation support technicians. They are full-time employees and some are even EMTs and Paramedics, not just somebody hired to come in overnight and stock a unit. The great thing is, everything I will need for the day is in one of my bags/kits that remain on my stretcher. The equipment in the cabinets is just back-up supplies to re-stock what I use out of my bag/kit. It's also quite easy to visualize most items in the cabinets, even when they are sealed. I don't leave headquarters unless I'm readily equipped to handle anything and everything that gets thrown at me within reason! :blob7:

Ahh, but its an on-going problem at my work, and yes, at my work it really is just people hired to come in and check the units. If they were EMTs (especially if they could drive), then they wouldn't be stocking units at night.

[nypaemt56]

The station where I volunteer has a checklist sheet created by an employee. Each and every person coming onto their shift has to complete and submit to management. If something is missing, in theory, management will contact the appropriate person to avoid this in the future. The checklist includes everything from how many backboards including straps to the amount of O2 in the tanks to all ALS gear. I think this is a good idea and holds people accountable for their trucks.

[weasel 108]

I usually take about 30-35 minutes to do my truck check. I will still do the check, even if the crew that I'm relieving says that the truck is good and they did not use any items.

[mediccjh]

The station where I volunteer has a checklist sheet created by an employee. Each and every person coming onto their shift has to complete and submit to management. If something is missing, in theory, management will contact the appropriate person to avoid this in the future. The checklist includes everything from how many backboards including straps to the amount of O2 in the tanks to all ALS gear. I think this is a good idea and holds people accountable for their trucks.

I think I know you from a past life!

Actually, it only takes my partner and I 10 minutes to check my bus. He does the outside, and I do the ALS crap, and then we both tackle the inside. I'm OCD about my bus, and I share it with a couple of day-pukes who don't know how to restock anything. It pisses me off!

[paraloco]

We (my partner and I) check several things as early as possible. We check the fuel and oil levels in the motor and generator, the mileage and hours (checking those against the stickers on the windshield),and the main O2 level. With the offgoing senior medic, I sign for the narcs and the narc keys. We also run a test strip on the LP 12 and attach that to our daily report, and adjust the time if it is off. (We've found that after we transmit a 12 Lead, our LP 12 frequently synchs itself with the hospital computer, which is usually several minutes off. We check the bags and cabinets as time permits, check to see how many backboards and sets of webbing we have. Glucometers and tympanic thermometers have a tendency to grow legs, I've concluded.

[buckeyedoc]

I agree with checking out the trucks at the start of the shift. I make sure our drug bag is secured. We are issued drug bags through an EMS council and exchange them at local hospitals after we use it. I've had several issues with the D50 exploding or the seals not going through both zippers and the pouch being open. I check in my vent and make sure I have vent circuits. I make sure I check all the O2 bottles (we have 1 main and 4 portables). I check my airway kit and make sure all my tubes are there and my handles and blades work. I make sure my monitor has enough batteries and electrodes and make sure the adult and pedi defib/pacer pads are there. I check my first in bag to make sure that it's all there. I make sure the IV kit is complete and I have plenty of fluids as well as the specific drip sets are there for the local hospitals. I also check to make sure that the vehicle's fluids are ok. All in all, it takes me and my partner about 30 minutes to check the truck in. The shift that relieves us is as thorough as we are. The shift that we relieve is terrible. We have to empty their trash from the truck nearly every shift. They never re-stock linens when the use them and we always have to make the cot up after their shift. One shift, we had a vent run right out of the gate and the vent was no where to be found. The off-going crew hadn't turned in their paperwork so I couldn't see where it may have been left. Neither of the crew could be reached. We went 5 hours without being able to track down the vent.

[Dustdevil]

Glucometers and tympanic thermometers have a tendency to grow legs, I've concluded.

Good riddance to the TM thermos. They're a useless waste of time and money. Even the little disposable TempaDot strips are more reliable than the TM thermometers. Fire anybody who insists on putting them on an ambulance because they obviously are clueless.