Young ride alongs and EMT's

[Walrus]

Being From Canada I have never come across this so I am asking.(do not take offense)

I have been reading posts and i have seen multiple remarks made about kids riding the trucks in one way or another that are as young as 15 or 16....WHY? personally I think this would be a problem...you deal with alot of grown up and gruesome sights and nudity... how does this affect the kids?

If i was hurt and needed help if i had a 16 year old EMT working on me I would be scared to death....now I am not saying all kids are stupid and cannot comprehend EMS training etc but I have never heard of this before...does this affect your station positively or negatively?

Walrus

[Savoy6]

As a concept, ride alongs are a good thing. We had an explorer post with our Fire Dept. Some went on to EMT and even have had careers in the Fire Service/EMS now for almost 20 years. They were just observers not primary care givers. Of course when they encountered fatalities or high stress calls we were there to talk to them and make the process easier. This was before CISD,,dating myself. But it worked well for us.

As with all good things comes the bad side. Liability concerns have made them disappear, as well as criminal behavior on the part of the folks supervising. The worst case involved the rape, sodomy and transmission of an STD to a ride along. There was a young girl from a northern state killed in an MVC of the tanker she was riding in. The driver had been drinking. We, in our state, had a medic expose himself to a ride along too. The list goes on.

Now as observers this can serve many purposes; educational, awareness level increase, career possibilities.

I am opposed to using anyone under 18 as a firefighter, EMS provider. It's no different than the worldwide problem of child soldiers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_soldier You are using children to do an adults job in a hazardous occupation. PERIOD!

Also, if a city relies on that practice because adults won't do it or aren't available, SHAME ON THEM!!! History is full of children being placed in harms way. labor laws prevent this in most states, but other have this cultural allowance that makes this possible.

Just my common sense, two cents 8)(Rookie title is because I haven't been in EMT city too long, trust me I'm no rookie)

[MedFire]

Theres alot fo debate on this subject all over the forums. Try to nail just one down is a hefty task.

Normaly for our dept we dont let anyone under the age of 18 to ride. More of a legal issue than anything. We have thought of starting an "explorer" program over at the high school and get them interested in the first aid and emergency medical services but that fell short due to the age restriction for them to ride.

As for some being to young in different parts of the country I think of it this way. If they dont want to see it dont look. If you dont want them to see it sit there ass up front so they cant. But my thoughts on it are get back here and help me out. It might teach them that drugs arnt cool and drinking and driving is for retards. Yeah and the poor little ol lady you walked past in the store after she fell just broke her hip. It might just teach them to be alittle more compasionate towards others.

I think EMS should have the little figurines like TLC. Lifes Little Lessons.

[EMT857]

Theres alot fo debate on this subject all over the forums. Try to nail just one down is a hefty task.

Normaly for our dept we dont let anyone under the age of 18 to ride. More of a legal issue than anything. We have thought of starting an "explorer" program over at the high school and get them interested in the first aid and emergency medical services but that fell short due to the age restriction for them to ride.

As for some being to young in different parts of the country I think of it this way. If they dont want to see it dont look. If you dont want them to see it sit there ass up front so they cant. But my thoughts on it are get back here and help me out. It might teach them that drugs arnt cool and drinking and driving is for retards. Yeah and the poor little ol lady you walked past in the store after she fell just broke her hip. It might just teach them to be alittle more compasionate towards others.

I think EMS should have the little figurines like TLC. Lifes Little Lessons.

I agree. The two squads in my town both have cadet programs for kids 16-21, but most usually either drop at 18 or become EMTs and start treating at 18. I did it when I was 16 and had a great experience and learned alot. The squad always made sure to protect us if it was going to be a traumatic call. If the crew felt it was going to be unsafe or traumatic, they made sure we stayed back at the building. The squads around here would be in serious trouble if it werent for the cadet programs

[SSaint]

I agree with what's been said: 18 to be an EMT.

However, having an Explorer ride along isn't bad. It helps them get even more interested in EMS My squad has a policy that an Explorer can NOT touch any patients.

[BEorP]

I am opposed to using anyone under 18 as a firefighter, EMS provider. It's no different than the worldwide problem of child soldiers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_soldier You are using children to do an adults job in a hazardous occupation. PERIOD!

It may not be good to have medics and FFs under 18, but I don't think it's really fair to say that it is "no different" than child soldiers... they are two very different things.

[strippel]

With a large part of Pennsylvania being rural, the age for EMT is 16 (by the day of testing). There have been paramedics that are 18 year old.

Generally, that is too young. But, I have been very impressed by some of the young medics and EMTs. Have a friend who was a medic at 18, is now a flight nurse. He turned out well. Another is a cop.

When I was volunteering, we tried to have an explorer post, for high school kids over 16. Big failure. They expected everything, including crew chiefing and driving. It was a struggle the whole time. Years later, one of them currently works in the billing office, but does not ride, another two are still EMTs and firefighters, and darn good. If it were up to me, would not try it again.

Currently, we have volunteers in our system. One who rides with me is 17, and home schooled. She is very smart with good skills, but not well socialized. Another is 16, and wants to be doctor. Very book smart, but can't do skills, and gets very upset with constructive criticism, and cries. He already knows everything, and doesn't listen.

We have quite a few observers, many still in high school. Most come from the health care track from Vo-Tech. We have explained to them what we see, and offer them the option to stay in the truck, or in the station during "interesting" calls. Only a very few have asked for the supervisor to take them home, or to stay outside with fire or police. Luckily, we have not had any problems.

[Timmy]

In Australia we have an organisation called St John Ambulance its Australias largest event first aid provider. I've been in it since I was 11 going to motocross, concerts n all that stuff. I think itz a great idea for getting experience and every patient you learn something new. Altho theres allways 2 "adult" members with you its still good. I dont know how many times cadets have saved the adults when they frooze or didnt know wat to do I've done it heaps of times. Now im 16 the adults have a bit more trust in you and most of the time you get 2 work on ppl by ur self.

You cant ride with the proffesinal paramedics as you need to be a uni for 4 yrs so u have to be at least 21.

When you say I've had a 16 yr old emt workn on me r they supervised by a paramedic or is it jst them?

Timmy

[FormerEMSLT297]

The Dept. I was in on Long Island NY has an explorer program,, the explorers were used as victims at EMS drills, they were taught basic and advanced first aid, basic fire safety, they went to local schools and gave talks about the fire service to other kids... the minimum age to ride was 17 (with signed parental consent, as observer or First responder and 18 to be an EMT, or EMT in charge, or to ride on fire calls..... Under 18, they had to be supervised by a senior crew member.

20 years ago this was the norm.. i think that with the litigious society we live in many agencies are tightening up the ride along policy and increasing the age to a minimum of 18 ...

Also a lot of Depts. are increasing the age to drive apparatus from 18 to 21,, some even 25.

Stay safe

[zippyRN]

In Australia we have an organisation called St John Ambulance its Australias largest event first aid provider. I've been in it since I was 11 going to motocross, concerts n all that stuff. I think itz a great idea for getting experience and every patient you learn something new. Altho theres allways 2 "adult" members with you its still good. I dont know how many times cadets have saved the adults when they frooze or didnt know wat to do I've done it heaps of times. Now im 16 the adults have a bit more trust in you and most of the time you get 2 work on ppl by ur self.

You cant ride with the proffesinal paramedics as you need to be a uni for 4 yrs so u have to be at least 21.

When you say I've had a 16 yr old emt workn on me r they supervised by a paramedic or is it jst them?

Timmy

same sort of picture with St. John Ambulance in UK. SJA Cadets are age 10 -18 and certainly from 13 -14 upwards we get them involved in treating suitable patients , under supervision on non ambulance duties or in treatment centres.

From age 15 subject to risk assessment they can observe on Ambulance work ( mainly low risk event work, definitely not motorsport , not support shifts) and from 16 can get independent status as a first aider ... as it stands they can't get ambulance crew accreditation until they are at least 18 and due to the driving rules unless they are NHS trained emergency drivers ( so University paramedic students who have completed the tech phase of the course) can't drive until they are 21 so outside of a few circumstances you can't have 2 under 21s on a vehicle - and if you did one or both would be NHS trained tech uni paramedic students...