To all the new members who haven't introduced themselves yet

[Lauri]

Hi, all, been a member for a while, but really just lurked. I'm one of three EMTs on a rural service in NW Iowa. We have about 200 calls a year, majority being medical or transfers, we're ten miles from a level 4 ER and about an hour from the nearest level 2.. before becoming an EMT in 2010 I was involved in SAR, I took the first responder class in 2005, and knew then that I wanted to advance the training to EMT, took awhile, but I accomplished the goal. Now hoping to advance the training some more to either A or P, but no classes close enough at this point, and am still leary of the online offerings.

[Richard B the EMT]

Hello all from Long Island NY

Nassau or Suffolk? Which town?

Welcome aboard, from Belle Harbor, Rockaway Peninsula, Queens County, NYC NY.

By the way, that welcome is to all who are new here. I'm not new here, I'm no lurker, but choosy as to what postings I either respond to or initiate.

While I am not a monitor, I suggest to all to keep it friendly. If you disagree with a posting, state why, not using phrasing like "you're wrong because you're a dummy", but with specific reasoning as to why you feel the other poster is incorrect.

Remember that what may be second nature for you as an abbreviation may not make sense to someone from a different jurisdiction. Spell it out, then use the abbreviation.

We in the city come from all over the US, Canada, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Policies and protocols will differ, even with the simple crossing of a county line. A-EMTs in Nassau County can start IVs, but if they cross the line into Queens, another county in New York State, A-EMT is nonexistent, and they revert to being EMT-Bs, who by NY State DoH (Department of Health) rules and regulations, cannot even transport patients on IVs (yeah, to quote Dickens' Mister Macawber, "The Law Is a ASS!). This is an extreme, as there's one Volunteer Fire and Ambulance about 200 yards from that border.

(Notice I follow my own suggestions, translating "DoH" as I did.)

Edited July 17, 2013 by Richard B the EMT

[SoldierMedic13]

Hi, I'm Kegan. I'm a first year Army Medic and EMT-B just here looking for good stories and good advice

[scubanurse]

Welcome!

[Richard B the EMT]

SoldierMedic, one thing you will find here is a bunch of folks who are quite good with "Swattin' flies while swappin' lies." Figure it as the fish that got away keeps growing every time the story gets told. Yes, I resemble those last comments.