Equipment on the cot?

[Sassafras]

Just a quick question, do you guys have all your bags and 02gear strapped onto the stretcher?

Yes.

[Timmy]

Ohh right, so I'm guessing that you don’t have little storage spots like these photos?? Its just all on the stretcher... Over here our stretcher are kept clear, we only keep pillows and blankets on them.

[fallout]

On every call I bring my airway bag and AED as a bare minimum.

If I have any significant distance to the scene, e.g. stairs, elevators, long walk everything comes, Monitor/AED (based on if it's lil old me or a paramedic is with me), ALS bag and airway bag. I was burned on running to the truck for stuff on one call and I'll never forget it.

[LasVegasEMTI]

If we get there first, we bring our jump bag (which has everything in it that the ambulance has in the back, just not so many of each item- which includes but is not limited to intubation kit, airway "stuff", bleeding control, BP cuffs, IV kit, drugs, etc.), and our Phillips monitor (rock on with the on-screen 12-Lead!). And of course our stretcher, which has frame mounted O2, a sheet on it, an extra sheet for modesty or cold pt, and occassionally a towel and blanket. Suction also comes with us for Cardiac Arrest. Backboards and C-Collars as necessary, often brought as precaution in the high rises. We do not carry our clipboards, but every jump bag has AMA forms in the back, as they are the only form you need on scene, if any.

If fire gets there first, we just bring our stretcher. Unless the building is greater than three stories and we are running with an engine or truck (as opposed to a rescue), per protocol we have to bring all our gear. Somedays the engines are ALS engines, somedays only ILS.

Of course there are times when specialized equipment is brought in. For pediatrics, we have a Peds ALS jump kit. Same as the regular one, just with Ped-sized equipment. If it's a imminent birth we also bring in an OB kit incase we have to deliver on scene.

Really the only thing I've ever had to go back to the truck for was backboards. And often its because it wasn't a traumatic call, it's just being used for patient movement.

Oh, and we are to go nowhere without our portable radios. They have a button on them called a "Code 5" button. When pressed, it sets off an alarm in our dispatch, in AMR's dispatch, and in FAO's dispatch (I think). Your radio ID also comes across a monitor in the dispatch. Code 5 here in Las Vegas means there is a danger to your life and assistance is needed immediately. When you press the button, dispatch will come over the radio and ask if you are "Code 4" which means everything is okay, there are no threats. If no response, they will ask again and for a location and further information. If no response still, they will just track you with our AVL's. You will get two ambulances (from either agency), a supervisor from your agency, fire and Metro (our PD). Fortunately this doesn't have to be used very often, but occassionally it does. A few weeks back one of our crews was shot at. I am glad they have a system in place for it!

[JakeEMTP]

We bring the ALS bag and O2 with us on the stretcher. Depending on the call, we may bring the monitor. Almost all the other equipment we may need is in the ambulance, which is where one wants their patient to be anyway.

This topic is all subjective anyway. We will bring whatever we need for that particular call. MVC with PI? Backboard and collars. MI? Monitor, O2 and ALS bag.

[Sassafras]

Ohh right, so I'm guessing that you don’t have little storage spots like these photos?? Its just all on the stretcher... Over here our stretcher are kept clear, we only keep pillows and blankets on them.

Wow, that's so different from what I'm used to! Yeah, we have outside compartments and inside cabinets, but we strap all of the "portable" equipment (again, the monitor, O2, drug box and airway bag) onto our stretcher to take in with us. If we don't need it then no big deal, we just carry it back out (great exercise ).

[zippyRN]

Just a quick question, do you guys have all your bags and 02gear strapped onto the stretcher?

sounds like they do... that said i have been known to remove kit from storage when on site at events and pack the trolley up like is being suggested ... ( particularly trauma intensive events ) one issues with taking loads of kit out of storage / not havign it strapped down is it affects the crashworthy status of the vehicle ( all the locker frames and catches are 10g on the newer vehicles)

that said most of us have our own role/skill level appropriate bags which would tend to be the bag that went in to the patient along with defib and Oxygen ...

[Lone Star]

Wish we had a compartment to store extra stuff.

Isn't it amazing how no matter how many compartments we have on our rigs, we always find a need for 'just one more compartment to store the extra stuf'?

[Timmy]

Well you learn something new everyday… In my ambulance we have about 7 or 8 different bags, we don’t carry everything in the 1 bag, it’s all separate. It would be a bit hard to fit 8 bags on the stretcher lol.

The new GMC's there buying have way to many compartments both inside and outside of the ambulance.

[rat115]

Our basic stuff to take in for a medical call that's not chest pain is our Jump Kit and the O2 bottle. Our cot has a pillow strapped to the head and 1-3 blankets (depending on the weather) strapped to the foot. If we have an Intermediate, we will take the Pulse Ox. For a call for chest pains or respiratory distress, we add on our Lifepack-12. We put this stuff on the cot for ease of movement, but it's whoever is lead on the call putting it there while we're en route.

If we're called out to an accident, we leave as much in the ambulance as we can. A lot of the time, the only thing we take out at first is a package of 4X4s, a couple of rolls of kerlex and c-collars. We get the FD guys to grab the backboard if we need it. We're all required to keep a set of sheers on us for times like these. We normally don't even pull our cot out of the ambulance on an accident scene since it's a pain in the butt to chase it down or to try to deal with it in the grass on the side of the highways.