Too Many Emergency Teams?

[NREMT-Basic]

So i was awake alot of last night thinking of what an arse I had been on this subject. Then this morning as work when I went down with chest pains in the parking lot, I really started thinking. Im new to disaster medicine and compared to many on these forums Im new to EMS. It doesnt matter who gets there first, or who has the biggest stockpile of widgets. Its about the lives. I guess there must be a reason why so many groups have adopted some variation of "so others may live." All that matters is that we work together for the same purpose. IMERT or DMAT or whatever isnt any better than anyone else and to those who have said that more money should go into private and municipal agencies through grants, etc...of course youre right. I had my life saved this morning by just such an agency.

So I took down the IMERT seal from my signature and all of my fancy sounding intials and am back to just a regular old EMT who happens to work with a state disaster team. It took alot of time for me to realize I was getting ahead of myself and alot of people with alot more experience telling it like it is. Im proud to serve when called. I hope that some day I can be of service to some of you in your states. Until then I say Bravo Zulu! to anyone and everyone who lays it out there every time the tones drop. When I was riding under the L/S today, I felt all of you out there, just plain gettin' 'er done. Pretty amazing. Someday maybe I will have earned my place in that brotherhood. Until them Im just a guy doing the best he can for others.

May the good lord bless and keep you all safe as your race to the aide of others.

NREMT stands down...indefinately.

[Scaramedic]

Don't usually use M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks in disaster relief.

Have a great day!

Sarge

Talk about the ultimate in looter control though!

Peace,

Marty

[NREMT-Basic]

I take offense to the Reference to the National Guard, since I work at the Army National Guard Readiness Center!!! I do not think this IMERT was in LA 4 hours after called. The Guard moved the equivalent of a Corps to the area in under 96 hours. This was considered a great logistical feat!!!

If you know anything about the National Guard, you would know that we have more Soldiers now than at the time of the Iraq invasion, so numbers are not down. The only thing that has even remotely been an issue is equipment, and for the most part that is not that big an issue. Don't usually use M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks in disaster relief.

Some places are low on HUMVEEs and Trucks, but CONGRESS, can not seem to pull its head out of its fourth point of contact and appropriate the money necessary to replace them!

Have a great day!

Sarge

Im really interested here and not trying to pick a fight. These figures you give dont jibe with what the DOD says. The President comes down on the same side as you. A recent DOD estimate places between 85-95% of National Guard units not currently deployed as unfit for service for the reasons I mentioned. I have not served in the military. But I do know that all branches of the service are reporting drastic drop offs in enlistment. The AP recently reported the offering of 6 figure re-up bonuses for special ops personnel citing failure to re-enlist as the necessary reason for this. Im genuinely curious. Who do we listen to?

[Richard B the EMT]

Scaramedic, my street will have water back-flowing through the storm sewers when the tide gets to eight feet and one inch above normal mean high tide. While Tsunamis are not eliminated from natural threats, we are more worried here with hurricanes. Hurricane Donna put at least 2 feet of water into my street, back Monday, September 12, 1960, and was a Category 1 when it did. She had been a Category 5 when off the Carolinas.

Historical side note: WPIX-TV11 did one of the first live remote broadcasts here in NYC, when they set up their cameras on a third floor porch of the Engine 268/Ladder 137 FDNY Firehouse, broadcasting Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean overflowing their bank and beach to meet in front of that firehouse, on that day. I didn't get to see it, as the Long Island Lighting COmpany (LILCO) had already cut the power to my neighborhood, or a wire got blown down, to the same effect. No electricity for 5 days. Also, it was my first day in first grade, so it was memorable!

[Scaramedic]

Doesn't it just suck living on the coasts.

Peace,

Marty

[Richard B the EMT]

Going off topic for a bit: Spinac, are you aware your age is listed as 97 years old? And Scaramedic, who is that woman, and what movie or TV show is/was she from?

[JPINFV]

We do have a national response team. Its called FEMA. Old Brownie and W froze in their tracks during Katrina.

Yep, because Gov. Blanco and "Chocolate City" Mayor Nagin handled the situation perfectly. In fact, if it wasn't for Bush's stupidity, the only result that would have happened from the hurricane would have been some rain and a purdy rainbow. I'm honestly starting to think that Bush is going to replace Hitler in terms of Godwin's Law.

[Scaramedic]

OK, for the non geeks out there.

She is Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Occasionally Willow goes evil and one her lines is "bored now." This is usually followed by an evil act like skinning a guy alive, or torturing another character. You might know the actress better as the "flute toting band dork" from American Pie.

Yes, I used to watch BTVS, start pitching sh*t upon me now. Everyone but AK. :wink:

Peace,

Marty

[Richard B the EMT]

Willow? OMG! I had forgotten, and actually preferred her over Buffy! She had the power to destroy the world, but never lived up to that potential, and the only one who could bring her "back", lesbian that the character was, was that idiot comic relief character, Zander!

[Scaramedic]

Willow? OMG! I had forgotten, and actually preferred her over Buffy! She had the power to destroy the world, but never lived up to that potential, and the only one who could bring her "back", lesbian that the character was, was that idiot comic relief character, Zander!

Geek.

Peace,

Marty