How do you stay "sharp"?

[Scaramedic]

How do you stay "sharp"?

Once a week I run my head back and forth on a giant flint I have in the backyard.

Peace,

Marty

[brentoli]

School.

Go to college, get your Paramedic degree.

Get more CE's then are required.

Get a degree in biology.

Go for pre-med.

Seems like good ways to me at least.

[PCB]

[quote="Dustdevil

if we moved into your community and started giving HVAC service away for free because of our concern for our community (after all, we don't want them to die of heat stroke or frostbite, do we

[JB Rotten]

Wow yet again the mere mention of volunteer has awakened the angry beast!

Maybe I should have put a few more things into perspective, and given a concise SITREP for my area.

I live in a county which covers 2,340 sq miles with a population base of just over 10,000. We aren't a completely "free vollie" department since we do get paid for the calls we run, we just do not have a shifts or a set schedule.

Every community which has opted to not have a "vollie" EMS now relies on BLS from the county hospital, which is more than 30 mins away. They are a paid unit that operates as a "vollie" unit, so there is always a waiting period for full manning which only increases the wait time. There are accidents caused around here all the time by people bringing their loved one to the hospital, I mean it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when 30 minutes one way is doubled you can get them there in half the time.

With such a small population there are a small number of calls, so no full time ALS or BLS companies are willing to "lose money" to provide service here. It was tried in the past and when people started dying while waiting for a crew to arrive the volunteer system was again the only option.

But I guess you all are right, it is better for me to let people die because no "professional" service wants to work in this area. How could I ever be so blind to the obvious answer?

[spenac]

I live in a county which covers 2,340 sq miles with a population base of just over 10,000. We aren't a completely "free vollie" department since we do get paid for the calls we run, we just do not have a shifts or a set schedule.

Wow we got you beat. My primary service area is over 3000 square miles with mutual aid on another 3000+. Population last census in our primary about 6000 people, Almost all live at or below poverty level. We are paid. Basics about $30000 yr, Paramedics about $37000 yr. There is no excuse for a volly service any longer.

EMS is not a self supporting function. Most services lose money. Your county needs to fund you. As you already have everything only new expense to county would be salary. Look for the my topic Help convert ruraltown ems to paid.

[spenac]

To help you not have to search as I'm a nice guy here you go:

http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=132937#132937

[JB Rotten]

It amazes me that when the word volunteer is uttered the "professionals" in the EMS community act like gang members towards a rival in their turf. Do you all feel that a member of the Military Reserves or National Guard aren't as important or capable as the Regular Military? Is EMS nothing more than a paycheck, or is it still meant to offer aid to those in need?

We have basically gone "on strike" and demanded that we receive pay for being on call, and refused to go by not answering the pages. The solution, page out another town and have their volunteer squad take care of the PT. In a town of 400 nestled neatly in a county of 10,000 surrounded by other towns who have volunteer departments how do we make a stand? These other towns refuse to give up their services and man their crews with retirees who have nothing better to do. I can't change it, I have tried.

I aksed a simple serious question about keeping my skills up with a low volume of calls, yet very few of the replies even came close to touching the subject, all I received is a load of BS slamming me for something I have no control of.

Thank you for the link spenac.

[Paradude]

Most emergency services, to my understanding, don't use the "strike method" for getting things done. First, you have to live with yourself after not responding to the calls, then deal with the sometimes scathing public reaction. Most of the time, it is done through litigation.

As I said JB, I started out volunteer. We also were not completely volunteer, because we also got call pay, and even a very modest shift pay. Never really amounted to much. If you are comfortable with your volunteer service, then go for it. I don't think that is the case. If you are not, then get the information out there, and don't quit. Your community suffers not having a professional service, not only you guys that are doing it for free. I have seen the problems and the friction in areas transitioning to paid from volunteer. I don't envy you.

Truth is, as far as skills go... As I said, I can gaurantee you will run more calls if you service has a paid professional service. You stated that people will transport their own instead of calling an ambulance. More calls and more patient contact will mean better practice of your skills.

Dust is right in saying that many times very low call volumes allow poor providers to hide out. I work for a busy service too, but we have very slow stations, and find that old timers with very poor skills can grow roots there, and not get found out.

-Paradude-

[Dustdevil]

I aksed a simple serious question about keeping my skills up with a low volume of calls, yet very few of the replies even came close to touching the subject, all I received is a load of BS slamming me for something I have no control of.

First, nobody slammed you. You're imagining things, probably out of a sense of guilt because your old enough and smart enough to know we are right.

And second, you do have control over your personal behaviour. You can do the right thing, regardless of whether everybody else around you does. Mature adults don't keep doing something just because it's fun and everybody else is doing it. They look at the big picture and decide if this is what is best for all concerned, not just themselves.

As for us being less than thrilled at your altruistic sacrifice to your community, I notice you haven't bothered to tell us how you would feel if you lost your ability to make a living because nobody was willing to pay for HVAC service anymore. Come on, man. You're smarter than this. This is not a complicated issue. I know you understand exactly what we are talking about. You just don't have the integrity to admit it because you don't want to give up your hobby.

Kudos to you for making an honest attempt to be better at your hobby than the average wanker. I respect that. But it's still just a hobby to you, and apparently, that's all you want it to be. Can you honestly not see how people might take offence to that? How about if we told you that we didn't need all that education to fix air conditioners, and that people with 120 hours of night school should be able to open up shop and compete with your business at a fraction of the price? Are you honestly going to tell me you wouldn't show up at the city or state meetings to raise hell about that? Of course you would! Now, tell me this; when was the last time you went to a city/county/state meeting to demand better EMS for your community? What's that you say.... never? But wait... I thought you were concerned about your community! See where I'm going with this?

But I guess you all are right, it is better for me to let people die because no "professional" service wants to work in this area. How could I ever be so blind to the obvious answer?

You're not blind to the obvious answer. You're just ignoring it and hoping it will go away and not interfere with your fun. I'm as much about fun as the next guy. But, as a professional, I have a responsibility to be more committed to the profession than to my personal quest for fun.

Are you a professional? If so, prove it. If not, are you willing to tell your patients that?

And, by the way, plus 5 for an awesome screen name. :wink:

[Chief1C]

I attend several hundred calls a year, 300-400+, and take frequent conventional and new con-ed courses.. and I never seem to lose any knowledge, in my rural solitude. Sure there are things we rarely see, but some things you just cannot ever forget.

But bad things still happen in little places. The same things that happen in the city happen here, some not as bad, some worse. Just not as frequently.

Now, if I were only running a call every other month, I could see losing my skills. I honestly don't see how some of the smaller operations do it. Oh well.