Recent content by meatanchor

I don't believe anyone at that venue had a clear idea of what was happening or where the gunfire was coming from for a long time. Most first-responders would probably assume a gang fight across the street, a drive-by or something other than barricaded sniper 400 yards away. He probably dropped...

Maybe they're turning in their bunker gear and getting issued level IIIa body armor. That would probably be more appropriate PPE for an urban EMS system.

It sounds like the treatment she really needs is for all of her caregivers to be alerted to her drug issue and work on weaning her down or getting better supervision over her treatment. And a social worker or similar tactful person probably needs to sit down and make sure her daughter knows...

To be fair, this is exactly what your own insurance company does when they defend you. Their goal is to minimize their losses, not protect your reputation.

For most of us, whatever agency we work or volunteer for should be the "deep pockets" for purposes of lawsuits. For personal encounters, we should be covered by our state's "Good Samaritan" law. If you're teaching, consulting, etc for money then this seems like a case for insurance. It's just...

I don't believe that ICEMA requires EMT-B's to get any additional special certs. Los Angeles County does if you didn't take your EMT class there after 2011. I had to do that to renew my EMT, but ICEMA didn't ask for anything special from anyone on our SAR team. Several of us are certified in...

The evasiveness of the patient is a tell also. I had to look up Gabapentin. It's apparently both an Epilepsy med and used in the treatment of Shingles pain. Is she embarrassed about having a Herpes condition? Or is her family doctor treating her for a neuro disorder and the state DMV hasn't...

Were there any outward signs of stroke (facial droop, asymmetry, slurring of speech)? Any signs of ETOH history? If not, I am thinking either a neuro condition (seems too severe for narcolepsy, but maybe), a drug withdrawl, or electrolytes.

It's a requirement for leading trips at a lot of schools/adventure guiding companies. The EMS side of it is usually a responsibility in addition to your usual duties of making the trip go smoothly, teaching outdoor skills and dealing with teen drama. For expeditions, my experience has been...

Handcuff keys are useful in the same way that shears and ring cutters are. If you called 911, would you rather have an understanding EMS crew remove your bondage gear, or your local PD?

The BW Clip is like $99 and is designed to be disposable. They last 2 or 3 years without any service, depending on the model. http://www.honeywellanalytics.com/en/products/BW-Clip If you're not going to be using these for confined spaces and servicing them regularly, get the single-gas...

There are some very nice 12V compressor fridges on the market these days. They actually cool things down like a real home 'fridge, and they draw very little power. They are popular with off-roaders and long-haul truck drivers. Check out: http://www.truckfridge.com There's no reason that a...

I've been wearing Wolverines for years. They aren't the highest-end boots, but they are a solid $90-150 choice, and their "Durashok" sole is amazing. They feel like you're wearing tennis shoes. These are the Summer/desert boots I wear for SAR, and I'm often in them for 12+ hours at a stretch on...

I'm sure it depends on the application. For volunteer SAR teams like ours, we wouldn't be able to justify the cost of a hospital-quality unit that would get used 2-3 times per year. While they probably aren't as good, the cheap (nearly disposable it seems) finger-sized units are now in the...

I understand that the half-life of CO in the body is approximately halved once the Pt. is breathing 100% O2. When we go into mines, one of our protocols is that we must have at least 1 hour of high-flow O2 available and radio, phone or satphone contact with our dispatch from the entrance. We...