Recent content by MedikErik

70ish questions (72 I think), passed, NREMT-P. Took about 20-25 minutes.

I visited a buddy out there and he seemed to like it. He still preferred working for the FD, but said it wasn't bad. No idea on the pay part, but around here being a driver gets you a premium whether you're the driver or tech.

Wow. No respect. Best wishes for a long prison term, please keep us updated!

We've had an instructor give himself an IO with the drill, a student volunteer to get paced (it was actually quite amusing), a few others... you'd be amazed what people will volunteer for. In Maryland, we haev EMT-B IV Tech's. Pretty much EMT-Bs who are allowed to start a Ringers drip only...

I know a lot of medics who if riding officer won't let a 4th jump on... consider it too crowded in back. 2 is minimum, 3 is ideal, 4 is pushing it. YMMV

Haha I've been away for a while... awesome post to come back to :)

Medik = Medic, Erik = my name. Pretty simple, but I'm amazed how many people don't get it...

Back home in MD, it was about $9-10/hr to start for a rookie... here in MO it's about $10/hr as well. Experience gets you $0.50-$1.00 extra per hour, depending on the service (some don't pay based on experience, but those who are experienced tend to promote faster).

I second all the above... most important: admit mistakes, mouth shut, ears open. Be aggressive. A lot of FTO's won't be holding your hand every step of the way if SHTF; they'll be too busy caring for the patient. Jump in, get dirty, get the job done. Never be afraid to ask "Hey, can I...

We had a FF who was like that... when asked about drug allergies, the answer was always "everything but morphine". You think she'd've learned that not being discrete wasn't getting her anywhere by now... edit: Frequent Flier, not Fire Fighter... just realized I should probably clarify that.

Never really paid much mind to it... make sure the doors are shut, try and have someone back there if you can, but pretty much I go by treat the patient first, worry about the lawsuits second. Never had a patient complain. Got one small joke (something along the lines of "at least you're cute")...

I prefer locks myself, but if a bag's already hung I'll use it.

Welcome, thanks for serving :).

I once had an ID tag that consisted of a stapled piece of paper that said: MedikErik Firefighter/EMS-Sergeant EID #9999 HCFR Station #3. Worked well enough until I had my replacement tags issued. I usually keep something on me (badge, tag, etc.) to avoid the "are you really qualified"...

It was a few years ago, but pretty much I was told M-F you're in the classroom 9-9, weekends you live in whatever facility you're doing your clinicals, and you need a U-Haul to get your hw to and from class. On a side note, there used to be a 4 month paramedic program. That would've been a...