Recent content by Trip

I work for a private service in NY and, like was stated, it's all about payment. There are defining factors as some of our livery transports are handled by medical insurance, but if they have cash and want to go to the casino, we go.

Not everyone can be an EMT/AEMT so go ahead and be proud. lol. Congrats.

I've been in a few accidents, survived them all. Let's see... on the highway, a car pulls to a stop sign, I don't have one, she pulls out right in front of me. Cut off by a dump truck. Cut off by a highway department pick-up truck. Cut off by a cop. Rear ended by a college girl texting... Most...

Ok, I found this... hope it helps... The third of five sounds he describes is a "crisp tapping": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korotkoff_sounds Trip

Not at my company. We just need to pass a DOT physical and be somewhat healthy. I don't know of too many medics that could pass that in Upstate NY. Just keep trying. It's a rewarding career.

Were you on a moving ambulance? Sometimes, if I let my stethoscope slack, it taps against the cot rail. Some of the double tube with tap against itself. And sometimes, the cuff, tubes, meter or bulb may tap. There's a lot of possibilities, and it may help to know what was going on around you and...

Sorry, didn't mean ALS vs BLS, meant "The issue was Paragod syndrome, not when should BLS call for a CC or Paramedic." And NY volunteers don't need CPR/AED cert to drive as long as one person that is with the pt is certified, ie an EMT-D or higher.

There's nothing wrong with driving. But not all rigs are EMT/EMT or EMT/Paramedic. My fire department, as with many, are BLS level. The drivers tend not to be EMTs and are often not even CPR/AED trained. No epi, no aspirin, not even O2 without an EMT-D or higher telling them to. Using your...

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Again, I am not questioning when to call for ALS as an AED can not be used to pace, as well as setting an SCT or LifePak to pace a pt is outside of the scope of a basic, at least here it is. Chest compressions until ALS arrives, is within my scope. No airway? No...

I think there was a miscommunication. First, there is no ALS without BLS. The ABCs come first was part of that statement. The escalate was referring to if the Paragod keeps the attitude, take it to the boss, not regarding when to call for ALS. Sorry for the confusion.

Ok, I have a story I have to share. I work for a company that is staffed with every NYS level (except EMT-I, don't know why...) and hires quite a bit due to demand for IFTs. We hired a Paragod (not my usual term for paramedics, so don't get your panties in a bunch, lol) who decided to get into...

Most of the NYS classes have testing in the class at the end of the course. KISS is the only way to go... lol

The VFD/EMS i'm with is BLS lvl, is 30 minutes from the closest facility and has a policy to ship everyone asap except MAJOR trauma. The reason is that the company I work for is also our ALS support and is close enough to the hospital to hit with a rock. We call for ALS after assessing necessity...

We have a huge problem with everyone, civi's and police alike, parking in our ambulance parking. We have been known to park, blocking 2-3 cars while making sure we have restocked everything we used, one piece, one trip to get it. One that kinda sticks in my mind was someone on a crutch, parked...

I work at an "Unassigned" company. We do checks twice daily per rig, a Part 800 check every week on each rig and a monthly PM/Part 800/Check Everything check on each rig. The daily checks are mostly is it clean, how much O2 on the large, O2 on the cot and which med bag is in what rig, is the cot...