Help Please!!!

[EyeOn]

Boo .. hiss.. get the rope!

Sorry, only need the F.D. if my patient is on fire.... or to carry my equipment and heavy patient. ...LOL

R/r 911

LOL...I can tell you must be in a place that isn't much of a tinderbox. Unfortunately here, the FD often becomes that patient on fire.

Very different from water saturated Louisianna or the swamps of Florida. I grew up in Jersey where EMT are EMT and firemen are firemen. But after moving out here and seeing what a California fire is like, I can see why there's an EMT-P. It's like day and night. Car accidents on the side of the freeway have burned down miles and miles and miles of everything out here. Unreal. IMO, EMT-P seems to be a way of recruiting more firemen in the places that need them. From what I hear, EMT-P make the top $$$...at least out here.

Go ahead...bound me...lol...

 

[MedicPrincess]

Sorry, only need the F.D. if my patient is on fire.... or to carry my equipment and heavy patient. ...LOL

R/r 911

LOL!! Now now RR...the FD's are really great at lifting the stretcher in and out of my truck, sweeping up glass from the road, and in my station they are freaking awesome and cleaning the toilets. I'd be lost without them! LOL LOL LOL....

Seriously, I love my FF. Couldn't do my job without them.

As far as controversial topics, how about EMS's right to refuse to transport patients that don't require an ambulance.

THAT created some controversy 'round these parts the night my partner and I did it. Note, it only happened once.

 

[Ridryder911]

The reason, I can feel good about giving "hose draggers" a hard time is because I was on a squad for over 10 years and worked up to Battilion Chief level.

The problem I see today, is not more than 10 years ago most EMS did not want anything to do with EMS. Now, they realize it is their "savior" for productivity and keeping employee and getting grants.

There are very few F.D. that have an aggressive, true EMS. Not, that it can't be done but hard. I believe we should be medical not rescue.. fire rescue is a hard and speciality of its own. Maintaining current on so much diverse material is hard.

Lately, many cities are demanding to be "in control" of EMS. Claiming that emergency services should be under the F.D. control. To me would be like saying road construction should be under the Police Department... no association at all. I believe we need to "shed" the public servant attitude and refer to ourselves as health care professionals that provide the public good care. Maintaining EMS in a system that does not require, promote higher education and prefers "training" over education is detrimental for EMS future.

With the increase number of EMS associated with F.D. so many as well have now placed the EMS in a category of "civilian" non-uniform category. This NOT beneficial for the future of EMT's or medics..

Sorry for the rant.. something to chew on ....

R/r 911

 

[EyeOn]

Lately, many cities are demanding to be "in control" of EMS. Claiming that emergency services should be under the F.D. control.

How I see it, it should be the other way around. Have the FD under the control of EMS. It makes more sense and can demand the frequent updated education generally required of EMS. FF often come across medical emergencies and the chain of survival can strengthen if they are EMS trained themselves within the same guidelines of every EMT out there. So the intentions of merging is right on, it just needs to make sense rather than being a bit a$$ backwards. Having EMS under the FD is like the blind leading the blindfolded (or the poor paying the business owner...however one likes to look at it The drunk serving the still...lol...

The merging itself has its benefits. Get a call to a crash, the car is on fire and there's someone trapped inside. A FF under the protcols and training of EMS will be able to put out the fire and tend to the patient rather than EMS having to spend time putting in a call for the FD and the FD spending time to call for EMS.

I don't mind the rant...I'll bite B)

 

[BossyCow]

"Who's in charge?"
Hmmmmm... so like... who has to do what the other guy says? or who wears the bigger hat?

The only time I've seen 'who's in charge' as an issue is when someone has screwed up royally and the lawyers are looking for someone to blame. Or, someone's ego needs to be stroked so they can feel really good about themselves.

Follow your protocols, do your job and let the guys in the white hats argue about who's "in charge".

 

[Guardian]

i knew this would happen

 

[akflightmedic]

AK sits back, reads and laughs evily.....

 

[trauma1534]

What about the ongoing argument of DNR (do not resusatate) orders. Some people say you can do everything except for CPR and tube them, other's say, you can't even Bag a DNR patient. Some say it depends on what the DNR was originally written for. Example: You have a 79 yof patient who is terminally ill with cancer. Her DNR was signed for the cancer. She is still able to get around, and the cancer has not taken controle of her life to the point that she is on "death's bed" yet. She falls, hits her head, suffers from head injuries, needs to be intubated for that reason. Some believe that you can invasivly treat her at that point, as it is not the original reason she signed the DNR. It would be interesting to research it through the law and find out what exactly is the right way to go. And it varies from state to state as to how different providers would handle this issue. Here, it varies from provider to provider. This is truely controversial.

 

[jeepmedic]

First let me start by saying that all of the post that give you a topic are very good. The two I like are Ambulance Crew with the right to refuse a pt. The other is the DNR issue.

Now as far as Fire and EMS merging. EMS as you know it started in the Fire Service. I know alot of the providers that are now Paramedics including myself started in the fire service. Although alot of people here will disagree with me (which by the way I do not care) if it were not for the Fire Service the EMS service would be even further behind than it aready is. Also one reason for this is that look at every neighbor hood what do you see? A Church and a FIre Station

Now the DOT governs EMS so should we all get a shovel and learn how to sleep in a big orange truck?

This debate will go on untill the end of time but facts are facts. And the biggest influnce on EMS today started with a TV program Emergency! Which was a Fire based Paramedic program. So those of you that do not like being associated with the Fire Service I say GET A LIFE it is going to happen and it will not stop. I for one am proud of my back ground in Fire and EMS. I am an instructor in both Fire and EMS.
I do not plan on quiting eather one. I look forward to the day when we can be one.

 

[premedtim]

LOL...I can tell you must be in a place that isn't much of a tinderbox. Unfortunately here, the FD often becomes that patient on fire.

Very different from water saturated Louisianna or the swamps of Florida. I grew up in Jersey where EMT are EMT and firemen are firemen. But after moving out here and seeing what a California fire is like, I can see why there's an EMT-P. It's like day and night. Car accidents on the side of the freeway have burned down miles and miles and miles of everything out here. Unreal. IMO, EMT-P seems to be a way of recruiting more firemen in the places that need them. From what I hear, EMT-P make the top $$$...at least out here.

Go ahead...bound me...lol...

They do in California according to my friend in paramedic school. He showed me a recruiting brochure for a fire department paramedic...starting was around $70,000 and the cap was something like $80,000 a year, full benefits and a comfy pension plan after X amount of years. Unfortunately, FF/medics are the only ones with good retirement programs, atleast in Cali I'm told there aren't any decent retirement plans or pensions for CCPs, regular medics, flight medics, etc....they still make 60-70,000 a year though. Even with the cost of living in Cali, that's pretty damn good.

 

[EyeOn]

And the biggest influnce on EMS today started with a TV program Emergency! Which was a Fire based Paramedic program.

That's Emergency 51
I use to watch it all the time...LOL. Wow. That was a long time ago

 

[EyeOn]

They do in California according to my friend in paramedic school. He showed me a recruiting brochure for a fire department paramedic...starting was around $70,000 and the cap was something like $80,000 a year, full benefits and a comfy pension plan after X amount of years. Unfortunately, FF/medics are the only ones with good retirement programs, atleast in Cali I'm told there aren't any decent retirement plans or pensions for CCPs, regular medics, flight medics, etc....they still make 60-70,000 a year though. Even with the cost of living in Cali, that's pretty damn good.

Being here in Cali, I hear ya...yeah the cost of living has shot through the roof and I have thought about going all the way into paramedic, because it does package a nice retirement, but I want the biology degree. Though there's one thing that strikes a funny bone in me. Why does it take a biologist 4 extra years of school to make the same $$$ as a paramedic??? In sense, if it weren't for biologists, there wouldn't be medics. That's JMO.