IFT-ALS in OC

[Medic496]

IFT-ALS Paramedic has been signed into policy in Orange County. Has anyone heard anything about the program? Wasn't IFT-ALS a pilot program put on by the County to address a need?

 

[CentralCalEMT]

You mean someone in Orange County realized that paramedics don't need to show up exclusively on a big red truck with no transport capability to treat patients?

 

[Bearamedic]

That non transporting chase medic sounds different than a ift-medic


In west virginia, ift stands for inter facility transport. Ift can carry more drugs and do more things (only in ift) than regular medics here.

Examples include vecuronium, midazolam, 1 unit of blood, antivenin, heparin, reopro, kcl, tpn, ntg drip, chest tube, and so on.

It seemed to be similar to the differences between emt-p and nrp.

 

[JPINFV]

That non transporting chase medic sounds different than a ift-medic


In west virginia, ift stands for inter facility transport. Ift can carry more drugs and do more things (only in ift) than regular medics here.

Examples include vecuronium, midazolam, 1 unit of blood, antivenin, heparin, reopro, kcl, tpn, ntg drip, chest tube, and so on.

It seemed to be similar to the differences between emt-p and nrp.

Prior to last year, the only providers with paramedics in Orange County, CA was the fire departments and paramedics were only used for 911 calls. If an IFT required more than an EMT, then the EMT crew was supplemented with an RN or RT (i.e. vent dependent patients) as needed for the call.