sent to me by a physician

[EMTinNEPA]

Have to disagree, if someone is bleeding profusely every minute counts and the sooner someone gets there to assist that person the better.

And you come first. Respond at a reasonable rate, because if you wreck because you're trying to get there fast, not only do you delay response time for the patient you were going to, but you're taking up another two ambulances for you and your partner. Sure, response times make a difference, but that doesn't mean you should drive like a bat out of hell with no regard for personal safety.

 

[subliminal1284]

Sure I agree with being safe about getting there, but I was referring to the difference between arriving on scene in 5 minutes or 10 minutes can be the difference of life and death.

 

[EMTinNEPA]

Sure I agree with being safe about getting there, but I was referring to the difference between arriving on scene in 5 minutes or 10 minutes can be the difference of life and death.

And this applies to ALL EMS. How is this relevant to a discussion on fire vs. private?

 

[46Young]

And you come first. Respond at a reasonable rate, because if you wreck because you're trying to get there fast, not only do you delay response time for the patient you were going to, but you're taking up another two ambulances for you and your partner. Sure, response times make a difference, but that doesn't mean you should drive like a bat out of hell with no regard for personal safety.

I agree. Emergency driving isn't a video game like Grand Theft Auto. We lost a colleague at NS-LIJ CEMS several years ago, when his ambulance was split in two, with a pt onboard, while speeding excessively. I was working at CCEMS 3/08 when the ambulance railed a car on Calhoun street doing 50 in a 25 for a BS unconscious(drunk). They had to do a cut job to get the C of C student out, and she was long dead by then. We also lose some firefighters each year for hte same reason. Most, if not all of these deaths/injuries are preventable.

 

[firecoins]

faster is better than not faster but it not the only factor. what does this have to with fire based EMS versus other systems?

Yes I think EMS is exactly like Grand Theft auto.

 

[46Young]

faster is better than not faster but it not the only factor. what does this have to with fire based EMS versus other systems?

Yes I think EMS is exactly like Grand Theft auto.

Driving down Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at 0300 does remind me of GTA, now that I think about it. The crossdressers and bar fights were quite entertaining as well.

 

[firecoins]

Driving down Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at 0300 does remind me of GTA, now that I think about it. The crossdressers and bar fights were quite entertaining as well.

EMS in Jackson Heights is exactly like Grand Theft Auto. Bed Sty is better.

 

[JPINFV]

Driving down Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at 0300 does remind me of GTA, now that I think about it. The crossdressers and bar fights were quite entertaining as well.

...but if you kill the hookers do you get your money back?

 

[firecoins]

...but if you kill the hookers do you get your money back?

you get your heroin back.

 

[Maya]

Wow, that is crazy. And totally impractical. I don't see that ever happening. Just looking at how things are with the economy and in California right now, in particular -- it's totally ridiculous.

The San Francisco FD just had a six million dollar budget cut. If you look at other places in the Bay Area, like Oakland, Hayward, and Fremont, they're completely inundated with calls. There's no way they could take over for private ambulance companies. Also, it's MUCH more expensive to buy, maintain, and run a fire engine than a regular ambulance. In order to cover all of the extra calls, they would need more fire/emts and medics, who get paid WAY more then regular ems, and that's huge taxpayer dollars that nobody's gonna want to pay.

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping to get into the FD eventually too. Firefighter put their lives on the line every day and deserve every penny they get. I just don't see this kind of thing being put into practice.

 

[HotelCo]

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping to get into the FD eventually too. Firefighter put their lives on the line every day and deserve every penny they get. I just don't see this kind of thing being put into practice.

Firefighters don't respond to enough fire calls around here to be worth the cost of fulltime firefighters. A local city has an all volunteer Fire Dept and it works great. (Keep in mind this isn't a rural township, this is a good size suburban city.)

 

[CAOX3]

I don't care what uniform you wear as long as you can handle your business.

 

[Summit]

EMS should be a third service.

yep.........

 

[bstone]

I'm kinda shocked no one look at the following-

if all your EMTs and medics are primarily FFs then what happens when the FFs are all out fighting a fire and an EMS call comes in. Do the FFs simply leave the burning building and go to the medical call? Do the guys holding the hoses put them down to go get in their firetrucks to go play medic elsewhere?

Seems like a bad manpower idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Right?

 

[46Young]

I'm kinda shocked no one look at the following-

if all your EMTs and medics are primarily FFs then what happens when the FFs are all out fighting a fire and an EMS call comes in. Do the FFs simply leave the burning building and go to the medical call? Do the guys holding the hoses put them down to go get in their firetrucks to go play medic elsewhere?

Seems like a bad manpower idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Right?

There will be crews dedicated to the ambulance for the shift. Our FF's are crosstrained as either EMT's or medics. All engines are ALS with at least one medic as part of the crew. Different houses have different ways of working it out, but typically the two medics will alternate riding the engine or the box every other day/tour.

An engine will typically be dispatched for ALS back with the medic unit. If the closest engine is on a job, then the next closest will be sent. If there is a void in coverage, units can be relocated to other houses. We also have mutual aid agreements with all of the surrounding jurisdictions to ensure adequate coverage.

Hardly putting all of our eggs in one basket. In fact, given the low volume of suppression call types nowadays, it makes sense to crosstrain personnel and rotate them between EMS and suppression apparatus. Cutting FF positions will cost property/lives. Provided they're properly trained, using personnel in an EMS capacity is more efficient then having two seperate entities.

New medic hires at Fairfax will go through a 16 week ALS internship involving 3 12's on an ambulance, and 4 hours/wk of lecture/scenarios prior to the start of the suppression academy. Medics out of the academy also need 18 months on the street before being allowed to ride lead on a medic unit.

 

[bstone]

There will be crews dedicated to the ambulance for the shift. Our FF's are crosstrained as either EMT's or medics. All engines are ALS with at least one medic as part of the crew. Different houses have different ways of working it out, but typically the two medics will alternate riding the engine or the box every other day/tour.

An engine will typically be dispatched for ALS back with the medic unit. If the closest engine is on a job, then the next closest will be sent. If there is a void in coverage, units can be relocated to other houses. We also have mutual aid agreements with all of the surrounding jurisdictions to ensure adequate coverage.

Hardly putting all of our eggs in one basket. In fact, given the low volume of suppression call types nowadays, it makes sense to crosstrain personnel and rotate them between EMS and suppression apparatus. Cutting FF positions will cost property/lives. Provided they're properly trained, using personnel in an EMS capacity is more efficient then having two seperate entities.

New medic hires at Fairfax will go through a 16 week ALS internship involving 3 12's on an ambulance, and 4 hours/wk of lecture/scenarios prior to the start of the suppression academy. Medics out of the academy also need 18 months on the street before being allowed to ride lead on a medic unit.

If your medics are out fighting a fire then they aren't available to treat someone having an MI. Right? Calling the next-closest firehouse only delays care. Fire-based EMS is not a good idea.

 

[Sasha]

Fire-based EMS is not a good idea.

In your opinion. In my opinion it works well.

 

[bstone]

In your opinion. In my opinion it works well.

My opinion is right. Always.

 

[Sasha]

My opinion is right. Always.

Yeeeah, okay!

 

[firecoins]

My opinion is right. Always.

the end of all threads are near.