What a bunch of crap!!

Last I checked CO poisoning sx's can closely resemble flu-like sx's....tis the season...Venting roofs w/o scba, overhaul w/o scba, responding to calls in flip flops and shorts are o.k. though.
 
If you read the article you'll notice it's just FD that's not going, EMS still is. I only need FD for arrests, extracation, and if we have to carry a 400lb patient. Two of those things EMD should be able to sort out. The last I can call once on scene.

Oh, and if my patient is on fire. Why else would they send 5 guys in turnout gear who are driving a $500,000 truck that gets 5 miles/gallon. (Don't get me started)

You know, we're probably going to get to a place where we just can't send EMS to every call. I know there is litigation issues, but we need to be able to say "you are telling me that you've had toe pain for 6 months and nothing really changed tonight and you know how to get a cab, no we're not sending an ambulance."

Sure ideally we'd be able to go to every call, and in normal situations it's possible. But systems need to be able to say "there is a epidemic, we are getting 5,000 calls a day for flu, and we aren't going to be able to respond to heart attacks and strokes if every ambulance is on a flu call." Basically it turns into a triage situation.
 
Meh. If the fire department is just going to sit around with their thumbs up their butts anyways while the medical professionals do their job, I don't see the concern. The only difference is that the fire department has to stop padding their response figures by not responding to patients that aren't on fire.
 
What about the volly departments that have no emt training any how. What is the point of them responding to a flu call and puting themselves in danger of getting sick and then not being able to help someone when they are really needed.
 
If it's a department with no EMS training/education, why are they responding to pure medical calls anyways on a first response basis?
 
There not and i should have thought of that before i posted but i still dont see the point in putting any fire fighter out there for a flu call. But that is just my point of veiw
 
I only need an Engine or Ladder Co. for ALS level calls, life assist or when their tools and knowledge are needed.
This is not total crap, this is the start of using resources when needed.
While I disagree how some say it, there is little to no use for Fire on many scenes.
 
Why would you need an engine or ladder company for paramedic level calls? Are your paramedic level calls routinely on fire?
 
They get there before we do, and by following AHA guidelines, early access to CPR/AED, its nice to have an extra set of hands or 4.
 
Wow. Paramedics in NJ only respond to cardiac arrest calls?
 
*sighs*
Have you any clue as to how NJ MICU's are dispatched?
Have you any clue as to the areas I work in?

Often times the FD is needed for forceable entry, they get there before we do and start O2, gathering meds and calming/moving family members, and if an arrest, starting CPR and AED before we arrive.

Not to mention if its an area where the MICU is far out from, they assist with pt care, lifting, moving, etc.

Minimum on an ALS level call is 2 EMTs, 2 MICPs, 3 bags, a monitor and a cot.

Having extra hands on scene is VERY helpful to move, lift, carry, start care, scribe, etc.
I get it though, you don't like firemen. You have already made it clear. We get it.
 
No, I don't know how MICUs respond, but when your only major example is CPR and AED, I have to guess that that's the main call that they are being dispatched to.
 
JPINFV said:
No, I don't know how MICUs respond, but when your only major example is CPR and AED, I have to guess that that's the main call that they are being dispatched to.
Click to expand...

Life threatening calls only.
Chest pain
AMS
SOB
Cardiac arrest
Major trauma
Diabetic emergencies
Seizures
as requested per EMS, FD or PD.
 
BLSBoy said:
*sighs*
Have you any clue as to how NJ MICU's are dispatched?
Have you any clue as to the areas I work in?

Often times the FD is needed for forceable entry, they get there before we do and start O2, gathering meds and calming/moving family members, and if an arrest, starting CPR and AED before we arrive.

Not to mention if its an area where the MICU is far out from, they assist with pt care, lifting, moving, etc.

Minimum on an ALS level call is 2 EMTs, 2 MICPs, 3 bags, a monitor and a cot.

Having extra hands on scene is VERY helpful to move, lift, carry, start care, scribe, etc.
I get it though, you don't like firemen. You have already made it clear. We get it.
Click to expand...

Many hands make light work. Also quick work, for the pt's benefit. When I worked EMS in NYC it was often only my partner and myself. Thank goodness my partners could lift. Now, we have 5-6 onscene for many calls. If it's BS and we don't need the manpower, we'll put suppression in service. Otherwise, things get done in a more efficient manner, and I'm doing only a small fraction of the lifting I was doing previously, which greatly reduces my chance of injury. Win-win for all involved. Also, I know for a fact that my FF brothers and sisters can lift.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
"Firefighters, however, are near the bottom of the priority list for H1N1 vaccinations and Pitta stressed that somebody will respond to the medical call, it just may not be as many people as would normally respond."

There you have it. Single role EMS have access to the vaccine, the FF's do not. If you give access to the vaccine to all, then all should be obligated to provide pt care. This is not the case, and requiring the FF's to respond unprotected when others are may accelerate the spread of the disease throughout the community.

Where I work, before we had an available vaccine, only the txp crew would engage in pt care, unless extra help was absolutelty necessary, then the minimum amount needed would jump in. This limits the potential exposures, thus limiting the potential for the virus to spread locally. A prudent policy. We only vaccinated our ALS personnel here due to availability issues. If we have a suspected AFRI, only ALS personnel will engage in pt contact.
 
This is how I prefer it. Our FD's respond on the following by default:

MVA
Full Arrest
Known Bariatrics
Fires with EMS response

We can request FD only for lift assistance or if we need a driver (in which they will send us one guy in a FD Fly car)

Don't get me wrong, the Fire guys are a GREAT bunch of people, all of them are truly awesome. However I'd rather they not respond on any of my medical calls, the only exception is engines that have basics and jump kits when we have no trucks available in county or one truck on their way back. In those cases we sometimes will get a fire response on med calls.
 
Police and EMS still respond.

What's the big deal? If forced entry is required, you kick near the doorknob or break an insignificant window. Problem solved.

These are people with flu-like symptoms, not people who require a third-storey evacuation.
 
JPINFV said:
No, I don't know how MICUs respond, but when your only major example is CPR and AED, I have to guess that that's the main call that they are being dispatched to.
Click to expand...

Come now, we know that what's dispatched and what's discovered onscene can be quite different. Pts other than cardiac arrests can benefit from timely ALS care, as well, considering that a txp unit may be greatly extended.
 
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