EMT-B

Question about Austin, TX

2008-08-25T17:01:39Z

I'm an EMT in Boston, so this is completely out of my region. =)

One of my friends has been living in Austin, TX for about a year now and is looking into taking an EMT-Basic class. What are your recommendations?

Any information will be appreciated!

Thanks, and stay safe out there,
~Beth

*x-posted*

emtb @ 2008-06-23T01:54:00

2008-06-23T06:00:42Z

Hey guys, just wanted to shamelessly promote something you might be interested in.

I've been blogging about EMS for a while now as "Sam" at On The Clock, and recently another blogger, Epi, and I started an EMS blogging project.

Essentially, every week, EMS bloggers from across the world will get together and write posts about any subject, or perhaps a themed topic, and then they will all be linked in one location. This project is called Normal Sinus Rhythm, and took place for the first time today.

Please go give it a look if you have some time and check out the original posts by each blogger and perhaps leave a comment! If you have any ideas for themes you'd be interested in, please let me know or leave a comment at the blog.

We look forward to submissions from Peter Canning (author of Paramedic and Rescue 471), and Kelly Grayson (author of Life, Death and Everything in Between: A Paramedic's Memoirs), who have both agreed to be a part of this project.

Thanks so much for taking a look!

(x-posted like a fiend!)

Opinions on a Memo

2008-06-20T20:50:46Z

I'm looking for people's opinions on something...mind you, someone already started the ball rolling on getting this rectified, but still want opinions nonetheless..

You walk into work and a memo stating the following is posted for BLS crews:

***ATTENTION***

As you may already be aware, you will not get a face-sheet for dialysis patients, or any other patient who goes out for regularly scheduled treatments, from (facility #1), (facility #2), (facility #3). Please do not ask the nursing staff for one. Simply call (phone number) and ask either dispatch or intake for the information that you need. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Now, the particular software the company uses, contains limited medical history, and NO MEDICATIONS. These 'regular' patients, aren't know by every single crew.

I'm not looking for anything but your *opinions*. I will try to clarify any questions to the best of my ability.

He's gonna feel that in the mornin!

2008-05-17T02:42:56Z

I hate it when this happens. All the time, dammit.

How Not to Come Down From a Bridge - Watch more free videos

X-Posted around...

emtb @ 2008-05-05T08:34:00

2008-05-05T12:35:15Z

Signal 10-13

2008-04-16T21:16:21Z

Some of you may have heard, two EMTs were critically wounded on Monday in Nyack, Rockland County(Lower Hudson Valley), NY. One, 19, sustaining a head injury and the other, 20, more seriously injured, losing her arm.

Multiple stories on the incident:
link 1
link 2
link 3

And you can help with the 10-13 here:

http://www.rps10-13.com/

I work at Shock Trauma...

2008-04-11T07:07:31Z

First I'm sorry for no cut. I still haven't learned how to do that...
second, I work at Shock Trauma. I take the utmost pride in our system and I whole-heartedly believe that what we do is why we save sooo many lives. Like all medical systems in the country, there is always room for improvement and upgrades, but to privatize our medivac system would not be a good idea. Whoever wrote this opinion-letter obviously doesn't know the facts...

THE CAPITAL: HOMETOWNANNAPOLIS.COM APRIL 2, 2008
OPINION SECTION

"Of all the things Maryland can point to with pride, one of the foremost is the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center - the first facility of its type, and perhaps the best in the country.
Some critics say the center is expensive. But many lives have been saved because helicopters quickly evacuated accident victims to a highly specialized trauma facility. But this expensive, tax-supported service can be abused.

Our story on Sunday showed that about half of the patients transported by state police to the shock trauma center were not seriously injured and could have been adequately treated at local emergency rooms at a third or a quarter of the cost.

Center officials say the number of patients transported is high because they often don't know the severity of injuries, and it's better to err on the side of caution. Nonetheless, another motive is financial: The slightly injured patients offset the high cost of treating seriously injured patients. So there is an incentive - other than saving lives - to fly patients to the shock trauma center.

Supplementing trauma patients with less seriously injured patients isn't without cost. Keeping the state police helicopters operational costs taxpayers $20 million a year, not including the $139 million the state is planning to spend to replace its 12 sophisticated helicopters.

A privatized helicopter service - many are used elsewhere in the country, and are better staffed - could provide the same high-level service and probably save the state money. Many emergency rooms and ambulance services are already privatized, so would this be any different? Maryland is the only state that relies on an agency - the state police - to operate a taxpayer-funded medevac system.

The state police don't bill for the service, which can easily cost $6,000. A free helicopter ride to the hospital may be great for the individual taxpayer who benefits from it, but is it something that all taxpayers - not insurance companies - should pay for?

State police logs will show that the helicopters are often used for public events - even a dinner party at a restaurant - and demonstrations at schools. With helicopter fuel costing taxpayers $400 an hour, are these expenses taxpayers can be reasonably expected to cover?

The state is conducting an audit to see if the helicopters are being used unnecessarily. Yet no one is expecting either auditors or legislators to delve to the heart of the issue, because of the overwhelming emotional commitment to this service. But no taxpayer-funded expense should be so sacred that it is immune to serious scrutiny.

Perhaps being the only state with a tax-supported medevac system makes us smarter than 49 others - but we doubt it. Unless the legislature finds the guts to examine this service, taxpayers will remain in the dark about its efficiency. Are taxpayers really going to tolerate such ignorance?"
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Reader comments: ( Post )
Comments solely reflect the views of and are the responsibility of users, not Capital Gazette Communications, Inc. or its suite of online properties including HometownAnnapolis.com, CapitalOnline.com, HometownGlenBurnie.com, and others. Readers may find some comments offensive or inaccurate. To comment, users agree to abide by rules of participation. If you believe a comment violates these rules, please notify us.
3 days 18 hours agoMIEMMS
The system as designed, and built is still the best trauma system in the world. Theoretically. Nobody is trying to dismantle the system but they are questioning the management of the air medical part. The Maryland State Police Aviation Command leads the public to believe that there are eight helicopters strategically placed to respond to the injured citizen in 18 minutes. Too often that's just isn't so. Many times the closest helicopter isn't there. It may be out of the area at a public demonstration, tied up at a photo op, or simply providing air taxi service for the Superintendant or some other VIP. The citizen gets to wait for the next one. The Aviation Command is top heavy with unqualified leaders who lack sufficient knowledge costing hundreds of thousands in salaries paid for from EMSOF funds. Fleet operational capability continues to decline each year and direct admissions to Shock Trauma are down. The system isn't what it used to be. The management has lost its sense of urgency for the medevac mission and continues to waste flight time and resources on unrelated activity. The helicopters cost over 8 million dollars to buy and over 2000 dollars an hour to operate. MSP can't explain why they were 5 million over budget last year in spite of the fleet falling below 66% operational capabilty for 120 days or four months in 2007. That's up from 90 days in 2006. Private services are staffed with higher qualified medical personnel per certification requirements. MSP attempted to mislead the public by using Cadets as second providers wasting more taxpayer money on unqualified personnel only for appearances. Nobody is trying to dismantle the system, just fix it and bring it into to 21st century.
M. Holt - Arnold, MD

report this comment
4 days 20 hours agoMEIMMS
The person who believes the MEIMSS system should be dismantled is probably the owner of a private helicopter company, and is seeking to make a profit himself. His lack of facts, or contrived facts are startling. I hope for this persons sake or his family members sake, we trauma nurses and this system is still in place if they ever need the help of emergency medicine, having practiced in other ICU's I assure you, if our patients went to other ER's they would not be going home at all as many of our patients do.
J. Byer - Glen Burnie, MD

~~~~~~~~~~
This is such a bunch of bulllllshit. Whoever wrote this is someone who is pissed off that they aren't getting their way with something and has absolutely no clue what they are talking about. It infuriates me, because its these kind of assholes that develop a following and pretty soon while we're busy saving their lives from their stupidity, we get it up the ass.
AGHHHHHHHHHH! When I calm down I can develop a better reply to this

emtb @ 2008-03-17T07:59:00

2008-03-17T12:01:43Z

I wish more people knew what it was that EMT's and Paramedics really do and what we sacrifice!

IM WAY MORE THAN JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER!!!!! THANK YOU...

Standing in chest deep water, freezing rain falling and stinging as it hits the
exposed parts of my body. Holding her head above water to keep her from drowning until rescue could get there to cut her free---
BUT I'M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

Comforting a 89 year old woman who just watch me and my partner cover the face of her husband of 64 years as he lay dead in their bathroom floor---
BUT I'M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

On scene at an MVA with mom trapped upside down in her car and her dead sons body laying on top of her, without a second thought for my own safety I crawl into the wreckage to take C-spine control and calm the frantic lady---
BUT I'M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

Called away from my just prepared meal to respond to the middle of nowhere to a house with No numbers, No porch light on, Nobody waiting to signal us in and they bitch because we took too long only to find out the patient left P.O.V ten minutes ago...so we smile and walk away from the verbal lashing only because we are
JUST AMBULANCE DRIVERS

Standing in the middle of the street at midnight on the wrong side of town trying to patch the holes and stop the bleeding of a 19 year old shooting victim with the occasional bullet whizzing past our heads we never break stride because this kids life is in our hands---
BUT I'M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

Doing chest compressions on a 16 year old girl who decided this life was more than she could take. Her family screaming at us to help as though we are the ones who did this to her. Her lifeless body flailing about as the tube goes in and IV's being started, My arms and back burning from the pain of 30 minutes of CPR, never once giving up, hoping she would make it through and over come whatever lead her to this bad decision----
BUT I'M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

Death is all a round me and still I go home to live my life

I get kicked, hit, spit on, bled on, puked on...

I look into the eyes of a lifeless child at 7 am and by 8 am I'm holding my child a little tighter and they know nothing about what happened.

I have hundreds of hours of classroom time

Years of in the field experience

I have challenged death and won

I've helped the helpless

I've neglected my family for yours

I find comfort in complete chaos

I eat cold meals if I eat at all

I work with no sleep for days at a time

I miss birthdays,holidays and school functions

I put myself in harms way for a total stranger on a daily basis

ALL BECAUSE I AM JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER

I AM AN AMBULANCE DRIVER!!! I DRIVE 90 MPH THROUGH CONGESTED TRAFFIC FULL OF PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO YIELD RIGHT OF WAY WHILE MY PARTNER STANDS UNRESTRAINED IN THE BACK OF THIS SCREAMING LAND MISSILE SAVING YOUR LOVED ONES LIFE E!! NE VER ON CE DOES HE QUESTION MY DRIVING HE KNOWS THAT AT THE END OF THIS SHIFT HE WILL GO HOME TO HIS FAMILY SAFELY BECAUSE I AM AN AMBULANCE DRIVER....

X posted to Onlineambulance

emtb @ 2008-03-13T13:43:00

2008-03-13T17:43:57Z

Please delete if this is not allowed...

We are currently trying to raise money at G & H Ambulance (which for reference, is the ambulance service that I work for) to raise money for new equipment.

G & H ambulance has signed up on Goodsearch.com so that every time you do a search, about a penny gets donated. All you have to do is select G & H ambulance as the “Who do you Goodsearch for?” and the location is Glenburn, Maine (just in case there is some confusion.

It would be fantastic if people were to use this as a favorite search engine and raise money for a good cause. On the flip side, even if you chose a different non-profit organization, you’re still helping out!

X-posted

Lift test

2008-02-12T23:49:45Z

I have a tentative job offer from a private ambulance company, conditional on passing a lift test in 2 days.

What sorts of lift tests have y'all gone through? What would you recommend reviewing/practicing? Thanks!

K

Reciprocity to Washington State

2008-01-25T10:49:10Z

I moved to NY ten months ago and I've been missing home. I've been thinking about moving back home and becoming an EMT there. I have read the Washington State Department of EMS Reciprocity requirements, but I still have a few questions.

3. You have completed a course equivalent to the Department of Transportation (DOT) Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) course

a. The course taken must be equal to Washington State standards.

b. You must also declare that you are knowledgeable in the Washington State Specific Objectives (WSSO). Complete, sign and return the WSSO Affirmation Statement.

4.You have completed the OEMSTS course “Infectious Disease Prevention for EMS Providers” (Revised October, 1997) or a Department of Health approved 7-hour HIV/AIDS course.

7. You are associated with a Washington State prehospital emergency medical agency licensed by the Office of EMS and Trauma Systems (OEMSTS)

8. You are recommended by your Medical Program Director (MPD) in Washington State
a. The MPD may approve your skills, knowledge, and ability through written or verbal protocol examinations, visual observations of skills, etc.

b. Once the EMS office obtains the MPD’s signature, all of your information will be forwarded to the State of Washington for approval.

c. Once the State approves your curriculum, you will then be allowed to take the Washington State EMT-B written test. The State will notify you when you have been granted approval. Please call the EMS office at (509) 966-5175 to schedule an appointment to test.

3. Anybody know if NYS is equivilent?

4. Does the ASHI BBP qualify for this?

7. WTF? So you have to move to Washington State, apply with an agency, then have them sign it for you?

8. WTF(major)?!? So you have to have an interview with your MPD and possbily do a ride along even though you have to take a written test no matter what?!

WTF Washington?

Another lesson learned the hard way....

2008-01-08T07:16:51Z

*sigh*

A little common sense goes a long way, kids.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2008/01/07/wright.chief.photos.wkmg

If maybe he kept them in-house for "training", then maybe he'd still have a job. Instead, it looks more like showing off to other stations. At least that's the perception.

http://www.umatillafl.org/departments.php (not much of a website.)

For FireFighters/EMS

2008-01-06T03:57:58Z

For all of you firefighters/EMS folks on my friends list...there is a cool site I think you would enjoy, it is called Firefighternation.com.. it is like a myspace for firefighters/EMS.. it has tons of pics, wicked cool videos, cool groups, and most of all it has a TON of people that are interested in the same things we are..fightin fires, and savin lives.. it is free, and it is a good time..
please check it out and if you become a member, please please, use my email addy ( Frogylovers@hotmail.com) at the very end where it asks who referred you.
thanks a ton and stay safe!!!

*~Rachael~*
Aka Frogs

WebSite:
Firefighternation.com

Philadelphia EMS Response Failure

2008-01-04T01:17:45Z

This story is rather disturbing for our service. If you thought we might have the occasional long response time, you'll be amazed at the tragedy in Philadelphia this New Years Eve.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=5869241

www.phila.gov/fire

x-posted around.

Cross posted...Seeking EMTALA information

2007-12-31T10:02:03Z

I'm trying to find information about EMTALA in regards to Hospital/Emergency room DISCHARGES. If anyone has any links they can share, please do.

I had a patient discharged from the ER, cleared medically by the doc, then when we got to the residence, although she was a nut, she absolutely refused to go into the house, and her live in friend refused to let her in and slammed the door in our face just about. So as technically we didn't complete that transfer, we returned her back to the emergency room seeing as her friend abandoned her and the ER hadn't wanted anything to do with her, and told us we should have taken her to another hospital. Although they did accept her from us, they pretty much classified her as a 'drunk' and put her in a room for the rest of the night. There was some discussion between my crew and the staff regarding each other's views on EMTALA and personally I do not have a clear idea of its stance in this situation. Something I can read would surely help.

LODD - New Jersey

2007-12-30T06:45:16Z

December 29, 2007 -- A South Jersey community is in mourning over the loss of a dedicated firefighter, family man, and neighbor.

48-year-old Walter Fagan Junior of the East Greenwich Fire Company was rushed to Underwood Memorial Hospital in Woodbury overnight but was pronounced dead.

Fagan suffered a heart attack during what turned out to be a false alarm call on Curt Mantle Road at around midnight.

www.eastgreenwichfire.com

Drug tests and employment with Sacramento hospitals/EMS services

2007-12-28T02:20:43Z

(xposted in various places)

Question for folks...

What are the drug tests that most services and hospitals use? How long do I have to have had zero exposure before I'll get an acceptable result? If they're going to use a hair test, how long do I have to have been "drug-free" before I can get a job?

I don't intentionally use marijuana.

However, I'm exposed to it on a regular basis. I'm a caregiver for a quadriplegic man who uses medical marijuana, meaning I must administer his marijuana. While a few people have assured me that incidental exposure won't cause me to have a positive drug test, I *have* occasionally gotten a slight buzz after helping my consumer with his pipe, and I have frequently come home smelling like pot, according to my significant other. How much pot actually has to get into your system to test positive?

Basically - if my job causes me to test positive, how long after leaving this job will it be before I can get a job other than doing private in-home care, is what I'm asking. Do I need to leave this present job in order to actually get work as an EMT or ER tech.

I'd love to hear I can stay at my present job if I can. It's as tough to find a good consumer as it is for a consumer to find a good caregiver. My previous guy [possibly knowing I was on my way out, and feeling he could pull out all the stops] asked me if I was wearing a bra the last time I worked with him.

Christmas Disorders

2007-12-22T00:46:40Z

one of my partners found this and i thought it was funny...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Attention Deficit Disorder
Silent night, Holy oooh look at the froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

Personality Disorder
You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Borderline Personality Disorder
Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Paranoid
Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

Dementia
I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

Manic
Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and . . .

Narcissistic
Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Multiple Personality Disorder
We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Schizophrenia
Do You Hear What I Hear?

Watch for flying ice, gang.

2007-12-21T05:35:24Z

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - December 20, 2007 -- An ambulance driver says ice blew off a tractor trailer, smashed her windshield, struck her on the head and showered the inside of the ambulance with ice and broken glass.

Jessica Strivelli says if the Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Co. ambulance had been carrying a patient in the back, "they'd have been hit, too."

Strivelli says the ice struck the ambulance along Route 329 when it was en route to pick up a sick patient Wednesday.

The 22-year-old driver says she had a mild concussion and back and neck pain. Her partner, 25-year-old Danielle Westgate, had cuts on her hands. The two were treated at St. Luke's Hospital at Fountain Hill and released.

The truck driver, Earl Seese II, was stopped after motorists followed him and called police. State police say he won't be charged because no one was killed or seriously injured.

www.htvfc.org

Emergency Ink

2007-12-16T20:34:05Z

Yea, cliche on the shows, I know.

Since a nice debate about body mods and tattoos broke out over on Onlineambulance, I figured this would be a great time to have everyone brag about their EMS/FIRE/POLICE/OEM related tattoos.

Post a pic, show some love, but no flaming please. If you're not down for the style, just keep moving by your friends list.

(x-posted to all the Usual Suspects.)

EMT, NREMT, Advice...

2007-12-16T03:55:58Z

Hello to everyone! Hope everyone's doing well...

Well i need some advice about NREMT....

I've taken my NREMT-Basic...for the 4th time..
I know that for the state of ohio, it's now computer based, which as far as i know has taken effective as of this year... no more written on paper...Which is nice... but this last test taking i did it on the computer..and didn't pass it.

Anyhow...Like i've said, i've taken my test for the 4th time, and i keep thinking there's something i'm not doing right, or Maybe i might be studying to hard...So my question to you guys is, What, an How can i study to pass this thing.....EMS is what i want so much, but yet having some trouble with the testing part. What's kinda funny is i've passed my class...and the re-fresher course all with 100% including my praticals. I'm on with a Fire Dept, so i have hands on exp...So why can't i get passed NREMT?! I sit and study from my book Non-Stop...Is there a Website that could help? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you everyone!! I appreciate it!

Physical requirements for EMT-B jobs

2007-12-16T01:52:10Z

Question, folks,

What are the basic physical requirements to be an EMT at the Basic level?

I'm in Sacramento, CA. I'm licensed, but presently working as an in-home caregiver for people with disabilities. Next step is to get my ambulance certification. Life-partner doesn't feel I could work as an EMT because I'm only in average physical shape, with average strength for a woman my height and weight, and I'm not a "jock". Where I live, Basics mostly do interhospital transport, and most paramedics work through the fire dep't.

EMT training was useful today

2007-12-12T00:45:04Z

I'm licensed as an EMT-Basic but presently work as an in-home caregiver to a non-ambulatory man with MS.

I probably don't have the right to feel awesome about this, but I feel like my EMT training helped me to help my pt today.

I walk in and he greets me with... "What the hell are you doing."

I tell him what the hell I'm doing. OK, he's cranky some mornings. I deal.

"What the hell are you doing."

Spider sense is tingling at the second 'what the hell'.

"What the hell are you doing."

OK, red lights going off in my mind.

"Your morning routine. We do it every morning."

He goes, "You're very rude. It's too early."

I ask him, "Who am I?"

"You're very rude," he answers.

I ask him, "What day is it? Where are you? Who are you?"

Pt is oriented to time and place.

"Portland. Wait. That's not right. This happened before."

He answers every question with "This happened before".

Better a false alarm than a sicker pt.
"OK, we're going to take you to the doctor. Alright?"

"No. I don't want to."

"We're going to take you to the doctor. Everything will be fine."

(I call 911)

They
come and get him, and as they're there he yells out his other worker's
name. So he was clearly confused, and I hadn't called for nothing.

I
answer the medics' questions the best I can. I don't know anything
about his history, aside from his MS, I bag up all his meds and give to
the medics

They tell me just to secure the place and that's all
that can be done. Other worker (who knows his history) meets him at
hospital.

Turns out to be a bladder infection. Caught very early. Released same day with oral meds.

Last time, other worker tells me, he was in the hospital for a month with raging sepsis when it was caught.

If I hadn't had my previously unused EMT training I probably wouldn't have spotted immediately that he was confused.

I just signed up for the recertification course to keep the license current.

salary?

2007-12-07T01:42:07Z

hello! I just began EMT courses at my school. This is a radical shift from what I was doing, going to school to become a history teacher.
i have a question about the salaries of EMS workers. I'm sure it varies based on experience and location, and I've done as much online research as possible over the past month. I am 23 years old, and I have no dependants. My question is: will i be able to totally support myself (well) on the salary I will be making? i hope the answer is yes, because I've found that so far, I really love EMS. I plan on moving soon, and I'm basically asking if this career allows the means to be totally finacially indepedant. the only ems workers i've actually spoken with have done nothing besides bitch about pay, which dissapoints me.

Holy L.A. Batman.. I want one.. Squad 51 on Ebay..

2007-11-08T00:10:02Z

They're selling Squad 51. A good replica. Come watch and drool..

Body: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330185531777&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

Patti