EMTF469

I have been Captain of our squad for over 17 years and we have the same rules in our by-laws. However we also realize the importance of getting a rig to the scene for transport of a patient, therefore we have a contingency plan written into those by-laws for drivers under the age of 21. Any member who is a potential driver is provided with EVOC as well as in-house training on our rigs, we call them conditional drivers. If a qualified driver is not available to get the rig to the scene then a conditional driver drives it to the scene. Upon reaching the scene, if there is a qualified driver available who is not needed in the patient compartment, then that driver will take responsibiity for the transport. If one is not available then the conditional driver follows through with the transport duties.It works out quite well and we have never had a reportable incident. This isn't rocket science people it is about common sense and community service. If I had been in the same situation as Stephen I would have done the same thing. It would have been a different situation if this had been one of those much too frequent "taxi rides", but it wasn't. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be consequences for disregarding rules and regulations, however I do believe that there was a better option than suspension.in this case. The man had exhausted his search for mutual aid. The people who voted for the suspension should stop, take a deep breath, and ask themselves what they would have considered prudent if they were the parent of this four year old. This is what destroys volunteerism in our communities. Kudos to the four who voted for such a severe penalty you did a great service to your community. Oh, and I also support torture as a means to gather information....yeah right!!!!!!!!!! Just in case no one gets it...this is sarcasm my friends. Enough said.

It saddens me that this could happen in the high tech computerized world we live in. The old addage that a computer is only as good as the person who programs and runs it, is so true. Did the hospital management and software provider think that training on the system wasn't necessary for those who had the responsibility to operate it? My only hope is that is does not cost my region the option of a level 2 trauma center. Having St Francis to handle many of our patients who do not need to be flown to Westchester MC is great for the families of those patients. From our region it is much easier for family members to visit the patient at St. Francis than getting lost in cyberspace trying to get to Westchester.

I have to agree. I hate being told that police on scene request that you expedite your response. Hey I'm already doing 60 mph on country roads and you want me to expedite??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the old addage is still being taught. Priority 1 is your own safety, 2nd is your partner, 3rd is by-standers, and 4th is the patient. The newspaper headline would read...EMS responder killed en route to call, police report excessive speed as the primary cause. This would be followed up by a story line of how EMS responders think they are aove the law.

NYS DOH requires ambulances to be certified for quality of patient care. It does not cost the service any money unless there are deficiencies noted. In most cases deficiencies are taken care of on the spot or an invoice from a repair shop is forwarded to The DOH as proof that the deficiency has been corrected. NYS is not out to put ambulance services out of business, they just want to make them safe. If part 800 of the NYS DOH BLS protocol is followed any inspection is more like a social visit than an inspection. I have been involved in EMS for over 40 years and have never had a surprise inspection. The usual mode of operation is to make an appointment at everyone's convenience. I have been the Captain over 16 years of the corps that I volunteer for and have never failed an inspection. Think back at what a BLS unit used to be able to do, we were nothing but a load and go transport with administration of 1st aid. Today we carry defibrillators, medications such as Albuterol, Epinephrin, etc. including Atropine for chemical WMD if the members of the corps has been certified in its use. We can give the patient with chest pain Nitro if they are prescribed it. We are also trained to assist ALS units in the set up of equipment in the field. BLS in NYS is not what it was 10 years ago, that is why the EMT-B certification has been changed to simply EMT, because we are no longer just basic as it was once known to be. Would you want an ambulance arriving on scene of a family member or friend in cardiac arrest with out a defibrillator? I hope this gives you an insight as to why NYS ambulances are certified. You can be a non-certified service, however you can't carry a defibrillator or medications. I don't know of any ambulance corps that would want to do that.

I have been in the EMS for 42 years and have seen a lot of people come and go. I have also seen needless death and disabling injuries caused by not only speed, but the simple fact that red lights and sirens scare the devil out of drivers you are trying to clear. I have been Captain of my unit for 16 years and during that time I have had to sit many drivers down in my office and explain the facts of running full code 3. Most calls can be classified as either an Alpha or Bravo response mode. We use a Bravo response unless we are specifically instructed by EMS control to proceed as an Alpha response, however the first EMT on scene makes the call response status. I live in a rural area where it takes 15 minutes to get a rig to and ALS mutual aid may be responding from over 20 miles away. A Bravo response is at the discretion of the charge EMT as to use of lights and sirens. We use EMTs who are designated as first response unit. In most cases I have seen traffic yield to just red lights so our drivers are instructed to use the siren only when necessary. The difference in on scene time can be measured in seconds between speeds of 55-60 mph and greater than 60 mph. In our district a cardiac arrest is usually a matter of rapid assessment and calling the TOD, because our protocol allows us to use our discretion to initiate resuscitation. If a patient has been down for 30 minutes or more the probability of a successful out come is very close to zero. Our state protocol allows us to discontinue resuscitation when it is obvious that the patient is not responding. In summary, I agree with you in the most part, however there are times when lights and sirens are the right choice. I would not agree with suspending all responses with lights and siren. There are times when they are necessary when utilized properly. This is where discretion becomes the better part of valor. A dead or injured EMS responder is just another patient to work on.