Medic137

"Crusty Medic"..... I resemble that remark! The key to faster response times is to have more medics. Not to have the few medics available drive faster.

Time passes slowly when a loved one is in distress. I had one family member (an RN no less) complain to my bosses that I spent an hour on scene treating her mother's MI. The printout from 60 Control showed 22 minutes. I think in this case the patient coded in a BLS rig and they called for an ALS intrcept which arrived while the EMTs were puting in an OPA, setting up an AED, and doing CPR.

I know that is NOT taught in my class....quite the opposite!! We teach the students to recognize when ALS is needed on a call, and to call for ALS as early as possible... But EMT students in my classs (and hopefully every EMT class) are NOT taught to rely on medics for "anything major!" EMTs are taught to assess and treat/stabilize life-threats using BLS skills-and none of those skills include "hiding behind a clipboard" or depending on a medic! Unfortunately, what you can't teach them in class is how to get to a call before the medic and put anything else they've learned to use.

There are good reasons for dispatching medics on BLS calls such as getting patient care in progress while the volunteers are assembling a crew. The problem with this is that by the time the ambulance gets on scene the medic has done the assessment, splinted the fractures, and bandaged the lacerations. The EMTs get frustrated because they rarely get to put their training to use and are pretty much limited to lifting, carrying, and driving. Most of the EMTs certified in the last 5 years have never been on a call without a medic and many lack the confidence to take charge on anything but the most basic calls. It has become a vicious circle: We need to use medics for BLS calls due to the lack of EMTs, and we are driving the EMTs away by having medics do their jobs.

Can anyone provide the Make/Model # of a PL capable scanner? Thanks.

Putnam County is on the right track with their single dispatch center, rational unit numbering system, and separate dispatch and response channels. What they need to do is invest in a radio system that can be heard across the county. In the meantime it would really help if the dispatchers would (consistantly) echo the messages from units in the field.

So I ask again: How did Dutchess overcome the "We've been licensed on this frequency since before ______." And "It's OUR medic and WE'LL decide where it goes." Anyone know?

Dutchess County has the best system I've worked in. One dispatch center, excellent radio set up, professional dispatchers. I wonder how they managed to ram the concept through the old time traditionalists. ("We've been doing it this way since 19XX")

Transcare rigs with "Wappingers" on the door have already been seen doing transports out of Hudson Valley Hosp. Are these the "dedicated" rigs?

Having FD on the scene makes my job easier as a medic. Instead of having to stop patient care and pull out my portable to ask for extrication, or a second bus, or STAT Flight, I can turn around and say "Chief, I Need .....".

Putnam--------Just plain old English And sometimes even that's too complicated.

While St. Joe's is not a trauma center, they do see a lot of trauma. When I was in Yonkers we would bring the really bad cases (life expectancy less than 10 mins) in there. They weren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Unlike some of the local hospitals (Putnam, NWHC) that turn off the lights and lock the doors if they hear "trauma".

The taxpayers in North White Plains don't know how lucky they are. Their FD has one of the best EMS first responses around. Makes a big difference when Valhalla VAC can only get out "Driver Only" and the Mt. Pleasant Medic is tied up at Cedarwood Hall. They should have a decent facility to work out of.

Danbury Hospital is also Level II

I read that the ratings are way up. Whether people are rooting for him or against him, a lot more folks are tuning in.

Wasn't it just a few years ago that this village hired EMTs as parking enforcement officers specifically so that they could cover the daytime EMS calls?