Goose

DC is a cesspool, has been for years.

Essentially, the state is allowing you to forge spinal immobilization under vary narrow circumstances. Mechanism is only part of the picture, you're going to have to take into account the type of patient you are dealing with, and information obtained from your patient interview and physical exam.

RIP

Isn't part of the problem frequency licensing? I remember hearing that NYC has alot of UHF on lock down and there are simply not enough frequencies for the current system to be full proof. Ultimately, the County doesn't have the balls to strong arm the local municipalities like it should be - as far as consolidation of PSAPs are concerned. On the EMS side of things, it becomes a patient care issue as EMD is now a standard of care. A community shouldn't suffer because PD doesn't want to spend the money or time putting their desk Sgts through EMD school.

Build one big building and have one floor PD dispatch, another floor FD & EMS dispatch.

If you want to do EMS for the rest of you're life, it's the best long term option in New York (benefits, pay scale, retirement), but you're still a third class citizen far behind FD and PD. Maybe forth if you consider sanitation. Current members i know are there out of necessity and others used it as a spring board to be "promoted" to the suppression side of the Fire Department. In terms of protocol and things of that nature, New York is probably one of the least progressive states in the union. Ultimately, it's just like any other EMS agency. You've got the great, the good, the bad and the ugly. I had two first hand encounters with FDNY EMS in Queens in regards to my Grandmother. The first time was when my grandmother fell on sidewalk down the street from her house, my cousin and i pulled up just after the ambulance and i was horrified by the BLS crew's incompetence and revolting attitude towards my 84 year old grandmother. The second experience was with an ALS crew after my grandmother suffered a cardiac event, my family and i were very pleased with the treatment, skill, knowledge and professionalism of the two paramedics. I'm sure the same is the case for where you currently work.

Thats because they know what they are doing lol. Is it me or does all of this seem like a moot issue? I think there are much more pressing issues for many fire departments of westchester county. Besides the fact that i'm sure my house would burn to the foundation, do you really think this would ever happen? I can see department elders being rather peeved about a switch and departments generally unhappy with having to foot the bill for re-striping etc.

Sounds like a situation where CIDS information could be used....but i doubt many Westchester FDs have that sort of thing in place. Just pray this never happens here.

God Bless.

Aircraft in distress/reporting mechanical problems gets a pretty large EMS and Fire response. I think structural things are handled by whatever department said building lies in and, i would assume, would be a commercial assignment.

Yes. 1 PSAP. New York City which sees millions more requests for service than Westchester County has 1 PSAP, why do we need in excess of 40?

I think Port Chester, Rye Brook, and Armonk. Maybe Harrison or Purchase too?

There are a slew of ways. Sell off all the duplicated fire equipment - that should bring in a few million. Add a few dollars in surcharges to certain official business (you know, when filing for permits, etc.) or create one massive ambulance district. It would probably end up costing a few cups of starbucks a month per household. I'm not a lawmaker but having a pretty good understanding of the political process - anything is possible. The issue just needs to be given the proper attention and followthrough. That is the hard part. Bingo. It may take 6 minutes from the station to the location of the run but no one ever factors in the 10 - 20+ minute lead time it takes to get the crew assembled. Yeah man. Momentum needs to be built and getting those laws changed/amended is the biggest hurdle - that will be straight up, unadulterated, political trench warfare.

They are. Keep taking the test!

ALS - Wake County North Carolina is a perfect example of one of the best third services in the country. In fact, a starting paramedic makes close to 10 grand more than a city of raleigh probie with county benefits (no 20 and out though). My understanding is that the FD EMS relationship is absolutely amazing - EMS is treated as equal professionals and FD is consistently looking to do/learn more in terms of patient care. So, the whole benefits and compensation package is possible - especially here. But you and i will never agree about that Besides, if we were to sell off some of the useless/replicated fire apparatus throughout the county we should have more than enough start up capital for Westchester County EMS.

The long-term, progressive, solution is to go with a fully career third service across the county. Because, in all honesty, while this problem may be far more frequent in northern westchester it happens county wide. The fact is the only run numbers that are ever going to go up (aside from PD - their numbers are always tend to be higher) are EMS runs. In the next decade the demand on EMS is going to be enormous. We are seeing a paradigm shift of sorts - EMS is starting to provide more and more chronic care and dealing with less and less true emergencies. I just honestly dont see how volunteers are going to be able to provide the coverage the citizens deserve. That aside, the bigger problem is trying to get local and county government on board with this. No one wants to pay and everyone is looking for the cheapest solution - this void is most often filled by a private company. And we all know how privates operate. But, of equal importance, is educating the resident's of westchester. They have an immense, almost sick, infatuation with their locale and as a result want to have their own fire department, their own police department and own ambulance. the gravy train is over. It's time to start looking seriously at long term solution that levels the tax burden and provides a better overall service. The best part of the whole deal is that most of the leg work has already been done, we can easily model a local system off a highly effective county solution from out west or down south.

Not only would that make sense...but it would tweak the volunteers (who would in turn call up everyone they know, come out 300 deep and complain to all the residents [who are already ignorant to the lax service they get], hit the usual talking points about how they care so much and do it for free, and they will stay in business...happens any time ANYONE questions a volunteer agency) and it will cost money...so forget it. Not going to happen. Like i said, no one wants to admit they have a problem and that in and of itself is counterintuitive to all that is EMS - we are there because we care and want to help people...but only on our time? Come on. It's not like it hasn't been done before...there a number of primarily volunteer agencies that are hiring day-time crews to cover calls when membership can't....and it doesn't rip a hole in the time space continuum! How about that?!

yes there is a cisd team and it was called.

Actually, i applaud him for shoving this issue in everyone's face. Joining the VAC isn't going to solve the problem, i would argue that's a silly assertion. The culture and system are broken. We all know it, the county knows it but apparently no one can or cares to change it.

Thats the problem. ALL EMS and Fire should be dispatched by 60. Period.

Jesus christ...God bless all those deceased and watch over all the families and FD, EMS and PD crews involved.

Thats great and all, but i would like to see a few million spent on 60 control and an effort to start bringing everything under one umbrella (at least FD & EMS).

I wasn't referring to the post, just to the lohud article. I'm not sure if the removal of the bird from valhalla is going to cost lives. A lot of what i hear on here and what ive read regarding the removal of the choppers seems to be a bit of fear mongering. I heard someone comment on CBS news radio 880 that the bird is used in cases where ambulances can't access a patient, hence why we need the bird in westchester. I've never, ever heard of it operated in said fashion. Any time i've dealt with the bird (once in an emergency situation and many times during the ferry to and from the LZ at local hospitals) - it is my opinion that they need an decent amount of room to land and are not equipped to fast rope paramedics into tight areas. I could be wrong, and if so i stand corrected. Besides, if a patient is so unstable that they in danger of imminent death, they are not going to get the bird - you're going to the closest hospital. And just as a side bar, this seems to all go back to the residents and politicians of westchester being infatuated with having an overabundance of "stuff." Reguardless of it's appropriateness or cost-effectiveness. It's a helicopter, not a freaking security blanket.

I'm missing the point of this article. The choppers are not shutting down and he did not get the valhalla bird, he got a bird from harris. So...yeah...this makes no sense to me...

RIP & God bless.