Goose

Last i heard the State was looking to melt the B and I program together, doing away with intubation altogether and replacing that with less advanced airways like the combi-tube. Now, as far as what would happen with IV therapy and cardiac monitoring, i don't know. The biggest problem with this potential plan is i don't know how you can expect volunteers to maintain those advanced skills - whatever they may be (hence why I'm not really sure if i beleive the state will ever melt the two programs together...) At one point i had considered the "I" program but was told by many to not bother and if i was that passionate to learn and advance my skills, go to medic school. But as others have already stated, keeping up with those ALS skills is what is going to kill you. If you have a good relationship with your partner maybe that wont be a problem as he would let you get the tube or grab and IV...but i think for the program as a whole it would be far more difficult. Likewise, the biggest downfall of the "I" program is the hard-on (pardon the term) many agencies have with paramedics. Couple that with the hoards of shoddy EMTs out there and you've got a recipe for disaster. Likewise, I'm not sure how the MDs feel about the "I" program...most of the protocols out there seem to barely take advantage of those that are "I" certified. Personally, i wish the State did away with the B program altogether and had EMT-I as the base standard. It would not only up the initial level of care but would also filter out many of those who simply do not belong on the street.

The button doesn't need to be depressed constantly. You put it into reverse, the system notifies you (via a beep) that you need to be spotted, your partner hops out presses the buttom and then steps to the side - out of your blind spot - and backs you up. If your dumb enough to hit back up at like 50mph and run your partner over you probably shouldn't be driving an ambulance . You can still back up your truck if the button is not pushed , like celtic said, if you don't hit the button you will get a lower score but it's not as if it disables the truck from backing up, it just spits out a really annoying audible buzz and records that you backed up w/o a spotter.

I didn't see a surcharge when i hit the "pay" bottom, and i just checked my bank transaction online and its showing up for the amount i donated w/o any additional charge. I could only spare 10 bucks, but i hope it helps.

Maybe it's not my place to say, but it seems a bit odd that you would consider joining the military for the apparent sole purpose of taking the FDNY civil service exam. I really, REALLY, hope that is not your only motivation for military service...

http://www.copquest.com/nametapes.htm I found that real quick on Google.com, it offers complete customization. I think Galls may also offer customized name tapes.

(Sorry for the double post, accidentally posted this in the wrong forum the first time) A few months ago a friend of mine introduced me to Haix boots, which he had come across at a firehouse demonstration they had put on while he was working. He purchased a pair and has been very happy with them. Likewise, another friend purchased a pair and is equally as happy. I did some research and they seem to be a quality pair of boots that are easy on the feet and offer some pretty nice protection. I'm considering on purchasing a pair myself and wanted to see if anyone has had experience with any Haix products. In addition to Station/EMS footwear, i know they also make structural and special purpose firefighting footwear, again information on durability and performance are welcomed and appreciated! Haix Website: http://www.haix.com/usa/news_us.php Haix Rescue US footwear (Station/EMS): http://www.haix.com/usa/rescue_us.php

Thanks Roof, i appreciate that clarification. Looks like ill be putting in an order for the Rescue US boots either tonight or tomorrow, once i shop around for a reasonable price. The Bates i purchased last year have not held up as well as i had hoped, I'm looking froward to these puppies.

Thanks for the info guys, i apreciate it. Mark, i heard they put on a nice demo at Fairview few months back, thats how i orginally found out. Roof, just out of curiosity, did you feel that the boot was too narrow for you? Thanks ahead of time.

Smart looking truck guys. Congradulations, use it well and best wishes for a long service life!

Great point Chris. With no protection you could theoreticly get terminated for any reason under the sun.

OTW, There ususally is no difference between part time and full time hourly wages, at least as far as i have experience. Personally, i'm a full time student and work part-time at two EMS agencies (ones a VAC and ones a commercial). I only work 28 hours a week (Friday 16 and a Saturday 12) and an ocassional overnight if i can manage with school work and the girlfriend. I would have to say that the vast majority of people in EMS work at least two jobs at two different agencies. Sometimes these are both commercial, sometimes its a combination of commercial and hopsital based or a combination of all three. It really depends. I even know some FFs who work commercial EMS as their B job. As far as the hours worked, it all depends on your situation. Personally, i'm just skating by...i make enough to sustain myself on a bi-weekly basis, pay my bills and slowly start to pay off school loans and save a little for my masters. Many of those that have families are working insane hours. I know some people that are not home for 3-4 days at a time because they keep bouncing between jobs working 100+ hours a week and even then they struggel to put somthing away to save in the bank. For most of us in EMS, we are not guarenteed a yearly income. It's about where you work and the hours you work.

It really depends on where you work. Commercial EMS agencies tend to be the bottom of the barrel as far as pay goes I've heard as low as in the 7 dollar/hr range up to 15/hr top for EMTs, Medics probably start out anywhere from 10/hr and can max out in the 25ish/hr range. Private Hospital based EMS tends to pay more. For example, a number of private hospitals in NYC pay their EMTs something like 20-24/hr starting salary. FDNY pays EMTs like 17 something/hr but, they get uniformed status, pension, and other benefits (though i have heard they will eventually bump that rate up to something in or around the 20 dollar/hr). If you work for a VAC your looking at anywhere from probably 9 - 15 an hour. So, point in case is....your likely making an unlivable wage and have to work 2 and 3 jobs to keep your head above water...

If the FD in question is CFR or EMT and your a Paramedic, you CANNOT operate as a medic. IE: you have no more or less authority than your fellow EMTs or CFRs (i'm 99.9% sure on this, someone correct me if i'm wrong)

Rest in peace and may God always look after your young family.

I'm going to be very blunt, but the problem is the volunteer system as a whole. When your on the clock your legally bound to respond. You cant turn over and shut the pager off, you cant pretend you didn't hear the radio - you have to respond. If you don't your going to get screwed somewhere down the line. This is not the case for the vollies because, well, their vollies and no one wants to step on their toes...i mean after all they get out for the bad stuff, don't they? I couldn't tell you how many mutual aid jobs I've done where a volunteer agency dose not bother responding because it sounds BS and i show up and its the very real deal. It seems, more and more that its about playing FDNY, buffing out in your battle wagon and sucking up all the praise at some parade rather than actually helping someone. At the end of the day its all about accountability and there is none, or very little, with a volunteer department. Some volunteer departments/agencies do things very well, no question about it but they are the EXCEPTION not the rule.

Seth, nice discussion! As was said before, if your on a first response engine and you happen to be a medic but your agency is CFR-D, then you can only operate as a CFR-D. The uniform your wearing and not the card in your pocket really delineates what you can and cannot do. Now, that's not to say you can't have your Lt. call for ALS or if a BLS bus shows up, let them know of your assessment and make a recommendation. So, who's in charge of the patient? The highest medical authority (IE: the first response engine and then it's transfered to EMS) I haven't had any issue with transfer of care when working with first response engine companies.

Another note about ULSD fuel oil...the winter blend dose not contain kerosene (anti-gelling agent) because there is no ULS kerosene, so it may gel if a vehicle is left outside for a prolonged amount of time. Just a quick question...dose anyone know if there are plans to convert home heating oil over to ULSD?

This isn't a new phenomena, it happens everywhere. The reason this happens is because no one wants to play EMS, the second a fire alarm goes out you've got everyone and their brother. The reason they probably got out on that second call is because they were all at the firehouse and couldn't exactly leave the building in good conscious if they didn't respond. It's one thing to turn the pager off and roll back over, but its another thing to leave the firehouse when you get a call...

Any time i get a call and i am directed to stage away this is what i do: In the event that I'm not given a specific staging area i will respond non-emergency and stage approximately a block away. This means pulling over on the side of the road. Advise dispatch that I'm staged at xyz street and await the confirmation from PD that the scene is safe. If the scene is cleared and dispatch advices that a critical patient is found, and your still enroute, then just shift into a code 3 response.

- Don't bring your pager to class. - Go into your class with a very open mind, don't think because you may be associated with an agency that you know it all. - Don't take anything from the street into the EMT class, chances are what you see is not being done properly or as the state delineates. - Read, don't skim, the text book in full and know your vocabulary - Be sure to review your protocols and study study guide often - Don't forget BSI, Scene Safety and your ABCs

Well, you can do it with MS Word and save it as PDF. How exactly are you looking to lay this out?

Unfortunate, to say the least, as DCSO has a pretty large patrol area. We aren't even talking about expanding the force, just maintaing it's current state. Hopefully the state clarifies its position and things get resolved.

I'm pretty sure that most of the departments have a vehicle dedicated to rescue assignments. Few departments that come to mind are Hughsonville, Arlington and City of Poughkeepsie. Don't know how Arlington and Hugsonville staff their stuff, but i do know that the City's truck is not manned. From what I've seen/understand is if one of their trucks is OOS that truck company will be assigned to Rescue 1. Other than that i think it would be special called by the shift commander. Someone from PFD can clarify.

I appreciate the clarification from the two above posts. So, essentially, a massive fire district would need to be established? So, say, sound shore fire district? Assuming all the legalities worked out. If that is the case, then what would be stopping the County from creating a county wide fire or protection district?

It largely depends on where you look in Duthcess. If you live in LaGrange, Arlington, Fairview, or the City, your getting service which is combined or fully career with some sort of minimum response. Go elsewhere and your lucky if you get a chiefs car, unless initially dispatched as something "juicy" (and even then nothing is for sure). As far as EMS, i think thats a bit more complicated. Don't know the dynamics that well as i'm not a resident, but working in the County there seems to be a heavy emphasis on the dollars and cents. It takes about 300 , 000 - 500,000 dollars a year (barely and depending on who you ask hence the range) to staff 1 ALS ambulance. If you want two dedicated units that 1 million at the bare minimum. Some of these towns simply don't want to pay for two units, couple that with some extended transport and backfill times, things become murky and people get angry.