Medibart

First some background info about the 45 Medic system and Westchester EMS in general. Westchester EMS is a not for profit organization and is part of the Stellaris Health Network which includes Lawrence Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital, Phelps Memorial Hospital and White Plains Hospital. The 45 Medic program is a single consortium type contract with the 8 townships of Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge and Somers. We generally have a meeting with representatives of all 8 towns on a quarterly basis. At those meetings we supply a huge amount of data, including response times, extended response times and times we were not available. Because of that, the town leaders are some of the most informed politicians in regards to EMS. They vote on a number of things, including the budget. The budget is audited every year and WEMS and Stellaris make no profit on it. The coverage area is 191 square miles (roughly 42% of the county) and 98,500 people (second largest population covered after City of Yonkers). Last year we responded to 4757 calls. This year call volume is running about 5% higher than last. We operate 3 single medic fly cars 24/7. We can add up to 3 more ALS units including supervisors and ALS ambulances). We've definitely had 5 medics running at once on a few occasions. I don't think we've had 6 out yet. This really is a unique example of a regional solution to EMS. I don't know of any other consortiums of this size in our area. RPS's contracts are with each town with the exception of North Rockland where 2 towns share one truck. For the first two quarters of 2011 response times averaged 8 minutes. Obviously this is a average and some response times are much longer given the distances involved. This average has held up for the last 6 years or so, even as the volume has increased by 17%. Mutual aid was called for 3 calls (0.1% of total volume), only 1 of which went ALS. The 45 Medics were dispatched 20 times mutual aid to other areas. Vista does use the Norwalk medics whenever 45M3 is on a call rather than having 45M1 or 2 respond from their areas. Given the size of the area, I'd say that the system is working pretty well. Different 4th medic scenarios have been presented to the towns. Obviously with any decision like that, cost is a factor. Personally, I think tiered systems provide the best coverage for the money. BLS first resonders, whether FD, PD or VAC, are really the key in my eyes for a good EMS system. More medics is the most expensive solution and per medic call volume becomes an issue, I think, if you want to keep their skills up. Obviously this is the problem that every rural(ish) emergency service faces. Low call volume along with large area is always problematic to deal with. At the end of the day it is up to the towns, with input from their own emergency services to decide when a 4th medic is the best solution. I'm happy to answer any other questions about the system or Westchester EMS in general. Scott T. Glaessgen Paramedic Supervisor Westchester EMS

Was there last night cause I am in the area this weekend. Only slots - no table games except they have video blackjack, three card poker and roulette. I really only play poker and they don't have tables there. Played some slots - they seemed very tight to me but I don't play much slots. Two restaurants, both on the pricey side. My suggestion - stick with Mohegan, Foxwoods or AC. Scott

On EMS and relationships: Primarily All Relationships Are Meant to End Dismally and In Complete Shambles

A few pics of the new bus.

WESTCHESTER EMS CURRENT OPENINGS PARAMEDICS (FT AND PD) DISPATCHERS (FT AND PD) Westchester EMS, a Westchester based, not for profit, emergency medical services organization, which provides emergency fly-car paramedic services, basic and advanced life support ambulances and dispatching services all over Westchester County, is accepting applications for paramedic and dispatcher positions. NYS Certification and a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record are required for paramedics. Westchester EMS is a not for profit agency and is a division of the Stellaris Health Network made up of four hospitals in Westchester County: Lawrence Hospital Center, Northern Westchester Hospital, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center and White Plains Hospital Center. Upon hire, WEMS is offering:  up to $23.00 per hour for per-diem Paramedics  best in the business benefits as listed below Company and Supplemental Benefits for full-time employees include: Medical Benefits, Short-Term Disability, Two Weeks Paid Vacation Dental Benefit, Long-Term Disability, Six Legal Holidays Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Six Personal Holidays Credit Union, Paid Training, Twelve Sick Days Discounted Gym Membership with Reimbursement, Discounted Auto Insurance, EVOC Training Employee Recruitment Reward Program, Uniforms, Bonus Program 403b Tax-Sheltered Annuity Retirement and Savings Plan with Employer Match and Additional Employer Contribution Some of the above benefits are also available for per-diem employees. To apply for a position, please visit our website at www.westchesterems.org or call (914) 765-0101 or (914) 244-0382 X 14 Employment is contingent upon a satisfactory DMV and Background Check, Physical and Drug Screening, and proper NYS Certification depending on position. Westchester EMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, disability, or military or veteran’s status in accordance with federal, state and local law.

Per-diem - generally means you do not have a regular schedule. You fill in holes in the schedule due to short staffing, vacations, sick days etc. Some per-diems have some regular shifts but do not work full time hours on a regular basis. WEMS does provide some of our benefits to per-diems WEMS Dispatchers work out of the Somers Fire Department's HQ in Lincolndale. We act as the transfer center for the four Stellaris hospitals. That means we handle all of their ambulance transport requests. Our dispatchers take those requests and either dispatch WEMS units or turn the calls over to other ambulance providers in the interest of providing good service to the facilities and the patients. We also dispatch WEMS units to other facilities, and for mutual aid to some of our local VACs. Dispatchers work 8 hour shifts, sometimes doubling up for 16s. We also provide dispatch services under contract to the Somers Fire District for their fire and EMS emergency calls including acting as a secondary 911 PSAP. Dispatchers need to be able to speak clearly on the phone and radio, need to have good computer skills, need to be able to multi-task, need to be able to handle periods of intense activity and need to have excellent customer interaction skills amongst other skills. I hope that answers your questions about what the dispatch position entails.

Sorry FT is full-time (40 hours per week) PD is per-diem

RIP Paramedic Quigley. Condolences to all his family, friends and co-workers. Leaba imeasc na naomh go raibh acu agus ag an chlann mac is iníon atá leo. May they rest in the company of the saints, and their sons and daughters with them. --Irish blessing

Westchester EMS' Northern Westchester Paramedics (45 Medics) - 4633 up from 4597 in 2007.

Well not to rain on this parade of Airplane! quotes but there was a real and serious reason that 60 Control wanted the chiefs to call. It was to give the following instructions: "Tower to all emergency vehicles, runway is 9er. Airport vehicles take stations 1 and 2. Civilian equipment number 3. Air Force positions number 4 and 5. All ambulances go to number 3."

I think it was Seth that was looking for Scarsdale VAC photos. I took these quick last week. Bad time of day with the lighting but here's some quick shots. New ambulance 18. 2008 Wheeled Coach Ford E-450 Also exterior pics of the new building, complete with faux chimney and custom made garage doors to keep the neighbors happy. Also note the very cold looking decon shower hehe.

Seth - I actually had no problem with the Moduvans when I was alone in the back. The only problem was when there were multiple people, it got cramped. When I'm working alone, I like to have all my stuff in easy reach. The building came out very nice. It has more than enough room for all of their needs. First floor has the two bays, an O2 room, medical supplies storage, radio room, office, laundry room, treatment room (they get lots of walk ins), lockers, kitchen, living room, dining room. Second floor has 2 bunkrooms with full bathrooms, lots of storage. Basement has training room, gym, locker rooms, lots more storage. There is also an elevator. Also we have a back patio with propane grills and furniture. Happy to have the Lifepak 12 also.

Definitely good news. The 7520 is years outdated. I was hoping Verizon would come out with a Blackberry with PTT though so we could just get rid of this awful Nextel service.

From NYSDOH EMS Policy # 98-05 "Certified persons have NO authority or responsibility to respond independently. In NY there is no duty to act as an individual citizen, regardless of certification or licensure. Individuals may respond only as a part of an authorized agency's response system and within an EMS system." You have no Duty To Act unless you are "on duty". If you are a volunteer and consider yourself always "on duty" you would only have Duty To Act in your department's area, though I would suppose there is room for interpretation as to what it means to be "on duty" as a volunteer if your department does not have duty schedules.

From the Specialty Emergency Vehicles Website Westchester EMS, Mt. Kisco, NY 4011 Medic Car - 2008 Ford Expedition SSV Westchester E.M.S., based in Mount Kisco New York, recently took delivery of their new 4011, a 2008 Ford Expedition SSV medic fly car. This is our fifth vehicle for WEMS and we are proud to be associated with the proactive and (very) safety conscious managers of this organization. The lighting package is 100% LED based, incorporating a 55" Whelen Freedom lightbar with alley & takedown lights, eight head Dominator above the rear cargo door, split red/white 400 Super series heads on the front corners, red/blue Predator IIs in the rear side cargo windows and four HideAway LEDs in the rear taillights. Two red/white 400 Supers are mounted on the Go Rhino pushbumper facing forward while two red/white TIR6 heads are mounted at opposing 45 degree angles inside the uprights to provide additional intersection protection. Two red/white TIR6s were installed on the outside of the rear cargo door while two four head Dominators, activated when the cargo door is raised, provide additional rear facing warning protection. A headlight flasher and Whelen dual siren system complete the warning package. A Go Light Stryker, remote controlled 500,000 CP spotlight was installed on the roof, providing 370 degrees of rotation and 135 degrees of tilt, for night lighting. WEMS has installed pushbumpers on all their fly cars for several years for added front end protection, which have proven to be very valuable additions in the past. They also provide an excellent mounting solution to the variety of warning components and the quick connect jump start system receptacle. The center console is a 30" Havis-Shields that contains the WEMS radios, a county trunk radio, 9" storage box, dual power outlets, side mounted armrest, Whelen control head, dual cup holders and the color LCD display for the rearview camera. For added backing visibility and safety, two of the four halogen floods installed under the rear of the truck, are configured to come on with the camera, as is a backup alarm. The custom rear cabinetry fills the rear of the truck, extending into the second row seating, providing sufficient storage space for a full compliment of ALS and BLS gear, longboards, fire extinguisher, gloves and Mag Lite rechargeable handlight. A Pro Gard cargo barrier was installed to provide containment of the rear equipment in the event of a sudden stop or collision. For added storage, two compartments with top mounted access doors are located inside the passenger side rear door. A custom support frame was fabricated to secure the front of the cabinet while creating a mounting location for radio chassis', Kussmaul battery conditioner, siren amplifiers and electronics. Four Super LED compartment lights were installed in the rear of the truck to provide general lighting for equipment checks and nighttime operations. The remaining two halogen floodlights were also incorporated here to provide additional ground lighting to the rear of the vehicle. WEMS incorporated two new safety features into 4011 to better protect their personnel and the public at large. A Safety Vision rearview video system with color camera, night vision, rear audio and (front mounted) color LCD display, afford the operator a clear field of vision of the rear whenever the vehicle is placed in reverse. An addition to the reflective graphics package was the safety chevron that spans the entire rear cargo door onto the bumper providing much improved visibility, particularly at night. Many agencies are exploring the use of the chevron, generally on a smaller scale, but WEMS opted to cover the entire rear of their vehicle, to maximize the visibility from greater distances and wider angles. Specialty Warning Systems wishes to extend their appreciation to Westchester EMS and their management staff for their continuing confidence in us to provide their fly cars. It makes our job much easier knowing they are committed to the safety of their employees and the public at large. We look forward to developing an even stronger working relationship with them in the years to come, exploring the many possibilities that continue to evolve in emergency vehicles.

Hmm good idea - maybe we can get sponsors like Nascar. Maybe Tide or Home Depot. The ambulance is going to 40A7 M-F 11a-7p (ALS bus)

Some pics of the new fly-car

The two boxes are for the two ALS units. The BLS units will remain vans.

Everyone says they support the troops but few people actually do anything about it. One easy way to do something to show support is to support charities that benefit the troops and their families. I personally organized a couple of fundraisers with my rugby team that benefitted two such organizations. I chose these charities after researching them and reading what independent charity monitoring organizations had to say about them. Those two organizations are: Fisher House - www.fisherhouse.org - here is a brief description of what they do - Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. Wounded Warrior Project - https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ - here is a brief description of what they do - The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. PURPOSE To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, To help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severly injured service members. In contrast a number of veterans' charities were found to be so bad they were investigated by Congress. So if you choose to donate, please research your organization of choice first. If you've had good experience with other veterans' charities please post about it.

Thanks for the post. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, along with Fisher House, were the only two Veterans Charities to receive A+ ratings from the American Institute of Philanthropy.

I haven't seen any previous discussion about this so thought I'd mention. I just watched Section 60 on HBO. It is a documentary about Section 60 in Arlington National Cemetery. This area is reserved for those soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Check out the website - http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/section60/synopsis.html. The documentary was devastating to watch (I'll admit my eyes were watering through much of it). The documentary does not have any narration and no apparent pro- or anti-war agenda. The documentary doesn't even focus on the soldiers themselves. It's sole focus is on the people and families that come to visit their friends and relations and their obvious grief. In the spirit of the documentary I really don't want this forum to become a political discussion about everyone's views about the current war. I just hope everyone finds the time to watch it and to remember to honor our troops and their families and friends as we approach Veterans Day. Scott

This show is on a couple of times today so try to catch it - http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleS...FOCUS_ID=654928

Just replace the word Jesus with the words "The Marines" -

As I always say - if it's on Fox News it has to be true - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWZHTJsR4Bc (watch the ticker too) Here's the Canadian version - http://canadianpress.google.com/article/AL...82pCa7QmO35faSg Personally I believe that McCain was talked into this mistake. My hope is that the Republicans blame the campaign and not the man. McCain is too good of a man to deserve that. My wish is that McCain returns to the Senate and continues to fight the good fight. My hope for Palin is that she returns to her state where she can spend her time explaining how her constituency re-elected a convicted felon to the US Senate. BTW - I can totally relate to those of you distraught over the results. I know how it feels to see a man with less experience and a lesser military record than his opponent elected to President, not once but twice. Even worse he was elected with fewer votes than his opponent the first time and only 50.7% of the vote the second time (compared to Obama's current 52.5% - higher than Reagan's, Clinton's, or Kennedy's). Based on electoral votes, this man had 2 of the top 7 lowest spreads in US history (50.4% and 53.2% compared to Obama's expected 67.7%). All of which seemed to make the wins seem less than convincing. I know how it feels to see a man elected (twice) that you truly felt would ruin the country. Unfortunately, that premonition seems to have come true and hundreds of historians decided that that man has become one of the, if not the, worst Presidents in US history. So I can sympathize.

If only I had rhythm.