PoqFFEMT

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Posts posted by PoqFFEMT

  1. Posted

    Seth, 

     

        Sorry you had to let your cert lapse.  I was in the same boat in the early 90's when my NYS EMT came up for recert.  I was a young Airman stationed in Virginia and I had no real way of getting my recert done or transferred to Virginia in time.  I had to completely take my EMT-B all over again, this time in Virginia.  Fast forward to now and I'm a EMT-Intermediate in Virginia and I'm in my last semester for my Paramedic.  It's been a long road and I hope to never have to go through all the garbage NY makes one do to keep their certification.

       I hope one day you get to obtain your certification and can keep it until you really want to be done with it!

     

    ~John 

    x635 likes this

  2. Posted

    Here is worse yet... Facebook!!!! This screenshot (names anonymized), came right on the heels of a call I ran the other day. Folks in the town I live love to consider it a "small town" and want to know EVERYTHING going on. Many have scanners and love to gossip. This one is particularly bad because a lot posted the persons involved name(s)

    Ambulance and fire trucks just raced down Messick. I hope everyone is ok!!

    Like ·
    sueg likes this

  4. Posted

    I'm finding similar issues like this here in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I recently retired from Active Duty Military and am now 42. I've been a volunteer with over 25 years experience. I've applied and am in the middle of several hiring processes right now but being called up to the job is something I'm finding elusive. Talking to those that have interviewed me, I'm always at the top of their lists to be hired.

    So what gives? I straight up think it's my age, nothing else. I've scored upper 90's on the civil service exams I've taken. Every physical ability challenge I've taken I have passed with time to spare. Even in the interviews, I'm called back to meet with the Chief and I'm still waiting on the bench.

    I guess I can keep applying and performing well on all these "tests", but if no one wants to give an "experienced" person a chance, is it worth the time? I really feel the pressure right now with applying to the department I volunteer for. If I'm not asked to be on the job here, should I stay an volunteer with them? My wife keeps telling me that if I can bust my ass for this department now for the last 12 years as a volunteer, why should I stay if they won't even consider me?

  7. Posted · Edited by PoqFFEMT

    This is straight out of our company bylaws:

    ARTICLE TEN

    DUTY REQUIREMENTS

    Chief - Everything required for Asst. Chief

    Assistant Chief - Everything required for Capt

    Officer 2

    Incident Safety Officer (ISO)

    Captain - Everything required for LT

    Officer 1

    LT - Firefighter I/II

    Instructor 1

    NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800

    Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operations (STICO)

    3 Year minimum membership with FF 2 Certification

    markmets415 likes this

  8. Posted

    Since I live here in an area affected by this company, I might as well chime in.

    First Med is a private ambulance transport company. They do not respond to any emergency calls here in the Hampton Roads area. They are not "contracted" by any municipality for EMS services. What they do (did) have, is a contract with one of the regional hospitals to provide routine transportation to/from a residence and provider then back home. Most of the transportation calls have been picked up by second area provider. This other provider has also offered to "fast track" all former First Med applicants through their hiring system as to provide the additional resources needed for the additional transport calls.

    I'll also say that I have several friends and coworkers that left First Med recently due to mismanagement and poor management. Some of them were full time, others were part time and supplementing their full time Fire/EMS jobs. The story was the same for all of them. One of the worst was from a good friend telling me that as an ALS provider but riding on an BLS unit (even though its set up as an ALS unit), he was not allowed to perform any ALS procedure even though he was precepted and rode as an ALS provider with this company. The only reason they would give him is that "it's company policy to not perform ALS procedures on a BLS call" Seriously!?!?

  9. Posted

    Seth,

    Here in Virginia we break it down a little further. In FF 1/2 the trainee receives Mayday awareness. Once you complete you FF 1/2 you can go on to the Mayday operations level and then RIT (Rescue Intervention Techniques) courses. These two are much more hands on and scenario based training that is better left to the person that has been around a little bit and can understand some more advanced theory.

    I'm not saying either way is right or wrong. I've done training in NY and Virginia now and I will say they are just different. I will also say that since I've been doing (and teaching) a while I feel the additional courses after the basic FF 1/2 classes seems to help out with the better understanding of search and rescue.

  11. Posted · Edited by PoqFFEMT

    I've run our salt treated 28ft above ground pool for 3 years now and cannot say how much we truly love it!. Once your initial set up at the beginning of the year is done, it really requires almost no maintenance. I take water samples to our pool store and they run it, tell me what I need (all for free) and then I add what's needed. About once a month I'll take another sample and at most I need some more salt (due to rain/spash-out) and some stabilizer and we are good to go!

    Check out this site: http://www.troublefreepool.com/

    Or better yet: http://www.troublefr...or-etc-f21.html

    Also, FWIW, I've never had burning eyes after swimming in my pool.... Added bonus!

    x635 likes this

  14. Posted

    Good luck with the new training aid. Not being critical, just pointing out the member in the maze is not wearing gloves. It is essential to do so when performing the training in a simulated emergency.

    Yeah, we pointed it out to him too, then made him go through it again.

  16. Posted

    Are the units movable so you can re-arrange the course or is it set?

    looks good though!

    The boxes are movable to a point. "Boxes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 can be moved pretty much anywhere in the maze. Furthermore, each "box" had three slide in obstacles that can be moved to challenge the firefighters.

  18. Posted

    Date: 14 Aug 2010

    Time: 1830

    Location: Waters Edge Drive

    Departments: City of Poquoson, York County, City of Hampton, Langley AFB

    Description: Large House Fire

    Writer: PoqFFEMT

    18:30 - Poquoson (POQ) dispatched for a possible structure fire. Smoke showing, multiple calls coming in.

    18:31 - POQ Battalion 1 - Put York on standby for all fire / EMS calls

    18:33 - POQ Battalion 1 - Send 1 Eng from York station 2, Hampton on standby for calls in district. This is a confirmed fire. Heavy smoke showing from Div 2, Side C and D.

    18:45 - York Battalion 1 - On scene with Eng 2, Taking the A/B sides.

    18:46 - York Battalion 1 - Send one of my medic crews to set up for rehab. All Poquoson units are in use fighting fire.

    18:50 - POQ Battalion 1 - Need help from Hampton for manpower

    18:55 - POQ Battalion 1 - Send out another alarm. Request manpower from Langley and advising this is now a defensive operation.

    21:00 - All Hampton, York, and Langley units in service. Poquoson will be on scene for the night hitting hot spots and overhaul.

    I cleared the scene around 03:00 leaving our ladder truck on scene to douse any hidden hot spots. They finally cleared at noon on the 15th.

  19. Posted

    I agree about using some emery cloth but first I would mix up some baking soda with some water (1Tbsp Baking soda & 1/4 cup water) to stop the chemical reaction of the batteries (which seem to have reacted with the dissimilar metal of the radio) use a Q-tip to swab over the corrosion, making sure you hit anything that looks corroded. Once that is done, do the same again with clean water. Dry off as best as possible and let the rest air dry. Once it's all dry, take some VERY FINE emery (180 - 220 grit) and clean the terminals off.

    If the corrosion was not too bad once you pop some new batteries in, you should be good. The only problem would be if some of the corrosion from the batteries leaked into the unit itself and go on one of the boards.

    Hope it works!

    John

    x635 likes this

  22. Posted

    I just read the story in my local paper as well. While I do understand the flight crew having to take any and all precautions, I believe that if the crew had received some sort of diversity training (IE: some sort of cultural differences training) this could have been avoided even if the aircrew

    "did not receive a clear response"
    from the passenger. Yes in these times I understand that we all have to be aware of the few that want to bring chaos, injury, and death to some... But this did go a little far.

    In the military now, we are all required annual training on cultural and religious differences so we can try to identify someone practicing their religion VS. a fanatic trying to cause problems.

  24. Posted · Edited by PoqFFEMT

    Here is Hampton's rundown as far as Paid / Vol:

    Station 1 - Downtown Hampton - Paid / Vol Fire

    Station 2 - Phoebus - Paid / Vol Fire and Rescue

    Station 3 - Wythe - Paid / Vol Fire and Rescue

    Station 4 - Buckroe - Paid / Vol Fire and Rescue

    Station 5 - Fox Hill - Paid - Vol Fire

    Station 6 - Northhampton - Paid / Vol Fire and Rescue

    Station 7 - Willow Oaks - Paid

    Station 8 - NASA Langley - Paid

    Station 9 - Briarfiled - Paid - Also the training center for the city, SCBA Maze, SCBA Filling as well

    Station 10 - Mercury Central - Paid

    Here is the link:

    Hampton VA Fire / Rescue