newsbuff

Umm. Never...
The very first thing I do when walking into the facility, with my partner is go to the Nurses Station, get the paperwork, and have them page the nurse. After seeing the discharge paperwork(if everything looks straightforward and there are no ISO precautions, etc.), the person driving that day goes and makes pt contact, and the tech starts the paperwork while waiting for the nurse. Seeing the paperwork before seeing the nurse allows you to get a report from the nurse, AND ask questions if there is anything you don't understand.
If your answer is "we all do it jobs are backing up ", remember:
-If the transport goes bad, it's your fault
-If the paperwork is messed up, it's your fault
-If you did something you weren't supposed to do(pt movement, etc.), it's your fault
Patient care first, then let dispatch yell at you for being too slow.
And I work for a company that we do 6-7 jobs a tour, and they expect us to be in and out of a facility in 20 minutes from on-scene to en-route. We make it work.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

And that's happened more times then I care to remember...

So if the city wants to play it that way, I would get EVERY male and female that failed and aren't hired, file a class action discrimination case, and make the city pay.
I'm not saying these people should be hired, but they can take the city for money if they think its funny to play number games.

So if the city wants to play it that way, I would get EVERY male and female that failed and aren't hired, file a class action discrimination case, and make the city pay.
I'm not saying these people should be hired, but they can take the city for money if they think its funny to play number games.

I want to preface this post with the fact that I have been in the fire service for 17 years both Vollie and Career so please don't interpret this as Vollie bashing... I just think the volunteer chief officers have to be a little more conscious about where they bring their District Vehicle.
Yesterday while shopping at the Woodbury Commons with the family I stumbled upon a Chief's vehicle from Jerico, NY. The first thing I thought of was "typical Long Island again", but then I tried to give this guy the benefit of the doubt and say he was probably coming back from Montour Falls (even though no classes ended yesterday).
Whatever the reason was that brought him 90 minutes outside his district....it does nothing for the public perception of the "Extravagant Long Island Fire Departments" to have your vehicle sitting in the Woodbury Commons parking lot.

Our mechanics are really looking forward to the KME's. I think they all bought brand new cars in preparation for the delivery.

Next time you go to work look at the guy sitting next to you, I bet he has it figured out.

Buff Belt. Fixed that for you.

Exactly the point that I was trying to make, and some missed it.
Would you let yourself be served at a restaurant by someone that dressed like a homeless bum? No, there is a reason for clean and professional looking uniforms.

Exactly the point that I was trying to make, and some missed it.
Would you let yourself be served at a restaurant by someone that dressed like a homeless bum? No, there is a reason for clean and professional looking uniforms.

Maybe someone can enlighten me.
As soon as the individual mandate becomes effective and an individual is required to buy the insurance, won't that person, and the thousands or millions of others, in kind, be able to sue for relief under the Constitutions equal protection clause since so many other thousands of individuals have been granted waivers or special consideration.
Don't all these waivers to certain unions and groups and Congress members and their staffs and families violate the equal protection clause?
And I am still fuzzy on the President, acting on his own or through his agency heads, can arbitrarily adjust the provisions of the law with regard to the timetable of the laws implementation. When did the Executive branch receive the power to amend laws enacted by the Legislative branch?
Does the 'rule of law' no longer exist in this country any longer?

Why should he use his time find the answer you so sarcastically remarked at.
Clown...

Why should he use his time find the answer you so sarcastically remarked at.
Clown...

Ahh, I get it!
Run lights and sirens and make everyone move, just so we can get a good video!
All those people in the car's behind the rig must be thrilled... Not to mention scaring the piss out of Grandma and her dog at the end.

I fear Brotherhood has lost out to technology. The ability to have one's personal life literally at ones fingertips 24/7/365 ensures that is the priority 24/7/365. The camaraderie , Brotherhood and sense of family I found as a proby is lost since gone, taken one small step at a time, though in pretty short order.
When I started at my career position we had two computers used for entering basic NFIRs reports and typing official letters. We arrived at work at least a half an hour before the shift to ensure the off going guys didn't get stuck on a BS run that would mess up their plans. We all gathered at the dayroom table to discuss any pertinent FD issues that arose in the past 48 hours, and then typically drifted to anything of interest we'd done, heard or seen in the same time period. We knew each other on a personal level. We were allowed one phone call home in the evening not to exceed 10 minutes (we had but 1 business line). You'd call home say good night and unless it was an emergency, hope that you didn't get a call from outside. We all gathered at every "scheduled" break and ate meals together. Strangely 15-18 years ago we rarely shared a meal as one, we merely ate our own things at the same table at the same time. That changed almost as a reaction to the loss of time together a few ears after I started. Nonetheless we all, had nothing better to do than keep each other entertained. We constantly played practical jokes on each other, frequently gather to smoke on the bay floor (designated area at that time, when we not as health conscious). We'd practically beg our Chief to regale us with stories of jobs and his war experiences (best story teller ever!). We'd watch the same TV at night and for the morning news. We were tight. Every shift was tight and due to stricter staffing rules we had to swap more often so we had reason to be tight with other guys too. When we came to work, we left everything else at home, very little from home affected us unless it was a personal issue that had an affect on a guys' focus (impending divorce, financial crisis, death in the family) the day to day stuff had to wait until the next day, period.
Of the past 15 years we first started to get better computers, which at first only allowed games, so we started to lose a few people to video games once in a while, but for the most part it was unnoticeable. Then came the internet, and that's when we started to lose guys for hours, sometimes whole tours we'd only share time on calls or community work. Maybe here's where we started to do the communal evening meal that at least brought all shift members to the same table for an hour or so. Then we seemed to find the end of the internet and people grew bored with it. It became a nice tool, but less exciting unless looking for something specific.
Somewhere along the way, cellphones became smaller and mainstream and suddenly guys were hiding on the floor at night arguing with the wife or other people. Our home lives came to the station. Suddenly, all the day to day issues, were confronting guys while they were at work. We struggled to keep up with the changing technology with rules that tried to at least ensure actual work was unaffected, but alas, that didn't work, changes were far too rapid. Requests for emergency time off for this and that increased, personnel were often scattered to the far ends of the building quietly dealing with their home/life issues instead of watching TV, sharing stories or otherwise congregating together.
And today all the technologies collide to nearly obliterate anyone's sense that they can come to work to get away from everything else. Facebook has inserted people back into to each other lives, but on a far less personal level. People know things about each other but given they can read this and get the info indirectly they have ample opportunity to express their true views without the person being able to explain or defend themselves. Now we see far more snickering and back stabbing amongst "brothers". Many Facebook users see the guys/girls spouses opinions and actions and suddenly have their opinion on that, something that used to be somewhat off limits. Smartphones ensure all of this takes place wherever/whenever the member is. Our crews still meet at the dayroom table in the morning and share information, as soon as FD interests are gone, it generally devolves to "did you see what, so and so posted?" or "if I was married to that .....I'd ....". Most mornings there's 8-12 people sitting around, but only 2 or 3 are talking and the rest have their faces buried in the smartphones. Firefighters are far less likely to come in early for another, instead coming in at literally the last minute, still chatting away to whomever was more important at 0658 in the morning.
We still eat the evening meal together but typically it's pretty quiet as one or two people text their way through dinner. We had to make a rule that talking on personal phones was done outside the dayroom otherwise you could watch TV or remotely converse. Yep, a rule that addresses common courtesy. Still in the evening those who have gravitated back to the dayroom to watch TV, now do so with an Ipad on their lap and constantly are convinced the rest of us need to see whatever stupid thing was sent to them or posted on a Facebook page, totally oblivious that others might actually not care.
Sorry, Moose, this wasn't a positive story of Brotherhood. Maybe I'm "old" or just don't find myself interesting enough to Tweet or be on Facebook, and while I think we the Brothers and Sisters allowed this to happen, it's technology that killed Brotherhood. While this is what I see from the career side, I imagine that on the volunteer/call side, the technology has become a time drain that hurts volunteerism, as people spend far more time using the web media to stay up on all things that used to be none of their business. The hardest part is that I now realize how much I miss the more personal interaction with those I work with and the job is becoming much more of a job. I used to want to go to work, now I'm ambivalent, I'd likely take far more time off if other duties wouldn't just pile up on my desk. I find myself looking for projects to reinvigorate my attitude, and this is a common feeling among many of members with 10-12 year or more on the job.

Ahh, I get it!
Run lights and sirens and make everyone move, just so we can get a good video!
All those people in the car's behind the rig must be thrilled... Not to mention scaring the piss out of Grandma and her dog at the end.