EMT111

Being honest, maybe it's just me, but something looks "off" in those shots.

"Everyone left the three buildings safely, McCormack said. But, (the 2 police officers) were both injured. Both had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment for smoke inhallation also. None of the occupants of the building or the pets was injured, Sherwin said." One would think that if the PO's suffered smoke inhalation, the people who they reportedly removed from the burning house certainly would have been subjected to the smoke for a much longer period of time than the PO's yet none of the civilians required treatment.

I believe I read somewhere that the officers were transported to the Hospital because they fell on the ice trying to get people out and one officer had a back injury and one had a leg injury

2013 exam results are up on NYtrooper.com

That is not how tuxedo works with the medic. The medic is contracted by the town and is housed in tuxedo ambulance building with them. Yes if the call is ALS the medic while ride it in with a driver only. This is going to be interesting to see how this works for towvac. Does this mean that they are going paid 24/7?

Tuxedo (the Town) has a Medic in the RPS fly car (medic 31) and then they staff a rig (don't know if it's the town or the corps) with a contracted EMT from RPS, at least during the day time hours, so the medic goes on all calls 24/7, and has to either ride in or drive the rig in on most of the calls. I wasn't talking about who pays for what, rather how they operate.

So does that mean that towvac first rig is going to be paid 24/7 and then they are going to have the vollies pick up 2nd and 3rd rig jobs?

TOWVAC has been staffing at least 1 BLS truck per tour for at least the last 5 years if not longer, I'm not sure when they went paid.

Also, TOWVAC is in the process of becoming an ALS agency. EMStar is in FULL SUPPORT of TOWVAC getting upgraded to ALS. This is in stark comparison to the FORMER ALS provider who covered Wallkill. The "OTHER" ALS provider DOES NOT support TOWVAC being upgraded to an ALS agency. They went to the Wallkill Town Board and told them that they can provide BLS & ALS services to the town cheaper than what TOWVAC can. This was another blatant attempt by "THEM" to get another VAC shut down, so they can take over.

Think about it from the "other" provider's point of view. if TOWVAC goes ALS, they would have lost that entire town of Wallkill, one of the busiest districts in the county, which means they're not making money off of all those patients. As for their statement to the Town of Wallkill board, did they just go to the board, or was this statement made during a meeting they were invited into to talk about dropping them as an ALS provider and they were making the case on why they should stay the ALS provider?

So I have some questions about radio holders. I have been a volly EMT for several years and am now going paid, meaning I'll be wearing a portable 12 hours at a time, which I'm not thrilled with, particularly having the mic clipped on me somewhere (I like the mic itself though). I'd like to get a radio holder, that the mic can attach to as well. I've been looking at the radio holders/straps that Boston Leather and others make. However I've noticed that the radio strap has stayed a FD thing and never really made it's way into EMS and I'm wondering if there's a specific reason why the radio strap has never crossed over from FD to EMS. Also, if anyone has any ideas on alternative radio holders, I don't really know much about them.

So is TOWVAC only running one rig now with an EMT and the EMStar medic? I remember a year or two ago, they were running (or wanted to run) a truck 24 hours a day and then they had a second truck that was a 12 hour truck during the busy hours from 1000 to 2200. I know they've had cut backs since then, but if it's only the one EMT with the Medic, that would mean they cut 4 out of every 6 paid EMTs they had, which seems like alot.

NYPD ESU is ALS? Really?

NYPD ESU has been ALS for a while. They are primarily tactical medics, but they also do ALS care for civilians in emergencies and will fly with the aviation unit on rescue operations.

It would be no different than if an EMSTAR Fly car responded to a call with TOWVAC, then got aboard TOWVACs bus to ride the job in ALS to the hospital.

Same as Tuxedo's been doing for years with RPS

Is this the first case of a department going away from EMD/ProQA protocols?

First, it sounds like they are streamlining the EMD protocols, not getting rid of them. Secondly, the article talks about how LACoFD, among other FD/EMS agencies, has already created a more streamlined the dispatch/EMD protocols. Personally, in my opinion, EMD is a waste of time to a degree. While I agree that having dispatchers giving instructions for CPR or how to stop serious bleeding is a good idea, I don't need them trying to determine what kind of seizure the patient had, or should what type of unit (ALS or BLS) should be dispatched based on the patient's specific symptoms. It should just simply be a couple of quick questions, basically what's wrong, and things on list A are ALS calls and things on list B are BLS calls.

if you're sure that this is the carrear for you make the jump and take the medic class, if you're new (my definition of this is not having gone through at least 1 refresher) take the time to experience EMS, the time here in patient contact time aid you in class and will not be wasted. Good Luck

While I can't say that working EMS is going to be my career, I can say that I love being a part of EMS and will be staying active no matter what as at ;east a vollie. My ultimate career goal is to get into a PD ESU unit, and most of the ESUs I know are at least ALS capable, so that would be the primary reason for getting my Medic. The problem is now, that as a recent college graduate, I need to find a job that pays me enough, or will get me state reimbursement, and allows me a flexible enough schedule that I have enough time to get to the class (the closest one is 45 minutes away) and take it, since the course is now almost 1400 hours.

It appears that the unit was officially/publicly unveiled this week. They are saying it's only respond in a three mile radius of the hospital. I have two problems with it. First, I'm assuming that the mobile CT scanner and whatever else extra this unit carries takes the place of some of the traditional equipment usually carried. So what happens if someone is in the mobile stroke unit and then something else happens and the stroke unit doesn't have that equipment because instead they elected to carry a mobile ct scanner? The only way I see around this problem is that since they respond with the FD, the FD medic unit would have to follow them into the ER in case they need equipment not on the mobile stroke unit. Bringing me to my second point. I will state that I have no knowledge of Texas or Houston EMS so this may be way off, but the fire department is gonna send a bill to the stroke patient, and so is the hospital for the mobile stroke unit. So, in a sense, the patient will pay the equivalent of at least two ambulance bills, though I'm sure the bill will be more with the mobile stroke unit. In my opinion, this is gonna be really costly for the patient's, the insurance companies won't like the high costs. and it'll be way too much for the hospitals to run, and we won't see them in mass production. Finally, if a patient is within a 3 mile radius of a stroke center, and they dial 911 as soon as they get the stroke symptoms, why is it taking them an hour to get treatment? Is traffic really that bad in Huston, or is the hospital really that backed up?

So I have two questions. First, New Windsor has listed that they provide EMT-I training for their members. I have never heard of an EMT-I course in Orange County let alone Southern NY, since we don't really use EMT-Is. I would be interested in taking an EMT-I if there was one being offered in the Orange County area, so I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about where the EMT-I course New Windsor participates in is, or if the EMT-I training is something old on their website that hasn't been updated. Secondly if someone where to move up through the different levels of certification in NY, (i.e. EMT-B, AEMT-I, AEMT-CC) and then wanted to move up to Paramedic, would they still have to take the full year long course, or is there an abbreviated version since the EMT-CC already has a lot of the skills and knowledge that the Medic has?

Thanks

"First, I've never understood why paramedics in NJ have to work out of a hospital and why they can't transport, especially when some of them are riding around in full ambulances"

I believe this was a bone thrown to the volunteers when the medics first started in the late 70's, early 80's. The vollies were afraid that having medics in ambulances were going to

"take away their jobs." To get them to buy in to the program, it was determined that ALS would not transport, except in the larger cities (Newark, Jersey City).

Some hospital based services are beginning to use ambulances for their medic trucks. If an ambulance based medic unit arrives, and there is no vollie BLS, that medic unit will transport

(and also receive a higher reimbursement) because they transported.

Medics can transport. On several calls they have transported when originally called squad didn't get out. We were back-up, but cancelled as medics were already transporting. Do not know all protocols, but they have transported.

I was gonna say, because I live right on the NY NJ border, and most of the towns right across the border in NJ come into our local hospital, and I don't think I've ever seen an ALS fly car, it's always been an ALS ambulance (I want to say it's Chilton Hospital medics, but I'm not 100% sure). Also, one of my usual partners was a Jersey EMT for a long time and was also a line officer in her corps in Jersey, and she always tells me that Jersey medics can't transport.

I love that the excuse for not securing his vehicle was that he needed to leave the heat on to keep the EMS supplies warm. Except for my corps issued AED, everything else stays in my car overnight, it's not really a big deal. There is a simple solution to this problem though. All vehicles in my VAC have two keys to the vehicle on the key chain, one being on a breakaway magnetic key chain. That way, you can leave the vehicle running, and take the break away key and lock the vehicle with the key in it and the vehicle still running, very simple solution.

First, I've never understood why paramedics in NJ have to work out of a hospital and why they can't transport, especially when some of them are riding around in full ambulances. I'm not familiar with how the NJ ems system works, but looking at the system we have in NY, while not perfect, the commercial medics are going to do whatever they can to handle a call, because it means a bigger bill. Personally, I think a patient and family would be happier with a rapid response and a bigger bill than sitting and waiting for a bls ambulance to arrive. Secondly, as far as I know, in NJ, you have to get your EMT card before you can even get into the back of a rig. This means that unless you only want to drive, you must sit through an entire emt class before you even do anything, and with classes getting longer and tougher, who has time for that plus working full time and having a life and everything. Personally, I think a role like first aider/attendant like in NY is beneficial, because it allows people to see if they're cut out for EMS, plus you can do something with out having to take a major class, and people who enjoy being a first aider are probably more likely to go to EMT school and do well since they enjoy the work. Finally, volunteer shortages are nothing new and will likely continue across the country as the middle and lower classes have to work more to make a living, shortening the amount of time they have to give as volunteers

EMStar has been the back up ALS as well as BLS as far as responding from Rockland to Orange I think I have heard that happen maybe once but atleast they give there correct location and eta when responding. Also I see them all the time at St. Anthony's for transports as well as other hospitals in orange county. The areas they cover seem to love them. Lets see how long MLSS staffs Chester when Chester is not paying for service. Everyone out there knows MLSS does not keep dedicated trucks around long for FREE. It will be the same as other stations.

I will say that most of the active members in my agency are at the very most indifferent in their opinion of Emstar. And just to clarify for everyone, Emstar was not being paid by Chester VAC, which is why they pulled their coverage. MLSS is being paid by the town, who probably won't just stop paying their bill.

I believe the building belongs to the town (which I've heard the town PD has been licking their chops for). The ambulnces and other equipment belong to the VAC or their creditors to help pay off any debt ( a figure of $100,000 was mentioned somewhere) they might have. I also think there is some kind of law or regulation concerning the distribution, back to the community, any funds left over after the disolution of a 501 © (3) not for profit which Chester VAC is.

Mlss is moving into the ambulance bay on February 1st, though I don't know what the town is doing with the two international rigs the town owns.

87D124, First of all, the main reason for the shutdown was the financial mismanagement, and really only the financial mismanagement. Chester VAC has other issues in addition to the debt and missing calls. Secondly, Emstar was providing BLS crews for Chester VAC, however, Chester stopped paying their Emstar bill, so Emstar pulled the BLS crews. And yes Emstar is a multi-state company with a lot of resources, but you would never know it. It's getting more and more common to hear them have very long response times to 911 calls, such as coming from Rockland for a call 20 minutes away from the Orange County/Rockland County border in Orange County. Personally, having worked with Emstar many times for ALS intercepts, I will say that most of their crews either Medics or EMTs have yet to impress me. Don't get me wrong, there are Emstar personnel who I think are great and do their job well, but the majority of their staff is less than impressive, including a few who I don't want in my ambulance. And all of these secret meetings you keep talking about with MLSS, you should come down to Emstar territory and listen to some of the stories about how Emstar does business. They will downright lie about anything if they think it'll help Emstar some how. Next you'll be saying that MLSS had secret meetings with Saint Anthony's administration and that's why Saint Anthony's ER now calls MLSS for inter-facility transports. And the reason this didn't really come out until now is that Neuhaus didn't want his name attached to shutting down volunteers while he was running for county Exec., but this has been going on for quite a while.

MLSS has been known to participate in anti-volunteer activities.

As of 14:00 hours today, the Chester Volunteer Ambulance Corps has been indefinitely shut down by the town of Chester supervisor and Mobile Life has been contracted to provide a rig to cover calls in the Chester district.

Date: 12/25/13
Time: approx. 22:20

Incident Type: 2nd alarm structure fire
Location: 6 and 1/2 Crab Tree Lane

District: Warwick FD
Units: Warwick FD (full Department), 36-16, 36-109, 36-114

Stand-Bys: Greenwood Lake FD (Car 1, Engine 620 stand-by Warwick station 3), Florida FD (Engine 606, Car 3 stand-by Warwick station 1), Warwick EMS (standby in quarters)

Description: Upon arrival, Car 1 reporting smoke showing from a 2 story converted barn, requesting 2nd alarm. Quick knock down by Warwick FD. Car 1 advising cancel Goshen FAST and tanker task force (Pine Island, Vernon, Upper Greenwood Lake), requesting PD and FIs for a possible arson.

Alright, so I saw this article in the Record and it confused me. From what I understand, the public hearing is on whether or not the board should dissolve the Mount Hope Fire Protection District (which I'm guessing is under control of the town?) and establish a fire district that's run by commissioners.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131216/NEWS/131219782

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131207/NEWS/312070334

I could be wrong, but I was always under the impression that the police did not need to allow you access to your lawyer prior to giving you a breathalyzer test, or provide you with a lawyer unless you requested a lawyer and were being interrogated. I do understand that some PD might just provide a lawyer as soon as one is requested though in order to avoid legal headaches latter..

This assumes that all of the employees are unionized. If they are, it may have to be done more than once if multiple bargaining units are involved. Regardless, the employer would have to agree to the provision and considering that the Mayor would likely be the one to have to agree to it on the employer side, it may not happen.

It seems to me that the Mayor's two main points are that people are getting paid to leave work to go on fire calls and that the other employees have to pick up slack. If the union is okay with the other employees picking up the slack, and the employees aren't getting paid for going on fire calls, I don't see what the argument would be.

He is their boss, he is ultimately responsible for the work they get PAID to do. They have a JOB to do, and that comes before volunteering at an organization. I can't tell my private employer that I want to be paid to go fight fires. That would be considered walking out of your JOB.

I mean hell, if people are going to go on calls while on the clock for the town, why not just PAY them to BE FIREFIGHTERS, not water/highway/parks workers.

Exactly, and I can imagine that there are a lot of people out there, such as tax payers in spring valley who agree with the mayors stance. How many times have VFDs and VACs and other tax funded.public agencies been turned down lately in terms of purchasing new equipment and vehicles? Can you imagine the uproar in the community if it had been leaked that public employees were leaving their jobs to go on fire calls and getting paid at the same time?

"Legal" and "right" are not always the same thing. The mayor may be legally allowed to restrict the town's employees from leaving work, however it may not be the right decision.

When you consider that the municipality is ultimately responsible to ensure the provision of fire protection within that municipality (which oftentimes means using a non-municipal VFD to do so), the decision to prohibit municipal employees from responding to emergencies within the community during work hours is not necessarily the wisest of decisions.

Again agreed. I think the best option in this situation is for whatever union to get a clause or something put into their next contract that would allow village employees to go on unpaid breaks to respond to fire calls.