firemoose827

Do you need a code 3 response for CO no symptoms probably not, but I would think you would need more than one person right. Isn't a suspected CO leak considered IDLH, meaning you need 2-in 2-out with SCBAs? At least our fire department treats it as such.
In the Maryland agency I was dispatching for, a CO NOSYMPTOMS call type got 1 engine. a CO SYMPTOMS call got 1 engine and 1 ambulance

Today marks the 10th birthday of the EMTBravo.com Forums.
We were here before Facebook, Twitter, before everyone could make their own site or post photos using a wide variety of social media platforms. When we launched in 2003, we were the original and only emergency services community website in Westchester, the NYC Metro area, the lower Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, CT. We were the original "Incident Alert" and place to share photos, before everyone making their own "wire" and FB groups to duplicate and therefore dilute the concept. This site, including the software, was built from the ground up custom for this site.
Here are some quick stats 10 years later:
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and still growing
Thanks to all who make this website and forum a continuing success!
Seth G.

I saw a stat that Australia immobilizes 10% of the patients we do, yet they have no higher incidence of traumatic paralysis. Maybe they have 10% of the lawyers we do?
I read another one that some very high %, like 70%, of all IV locks established in the field are not used for anything.
Then again, how many hose lines are stretched and not used either? A lot of what we do is just in case. Of course an unused hose does no damage. But an unneeded IV lock is a possible casue of infection, and a board can cause all the bad stuff cited in the study.

If you really think about it, a lot of what we do, particularly at the ALS level for most patients is not truly driven by medical benefit, but fear of litigation and/or the rare chance that a stable patient might "crash" for essentially an unknown reason. I've started countless IVs over the years for really no reason other than the protocol says I have to and the ER nurses will get pissy if I don't do it.
I've had to board far too many patients just because. Fortunately my state modified our immobilization protocols a few years ago to allow for more provider discretion and common sense in deciding who gets boarded and who does not. For the most part, if the patient doesn't have pain and a significant mechanism isn't involved we can avoid boarding them. Very helpful for the elderly "hatchbacks" that take a minor stumble.

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

Somehow, someway, I'll get by. I gave up worrying what the cool kids wore LONG ago.

But what if it's not black like all the cool kids?

So what you are saying is the members with alias's are all in the witness protection program?

No need to, I was simply pointing out was that you made a thread and had none of the information you stated in your first post was present even on your profile, if you updated it that's great, I myself could care less about someone profile or if they provide there information.
I myself have no problem with my information being out there for all to see. If anyone is worried about their employer seeing their posts then maybe just maybe they shouldn't post. There are many members that are to sensitive and over react to posts that are made here, people have opinions and that's what makes this place worth visiting, to hear just those opinions, we are not all going to agree on things but as long as we are respectful and have an honest and real debate then its all good in my eyes.

Those who know me, know who I am, and if someone messages me I do share my info.....
One primary reason I use a username is to keep away trolls - when message boards are public it is amazing the amount of information you can get off of them! I Also use the same/similar name on multiple forums, so someone on here and the FH Forums should know it is me.....

I would say the same thing; it's not necessarily that people are "hiding", its that they want to participate in forums and discuss issues they see in the field at work, but since their supervisors monitor these forums they do not have the ability to post their real identity. I myself have just recently found out that some of the other members in my volly department have been following me closely here to see if I will say something negative about someone specifically so they can report me to the chief...I simply told them the same that remember585 said in his post; "My comments are my own and do not reflect my department." I am after all entitled to my opinion as long as its shared in a professional way with no crude or innapropriate insults or comments. But my name and location are accurate, and any who have PM'd me here with a request for my email has received it and I have even had a few phone conversations with some members to further discuss something we may have agreed/disagreed with each other about in the threads.

I would say the same thing; it's not necessarily that people are "hiding", its that they want to participate in forums and discuss issues they see in the field at work, but since their supervisors monitor these forums they do not have the ability to post their real identity. I myself have just recently found out that some of the other members in my volly department have been following me closely here to see if I will say something negative about someone specifically so they can report me to the chief...I simply told them the same that remember585 said in his post; "My comments are my own and do not reflect my department." I am after all entitled to my opinion as long as its shared in a professional way with no crude or innapropriate insults or comments. But my name and location are accurate, and any who have PM'd me here with a request for my email has received it and I have even had a few phone conversations with some members to further discuss something we may have agreed/disagreed with each other about in the threads.

Looking at your post above and going to your profile all we see is that you're a male from Yonkers, so what's your beef if you're not even doing what you've stated above?

My username isn't my real name (obviously) but is a reminder of my late Uncle killed in the line of duty. However, my real name and location are posted underneath.
I like the thought process that if you can't say it to someone's face, don't post it behind an alias.

I kind of subscribe to a couple lines of thoughts on this matter.
1) If I'm not posting offensive comments or causing problems, then my actual identity is largely irrelevant for others to assess the validity of my comments.
2) My comments are my own and not specifically reflective of my department, with the exception of explaining how we operate. So, knowing specifically where I work is largely irrelevant.
3) If a person really, really wants to know specifically who I am, they can always ask.
4) What's the guarantee to other forum members that the information I might list in a profile/signature is the truth?

Probably because many members work for paid services which may or may not monitor this website, and those users may or may not intentionally or unintentionally say something their employer doesn't like.

My Favorite was always just the opposite command: "Respond with caution". I always wanted to ask if they thought we were using reckless abandon before they gave that sage advise.

Back in the day when I worked NYC the PD would ALWAYS say "Put a rush on the bus centrel" no matter what the call, either it was bad and the didn't want to watch with thier hands in thier pockets or it was utter nonsence and they didn't want to stand around with thier hands in thier pockets. Expecting us to put it in warp speed in order to get there....as if. I would , same as now, just aknowledge the message and continue as I was.

"Expedite the Medic/Bus/Whatever" is one of those phrases that only (read: SHOULD only) have an effect on the person saying it. When the fecal material has contacted the oscillating climate control device beyond a level at which you are trained to handle, its reassuring to say that and hear that help is on the way.
Example: Department dispatched at 2AM on a weeknight for marine units to assist the PD with an ETOH threatening to drown themselves (a whacky enough call as it is.) Two fairly inexperienced, non-EMS trained Firefighters respond to the firehouse, only to find that there are 2 very serious stabbing victims parked on the front, one unconscious, one losing consciousness after driving themselves to the station. After ensuring the scene was safe, the Firefighters requested EMS and additional personnel on the radio.
Yeah, I definitely said "expedite the medic and ambulance" on that call, for four reasons:
1. This needed to be a higher priority call than the drunk wannabe Jacque Cousteau. (Were there better ways to communicate that? Definitely, but see #4)
2. It definitely made me feel better knowing the cavalry was on the way and realized how serious this was, even if they weren't going any faster than before.
3. I had no idea how to take vitals and communicate the seriousness of their injuries as Seth described, we just stumbled upon this medical.
4. I was young and dumb and thought that's just one of those things you say on the radio. I'm still young, just a little less dumb...
Realistically the phrase is completely useless to anyone other than the person saying it and shouldn't really be used anymore.

I feel that term needs to be thrown out.
We already have our level of response's out by my area, Im sure everyone uses something similar to this style dispatch system; Alpha response- Non-emergency BLS response, no lights or sirens, mostly for lift assists and cold/flu like symptoms. Bravo- Emergency BLS response such as broken bones, bleeding, trauma, lights and sirens. Charlie- Non emergent ALS call (Im not sure how many of them there are, but that's what our response guidelines have it as being). Delta- ALS emergency like chest pains, strokes, dyspnea and such. Echo- pulseless breathless patient, codes, basically everyone come thats close by. Why then do we need to say "Expedite"? I feel that if an EMT is dispatched to a BLS call only to arrive and find a code, they should simply ask for the call to be upgraded to an Echo response...plain and simple.
Use what you have and dont complicate things or do something that will make a rookies adrenaline go through the roof and cause an accident all because he/she heard "Expedite to the scene!!!" I have heard plenty of squads in my area simply call for the upgrade from Bravo to Charlie or Delta and its just as effective of getting the point across.
Same as fire calls; I have heard first responders such as PD or firefighters in POV arrive on scene and call for the FD to "Expedite" to the scene for possible entrapment...Just call the dispatch and ask them to advise all responding units that there is a possible victim unaccounted for. We all know as firefighters that a search should be done for every call anyway, so why say "expedite"?

So what should happen in a boro that gets about 200 calls a year. If you put paid EMS in there, or paid fire, the taxpayers will soon be screaming about them "doing nothing" or "sitting around"

In orange county, county policy is three pages and then it turned over to your mutual aid, and that includes resounding for a driver or emt. Now, I don't know about westchester, but not enough volunteers is not always the problem in Orange County. I have one neighboring VAC that has a very young membership, and if it's not a hot call, they don't go. You will literally hear them page three times for an elderly fall victim, tot it to the mutual aid, and then ten minutes later page out for a rollover on the highway and they get a fly car and at least one rig out with one page, that is definitely a situation where a penalty would help. As for commercial services, in my opinion, you need to contract with them for a permanent in house rig and if you're going to do that and at that point you might as well go paid, otherwise, they may be around or not be around. Another neighboring VAC had made a deal to use Emstar/ Care 1 (whoever they are this week) as their backup since they only had a couple EMTs and their mutual aid agencies were tired of always going over there. However even though the VAC has a number of new EMTs and personnel in EMT class, they have come to rely on the commercial service to take the calls they don't want. The problem is that Emstar has a significant decrease in the number of units they put out over night, sometimes only two or three for an area covering from fishkill to the NYC line in Westchester, meaning that frequently they don't have a rig available to respond. The area is also generally covered by a fly car, which for obvious reasons can't transport, so they mutual aid rig has to go too, which kinda defeats the purpose of the Emstar agreement. I think part of something that needs to be looked at is how to get volunteers out to these calls that aren't glory filled picture on the front page of the newspaper type calls.

Agree, 30 years after Maryland and 25 years after Connecticut. But better late than never!
Another good start would be to get away from Home Rule, which allows municipalities and fire districts to set their own minimum training standards.

A good start would be to switch to the national standard..

When I first started in the field, I carried all that crap on me but all it really did was give me a back ache. As I got older and wiser, I trimmed it to a pair of shears, flashlight and stethescope. Do you really need to carry a BP cuff on your person? Don't you bring a bag with you when you contact a patient?
Keep it light, keep it functional. If you don't use it on every call, you can probably leave it on the ambulance until you do.