DDixie

Sad that he was killed, but he did the job knowing the risks that he would be faced with everyday. My prayers and sympathies go out to his family, coworkers and friends.

OK,"Morningjoe" My profile may say "Paramedic" but that is not the extent of my emergency service experience. Yes, I did work for a large, urban County-based Fire Department. But what I choose to put in my profile is my choice - and doesn't completely divulge my work experience or what I now do for work (not volunteer, I can assure you). And before I go on and on, urging you to reread my post, let me summarize it for you that I did not defend the 2 man engine staffing. I simply stated that the staffing scenario in the article does not take into consideration ALL resources and staffing that Greenwich has for calls. I was annoyed that Seth posted an article simply to stir crap, without doing any research to give the whole story. Stop calling me someone who is suppose to "be on the same team" as you - I'm NOT a volunteer (unlike you). I AM a Paramedic (unlike you). I was a career firefighter (unlike you). And, I have first hand experience with the municipal services and issues in Greenwich (probably UNLIKE you, but your profile doesn't say where you're actually from). And, just so you don't look like a fool in the future, Atropine was never in the protocol for "heartattack." There is no "Heartattack" protocol. Please stop using EMS verbiage that you obviously don't understand. You remind me of the psych patient I had a short time ago who told me that she was in "Cardiac Arrest." She too (just like you) didn't know what she was ranting about, and all I did was laugh about how stupid she sounded.

You make it sound like the only piece of apparatus going to a call is one engine with two people on it, or volunteers are showing up/responding in their cars only. Multiple stations are assigned to calls and staffing from stations can be mixed - paid and volunteers. The only all paid stations, Central and 8, have more than 2 men on shift, and travel around town with more than 2 on a piece.

You probably should start a thread when you know more about the topic than one slanted news article....but alas, that's not the way it goes. Greenwich is truly not "understaffed" as you suggest. Nor is it relevant to remark on how "wealthy" the town may be, or it's citizens. There are 8 fire stations in Greenwich, with all but one staffed with paid firefighters. There may be a need for more coverage in the northwest corner, but the Fire Dept doesn't take into consideration the next closest station, just a couple of miles away that is all volunteer. What Greenwich needs is a better plan to manage its resources, not necessarily a new, state of the art firehouse. Get all the facts before you stir Mr Granville.

somers does a heck more than "6" calls a week, and that's not just EMS. They have a paid EMS crew now 24/7 for the first ambulance. and seriously, look at the fire district taxes in some of those departments. Those are scary numbers for volunteer agencies. It can't cost all that money every year for electricity, building & apparatus maintenance, as well as insurance. The real question is: Why doesn't Westchester County have a career Fire/EMS department and consolidate the infrastructure and apparatus of existing volunteer departments, taking into account the their geographical locations?

That's an unfair statement! There may be VACs that use a paid paramedic on their ambulance, or a paid EMT to supplement the staffing need when a volunteer EMT is unavailable, but that doesn't take away from the Volunteer status of the VAC. Many of these VACs still have members (volunteers) who go on calls and give of their free time to serve the community by riding on calls. It all depends on the culture of the Corps and a true understanding of what the expectations are of the volunteers to be a member of such Corps. It's not the Bake Sale club that people join, and that may mean that a serious time commitment needs to be take if you are a volunteer. But the most important thing is for VACs to find a way to guarantee they have the needed staffing (paid or volunteer) to provide the expected coverage to their own community.

Go get a 4 year college degree - not just a paramedic certification of AAS with a paramedic certification. I went to 4 years of college and have a degree completely unrelated to EMT/emergency services/paramedic, etc. Get work experience OUTSIDE of EMS. As much as I love being a paramedic (part time/per diem) in a bunch of places, I thank God every day that I have a bunch of other work options other than EMS. This definitely helps with burnout and fills my pockets quite nicely with $$ at my other non-EMS job. My husband is currently seeking a 4 year degree after more than 20 years in EMS, and he would say whole heartedly, Go to College first and get a degree I would add - focus on a solid education, get a solid degree in science, management or something like that, etc and don't let EMS create short-sightedness. No one care if you have a degree in EMS management or emergency services. So why limit yourself with such a specific degree? Get something you can go any where with - med school, nursing, education, etc! Good luck!

<BR><BR>We're not just talking about removal of barbs here....you should read the previous posts and learn about the valid reasons why ALS should be strongly considered.<BR>I've had a significant experience with Taser'd patients, and the barbs are the LEAST of my worries.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't worry - I'm more than adequately trained to fight a fire. I may be a paramedic now, but my FD career days weren't that long ago.

There is a reason I bought a house in Stamford with a hydrant in the front yard, have 100 ft of hose, and have no problem tapping the hydrant to access water if my house catches on fire. I'm tired of the fighting between the Fire Rescue staff and the volunteers. I've had to call the 911 twice - once for smoke in my neighbor's house which was an oil burner malfunction, and another was for my neighbor who was unresponsive on her front yard. It took 10 min for TOR to show for the smoke in the house and less than 5 min for SFR who arrived when my neighbor passed out. As long as TOR can guarantee a trained crew to respond IMMEDIATELY on a piece of apparatus from the station (not just a darn chief car) 24 hours a day, then I'm ok with the volunteers continuing to operate as a volunteer house. SFR crews do a great job: they respond immediately from a trailer/station that's closer to my house. The wait time is minimal. Will TOR promise the same? I want that guarantee.

As I read through the comments, I couldn't help but realize that many people said the same thing. Education is key. Just the other night I went on a trouble breathing call, pt was quite elderly. She provided no medical history, stated that she had no medical history. And that is what the EMT wrote on his PCR. When we got to the hospital and he heard me give my ALS report to the RN, the EMT was obviously confused. He asked me how I knew the patient had CHF because she didn't say she had a history of such. EMT class use to focus on the pathophysiology of disease. It forced students to looks at SIGN and SYMPTOMS and put the puzzle together. Now, EMT has been dumb-downed so much that it is simply "You have trouble breathing? Here is oxygen." EMTs need to take an initiative to learn beyond their textbook and gather more information to supplement their career. Perhaps then the EMT on our call would have noticed her "CABG" scar, slightly swollen ankles, lasix and betablocker medications and been able to put some information together. Granted her lung sounds were clear and equal bilaterally, but not every call is textbook - - thinking is essential. Education is imperative.

Case in point right here: A higher level education may not make you a better firefighter or department chief, however it will better prepare you for the requirements of your job. I'm only picking on (replied to) this entry because it emphasizes my point. A college education better refines one's ability to communicate properly. It enables a person think from many different viewpoints that are gathered by having participated in a college learning environment and the core classes it mandates. For example below: "Sorry, but this argument is flawed. Going to college doesn't equate to being better than anyone else. A tart is a tart regardless of the number of years a person went to a place of higher learning." (there is a difference).

No, thank an employer who appreciates their workers and is in EMS for the right reason - patient care - not out to make a buck like most privates!

I thinking the idea of judging the parades is a good one. It encourages departments to spiff up their apparatus, have their men or women take pride in their uniform and work to make it look good, and shows the citizens of our communities that the fire dept is not only proud of the work they do, but proud enough to want others to be impressed. As we all know, a good impression is a lasting impression. If everyone just showed up with dirty trucks, uniforms thrown on and missing equipment then people may begin to think less of the fire service and those that make the fire service what it is. Continue the judging - - a little healthy competition is good for all!

Are you looking for injuries to validate Paramedic Slotoroff's actions? Surely, I would hope you are educated to know that our media cannot include every single detail. One occupant was in a smoke-filled apartment and sleeping in their bed, unaware of the fire. Bottom line: Jeff did a great job. He reported finding the fire, gave a scene size up and went in to make sure people got out safely. I know many of the WEMS medics would have done the same. We're out in the towns, driving the streets and looking out for anything that could be a potential problem in the towns we work in. It's called "preventative EMS". Many of us have a lot of fire experience, but do not work in that area anymore. Jeff was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and step up to help out. Good job Moose!

Yea, I miss my PG County days. But no more ghetto EMS for me anymore. I've "retired" to Paramedic heaven up here.

In these days of "plain language" on the radio, its too easy to speak your mind on the radio. I was out on the highway one night during a major snowstorm, stopped at an MVA with injuries. I was the only emergency vehicle at the scene and visibility and road conditions were poor. I watched 2 State troopers drive right past the accident scene within 5 minutes of each other, and no one was stopping to assist. I radioed in and asked the dispatcher to "Let the State know that I'm not out here with my emergency lights on just for the hell of it." The dispatcher laughed, but I realized later I let my frustrations get the better of me for a couple of seconds and let everyone know how frustrated I was.

This is why I live in Connecticut. God Bless the USA and the right to bear arms.

We've all been doing this a long time. I see EMTs all the time who have the greatest of intentions, but get tunnel-vision when in front of a patient. As the Medic, I usually walk in and standback to get a general impression and feel for the scene - especially if the EMTs are huddled around the patient, taking vitals, info,etc. Now, if there is distress or an obvious intervention then I'm a bit more forward. But EMTs need to look at the big picture, and so many of them around here are so zoned-in on what the "dispatch chief complaint" was that they do not take the time to do a full patient assessment and investigate what is going on. Prime example: dispatch for "dislocated finger" at an office building. Woman sitting at a desk. EMTs checking out her finger. They ask how it happened. Woman replies, "I fell." EMTs still completely absorbed and in awe of her finger. I finally step in because no one else is asking and ask, "Where did you fall? How far? Oh, down a flight of stairs... Oh, concrete stairs in an industrial office building...What did you land on because I know your finger wasn't the only thing that you must have hurt....Oh, look at that (yes, take off jacket, expose patient - her upper arm/shoulder, swelling, tenderness...) I'm MORE than willing to give EMTs the lead on calls - I'm more than willing to teach on calls - but when the basic BASIC skills and scene assessments aren't being done, I get frustrated. Perhaps it is tunnel vision of the EMTs. Perhaps it's because they don't know What or How to ask the questions. But, we need to stop giving them more toys and medications. They need the basic tools, a PAD OF PAPER to take information, and forget the damn PCR/clipboard until we all get to the hospital.

If you want to make money doing EMS, you should seriously consider returning to school after your EMT-I class and going to get your Paramedic. At least then you can make $25-$32/hour rather than basic EMT pay. Also, if you are getting your National Registory for EMT-I, consider looking at some of the CT agencies. They are tough to get into because they have a solid QA/QI and look for folks with at least some experience, rather than a wet/green EMT card. But at least you could truly use your EMT-I skills and function at that level. Over there EMT-I practices routine ALS care (IV, monitor). It's not far in relation to Westchester area. And yes, there are always the commercial agencies to check out in NY - - seems like they are always hiring. I know at Westchester EMS you MUST have a clean driving record.

The new ambulance looks great! 4513 worked hard to spec it out. Can't wait to work an Alpha shift on it - !! Nice to see that safety was top priority, and the idea of yellow/blue chevrons came from Norwalk Hospital EMS in CT.

Be nice and courteous to everyone. One rule of EMS - - don't burn bridges. You never know who your next boss may be. Ask questions and don't pull the "Back home we..." syndrome. No one cares how you did it in your volley squad. They just want to know you have their back now and are willing to learn. Good luck.

After reading many of the posts, I too think that the EMT class needs to return to a focus on pathophysiology of disease. Today, EMTs are simply taught what to do for what they see or find. For example, any/all breathing problems or chest pain get oxygen. This is simply a "catch-all" to make sure that patients are receiving some kind of treatment at the BLS level. However, there is no (little) training to educate students on how that patient became sick. This is simply the fault of the current EMT curriculum. One post referred to the need for better education on pharmacology. I couldn't agree more! Many of us know that a patient's list of medications is a window looking in on their medical history and a big clue as to why they may presently be sick. Far too often I watch BLS responders simply write down medications, unsure how to spell them and definately not sure what most of them are for. Even though we are not suppose to "diagnose" our patients, medication lists commonly aid us to correctly treat a patient in the field and make them feel better. The general purpose of EMS is to make patients feel better and bring them to the hospital. It is hard to do both of those things when you don't understand why the patient doesn't feel well to begin with. But anyone can be an ambulance driver and simply bring someone to the hospital. Accomplish both tasks together with compassion and that is the epitome of quality EMS.