Medic137

Putnam County is on the right track with their single dispatch center, rational unit numbering system, and separate dispatch and response channels. What they need to do is invest in a radio system that can be heard across the county. In the meantime it would really help if the dispatchers would (consistantly) echo the messages from units in the field.

So I ask again:

How did Dutchess overcome the "We've been licensed on this frequency since before ______." And "It's OUR medic and WE'LL decide where it goes."

Anyone know?

Dutchess County has the best system I've worked in. One dispatch center, excellent radio set up, professional dispatchers. I wonder how they managed to ram the concept through the old time traditionalists. ("We've been doing it this way since 19XX")

Transcare rigs with "Wappingers" on the door have already been seen doing transports out of Hudson Valley Hosp. Are these the "dedicated" rigs?

Having FD on the scene makes my job easier as a medic. Instead of having to stop patient care and pull out my portable to ask for extrication, or a second bus, or STAT Flight, I can turn around and say "Chief, I Need .....".

Putnam--------Just plain old English

And sometimes even that's too complicated.

While St. Joe's is not a trauma center, they do see a lot of trauma. When I was in Yonkers we would bring the really bad cases (life expectancy less than 10 mins) in there. They weren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Unlike some of the local hospitals (Putnam, NWHC) that turn off the lights and lock the doors if they hear "trauma".

The taxpayers in North White Plains don't know how lucky they are. Their FD has one of the best EMS first responses around. Makes a big difference when Valhalla VAC can only get out "Driver Only" and the Mt. Pleasant Medic is tied up at Cedarwood Hall.

They should have a decent facility to work out of.

Danbury Hospital is also Level II

I read that the ratings are way up. Whether people are rooting for him or against him, a lot more folks are tuning in.

Wasn't it just a few years ago that this village hired EMTs as parking enforcement officers specifically so that they could cover the daytime EMS calls?