Goose

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Everything posted by Goose

  1. So work informed me of two new protocol updates coming down the line. The first, i'm told, is BLS administration of 2 81mg (baby) aspirin to chest pain patients - assuming they have not taken any prior to EMS arrival. This, according to those who told me, is to go into effect July 1, 2007. I haven't seen the actual protocol itself, i should be getting a copy tomorrow. The second applies to ALS providers and is in the process of coming down the line, unaware of its approval status, but i was told its "probably" going to be passed. That is the helicopter transport of an MI patient with ST elevation. Essentially, the way it was explained to me, was that the idea is that patients who can get cathed and administered thrombolitics within 1 hour of onset have the best chance for survival. There seems to be a number of schools of thought on this subject, which may explain why it hasn't become official yet. So far i know of Vassar and Westchester that have Cath labs and i'm told St. Francis is due to open theirs by the end of this year/beginning of next. Any other EDs with this capability?
  2. No, the DOH does not issue any form of identification, other than an EMT card. http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/ems/policy/03-08.htm
  3. Get in the field and see how much good a shiny badge does you. Ill give you a hint...NONE. Like Chris said, NY does not issue EMS badges, hell they don't even have an official patch, we are talking about people going out and buying their own things. If you want to buff out in your town, its your business, but i'm telling you its not going to get you very far
  4. A WCC Paramedic class takes their written exam today, so congratulations to all those who made it through!
  5. I love how they refered to him as an ambulance driver... I don't know about you guys, but i wouldn't be caught dead taking pictures with a digital camera or cell phone while im on the clock. As far as i'm concerned the investigation is best left to the experts aka the police - if you saw somthing prior to cutting a car apart, document it and inform those who need to know. I know that at one of my places of work we carry a sealed "MVA Kit" which includes a camera, but is to be used soley in the event that our ambulance is involved in an accideent. With an almost infinite ammount of onlookers and passerbys, the liability is simply far to great to bother. On the same token, i get emails and get shown pictures by partners/past partners frequently...and have partners that do it - but what happens in an ambulance stays in an ambulance. If the guy was going around posting pics on the internet w/o sensoring then he deserves to have his card pulled as far as i'm concerned.
  6. I know its not a trauma center, i was speaking about facilities/medical groups more generally with my second comment. Thanks for the info none the less. ALS, i was being sarcastic lol. I haven't brought many patients there, but when i have i haven't encountered any problems in the ER. I guess its a different ball game up in the units. I THINK its a private with some county funding...i think the county recently bailed them out of some fiscal problems
  7. Allot of things would be nice...5 year certification or even licensing , the move towards making the "I" the base level of care. These steps would not only improve patient care, but surely weed out those who don't belong in EMS but have managed to skate through a "B" class. Whatever the case may be, its nice to have a few extra tools (albuterol, asprin, accucheck, nitro) in my bag, now i actually feel like i have a chance at making a difference. I had heard a rumor that the reason NY state never went with a combi tube was because FDNY EMTs were having some issues using it. Just curious if this is true?
  8. Seth, Sound's like a noble project to me. I don't agree with the politics all that much, as i don't see the issue as cut and dry. Aside from that, i would like to see some more local help being brought to these guys. We are pretty damn spoiled as far as budgets, as Grumpy duly noted, and should bee more in tune with whats going on down there. There are a number of departments that have recently turned around new apparatus, maybe under the proper pressure they would be apt to help out? I would be happy to help however i can. Let me know Bro.
  9. Badges have little to do with parity within the emergency services. The fact is EMS has never enjoyed the same parity since its inception, badges or no badges. Having a bunch of unprofessional whackers (every agency has em) running around with and or flashing badges only makes our plight that much worse.
  10. It goes beyond signing in. If you are on any part of a hospital's property they have a legal obligation to treat you under EMTALA. As far as sending a patrol car or ambulance - it seems to me that it would be far easier to mitigate/decode the situation with boots on the ground than from a dispatcher's chair. If i was him, i would have just to cover my own a$$ and the agency i worked for. Notify the on duty sup and take it up with the hospital at a later time. It's just as wasteful as sending an ambulance on an assignment for a leaky bladder, but it's just something you have to do in my mind.
  11. So...can someone remind me WHY we fly/transport patients there?! Seems like its more for the term "regional trauma center" than the care they are provided with.... The only thing i have to say is that i would hold off on carpet bombing every hospital in the US health care system. Clearly, there exist a number of major national and regional issues that effect just about every facility/system. Money is a major issue, clearly. However, there are a number of facilities which have spent a great deal of money to improve their patient care. Two facilities in particular come to mind, Vassar Brothers MC and Greenwich Hospital. Both have spent figures well into the millions to improve patient care, outcomes, and minimize accidents. Just off the top of my head, i can think of Vassar's bar coding program as one step in the right direction.
  12. Whatever the case was or may have been, the dispatcher should have assigned a unit.
  13. I just want to say that i really appreciate this post. The other day i was picking up a uniform for work and happened to be walking out as guy i attended college with was walking in. I know that he just got hired as a patrol officer in an upstate dept. As he was walking passed me, i noticed his service pistol in his pants (he was wearing slacks and a shirt) almost like a DT. Personally, i was a bit taken back because the firearm was in plane sight and no visible badge showing. I was always under the impression that if your going to carry, in an off duty capacity, that it should be hidden away. What do you guys think?
  14. the NYS protocol states that "if they have not taken aspirin and have no history of aspirin allergy and no history of gastrointestinal bleeding" then give asprin. Funny thing is, the PSE sheet for aspirin admin. doesn't require you ask if the patient has taken aspirin. lol
  15. This issue was addressed directly to me at one of my places of work. We have a number of outlying stations that are near or on state borders. Just to reiterate what many have said above, if your responding in m/a or transporting to facility out of state you have reciprocity waived while not actively practicing in that state. Just practice as you would if you were in NY. This probably covers flagging as well, as long as your not grossly negligent, i cant see you taking any heat for it. Just make sure your in constant communication with your dispatch center and that state's.
  16. How can/would you secure the dog in the ambulance? Is sitting between the cap and box acceptable or should you try to use a seatbelt?
  17. Is an ambulance considered public transportation, because thats all that statute appears to refer to? After a little research, i cant find anything that suggests ambulances are deemed public transportation or subject to that particular statute. I'm stumped, i would stick to my gut, but i wouldn't want to inadvertently violate someone's civil rights. To me, its just a matter of safety...
  18. So, you transported her and not the dog? Or neither were transported? As much as i would like to be accommodating, the fact remains that there is simply no room and its simply unsafe to transport a dog in any portion of an ambulance. I would probably pull the PO aside and see if he couldn't drive her and the dog to the ED. It would seem rather pointless to not transport the two together, seeing as the women in question depends on the dog when walking and the like. As far as the DOH, i havent ever heard of anything on paper, but i'm pretty sure they would not be keen (to say the least) on the idea.
  19. Interesting. I really don't have a problem with it, the state has a right to desire its employees to meet and maintain certain standards. But hey, i'm not a tobacco user so i really dont care either way Another fun fact: smoking in an ambulance = $75,000.00 DOH fine!
  20. Might be a bit of a hike for you, but 911 Uniforms in the City of Poughkeepsie has allot of really nice stuff. Was there today, for the first time to get fitted for a uniform, the lady was very helpful. Its on the 300 block of Main Street in the City of Poughkeepsie a block or two from M&M Army and Navy.
  21. Hes a huge advocate of universal health care. Sounds great, but its got major problems. Aside from the enormous cost of a national program, you would have to wait months to see doctors and have procedures preformed. That herniated disk my mother had fixed within a week of diagnosis, easily a six month wait in a universal system. Even things like chemotherapy or cancer surgeries have long wait times associated with them. I'm not one privy to living in pain or at the will of painkillers, i would much rather pay insurance and get quality and timely care than wait 6 months. Naturally, there needs to be a bit more oversight to cut allot of the BS when we submit bills. As far as 9/11 is concerned, it's a sticky situation. My father was down there From Sept 12th 2001 until the cleanup was officially completed, he has had a hacking, almost smoker's like, cough ever since and that was WITH properly fitted respirator. He has been to a number of specialists with little avail. To the best of my knowledge, his insurance has covered these visits and any other associated costs (medications/treatments, etc.). Talking with family who are FDNY MOS, they have also been "taken care of" as far as any breathing related issues. Neither my father nor my family members have demanded the government pay their medical bills, insurance premiums, or copays. Why should these individuals be any different? As far as Gitmo. Frankly, i could care less if those things rotted away in their cages. But, we get enough crap for treating them better than we treat our homeless population or those below the poverty line. Imagine if we let them be relegated to what they truly deserve? We are damned if we do, damned if we don't. It's simply one of the sad complexities of the 21st Century.
  22. I don't even know why we are giving this SOB the time of day anymore...
  23. So PD and FD are going to be rolling out of that building? Where is City 911 located currently? Looks like a nice facility for sure, definitely nice to see the Poughkeepsie guys getting a new pad
  24. Just curious how Engine 1 is fairing and if the guys like it?