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  1. M

    Basics and EKG knowledge

    Best advise... Remember to treat your patient not your monitor! As an EMT that has my basic EKG cert and am currently working for a company that makes it mandatory that you audit an ACLS class every year, I think its a great idea to have the basic knowledge. 4 leads are a great start to quickly...
  2. M

    Common reasons people quit

    I've only seen it once... There was a medic that was involved in a fatal crash responding to a call. He returned to work a couple weeks following that horrible incident and it was ruled that the crash was not his fault. Doesn't help the guilt of knowing that you are there to help not hurt... We...
  3. M

    How did you do this one? Dead spouse trapped with live one.

    One of the toughest calls I have been on in my career has been a MVA with 3 dead children and 1 dead parent. In order to gain access to the one surviving victim we had to move a child first. The car was almost unrecognizable, and I have no idea how dad was still alive. He was awake but had a...
  4. M

    State Laws for Impersonating a Paramedic

    I'm really bummed that we dont have a law! Recently there has been more and more impersonating of paramedics and 1st responders so hopefully one will be coming in the near future! We also have no laws for beating us up! However we do have great police depts around here that take good care of us!
  5. M

    Which is better

    I have a friend that got his civilian EMT - basic but then joined the military. He is allowed with very little military training to do procedures that basics in civilian life are not allowed to do. That was a pretty good way of doing things on his part. But a little shocking too!
  6. M

    Anyone else carry a whistle on duty?

    Personally, I love the idea. Where I work there are several times that our radios do not work. It may not convey what you need, but it would certainly get your partner's attention. It is light weight and I can think of a 1/2 dozen times this last shift rotation that a whistle would have been...
  7. M

    First major call

    My first trauma death came when least expected... Looking back it was a little humerous... I was working on a transfer car taking grandma to the doctor... (thankfully grandma was not with me at the time) I was driving by myself down a busy hwy when all of a sudden everyone in front of me slammed...
  8. M

    Can I make enough as an EMT

    In Colorado I work for one of the highest paying private ambulance services on the eastern slope and I dont feel I get paid squat. I don't know how it is out there, but from the sounds of it, its not much different. Out here the only way to make money and working for an emergency service is to...
  9. M

    Badges

    I have 2 jobs... One place doesnt allow you to wear badges... The other job if you are full time you wear one... If you are part time you do not. I guess its their way of telling who is who ;)
  10. M

    State Laws for Impersonating a Paramedic

    :sad:We all know the laws regarding impersonating a police officer. We all know doing such a horrible thing has severe punishment. We all know the severe risks involved dealing with a fake cop. BUT... What about the risks, punishment and laws regarding a fake Paramedic or rescuer? I was...
  11. M

    ems pratical jokes

    One that is always played around the station is setting the alarm clock in your partner's bedroom for 03:18 and hiding it somewhere close to their head! The best one I did was put twinkies in someones boots so when they slipped their feet in it squished in their socks! They had to run the...
  12. M

    Paramedic & Medic Students...Practicing IV/IM/SQ/ID

    I honestly think its the best way to learn... I figured out very early how to decrease/ increase pn as needed! Everyone that is going to stick someone with a needle needs to be stuck by at least one before they go do it to someone else. It also gives you the same feeling the pt probably feels...
  13. M

    blood glucose levels...

    I agree to treat the pt not the numbers! If you have an unconscious pt you should do a bsl anyways. If its lower than say 80 or so... (really lower than 90) then push some D-50... Wont hurt and it could be the cause for the unresponsiveness... :wacko:
  14. M

    Getting a Flu Shot?

    So if you get the shot and then call out... Do you get PTO?
  15. M

    A deer hit me

    I heard about a call ran not too long ago where a woman hit a buck and the buck was still alive even after going through the windshield. The woman was trapped between the buck and the seat and couldnt get out... Could you imagine the 911 call??? When the police officers arrived they had to shoot...
  16. M

    Do we ever forget our first patient? I DID!

    I was still in EMT school... I was doing my first ride along... I was at the station for about 5 mins. Enough time to hear my medic's name once and a cup of coffee shoved in my hand. The tones went off and here I was standing at the back of the ambulance with no clue even where to sit. We went...
  17. M

    What is your most ridiculous call?

    This is by far not the most crazy call I have ever been on... But really funny. We ran on a 30 something female at about 22:00... We initially got called non emergent to stage in the area because she was possibly armed... Well... another call dropped about 2 miles from our call and the police...
  18. M

    Does your department have a web site?

    www.pridemark.net
  19. M

    Is an ET Tube Really ALS?

    EMTs can (somnetimes) use combi tubes and such... As an EMT you should learn the basics first, then move on. In my state we dont usually recognize EMT-I but it would be good to take the class for those that are interested in a little bit more medicine but not quite ready for the responsibility.
  20. M

    Which SHOULD come first FIRE or EMS?

    Well... Where I work Fire and EMS get toned at the same time... We all go "together" I work for a private service and most FD's that we run with are city. We have come to work together and have Fire's radio in our dispatch center. (Fire has ours as well, although I dont think they listen to...
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