# Bad or Irritating EMS Memes



## mycrofft (May 9, 2012)

A meme, in this case, is a cultural carrier message disguised as a clever saying, but carries the potential to create acceptance, resignation or support for concepts our mind frames we and our patients just...don't...*need*.

OzAmbo used this line in a reply about the spun-out medic:

"This concept, this retarded throwaway line of "someone saving someone else" is nothing more than a retarded idea perpetuated by fools who accept it as dogma because it helps to inflate their sense of self importance".

I can cite another: 
"Stay and play", which makes it sound like the choice to move rapidly or try to stabilize more on site before transport (if transport at all) is the debonaire, gutsy thing to do.

Some are sexist, some are social. Some are black humor, some are said in  all seriousness. In fact, if repeated often enough by many, they can all become serious thought processes. 

Any other candidates? Any just BUG you?


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## Sasha (May 9, 2012)

I don't know if it qualifies but those stupid posts that are like "while you're doing so and so a paramedic is going without dinner while he holds a dying child's hand" blahblahblah Facebook status

Overly dramatic bs. Usually seen posted by those who do mainly renal roundup.


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## fast65 (May 9, 2012)

Sasha said:


> I don't know if it qualifies but those stupid posts that are like "while you're doing so and so a paramedic is going without dinner while he holds a dying child's hand" blahblahblah Facebook status
> 
> Overly dramatic bs. Usually seen posted by those who do mainly renal roundup.



Agreed, I get rather tired of those.


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## usalsfyre (May 9, 2012)

"Paramedics don't diagnose"

"EMS saves lives"

Anything involving quick response 

FDs saying "better, faster, cheaper"

EMS as "public safety"

Anything involving "heros"

And finally...

Every time flightweb.com is blacked out I nearly get physically ill till because it's all too often unnecessary.


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## DesertMedic66 (May 9, 2012)

"paramedics save lives, EMTs save paramedics".


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## mpena (May 9, 2012)

Lol paramedics must not like the truth in that one

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## NomadicMedic (May 9, 2012)

mpena said:


> Lol paramedics must not like the truth in that one
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk



I hope you're kidding.


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## usalsfyre (May 9, 2012)

mpena said:


> Lol paramedics must not like the truth in that one
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk



My truck's double medic, I guess we're screwed...


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## mpena (May 9, 2012)

Of course.. all in good humor

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## 46Young (May 9, 2012)

firefite said:


> "paramedics save lives, EMTs save paramedics".



That one's one of my personal pet peeves.

One day, I heard this one time too many, so I flipped it. This is what I said:

EMS is a continuum. A paramedic is the most highly educated and trained; they're responsible for anything and everything in the field. An EMT is only a small fraction of a paramedic regarding education, training, and scope. A paramedic knows everything an EMT does and is responsible for carrying out an EMT's job duties, but the reverse is not true. In many countries, EMT's don't even exist - it's just MFR's, and medics of various degrees. 

I remember where I came from, but I take exception to the salty EMT with delusions of grandeur or the insecure EMT 6 months OTJ that acts like they have 20 years experience and needs to feel more self important.

The truth is, EMT's don't save medics. They should be doing their job correctly in the first place. If you're a comptetent EMT, no one should have to hold your hand to tell you how and when to do spinal moton restriction, and when to take a BP, how to lift, etc. Now, a paramedic absolutely needs to direct if O2 is to be delivered, how much, and by what route, when to bag, and how often, just to name one intervention. The increased education and diagnostics such as 15 lead ECG's, ETCO2, etc. give information that the EMT will be ignorant to by way of their education. It's not a knock, just a fact.

EMT's and medics are a team, and each is important in pt care, but no one is saving anyone else. If a medic is overlooking basic observations and interventions, it is clearly an issue of competency. If the medic assumes that the EMT is competent and should know when to do certain tasks without being prompted, then that's different. Calls with my engine crew generally go without more than a few words between us. They know what to do in a variety of situations, and understand thet they are to do their usual unless I voice a request to do otherwise.


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## NomadicMedic (May 9, 2012)

46Young said:


> That one's one of my personal pet peeves.
> 
> One day, I heard this one time too many, so I flipped it. This is what I said:
> 
> ...



Oh man... I want this printed on a piece of cardstock, so I can leave one under the wiper of every BLS ambulance I see.


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## 46Young (May 9, 2012)

How about "BLS before ALS?" This is another annoying axiom.


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## 46Young (May 9, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Oh man... I want this printed on a piece of cardstock, so I can leave one under the wiper of every BLS ambulance I see.



The blank stare I get in return is priceless.

The most dangerous EMT's are the one's that read a few blogs, make a few correlations between certain pt presentations and what the medic typically does, and then begin to think they know as much as the medic, and try to influence the medic's decisions.


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## mycrofft (May 9, 2012)

I actually like "_This isn't my first rodeo_", but so often they are under water clinically in about ten minutes or less.


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## mycrofft (May 9, 2012)

Ah, I just used one myself! "Paragod". Sorry.:wacko:


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## medicsb (May 9, 2012)

"I could teach a monkey to intubate."


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## Smash (May 9, 2012)

I have to agree with any of those appalling "Busting mine saving yours" type things.  They make me want to punch someone in the throat.

And T-Shirts emblazoned with the star of life and crap.  For some reason you don't see doctors or lawyers or anyone else who actually is a professional walking around advertising that they are a screaming great whacker...


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## nwhitney (May 9, 2012)

Self congratulatory/appreciation weeks/months.  It really bothers me to have EMS week or Nurses week or any professions week.  I don't get it.


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## 46Young (May 9, 2012)

Smash said:


> I have to agree with any of those appalling "Busting mine saving yours" type things.  They make me want to punch someone in the throat.
> 
> And T-Shirts emblazoned with the star of life and crap.  For some reason you don't see doctors or lawyers or anyone else who actually is a professional walking around advertising that they are a screaming great whacker...



At Bob Page's Slap the Cap lecture yesterday one of his slides shows a tat of an NREMT-P patch on someone's shoulder. We all got a good chuckle out of that. One girl that used to work in one of our ED's had the star of life on her forearm. 

I did the EMS t-shirt thing for a little while when I was new, but stopped after a few months after being made fun of. I keep a county fire sticker and my station sticker on my car to help with tickets, but that's about it. I prefer to remain anonymous if something goes down in public.


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## EpiEMS (May 9, 2012)

46Young said:


> I prefer to remain anonymous if something goes down in public.



+1. Unless it's something where immediate interventions are necessary, it ain't worth the risk.


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## Sasha (May 9, 2012)

nwhitney said:


> Self congratulatory/appreciation weeks/months.  It really bothers me to have EMS week or Nurses week or any professions week.  I don't get it.



Don't you slam the free food and goodies.


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## Anjel (May 9, 2012)

Sasha said:


> Don't you slam the free food and goodies.



I love goodies


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## Sasha (May 9, 2012)

Anjel1030 said:


> I love goodies



Me too! I'm hoping for a pen light!


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## Hunter (May 10, 2012)

46Young said:


> How about "BLS before ALS?" This is another annoying axiom.



Sorry for my ignorance but I don't see what's wrong with this one. Drugs won't do anything if you don't have good compressions on a code, you don't go straight to morphine before you give O2 to an acs patient.


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## Hunter (May 10, 2012)

Sasha said:


> Me too! I'm hoping for a pen light!



I want another life flight pen, those write awesome.


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## Aidey (May 10, 2012)

Hunter said:


> Sorry for my ignorance but I don't see what's wrong with this one. Drugs won't do anything if you don't have good compressions on a code, you don't go straight to morphine before you give O2 to an acs patient.



You might actually, if their SpO2 is fine. 

The problem with BLS before ALS is that it ignores the fact that it is all medicine. It is also a gross over simplification. What makes something BLS instead of ALS?


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## Aidey (May 10, 2012)

46Young said:


> At Bob Page's Slap the Cap lecture yesterday one of his slides shows a tat of an NREMT-P patch on someone's shoulder. We all got a good chuckle out of that. One girl that used to work in one of our ED's had the star of life on her forearm.
> 
> I did the EMS t-shirt thing for a little while when I was new, but stopped after a few months after being made fun of. I keep a county fire sticker and my station sticker on my car to help with tickets, but that's about it. I prefer to remain anonymous if something goes down in public.



I know tons of people with EMS/fire tattoos. Some in visible places. Always makes me wince. 

I own 2? EMS shirts. One is the 'special edition' pink breast cancer shirt the local department came up with, and one is from a previous wildland job. I've occasionally seen people wearing PD/RN/MD shirts, but i think they've all been fundraiser or team shirts.


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## Hunter (May 10, 2012)

Aidey said:


> You might actually, if their SpO2 is fine.


SpO2 might show 100% if a patient is blue, diaphoretic, breaking 30/minutes, ect. I'm gonna give O2 regardless of what the pulse ox says.



Aidey said:


> The problem with BLS before ALS is that it ignores the fact that it is all medicine. It is also a gross over simplification. What makes something BLS instead of ALS?



It's not saying that something is BLS instead of ALS it's pointing out the importance of good BLS skills before you administer als treatment. Like I said earlier, drugs and an iv won't do a thing without good cpr. Your initial assessment is technically a BLS skill, except for a 4/3 and 12 lead all your vital signs are BLS skills. It also means you wanna go from least invasive to most invasive, hate to think you would go straight for a central line just because it's more direct than an IV.


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## the_negro_puppy (May 10, 2012)

If they are sick enough to need an ambulance they dont need a pillow


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

Hunter said:


> SpO2 might show 100% if a patient is blue, diaphoretic, breaking 30/minutes, ect. I'm gonna give O2 regardless of what the pulse ox says.
> 
> 
> 
> It's not saying that something is BLS instead of ALS it's pointing out the importance of good BLS skills before you administer als treatment. Like I said earlier, drugs and an iv won't do a thing without good cpr. Your initial assessment is technically a BLS skill, except for a 4/3 and 12 lead all your vital signs are BLS skills. It also means you wanna go from least invasive to most invasive, hate to think you would go straight for a central line just because it's more direct than an IV.



My initial assessment is done at an ALS level. I think like an ALS provider not a BLS provider. Sometimes a patient needs an IV and drugs before o2. 

It's all medicine. Stop trying to draw a line where there is no line to be drawn.


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

Aidey said:


> I know tons of people with EMS/fire tattoos. Some in visible places. Always makes me wince.
> 
> I own 2? EMS shirts. One is the 'special edition' pink breast cancer shirt the local department came up with, and one is from a previous wildland job. I've occasionally seen people wearing PD/RN/MD shirts, but i think they've all been fundraiser or team shirts.



I have a few EMS week t shirts and one t shirt from a hospital. I sometimes wear them on my comfy casual days when I just grab a t-shirt and jeans from my dresser and go. 

Not looking to show off my EMSness. I just happen to look fabulous in that shade of blue and they're comfy.


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

Hunter said:


> I want another life flight pen, those write awesome.



I'm a pen snob. I only use g2 fine point gel pens.


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## Bullets (May 10, 2012)

Sasha said:


> My initial assessment is done at an ALS level. I think like an ALS provider not a BLS provider. Sometimes a patient needs an IV and drugs before o2.
> 
> It's all medicine. Stop trying to draw a line where there is no line to be drawn.



You might think like an ALS provider during your assessment, but the physical assesment itself is a BLS skill, which i try to emphasize with my new cadets and probies. 

Just because we have wizzzbangs and humdoodles and pulse oximeters doesnt mean you can ignore the presentation. Look at your patient, they will tell you whats wrong with them

Two phrase cause me to rage:

"...based on mechanism of Injury..."

"First Aider"


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## usalsfyre (May 10, 2012)

Physical assessment may be a "BLS" skill but how exactly do you plan to interpret and use the gathered data as a Basic? 

More to come...


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## Anjel (May 10, 2012)

I always took that as instead of jumping right to monitor, iv, drugs, you take time to assess first.


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## usalsfyre (May 10, 2012)

Anjel1030 said:


> I always took that as instead of jumping right to monitor, iv, drugs, you take time to assess first.



The problem is one it confines you to a very linear assessment/treatment model. Which is easy to evaluate in class but doesn't resemble the real world. Two, monitors (cardiac, spo2, etco2, glucometer) are a fairly integral part of my assessment.

For instance, I'm not going to waste time "trendelenberging" a severe sepsis patient, I'm going to start appropriate fluid resuscitaton (in fact if they've got an iffy LOC I'm going to sit them up). If a patient has massive facial injuries I'm not going to try a BVM, ect.

Furthermore, finding things like mild hypoxemia, hypoglycemia, STEMI, vtach and many others require "ALS" monitors to find.


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## abckidsmom (May 10, 2012)

Sasha said:


> I'm a pen snob. I only use g2 fine point gel pens.



We are no longer friends. I am left handed and those pens are a nightmare for lefties.


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

abckidsmom said:


> We are no longer friends. I am left handed and those pens are a nightmare for lefties.



Don't hate just because you can't use the holy grail of pens.


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## Anjel (May 10, 2012)

usalsfyre said:


> The problem is one it confines you to a very linear assessment/treatment model. Which is easy to evaluate in class but doesn't resemble the real world. Two, monitors (cardiac, spo2, etco2, glucometer) are a fairly integral part of my assessment.
> 
> For instance, I'm not going to waste time "trendelenberging" a severe sepsis patient, I'm going to start appropriate fluid resuscitaton (in fact if they've got an iffy LOC I'm going to sit them up). If a patient has massive facial injuries I'm not going to try a BVM, ect.
> 
> Furthermore, finding things like mild hypoxemia, hypoglycemia, STEMI, vtach and many others require "ALS" monitors to find.



Well when you look at it that way. Lol I never really thought about it. I hear it all the time though.


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## Anjel (May 10, 2012)

I am a very firm believer in ABC

Ambulate before carry.


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## Veneficus (May 10, 2012)

nwhitney said:


> Self congratulatory/appreciation weeks/months.  It really bothers me to have EMS week or Nurses week or any professions week.  I don't get it.



Don't want to hear it, doctors only get a day...


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

Anjel1030 said:


> I am a very firm believer in ABC
> 
> Ambulate before carry.



Or in the case of an amputee, hopulate before carry.


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## Sasha (May 10, 2012)

Veneficus said:


> Don't want to hear it, doctors only get a day...



Don't be jealous.


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## Veneficus (May 10, 2012)

Sasha said:


> Don't be jealous.



Jealous? I get a week and a day


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## Bullets (May 10, 2012)

Sasha said:


> Don't hate just because you can't use the holy grail of pens.



The holy grail of pens smears, smudges, runs and bleeds when it gets wet, cant make a decent copy through carbon paper and is hard to get out of clothes when the soft ink cartridge gets smushed


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## medicsb (May 10, 2012)

Anjel1030 said:


> I am a very firm believer in ABC
> 
> Ambulate before carry.



I've met some medics and EMTs, who seemed to subscribe to "ABC" - "ambulate before care"

"You're chest hurts?  Okay, how about your legs?  No?  Okay, follow me."


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## mycrofft (May 10, 2012)

*Nergo_puppy, I hear you.*

.............


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## abckidsmom (May 10, 2012)

Bullets said:


> The holy grail of pens smears, smudges, runs and bleeds when it gets wet, cant make a decent copy through carbon paper and is hard to get out of clothes when the soft ink cartridge gets smushed



Bic clickster for me.


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## Anjel (May 10, 2012)

medicsb said:


> I've met some medics and EMTs, who seemed to subscribe to "ABC" - "ambulate before care"
> 
> "You're chest hurts?  Okay, how about your legs?  No?  Okay, follow me."



Eh ya. Dont take it that far. Lol


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## Aidey (May 10, 2012)

Hunter said:


> SpO2 might show 100% if a patient is blue, diaphoretic, breaking 30/minutes, ect. I'm gonna give O2 regardless of what the pulse ox says.



When was the last time you had a pt who was blue, diaphoretic and breathing 30 times a minute with a SpO2 of 100% 



Sasha said:


> I have a few EMS week t shirts and one t shirt from a hospital. I sometimes wear them on my comfy casual days when I just grab a t-shirt and jeans from my dresser and go.
> 
> Not looking to show off my EMSness. I just happen to look fabulous in that shade of blue and they're comfy.



Oh crap, I forgot about those. For some reason we keep getting white ones, which all females know can be an issue. I only wear them to the gym.


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## mycrofft (May 10, 2012)

FAt guy with methemaglobinemia in a heat wave?


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## Aidey (May 10, 2012)

Except those people usually have a low SpO2. The SpO2 is being miscalculated, but it is still low. 

How about fat guy in a heat wave who drinks colloidal silver?


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## sperry (May 10, 2012)

*Pens.......*



abckidsmom said:


> We are no longer friends. I am left handed and those pens are a nightmare for lefties.



I am left handed too and those are the *only pens I can use. Standard ballpoint pens are my nightmare.*


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## Meursault (May 10, 2012)

nwhitney said:


> Self congratulatory/appreciation weeks/months.  It really bothers me to have EMS week or Nurses week or any professions week.  I don't get it.



I don't believe those are intended for self-congratulation. They're supposed to improve the status of the field/profession by providing an opportunity to advertise and, in the hospital setting, to get token recognition from management and people in other professions.

In practice, it seems to be either an opportunity for self-congratulation or the only time EMS service management pretend to care about their employees.


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## Rev.IKON (May 10, 2012)

"ambulance driver"
"how long did it take you to become an ambulance?" -actual question asked to a medic i worked with in route to hospital


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## Hunter (May 11, 2012)

Aidey said:


> When was the last time you had a pt who was blue, diaphoretic and breathing 30 times a minute with a SpO2 of 100%



Never but I have seen a pulse ox read a pulse and tell me the patient was satting at 90% 5 minutes after I took the patient off the pulse ox


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## mycrofft (May 11, 2012)

"Aw, didn't you pass your doctoring examinations?". (Heard both as an EMT and a nurse. Three different instructors asked me why I was in their nursing college instead of the medical school, and it wasn't my sparkling intellect).


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## ElleHart (May 7, 2013)

46young, out of curiosity where do you work? 

Where I work, and from what I understand the rest of the country, oxygen administration is a BLS skill that does not require prompting from ALS. I'm interested in how other states and counties work because I know my department is a little out there considering our size and call volume.


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 7, 2013)

There are to many to count, This one you have all seen, which has to be one of the most irritating stupid ones in my book.







Except for someone wrote in red "No... You aren't..." lol. that Part I like


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## Medic Tim (May 7, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> There are to many to count, This one you have all seen, which has to be one of the most irritating stupid ones in my book.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This one make me see red


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## Ecgg (May 7, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> There are to many to count, This one you have all seen, which has to be one of the most irritating stupid ones in my book.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This must be King County Medic One promotional poster.


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 7, 2013)

what really grinds my gears, are that providers(especially volunteers) buy crap like this and wear it on t shirts, put stickers on there cars, ect... Then people loop us into this idiotic group of "whackers on roids".


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## DesertMedic66 (May 7, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> what really grinds my gears, are that providers(especially volunteers) buy crap like this and wear it on t shirts, put stickers on there cars, ect... Then people loop us into this idiotic group of "whackers on roids".



I do not have that shirt. My shirt says "at 70mph" instead of 60mph. Faster is always better :rofl:


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## 46Young (May 7, 2013)

ElleHart said:


> 46young, out of curiosity where do you work?
> 
> Where I work, and from what I understand the rest of the country, oxygen administration is a BLS skill that does not require prompting from ALS. I'm interested in how other states and counties work because I know my department is a little out there considering our size and call volume.



I worked for NS-Lij back in the day. I worked for a little bit in a municipal third service in SC. I'm now a career firefighter/paramedic in VA, with five years OTJ.

In this system, all of our transport units are either medic/EMT or double medic. The BLS typically get vitals on each call, then await direction from the medic as to what else they want done.


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 7, 2013)

For our Fire friends


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## JPINFV (May 7, 2013)

My current "favorite" EMS meme is posting some graphic injury-porn style picture and labeling it "educational" to try to keep Facebook from taking it down.


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 7, 2013)

JP, maybe we could redesign that fire one I posted above, but for medical students. I bet you would be the coolest one in class!


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## Achilles (May 7, 2013)

JPINFV said:


> My current "favorite" EMS meme is posting some graphic injury-porn style picture and labeling it "educational" to try to keep Facebook from taking it down.



I hate it when those posting said memes advertise with very post.


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## JPINFV (May 7, 2013)

Achilles said:


> I hate it when those posting said memes advertise with very post.




You don't want a new "blood goes round and round, air goes in and out and any variation is bad" shirt? How about a "Don't do anything you don't want to tell the paramedic" shirt?


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## cprted (May 7, 2013)

How about, "nobody ever dies in the ambulance."


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## Medic Tim (May 7, 2013)

I wore a t-shirt with this on it to my last day of class. 





One of the instructors (a firemedic) thought it was quite funny. The 4 fire guys in my class got really mad and walked out of class. It still makes me lol thinking back to that day.


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## the_negro_puppy (May 7, 2013)




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## EpiEMS (May 7, 2013)

Medic Tim said:


> I wore a t-shirt with this on it to my last day of class.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I like this sentiment...
The IAFF doesn't.
Ugh...politics...


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## fortsmithman (May 7, 2013)

Load and Go


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## ElleHart (May 7, 2013)

Oh okay. I work nyc. My medics would kill me if I didn't have o2 a presumptive diagnosis on what I thought was going on and have them ready to get to the hospital.


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## 46Young (May 7, 2013)

ElleHart said:


> Oh okay. I work nyc. My medics would kill me if I didn't have o2 a presumptive diagnosis on what I thought was going on and have them ready to get to the hospital.



Same for me when I was BLS (46E, 46D, 53Y, 53G, 53J, 54G). You'll find that there are many all-ALS systems throughout the country, where every ambulance has at least one paramedic on it.


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## 46Young (May 7, 2013)

cprted said:


> How about, "nobody ever dies in the ambulance."



Where do I find this image? I want it....


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## Achilles (May 7, 2013)

46Young said:


> Where do I find this image? I want it....



Right click image, save. Tada!
If you want a URL, save image, upload to tiny eye have it find it for you! Winner winner chicken dinner!


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## Anjel (May 7, 2013)




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## chaz90 (May 7, 2013)

Anjel said:


> View attachment 1510



Looks like somebody tried some therapeutic blood letting on an IV start or two


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## Trashtruck (May 7, 2013)

Anjel said:


> View attachment 1510



I LOVE this thread!
Thanks for resurrecting it!

I'd be mad as :censored::censored::censored::censored: if I had to clean that mess up.


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## JPINFV (May 7, 2013)

Anjel said:


> View attachment 1510




Hypocrisy: Complaining about being called a title you don't like, while referring to something else by the title they don't like. 


/Admittedly, I'm not normally uppidity over calling the emergency department a "room," but the same can be said about being called an "ambulance driver."


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## Ecgg (May 7, 2013)

This is your normal casual attire.


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## Wheel (May 7, 2013)

I want a shirt with something like "ems, picking grandma up off the floor, then going to McDonald's." Slightly more accurate depiction my my normal day







I kid, of course (kind of)


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## Fish (May 8, 2013)

usalsfyre said:


> My truck's double medic, I guess we're screwed...



Haha


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## Gastudent (May 8, 2013)

Wheel said:


> I want a shirt with something like "ems, picking grandma up off the floor, then going to McDonald's." Slightly more accurate depiction my my normal day
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LMAO! They should put that on the side of all ambulances.


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## TheLocalMedic (May 8, 2013)

Thought this one was funny.


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## JPINFV (May 8, 2013)

TheLocalMedic said:


> Thought this one was funny.




If only Jackson had celebrated Caturday more... :-(


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## Ace 227 (May 8, 2013)

Sasha said:


> I'm a pen snob. I only use g2 fine point gel pens.



Quoted for f-ing truth. Pilot G2s or nothing.



Also, anything that asks for pity/sympathy such as "so how was your day?" etc. really bugs me.  You applied for this job, quit if it isn't what you wanted.  I know guys in Afghanistan who would love to be taking Granny to the hospital right now.


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## Arovetli (May 8, 2013)

JPINFV said:


> If only Jackson had celebrated Caturday more... :-(



...kitty are you ok? are you ok, kitty?...


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 8, 2013)

No way man, This my normal everyday casual wear.


Hat
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




SunGlasses 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Shirt





Connected to Belt,, inside and out:
Above all esle, gotta bring the leathermen raptor EVERYWHERE 





wallet: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



























On Keys: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Pants: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Boots: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Also Gotta always be ready in my POV


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## EMDispatch (May 8, 2013)

Ace 227 said:


> Also, anything that asks for pity/sympathy such as "so how was your day?" etc. really bugs me.  You applied for this job, quit if it isn't what you wanted.



Anything that's: pity/sympathy, "Look at me I'm a Hero", memes with nothing but shock value, we're better than them (FFs vs EMS, etc), and my number one choice " Trained to Save Your ***, Not Kiss it". That is the most disrespectful and highly unprofessional thing. It just appalls me how many people actually have that slogan on something.


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## NomadicMedic (May 8, 2013)

Here's a couple more that I just spotted on my Facebook wall.


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## Household6 (May 8, 2013)

Sasha said:


> I'm a pen snob. I only use g2 fine point gel pens.




Fisher space pens, yo... http://www.spacepen.com/bullet.aspx

I carry the titanium bullet.. 





They write on soaking wet paper, they write when they've been left in a car overnight and it's below zero. They write upside down, and they NEVER SMEAR. You do have to order ink capsules directly from fisher, but I've had this one since 2005, and I still haven't run out of ink.


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## Carlos Danger (May 8, 2013)

This one:



ExpatMedic0 said:


>



and this one:



DEmedic said:


>



Both make me vomit a little every time I see them.


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## Hunter (May 8, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> what really grinds my gears, are that providers(especially volunteers) buy crap like this and wear it on t shirts, put stickers on there cars, ect... Then people loop us into this idiotic group of "whackers on roids".



What if my stickers are from emtlife and my key chains are also from EMT life? Does that make me less or more of a wacker?


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## NomadicMedic (May 8, 2013)

Hunter said:


> What if my stickers are from emtlife and my key chains are also from EMT life? Does that make me less or more of a wacker?



It's a special sub-set of whacker. "I live for EMS so much, I visit EMS forums in my off time, AND I put stickers on my car to advertise it!"

Maybe the "save your ***, not kiss it" shirt isn't so bad?



(I kid.)


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## Achilles (May 8, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> what really grinds my gears, are that providers(especially volunteers) buy crap like this and wear it on t shirts, put stickers on there cars, ect... Then people loop us into this idiotic group of "whackers on roids".


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 8, 2013)

Hunter said:


> What if my stickers are from emtlife and my key chains are also from EMT life? Does that make me less or more of a wacker?



Then your funding the forum which I use, so I don't care if you tattoo a star of life on your forehead :blink: its all good.


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## Undaedalus (May 8, 2013)

Household6 said:


> Fisher space pens, yo... http://www.spacepen.com/bullet.aspx
> 
> I carry the titanium bullet..




Are you sure it isn't the_ Silent Hero_?


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## Household6 (May 8, 2013)

Seeing a silent firefighter? That's such a rare occurrence, you're more likely to watch a unicorn giving birth..


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## chaz90 (May 8, 2013)

Quite the oxymoron too huh? The silent, unassuming hero carrying a pen that symbolizes his humility.


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## Hunter (May 8, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> Then your funding the forum which I use, so I don't care if you tattoo a star of life on your forehead :blink: its all good.



Hurrah!! Approval from the internet!


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## cprted (May 8, 2013)

Household6 said:


> Seeing a silent firefighter? That's such a rare occurrence, you're more likely to watch a unicorn giving birth..


Q:How do you tell the guy you're talking to at the bar is a firefighter?  
A: Don't worry, he'll tell you.


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## Handsome Robb (May 8, 2013)

MCERT1 said:


> my number one choice " Trained to Save Your ***, Not Kiss it".



That's funny, I got a really nice pen from a contest on here that had that saying on it. 

Used in the wrong context I agree it's unprofessional. However, when push comes to shove I'm going to put my foot down and do what needs to be done. 

Maybe I'm that competent medic that's a total jerkface everyone was talking about in that other thread?


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## hogwiley (May 8, 2013)

cprted said:


> Q:How do you tell the guy you're talking to at the bar is a firefighter?
> A: Don't worry, he'll tell you.



I honestly never understood the appeal of firefighting and always kind of saw the obsessive devotion many hose monkeys had to the field as amusing rather than annoying. Police I understood, because you get to carry a gun, go on car chases, tackle and cuff people and order them around etc. But firefighting just seems like dirty, dreary manual labor to me. I would just as soon do roofing or cement work for free as be a volunteer firefighter.

God bless people out there who think it's this awesome glamorous heroic job, to the point many even do it for free, but I'll never understand the appeal of it myself. I guess its something you either just "get" or you don't.


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## RUABadfish002 (May 8, 2013)

hogwiley said:


> I honestly never understood the appeal of firefighting and always kind of saw the obsessive devotion many hose monkeys had to the field as amusing rather than annoying. Police I understood, because you get to carry a gun, go on car chases, tackle and cuff people and order them around etc. But firefighting just seems like dirty, dreary manual labor to me. I would just as soon do roofing or cement work for free as be a volunteer firefighter.
> 
> God bless people out there who think it's this awesome glamorous heroic job, to the point many even do it for free, but I'll never understand the appeal of it myself. I guess its something you either just "get" or you don't.



It's definitely a manual labor job, but many who choose the profession are coming from far less rewarding manual labor gigs.  A firefighter may be doing mostly blue collar work that taxes their bodies day after day, but the feeling of making a rescue or saving somebody's belongings trumps any crappy manual labor you may have done before you became a FF.  Being the last line of defense against fire is something the fire service shouldn't, and doesn't take lightly.


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## Trashtruck (May 8, 2013)

RUABadfish002 said:


> It's definitely a manual labor job, but many who choose the profession are coming from far less rewarding manual labor gigs.  A firefighter may be doing mostly blue collar work that taxes their bodies EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, but the feeling of making a rescue or saving somebody's belongings trumps any crappy manual labor you may have done before you became a FF.  Being the last line of defense against fire is something the fire service shouldn't, and doesn't take lightly.



Fixed that for you.
Even in the busiest urban stations, it's not that busy(anymore).


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## EMDispatch (May 8, 2013)

Robb said:


> Used in the wrong context I agree it's unprofessional. However, when push comes to shove I'm going to put my foot down and do what needs to be done.



 Unfortunately I generally see it used in bad context. Within the context of a site like this or a pen you use off duty is one thing. I know a lot of people that have it prominently displayed on bumper stickers... Not a great thing for John Q public to see 4-5 of them when they pass the parking lot.


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## Hunter (May 8, 2013)

RUABadfish002 said:


> It's definitely a manual labor job, but many who choose the profession are coming from far less rewarding manual labor gigs.  A firefighter may be doing mostly blue collar work that taxes their bodies day after day, but the feeling of making a rescue or saving somebody's belongings trumps any crappy manual labor you may have done before you became a FF.  Being the last line of defense against fire is something the fire service shouldn't, and doesn't take lightly.





Trashtruck said:


> Fixed that for you.
> Even in the busiest urban stations, it's not that busy(anymore).



It was right the first time.



> Being the last line of defense against fire is something the fire service shouldn't, and doesn't take lightly.



Last line of defenses aren't usually the most commonly used services.

Just because they don't have fires as much as we have codes doesn't make us more important in the overall scheme of things, if there were not paramedics people wouldn't survive to the hospital in acute emergencies, and if there weren't fire fighters building fires would engulf a whole town. It's situational and both jobs deserve respect... even if EMS does a whole lot more work.


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## Trashtruck (May 8, 2013)

Hunter said:


> It was right the first time.
> 
> So the IAFF says(which I am a member of). I'm not going to argue with the public's opinion about what we do. If they REALLY knew...
> I'm not bashing it. But anybody in the Fire Service knows we don't tax our bodies day in and day out with fire suppression.
> EMS is a different story.


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## Achilles (May 9, 2013)

Trashtruck said:


> But anybody in the Fire Service knows we don't tax our bodies day in and day out with fire suppression.
> EMS is a different story.



What about Detroit FD? Or are they an exception? 
Are smoke jumpers excluded from that as well? 
Just because your city doesn't get a fire everyday, doesn't represent the world. Same for EMS.


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## Hunter (May 9, 2013)

Trashtruck said:


> So the IAFF says(which I am a member of). I'm not going to argue with the public's opinion about what we do. If they REALLY knew...
> I'm not bashing it. But anybody in the Fire Service knows we don't tax our bodies day in and day out with fire suppression.
> EMS is a different story.



Agreed



Achilles said:


> What about Detroit FD? Or are they an exception?
> Are smoke jumpers excluded from that as well?
> Just because your city doesn't get a fire everyday, doesn't represent the world. Same for EMS.



Also true, but we know that majority of the population lives in urban settings and in busy urban systems the fire prevention is usually pretty good at prevention which is great, but we're derailing the topic.

that being said i saw this the other day thought it was funny.


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## ExpatMedic0 (May 9, 2013)

Trashtruck said:


> Hunter said:
> 
> 
> > It was right the first time.
> ...


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## Household6 (May 9, 2013)

Almost all of the FFers around here are volunteers. No disability insurance, not workman's comp, no life insurance, no funeral benefits... 

I wouldn't mind going through Fire One just for the heck of it, I think I might enjoy it.. -Not to mention, I was told "females aren't good FFers" by a jerkface I used to work with- But as physical as that job is, I don't want to risk hurting myself and having no financial safety net.

The risk to self is just too much compared to EMS. At least with what I'm doing now, I have a little comp incase I get hurt.


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## hogwiley (May 9, 2013)

Household6 said:


> Almost all of the FFers around here are volunteers. No disability insurance, not workman's comp, no life insurance, no funeral benefits...
> 
> I wouldn't mind going through Fire One just for the heck of it, I think I might enjoy it.. -Not to mention, I was told "females aren't good FFers" by a jerkface I used to work with- But as physical as that job is, I don't want to risk hurting myself and having no financial safety net.
> 
> The risk to self is just too much compared to EMS. At least with what I'm doing now, I have a little comp incase I get hurt.



I think you're actually more likely to be injured and lose time off of work doing EMS than you are firefighting, because in EMS you are continually lifting patients, sometimes in situations that make proper lifting mechanics difficult, so back injuries are a constant risk, and back injuries are just about the worst type of on the job injury you can have. 

Then there are the dangers of driving an ambulance in poor weather conditions, particularly ice and snow, not to mention being assaulted by  mentally unstable or altered patients, which for some EMS jobs is almost a regular occurance.

Thats not to say there isnt risk in firefighting, recent events in Texas certainly demonstrated that, but in terms of on the job injuries I think the risk in EMS is probably greater.


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## chaz90 (May 9, 2013)

But that's why she mentioned that at least now she has a little comp if she gets hurt.


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## Bullets (May 9, 2013)

hogwiley said:


> I honestly never understood the appeal of firefighting and always kind of saw the obsessive devotion many hose monkeys had to the field as amusing rather than annoying. Police I understood, because you get to carry a gun, go on car chases, tackle and cuff people and order them around etc. But firefighting just seems like dirty, dreary manual labor to me. I would just as soon do roofing or cement work for free as be a volunteer firefighter.


How many cops do you know outside of work? Most guys who have been on for more then a year or two are hesitant to admit they are cops. It is to much of a hassle when you bring it up, everyone has a "a-hole cop story" or they want to ask you about a ticket or something.

I just say i work for the township, if they press i say i work Sanitation (not a total lie)



Household6 said:


> Almost all of the FFers around here are volunteers. No disability insurance, not workman's comp, no life insurance, no funeral benefits...
> 
> I wouldn't mind going through Fire One just for the heck of it, I think I might enjoy it.. -Not to mention, I was told "females aren't good FFers" by a jerkface I used to work with- But as physical as that job is, I don't want to risk hurting myself and having no financial safety net.
> 
> The risk to self is just too much compared to EMS. At least with what I'm doing now, I have a little comp in case I get hurt.


 Are you sure? Around here, if you are on duty as a volunteer, which responding to a call counts, you are covered by insurance. If you are hurt en route to the station or on the fireground, you are covered by health insurance and workmans comp


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## Household6 (May 9, 2013)

Bullets said:


> Are you sure? Around here, if you are on duty as a volunteer, which responding to a call counts, you are covered by insurance. If you are hurt en route to the station or on the fireground, you are covered by health insurance and workmans comp



This is what we has: http://www.vfbaofmn.com/

Private donations, BINGO at the Legion, meat raffles at the VFW, pull tabs, raffle tickets and membership dues contribute to the fund. It's just a big piggy bank they've started to protect themselves and their fellow FFers in case of injury..


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## Achilles (May 9, 2013)

Trashtruck said:


> Fixed that for you.
> Even in the busiest urban stations, it's not that busy(anymore).



Lol so much ignorance in such a small post :rofl:


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## Fish (May 10, 2013)

A bug a boo of mine and an out dated train of thought

"We don't give Pain meds to a patient complaining of ABD. pain because then the ER Doc can't do an assessment on them..."


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## blindsideflank (May 11, 2013)

Gold hour

Do it cuz the hospital is just gonna do it anyways

Don't do it, we are only 2 blocks from the hospital (ECG and pain control especially)

I don't care what it's is, my job is to get them to the hospital alive so the doctors can figure it out



Although I do find myself saying out loud, k let's calm down we have a and b and c, that's all we need.


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