# Am I just being a n00b? Checking jump bag before shift



## LuvGlock (Jan 10, 2012)

Recently I started working as a medic @ the company I've been at for 2 years.  Our cabinets and jump bags are sealed and tagged by the "supply" person.  

Since I'm now a medic, and ultimately responsible for whatever happens on the rig, I've taken to opening all the cabinets and the jump bag and going through them for myself to make sure everything is there.  Our supply person holds no certifications, FYI.

One of my supervisors said that I don't have to do this, because if it's tagged and sealed, it's good.

Regarding our supply person, as Rick Harrison says, "It's not that I don't trust you.  I just don't trust anybody."

I feel like if SHTF, and I don't have something I need, it's *my* fault, not the supply person's.

Am I just being a n00b?


----------



## emt6207 (Jan 10, 2012)

LuvGlock said:


> Recently I started working as a medic @ the company I've been at for 2 years.  Our cabinets and jump bags are sealed and tagged by the "supply" person.
> 
> Since I'm now a medic, and ultimately responsible for whatever happens on the rig, I've taken to opening all the cabinets and the jump bag and going through them for myself to make sure everything is there.  Our supply person holds no certifications, FYI.
> 
> ...



Absolutely not. Granted I'm still looking for my first job but I've been on a ride-along and heard stores where they sometimes are in a hurry and don't bother to check everything and have had an ambulance go out to a scene and realize the cot wasn't in there en route, it was taken out for maintenance and a new one wasn't put back in it yet. That ones a bit more obvious but I mean especially the very less used items, you don't think about it till you actually need it and then oops it was used and forgot to be re-stocked.

I agree that it's your responsibility to make sure the team before hand or in your case the supply person stocked it correctly. You don't want to be out there and go uhm...crap!


----------



## Sandog (Jan 10, 2012)

Check the gear, cause it's your rear...


----------



## hoop762 (Jan 10, 2012)

Trust, but verify. 

Always check your gear

Sent from my Incredible 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jan 10, 2012)

I don't trust most people, and there's a crew that I follow that I _really_ don't trust...

I came in to relieve a crew at 0630 a few days ago. They did the pass down report, "we only did a few calls, the truck is fueled, the gear is good..." then we got banged out on a call, and I hadn't checked the gear. "Eh," I thought, "He said it was all good..."

I got on scene and found my gear had no glucometer, no start kit in the IV wrap and no blood tubes for the blood draw. Oh, and 1 20g angio. 

WTF?

How is that gear "good"?

I check everything...to at least make sure it's all there, every shift.


----------



## emscrazy1 (Jan 10, 2012)

If I were to break the seals every shift I'd probably get yelled at.


----------



## Veneficus (Jan 10, 2012)

I am not a fan of the sealed cabinet system. 

I like to look for the gear myself, so in a pinch I know where things are at. Especially if something has to be improvised.

If you can't find what you need, it doesn't exist.

There is also certain gear it pays to have more of. 

I can go through 4 x 4s like water from a tap. 

I like to know if there is a scalpel or those damn plastic scissors in the OB kit. 

Speaking of scalpels, there should be big ones, not those tiny little blades designed for abscess drainage. 

Scalpels are knives, not saws and are used as the former not the later.

Tape is another thing that needs to be plentyful and easily dispensed.  There can never be enough of the silk or clear tearable tape.

Most important, during a call is not the first time you should be seeing or touching rarely used equipment.


----------



## Fish (Jan 10, 2012)

Question:

Is anything written into the company policy regarding this?


----------



## Epi-do (Jan 10, 2012)

I check all my equipment, every shift.  It is something that was pounded into my head from the very beginning.  It really doesn't matter if the off going crew says everything is good, once I am on the truck it is my responsibility to make sure that it really is good.


----------



## Ramis46 (Jan 10, 2012)

Yeah our service checks our own trucks. If people from other departments are checking your stuff, they could potentionaly let something slip, then its on you. We are the ones Ultamintly responsible.


----------



## medicdan (Jan 10, 2012)

OP, as a new employee, you should be strongly reccomended to open all cabinets and bags, so you are entirely familiar with the layout and contents. It's worth thinking through where you would get all of the supply or equipment for a specific call type-- (for an arrest, for example). 

With that said, if there's only one person doing the checks and seals, you're probably in good shape. Once you get used to the truck, and have a handle that the supply person is meeting the listed standards, you can probably tone down your seal breakage.


----------



## epipusher (Jan 10, 2012)

I would check that the sealed bags is a documented company policy or sop.If not, and the supervisor says you'll be fine since its tagged, I would ask for that in writing.  If he says no, or chuckles at this request, I personally would check them every time.


----------



## Ewok Jerky (Jan 10, 2012)

doesnt have to be a "trust" issue. it can simply be that you want to know the location of every piece of equipment on the rig.  

i check out my rig 100% at the start of the rotation and about 80% every other day. the 20% thats left over i figure i would hear about the crew using it cause it would be a code or something out of the ordinary for us.

if anybody other than the normal crew is in my rig its a 100% checked out when i hop in.


----------



## WolfmanHarris (Jan 10, 2012)

Start of the set of shifts I check every bag, every compartment, every cabinet, equipment in the cab and fluids under the hood.

Every shift I check every bag, check all the major equipment in the compartments and give the cabinets a cursory look for major equipment.

If pick up a truck direct from its quarterly standardization I pop the seals but only because at our station we have a couple of tiny differences on how we keep or gear.

If we got our truck every day sealed and tagged, I would probably get comfortable leaving it that way.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 10, 2012)

Having been a trauma bag system manager, I can tell you every opened seal has to be completely turned out and re-inventoried, then re-sealed. If anything is missing, fine, replace it. But when I found someone was consistently opening the seals (or in my case,  sometimes opening them and resealing them with other seals!) I had a talk with them and made a memo for record.
In my case, I was supposed to completely inventory twenty-two trauma bags, spread out over fifteen acres (some in areas I had to go find someone to open up), each with about eighteen types of items, every day; theoretically, every shift, but I wasn't there 24/7. It took me six hours a day to do that, and I was so busy counting I couldn't get to resupply when it was needed. Pilferage was high. I talked them into a seal and inspect system, I winnowed the inspections down to forty-five  minutes TOTAL, was able to pinpoint trouble locations and address them; after the first six months, things were on an even keel. (Our other facility did not  do that; with only ten bags in a single building, they lost three outright [$485 each], the others were constantly out of stock, and they were all discontinued and then disappeared without going through disposal, i.e., stolen).

The alternatives are you have lots of people responsible for what's in the kits so when something is gone, then no _*one*_ is truly responsible; or, one person is given responsibility and authority, but since it would take too  much time and effort each and every sift to inventory each and every sealed kit, you go to a seals and inspection system.

If you are concerned, and especially if stuff is missing, then go to your boss and volunteer to take it over. If you just think you want different stuff, then talk to the boss again, but do not go opening kits and mucking about; everyone has their own likings and civil war will break out. Or, if you like having more of certain articles, bring extras of your own.

When I get to a field setup or an unfamiliar setting, I go through it all, cleaning and checking for outdates and condition but mentally tallying where it all is, and looking particularly for little personal hoards to break up and restock. Then either I reinspect each time I come on, or I seal it.


----------



## fortsmithman (Jan 10, 2012)

With my Volly service our shifts when we are on call are oone week.  We can do what we want but when the tones go off we return to our hall.  Before each week long shift we check everything from the cot to the trauma bag we check everything and restock as needed.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 10, 2012)

Ideally the responding team will clean, restock and replace the kits they used after every run (the run isn't over 'til you're ready to go again, like new). Instead, we toss the trash back into the kit, slug it back into its cubbyhole, get back to station and declare Miller Time.


----------



## LuvGlock (Jan 10, 2012)

There is no company policy. 

If I had thr same truck and bag, I'd be happy to seal and leave it, but its different every day.

I'm going to talk to the boss and see what he says.

Thanks for the thoughts, all.


----------



## Tigger (Jan 11, 2012)

Our sealed cabinet and bag system is too convoluted to trust.

The outgoing crew is expected to leave an equipment request form on the windshield at end of shift, and a supervisor is supposed to fill it. However, non-disposable items are obviously stored in these cabinets as well, so they get broken everyday and often times no request form is left so the cabinet just gets sealed after a quick glance. If the outgoing crew forgets that they used a disposable and doesn't request a replacement, the cabinet or bag gets sealed and no one knows. I don't like the system, and will break seals at the start of shift if I can't see all the equipment. With the bag I make sure the 02 is full and that the frequently used stuff is all there.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jan 11, 2012)

Medics are assigned first out and airway bags and are responsible for them.

Units are stocked using a speed-load setup and every unit is laid out identically. If we start popping cabinets and breaking into the shrink-wrapped bins just to check we'd get ripped a new one.

Our VSTs are all at least EMT-B if not I or P and are good at what they do. They take offense if you recheck their work.

The monitors get checked seeing as we aren't assigned to them.

That's our system though.


----------



## rmabrey (Jan 11, 2012)

We rarely break the cabinets open, however there are a few things I peek in for(tourniquets and alcohol swabs). First in bag, drugs, back up drugs, 02, back boards, and monitor get checked everyday. 

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk


----------



## Nervegas (Jan 11, 2012)

We don't have a seal system, and for some reason, every truck is different. We are "assigned" trucks for our shift, I get generally the same truck for the 4 days im on shift Sun-Wed. However, it gets used in the days off and people move stuff around.

Last Sun I came in for my shift and the cot, toughbook, toughbook charger, all 3 extra portable O2 cylinders, nasal cannulas and airway bag had been stolen by another crew sometime between wed and sun.

Needless to say, I check each and every cabinet and bag before I leave the station, because you never know whats going to turn up missing.


----------



## 325Medic (Jan 11, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> I don't trust most people, and there's a crew that I follow that I _really_ don't trust...
> 
> I came in to relieve a crew at 0630 a few days ago. They did the pass down report, "we only did a few calls, the truck is fueled, the gear is good..." then we got banged out on a call, and I hadn't checked the gear. "Eh," I thought, "He said it was all good..."
> 
> ...





Yeah, I would have stroked seeing that. I check everything and if I find something missing, I usually stab somebody until they bleed, then they apologize but thats just me, an overall neurotic.:rofl:

325.


----------



## fast65 (Jan 11, 2012)

My company doesn't do a "tag and seal" system, so I can't really speak as to whether or not you're just being a "noob". Me personally, I would probably do the same thing, just because I don't really trust most people. Unless it's company policy to NOT open the seal to check, then I'll do it; quite honestly, I don't give a crap if it offends the people who stocked the ambulance, they're not the ones who have to improvise if a piece of equipment isn't there. 

As for my company though, I've experienced the same thing as n7lxi where the off-going crew said the gear was all good and I find that we're missing things when I go over the rig.


----------



## phideux (Jan 11, 2012)

Our ambulances have no sealed compartments or bags. I check off the ambulance every shift I run. If I don't lay my hands on it personally, It's not there.


----------



## EMS123 (Jan 11, 2012)

phideux said:


> Our ambulances have no sealed compartments or bags. I check off the ambulance every shift I run. If I don't lay my hands on it personally, It's not there.



I completely agree. With all this being said… I like doing my rig checks with the PW, I’ve seen people tell me it wasn’t necessary because they knew where everything is and what we are suppose to have.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jan 11, 2012)

fast65 said:


> Unless it's company policy to NOT open the seal to check, then I'll do it; quite honestly, I don't give a crap if it offends the people who stocked the ambulance, they're not the ones who have to improvise if a piece of equipment isn't there.



Agreed however they are held to very high standards here. If we are missing something an occurrence report get's written and the VST who stocked the unit gets talked to. If there's a pattern they are gone. Same as if we are popping bins we don't need constantly we will get talked to and if you continue to do it there will be administrative actions taken. 

We run too busy of a system to fully check our ambulances before every shift. We check certain things such as o2 levels a quick look in the cabinets to check if a bin is missing and monitor supplies but I have yet to find something missing or misplaced when I needed it.

Edit: The field crew does a required monthly med check at the start of each month for expired or compromised meds or other materials with expiration dates.


----------



## Aidey (Jan 11, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Medics are assigned first out and airway bags and are responsible for them.
> 
> Units are stocked using a speed-load setup and every unit is laid out identically. If we start popping cabinets and breaking into the shrink-wrapped bins just to check we'd get ripped a new one.
> 
> ...



The agency where I did my internship was very similar to this. Nothing was shrink wrapped, but everything was tagged, and if you were breaking tags just to check you would get hunted down and chewed out. 

They were understanding if a crew had a student or whatever (my medic left them a note explaining) but having to inventory every single cabinet for no good reason did not make them happy. 

Frankly, once you know what is where leave things tagged. I agree with Mycrofft that continuing to break all of the seals all of the time will cause issues for you.


----------



## ricardo007 (Jan 11, 2012)

*I always do.*

I have been a paramedic for 3 years and ALWAYS check.


----------



## RocketMedic (Jan 11, 2012)

My agency conducts a full inventory every day. With our (very) low call volume and assigned trucks, it gets redundant. We do seal-and-inspect the narcotics with the hospital's pharmacist and each medic checks the drug boxes at the beginning of their shift.

On my truck, EMS1, I tend to move everything onto the cot (suction, med bag, trauma bag, airway bag). My usual partner likes it. The EMT-I who occasionally works with me and thinks he runs things because he's a full-timer hates me for it, which led to a "my truck, my policy, and if you can't find the bright red med box in plain view, you need to get smarter" talk. 

Seriously, who complains about gear being accessible, appropriately portable, and well-marked?


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jan 11, 2012)

Is it secured in a compartment before you move it to the cot? Because I'm thinking all that stuff just laying there on the cot becomes projectiles when you crash.


----------



## Tigger (Jan 11, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Is it secured in a compartment before you move it to the cot? Because I'm thinking all that stuff just laying there on the cot becomes projectiles when you crash.



The trauma bag only has to come through the pass-through once to make sure that those that like all the stuff on the cot put a seatbelt through a handle on each bag/monitor.


----------



## BigBad (Jan 14, 2012)

Better to check every shift than run on that one call and not have an IV start which happened to me last week.  whose fault was that ?  me myself and I.


----------



## epipusher (Jan 15, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Is it secured in a compartment before you move it to the cot? Because I'm thinking all that stuff just laying there on the cot becomes projectiles when you crash.



it's easier when you are running back to back calls to just pull out the cot with everything ready to go.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jan 16, 2012)

epipusher said:


> it's easier when you are running back to back calls to just pull out the cot with everything ready to go.



I'm not concerned about ease, I'm more interested in crew safety when the truck is hit and all of that unsecured equipment becomes projectiles. 

We continuously preach safety to our crews and then some of us intentionally bypass the engineering controls (not stowing equipment in secured compartments, not locking a monitor into a bracket, not wearing a seatbelt) and then wonder why EMTs and medics get killed in ambulance wrecks. 

SMH.


----------



## Chimpie (Jan 16, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Is it secured in a compartment before you move it to the cot? Because I'm thinking all that stuff just laying there on the cot becomes projectiles when you crash.





epipusher said:


> it's easier when you are running back to back calls to just pull out the cot with everything ready to go.



His question was, is everything secured to the cot?  You know, with straps?  Or are they just sitting on top?


----------



## shfd739 (Jan 16, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> I'm not concerned about ease, I'm more interested in crew safety when the truck is hit and all of that unsecured equipment becomes projectiles.
> 
> We continuously preach safety to our crews and then some of us intentionally bypass the engineering controls (not stowing equipment in secured compartments, not locking a monitor into a bracket, not wearing a seatbelt) and then wonder why EMTs and medics get killed in ambulance wrecks.
> 
> SMH.



Nice to know Im not the only one. I saw a pic last year, I think it was on emsclosecalls.com, that showed where a LP12 flew against the front wall of an ambulance during a wreck striking the cabinet door. The door had the distinct impression of a LP12 face left in it. The medic was sitting in the captains chair about a foot from where the monitor hit the cabinet. I cant find the pic now that I want to save it. If I remember the details correctly the wreck wasnt the unit's fault; another vehicle crossed the center line and hit them head on.

It isnt that hard to throw a stretcher strap thru a bag handle, thru the monitor handle and to keep the O2 bottles in a secured holder. Everything is still on the cot but it keeps the projectiles down.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jan 16, 2012)

That's better than nothing, but look for pictures of what happens to the stretcher in an ambulance accident. Everything is thrown around.


----------



## shfd739 (Jan 16, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> That's better than nothing, but look for pictures of what happens to the stretcher in an ambulance accident. Everything is thrown around.



Yep. We had a unit roll last year and it opened up the eyes of our medics as to what can happen and where stuff will go. We're very safety focused and still learned a few things that led to changes in how items are stored.


----------



## Veneficus (Jan 16, 2012)

shfd739 said:


> Yep. We had a unit roll last year and it opened up the eyes of our medics as to what can happen and where stuff will go. We're very safety focused and still learned a few things that led to changes in how items are stored.



It is a shame it always takes a disaster before people pay attention to these things...


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 16, 2012)

The loaded litter tends to become totally loaded, so if the back needs to be brought up to make a tight corner the stuff has to come off.
How about saving those six seconds by pre packing a backpack, stowing it in an outer compartment in a position where you just back up to it, put on the straps, and walk a way as you draw the straps tight?








Or rapid response seat with backpacked kit in the rear?






Or just take a breath and use those six seconds while you gather kits to mentally switch gears from "drive" to "scene safety/survey", then "treat"?


----------



## epipusher (Jan 16, 2012)

Chimpie said:


> His question was, is everything secured to the cot?  You know, with straps?  Or are they just sitting on top?



Sitting on top. I'd still go for ease of use everytime. If ambulances were wrecking in our area left and right, day in and day out, then I'd stow them in a proper area. But until then(knock on wood)its easier when running 10-14 runs in a 12 hour shift. Yes its absolutely dangerous, but so is smoking, so is playing ice hockey, as well as drinking milk two days after the use by date. All of which I do on a regular basis.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 16, 2012)

And when the drug kit slides off the cot on a tight turn or a quick downhill decel?
Ease of use comes from a balance of safety, rationality, and familiarity. Otherwise, gonna be a lot of Pelican boxes lying around on the scene


----------



## shfd739 (Jan 16, 2012)

epipusher said:


> Sitting on top. I'd still go for ease of use everytime. If ambulances were wrecking in our area left and right, day in and day out, then I'd stow them in a proper area. But until then(knock on wood)its easier when running 10-14 runs in a 12 hour shift. Yes its absolutely dangerous, but so is smoking, so is playing ice hockey, as well as drinking milk two days after the use by date. All of which I do on a regular basis.



And the extra 20 seconds to buckle and unbuckle cot straps from around the gear wont slow you down. 

Have and Have Nots: The Haves, have had a significant vehicle incident involving equipment and personnel damage and understand the need to secure items and be safe. Securing gear while traveling is done without question.

The Have Nots see vehicle incidents as infrequent and think it wont happen to them. When it does finally happen the equipment and personnel damage will be severe. 

Then they become a Have and that 20 seconds to buckle the straps around gear isnt the inconvience it was once seen as.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jan 16, 2012)

epipusher said:


> Sitting on top. I'd still go for ease of use everytime. If ambulances were wrecking in our area left and right, day in and day out, then I'd stow them in a proper area. But until then(knock on wood)its easier when running 10-14 runs in a 12 hour shift. Yes its absolutely dangerous, but so is smoking, so is playing ice hockey, as well as drinking milk two days after the use by date. All of which I do on a regular basis.



A busy system isn't an excuse. I work in a busy system. We put stuff on the cot and we buckle it in. It doesn't take that long to buckle or unbuckle it.

Unfortunately we don't have monitor mounts but crews still secure it with a seatbelt while we provide pt care.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 16, 2012)

Back to OP, no you're not a noob, you're being smart. I'm betting you are not the troublesome 90% that mess stuff up and require things to be sealed.

Buried in my first reply was that someone at one point got hold of similar seals and was resealing the (my) kit bags after they had made their modifications. I had to record and track serial numbers on the seals for a while, then got that onto the grapevine. AND I changed seals three times and told the supervisors NOT to leave them lying around and NOT to give them to people to reinspect and reseal the kits for the supervisors.

If your system is that corrupt, then yeah, I'd be opening them every shift, too.


----------



## Medic Tim (Jan 16, 2012)

I work in a system where we tag cabinets and bags. I hate it. You never know what you will find ( or not be able to find) if I don't check things out for myself. I. Have been burned before.


----------



## Tigger (Jan 16, 2012)

epipusher said:


> Sitting on top. I'd still go for ease of use everytime. If ambulances were wrecking in our area left and right, day in and day out, then I'd stow them in a proper area. But until then(knock on wood)its easier when running 10-14 runs in a 12 hour shift. Yes its absolutely dangerous, but so is smoking, so is playing ice hockey, as well as drinking milk two days after the use by date. All of which I do on a regular basis.



You don't have to crash the truck to create a projectile. All it takes is a hard stop to _avoid_ the crash. And while you might accept the risk, your partner may not, and I'm betting the other motorists and pedestrians on the road do not either. Unsecured projectiles equals a distracted driver.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 17, 2012)

If they seal the kits and cabinets, and the contents are not in accordance with the official list, the director or manager needs to know. They may be looking at someone stealing supplies, or intentionally shorting supplies, or someone with seals making it look bad for the supply person.

Do they let just anyone seal a kit or cabinet? Shouldn't.

If the current supply person isn't doing their job, volunteer. Maybe a way to start climbing the stepladder into admin!


----------



## LifelongEMT (Jan 17, 2012)

Im a TRUE noob im only an EMT-IV and have been for only 6 months but i work for a private service but not old enough to drive so i staff a full time BLS truck. Every morning I check everything on my truck and trauma bags and always will. Guess thats just one of my habbits...But I still have things come up missing from my truck where other crews were taking it off my truck. so i guess its good to always check your stuff out.


----------



## bw2529 (Jan 18, 2012)

As a student and a member of a volunteer service, I like doing the occasional rig check. It helps me remind myself of where things are, what thing are, and what they are used for. I usually try to have the driver and/or primary medic there so I can ask any questions while doing it ("where is that again?" "and how do you use that?").

I'll probably still do it more frequently than most once I'm cleared, but probably not every shift. If it is sealed, it more than likely has more than what is required, if anything.


----------



## DesertMedic66 (Jan 18, 2012)

Pretty much all of our rigs are set up differently and the bags can vary also. If I'm getting 1 unit for the entire week and no one else is going to use it then I will only check it out on the first shift. If I get a different unit every day then I will check everything out everyday. 

I made the mistake of not checking out a unit during my FTO time. The one day I didn't check the rig out is the day where our monitor was missing the main cable that we didn't notice until after the first call.


----------



## jjesusfreak01 (Jan 18, 2012)

Nowhere I have worked has ever used seals on more than one or two rarely used items (for example, the peds bag). We are responsible for everything being on the truck, and this works well. There was one circumstance where a sealed box was missing a drug that I actually intended to use, and I was a little upset about that, and the district chief was notified. Luckily, the pt ended up not being aware enough to use actidose.

That said, I think if you are going to have a seal system, you have to enforce it religiously, with punishments for those who seal bags and leave items missing. Otherwise, it just won't work.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 18, 2012)

Precisely


----------



## snaps10 (Jan 19, 2012)

Doesn't matter what anyone else says.  Like you said, you're the medic, you're in charge.  
It's going to be the little everyday things we use that's going to be over looked because it's assumed they're always there.


----------



## Martyn (Jan 19, 2012)

emscrazy1 said:


> If I were to break the seals every shift I'd probably get yelled at.


 
2nd that one


----------



## cruiseforever (Jan 19, 2012)

Our system uses seals.  When checking my rig, if I break them I replace them.  Keeps everone happy.


----------



## mycrofft (Jan 19, 2012)

Cruise, are the seals controlled, and do you complete a specific item by item checklist each time? Do you ever seal a kit without some components because they aren't available?


----------



## WuLabsWuTecH (Jan 22, 2012)

So at my full time service EVERYTHING gets checked out.  There is one 24 hour paid guy on per day, and 3 day shift paid guys.  These 4 are responsible for checking EVERYTHING in regards to supplies each day.  There are some weekly checks like oil level, coolant level, Fire Extinguisher, Gun Safe, etc. but medical supplies are daily.  This mean number of supplies, as well as every single intubation blade's bulb.  Since they have 2 trucks to check plus the back up truck, truck checks each day take over an hour.  It can be done in just shy of an hour if the 5th man on duty (a volunteer) helps out.

The only things that are sealed are the pediatric broslow kit, and the drug kits.  All the seals are signed for, so in the event a drug kit is not stocked correctly, we will know exactly who fouled up.  If it must be resealed without being full, then a note is left in the seal logbook, in the station notes for the oncoming crew, and a note is taped to a full 8.5x11 sheet of paper across the front of the box such that whomever is doing the next truck check is able to see immediately that there is a varience in the drug kit.

The only reason we seal the broslow kit is for convinience--it's rarely used and checking three of them daily would add another 30 minutes to the truck check time.  Also, once a Broslow kit is used, it's done.  We take it out of service and grab a new one off the cabinet.  The full-timer ordering supplies will go through it using a checklist the company provides, send in the completed checklist with missing parts, and they send us the replacements before it gets sealed again.

The only reason we seal the drug kits is to keep track of who used them.  Since any of our trucks can be a squad, advanced squad, or medic on any given run, we need to keep the basic drugs separate from the intermediate drugs, from the medic drugs.

Also, because after 4pm, only one full-time staff mamber is on, this means the rest of the crews can be responding from home.  If that is the case, they need to know their truck is checked out and ready to go.

So I guess the take home message of this is: if you have highly trained people checking out the truck each day then the chance of error is slim.  Does it happen still? yes.  But at some point, yo got to learn to trust the guys you with to a certain extent.  If we checked out our own trucks before every run at night, you'd be waiting a long time to get help...


----------



## cruiseforever (Jan 23, 2012)

mycrofft said:


> Cruise, are the seals controlled, and do you complete a specific item by item checklist each time? Do you ever seal a kit without some components because they aren't available?




Seals are not controlled.  All the bins and compartments are labeled with what goes in them and the number of each item. I would not seal a compartment or bag unless all items are there.


----------



## epipusher (Jan 24, 2012)

smh at some of these responses


----------

