# FTO Questions....



## emtstudent04 (Jun 6, 2010)

I'm going on 2 ride a longs with a company for possible employment and i was wondering if anyone knew what the FTO's ask you while your doing your field training? What kind of questions do they ask you on or test you on? Protocols?

Sorry if this is a thread thats all ready been posted.


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## Porkchop (Jun 6, 2010)

Hey, I did the 2 ride-alongs with the same company you are, so I can give you some advice, I guess.  Expect anything and everything.  Protocols, acronyms (big one, they asked me just about every acronym), along with various medical questions (like the different types of stroke, etc.)

And if you don't know the answer, say so.  Don't BS it.  Of course, think about it.  Don't give up if you don't know it right away.  Some of the acronyms didn't come to me, but I thought for a while and then remembered them.  One of the FTO's told me it was good that I told him I didn't know something he asked.

Good luck.


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 6, 2010)

Hey can u send me a pm all the acronyms im sure i know most of then what is the AEIOUTIPS one and START?


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## adamjh3 (Jun 6, 2010)

It depends on who you're riding with. My first ride was with two _awesome_ EMT's who were on top of their game, they both were near the end of their paramedic school, seemed very knowledgable (to me anyway) and acted like they loved their jobs. They worked with me on my Pt. Assessments and ran with me through local protocols. 

My second ride was with two burnt-out EMT's, didn't really talk to me much, we spent the majority of the time just kickin' it at one of their girlfriend's house. 

So, in fewer words your answer is "it depends."


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 7, 2010)

Well i want to be pre paired so if anyone can send me any acronyms i would greatly appreciate it


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## JPINFV (Jun 7, 2010)

San Diego acronyms:

http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/phs/documents/EMS-PolicyProtocolManual_2009online.pdf

PDF page 88

START= Simple Triage And Rapid Transport. It's the MCI triage system used throughout most of California. 

AEIOU-TIPS is a mnemonic for remembering causes of ALOC.

The way I learned it (there's multiple versions)
Alcohol
Epilepsy
Insulin (diabetes)
Overdose
Underdose
-
Trauma
Infection
Psych
Stroke


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## feldy (Jun 7, 2010)

I just did a ride along last week. While he wasnt really an FTO he would ask me a lot of scenario questions that you definately wouldnt see in class but would see a lot of in the field. Also he told me to start learning to read pts, how they react to certain things you ask them whether he are hesitant or respond too quickly especially related to pain scale. (somtimes a sign of an addict or someone just trying to seek attention). Also we had an MVA and although fd was already on scene he would walk around the scene with me while the other EMT would check out the pts (both non critical and signed refusals). Definately dont bs...it makes you look stupid and ignorant, if you dont know say you dont know or you are not sure and ask questions...like why did you do this for this pt and not the other and stuff like that.


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 7, 2010)

Porkchop did you get hired with the company or no? What happened after your 2 ride a longs?

Thank you guys for the advise i really do appreciate it.


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## Porkchop (Jun 7, 2010)

emtstudent04 said:


> Porkchop did you get hired with the company or no? What happened after your 2 ride a longs?
> 
> Thank you guys for the advise i really do appreciate it.



I did the ride alongs, and then didn't hear from them for 2 weeks.  I called a few times, but they would never give me a definitive answer.  Then, they told me I didn't get it, without giving me a reason.  

It really sucked to put in all that effort, and spend all that time worrying and wondering, and then to be crushed by a 30 second phone call.  

Sorry, wound's still a little fresh.


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## adamjh3 (Jun 7, 2010)

Porkchop said:


> It really sucked to put in all that effort, and spend all that time worrying and wondering, and then to be crushed by a 30 second phone call.
> 
> Sorry, wound's still a little fresh.



Sounds like a nasty break-up my buddy just had.


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## Porkchop (Jun 7, 2010)

adamjh3 said:


> Sounds like a nasty break-up my buddy just had.



Lol, yeah, that's kinda how it felt.


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 8, 2010)

So i went on the ride a long yesterday and i don't think it went very well. The FTO said that im very book smart and i know my stuff. He gave me a paper with the ICHART on it and he said he would go over it with me and he barely touched on it, so i had a very difficult time grasping it. At the end of the day he said the reason why he didn't go over it with me was because i didn't ask questions so he figured that i just knew it. Well i guess i missunderstood him when he told me he would go over it with me and he didn't. He also said that my patient assesments need to get better and that i know what im doing but they need to get better and in my head i was like ok thats true, but what do you expect from someone who doesnt have much experience with patient contact. Like honestly what do expect a brand new EMT-B to do? We all need training and experiance when it comes to that and the way we get that is gaining experience with making patient contact. So i don't know was kind of frustrated with the ride a long. I knew i could of done better but i know that i need more patient contacts to get better.


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## feldy (Jun 8, 2010)

During ride alongs, you really need to take the iniative and speak up and ask alot of questions. Unfortunately, Pt. assessments is where all of us new emts need work on and its really hard to get good at it if we are not doing it on a regular basis. They asked me the other day on my ride if i knew how to document and I told them besides the basic (very basic) sheet we had to fill out in class, i have never done it and would not feel comfortable doing it on my own especially as a 3rd rider and not and employee. Same thing with other small yet important things like using the radio. Our CMED is very picky on how to give reports and entry notes to receiving facilities. As for the PT. assessment, keep doing the ride alongs and each time, ask them if they can walk you through the assessment as they do it and maybe do it on your own once and have them help you along the way. Because im finding it hard to find temporary employment, im doing ride alongs to try to increase my pt contact and general experience.


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 8, 2010)

feldy said:


> During ride alongs, you really need to take the iniative and speak up and ask alot of questions. Unfortunately, Pt. assessments is where all of us new emts need work on and its really hard to get good at it if we are not doing it on a regular basis. They asked me the other day on my ride if i knew how to document and I told them besides the basic (very basic) sheet we had to fill out in class, i have never done it and would not feel comfortable doing it on my own especially as a 3rd rider and not and employee. Same thing with other small yet important things like using the radio. Our CMED is very picky on how to give reports and entry notes to receiving facilities. As for the PT. assessment, keep doing the ride alongs and each time, ask them if they can walk you through the assessment as they do it and maybe do it on your own once and have them help you along the way. Because im finding it hard to find temporary employment, im doing ride alongs to try to increase my pt contact and general experience.



Well this was for an employment opportunity that a company was doing for possible new hire's. I know i should have asked questions which is something that is making me mad because i should have. It's a company that has you do 2 ride alongs then if they like you they may offer you employment. I just missunderstood the FTO about the ICHART for the narrative section because he told me at the start of the shift he would go over it with me and he didn't he barely touched on it and then proceed to tell me that he didn't go over it more because i didn't ask any questions on it. Well i did ask a few questions on it but not very many. I just feel like the FTO should have gone through the paper work with me while we had 4 hours of down time and he didn't, but what can you do.


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## terrible one (Jun 8, 2010)

emtstudent04 said:


> I just feel like the FTO should have gone through the paper work with me while we had 4 hours of down time and he didn't, but what can you do.



What were you doing for 4 hours? Why didn't *you* ask him to go over it with you?


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 8, 2010)

I was going over the ICHART and the FTO was asking me other questions not regarding the ICHART testing me on my knowledge of a EMT-B which i did very well on, he seemed and told me that i know my stuff im book smart. I know i should of asked more questions about it. I did ask a few though and he did answer them for me, but he told me when we were posting he was going to go over the paper work with me. I know i should have taken it upon my self to indulge in it and get the things i needed clairfied. I think i just missunderstood him. All i can do now is take it as a learning experience now and ill know what to expect next time this comes around through a different company.


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## feldy (Jun 8, 2010)

have you done your second ride yet?


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 8, 2010)

feldy said:


> have you done your second ride yet?



No, the FTO said that he has to give his evaluation to his supervisor then his supervisor will talk to the owner and then they will call you. I never got a call back today so i don't think ill be hearing from them.


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## feldy (Jun 8, 2010)

give it a few more days. if you dont hear from them by friday give them a call and maybe ask if you can do another ride with an FTO. That will show that you are still interested. Its all about taking the initiative (a word i hear from my parents daily...its gets old but at least i can try to pass it on).


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 8, 2010)

feldy said:


> give it a few more days. if you dont hear from them by friday give them a call and maybe ask if you can do another ride with an FTO. That will show that you are still interested. Its all about taking the initiative (a word i hear from my parents daily...its gets old but at least i can try to pass it on).



Thanks i will do that for sure.


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## terrible one (Jun 8, 2010)

which company?


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 9, 2010)

terrible one said:


> which company?



I would rather not say due to the fact that maybe some of thier employee's maybe members of this site. Sorry.


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## Shishkabob (Jun 9, 2010)

Could always PM him.



Just sayin'.


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## emtstudent04 (Jun 9, 2010)

True story ill do that.


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