# GS, a definition please!



## ddritz (Feb 18, 2008)

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and I appreciate all of your insight and patience in helping those of us new to the job.  I've heard the term "GS" used a couple of times in referring to moving or lifting a patient, but when I ask what it means, I haven't had any luck with a clear definition.  Does anyone know what GS stands for?  Thanks!


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## firetender (Feb 20, 2008)

ddritz said:


> Hi everyone,
> I'm new here and I appreciate all of your insight and patience in helping those of us new to the job. I've heard the term "GS" used a couple of times in referring to moving or lifting a patient, but when I ask what it means, I haven't had any luck with a clear definition. Does anyone know what GS stands for? Thanks!


 
"Gargantuan Slab" ?
"Groin Snap!" ?
"Get Sistence" ?
"Grab a Sheriff" ?
"Golly :censored::censored::censored::censored:!" ?

Neva hoid of it.


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## mcvey7218 (Feb 20, 2008)

I have never heard of it either.  Could it have been "GCS"?


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## VentMedic (Feb 20, 2008)

What did the person using the term say it meant? 

I have heard it once or twice for a Groin Strain although that is not in any medical dictionaries as that.   It also has a couple of other derogatory meanings but those are probably region specific. 

In the hospital it is a lab abbreviation for Gram Stain.


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## ffemt8978 (Feb 20, 2008)

Go Slow?  I've never heard of it either.


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## JPINFV (Feb 21, 2008)

I've heard it used as the name of the 2 person patient transfer where one person grabs the legs and the other person comes up from under the arms and grabing the opposite wrist. I don't know what the letters "GS" stand for, though.


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## KEVD18 (Feb 21, 2008)

alright, ill admit i waited till some of the other folks chimed in hoping they would come up with teh answer and we'd be done with it but since everbody else is drawing a blank i tried as well.

i looked in my bls text, my als texts, tabers, bls flip guide, als flip guides and emailed a few guys i know on the job, two of whom have been around longer than i have been alive. all roads point to it being an abbreviation made up by that guy. nobodies ever heard of it. ask him, he'll prob tell you but keep in mind, he prob made it up.


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## firecoins (Feb 21, 2008)

nope, never heard it.


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## MissEllie (Feb 23, 2008)

Doesn't GS mean the "coma scale"?


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## Ridryder911 (Feb 23, 2008)

GS= gomer scooper

R/r 911


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## 1799687 (Mar 6, 2008)

GSW? Gunshot Wound


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## TKO (Mar 7, 2008)

Group Supervisor (MCI)


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## Ops Paramedic (Mar 10, 2008)

We call them "Granny bashers".  (...you can learn a lot from these calls)


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## certguy (Mar 10, 2008)

Goo Stoppers ?????????


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## onegez52 (Jun 2, 2012)

GS means "Georgia Street" lift. Found that out watching The Closer, season 6 episode 10.


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## Achilles (Jun 2, 2012)

onegez52 said:


> GS means "Georgia Street" lift. Found that out watching The Closer, season 6 episode 10.



Ding ding ding we have a winner!
http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=15015


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## onegez52 (Jun 2, 2012)

*OLD post*

I was surprised that someone read my reply being the original post is so old.  I was watching "The Closer" and EMS mentioned a GS lift. Of course, I had to Google it. No luck there. A few minutes later one of the detectives said it again and gave the meaning.  You are not offensive at all. I'm a New Yorker with thick skin who is just filled with sarcasm.


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## JPINFV (Jun 2, 2012)

onegez52 said:


> I was surprised that someone read my reply being the original post is so old.




Threads are listed in reverse chronological order based on the last post.


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## Achilles (Jun 2, 2012)

onegez52 said:


> I was surprised that someone read my reply being the original post is so old.  I was watching "The Closer" and EMS mentioned a GS lift. Of course, I had to Google it. No luck there. A few minutes later one of the detectives said it again and gave the meaning.  You are not offensive at all. I'm a New Yorker with thick skin who is just filled with sarcasm.



Honestly, I rarely look at dates for the original posts, but now I have a reason not to view your posts


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## Bullets (Jun 2, 2012)

Garden State

Goldman Sachs

Gilbert's Syndrome

General Schedule


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## Bruiser (Jun 6, 2012)

Georgia street lift. originally used by LAFD to lift drunks up from the sidewalk of  Georgia street in Los Angeles. its basically a 2 person lift. one person gets behind the patient and places their arms under the patients armpits and grabs the opposite wrist so as you form 2 X's and the other person would lift the legs.


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## AnthonyM83 (Jun 7, 2012)

Someone in the other thread said it was no longer considered a standard (he was from Los Angeles). It's definitely a local standard.

Just wondering what others use in other parts of the country as your go-to way putting patients on the gurney. Say those sitting on the couch that can't walk or don't want them to walk and you can't get gurney close enough for a stand/pivot.


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## socalmedic (Jun 8, 2012)

in the 7 years I have been at it, GS means "Georgia Street lift", person one behind the back through the armpits and holds onto the wrist of the PT, person two grabs the knees/ankles and off you go, it is super easy.

that said, I have heard all sorts of explanations of how it got its name and I dont believe any of them. anyone from SoCal should know it as it is taught at every EMT/Medic school I know of. many of the guys in the bay area should know it as well.


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## cmf979 (Jul 12, 2012)

I have heard it stands for Georgia scoop dating back to the civil war as a way they carried wounded soldiers off the battlefield. No idea if its true that's just the only explanation I have gotten


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## bigbaldguy (Jul 12, 2012)

You sure he didn't say this is BS?


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## rfdffpm (Jul 13, 2012)

*Georgia Street*

Georgia Street Lift (GS) is a technique that was used at the Georgia Street receiving hospital next to the LAPD Georgia Street.  The ambulances when backed up to the receiving loading dock or ramp, the crews could not get the gurney out of the ambulance due to the height of the dock not matching up to the ambulance.  The personnel would have the patient cross their arms across the chest, one person would get behind the patient and go under the arms and grab the wrist of the patient.  The other person would grab the legs.  They would then move the patient to another gurney or wheelchair off of the ambulance gurney or the other way.  The Georgia Street Hospital and PD station no longer exist.  The station was moved to the Hollywood Station.  

The Georgia Street Ambulances also called "G" units loaded the patient into the ambulance feet first, just FYI.  The "G" unit terminology was referred to by LAPD on dispatch request and for calling the car on the radio, such as "G-11"  

This technique is still taught in SoCAL and still heavily used.


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## AnthonyM83 (Jul 14, 2012)

rfdffpm said:


> Georgia Street Lift (GS) is a technique that was used at the Georgia Street receiving hospital next to the LAPD Georgia Street.  The ambulances when backed up to the receiving loading dock or ramp, the crews could not get the gurney out of the ambulance due to the height of the dock not matching up to the ambulance.  The personnel would have the patient cross their arms across the chest, one person would get behind the patient and go under the arms and grab the wrist of the patient.  The other person would grab the legs.  They would then move the patient to another gurney or wheelchair off of the ambulance gurney or the other way.  The Georgia Street Hospital and PD station no longer exist.  The station was moved to the Hollywood Station.
> 
> The Georgia Street Ambulances also called "G" units loaded the patient into the ambulance feet first, just FYI.  The "G" unit terminology was referred to by LAPD on dispatch request and for calling the car on the radio, such as "G-11"
> 
> This technique is still taught in SoCAL and still heavily used.


Thank you sir!


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