# Picky about the ambulance I drive( random vent)



## victoria17rock (Apr 28, 2021)

I’m venting about pitty stuff lol.Anyone else out there picky about the ambulance they drive ? I’ve had the same ambulance since I started working at the company I’m at (about a year)We do IFTs. My ambulance is the only ambulance that is fully stocked has extra stuff in it it,just has everything and I keep it detailed/clean inside and out. I recently got merged with a new partner and asked for my ambulance 123. I was told yes you can keep your ambo ( 2 days out of the week I was scheduled on my partners) everyone knows that’s my ambulance and there others to choose from. Came to work it was gone, apparently the system wasn’t updated with my rig number.It’s pretty well known at station that I drive this rig 123 five days a week. They take mine because it’s clean and very well stocked (as it should be). None of the rigs are kept up on except for ALS.Honestly I get pissed. There many other rigs that run to choose from. Even though I do my rig checks religiously regardless of what ambulance I’m on,my ambulance has certain things in it that I have accumulated overtime or that there’s not extras laying around station for example a mega mover LOL. I’m the only one that also hangs my ambu bag up where I can reach and not have to open cabinets to get to it. I just like the comfort of not having to scramble around to find items or stock ambulance with items that should be restocked after they are used.Please tell me I’m not alone! Are you picky about the ambulance you drive? What are you most important BLS must haves?Thank you for reading my long rant!


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 28, 2021)

When I was full time on the ambulance I really didn’t care much. We had a vast differences in units. Gas vs diesel. Type 2 vs type 3. As long as the rig was in good running order I didn’t really care. All I really care about is that my response bags are fully stocked and set up in a manner that makes sense.

I did about 2 years of full time BLS IFT and at that point I really didn’t care as I never once had to touch my bags or equipment in the ambulance aside from vital signs equipment.


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## victoria17rock (Apr 28, 2021)

Thank you for your comment!


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## DrParasite (Apr 28, 2021)

To be perfectly honest, you sound pretty annoying.  "your" truck?  overstocking beyond par numbers (you know those numbers are there for a reason, right)?  all for IFTs?  please.  It's a truck, your an employee, and as long as both work, the world is good.  claiming "your truck" makes me think you have an overinflated opinion of yourself, especially as someone who has only been at the company for a year.  The trucks belong to your company, and are assigned by a supervisor/dispatcher.

When I was FT on the truck, we (my unit) had an assigned primary truck and an assigned backup truck.  We were a city 911 truck, and kept a few extra items (for example, we had a stairchair with treads, and a stairchair without treads), as well as had updated maps of our city and our street guide (which I updated).  We had 8 full time staff assigned to the truck, with the occasional part-timer who worked with a full-timer.  Our backup truck was occasionally used by other units (the damn thing would not die), but we tried to avoid our primary truck being given to other units.

By your own words, you do a truck check every day, so you know where all of your equipment is, and you have everything you need.  if you want to hang a BVM from the grab bar, go nuts, it takes 20 seconds to do at the beginning of the shift.  If you think every truck should have a megamover, speak to your management, so they can purchase one for every truck (note: I said truck, not unit, as every physical truck should have a mega mover, and they should stay with that truck).

I did 3 months of IFTs, and I don't think I opened my bags once.  never used a BVM.  didn't care what truck I was in, as long as it worked.  Later on, I did another year or so of IFT/911, where I was 70% IFT and 30% 911, and I tried to get one of the newer trucks, but to be honest, I was assigned to a POS more times than I can recall (there were more old POS truck in our fleet than new ones, because, at the time, we didn't believe in having a long term truck replacement plan).  I also floated around to our suburban 911 trucks, and worked in type 2s and type 3s, depending on the day, with some being better than others, before getting a spot on the city 911 truck.

as for my IFT BLS must haves: a working suction unit, oxygen in the portable and onboard, diesel in the tank.  AC in the summer, heat in the winter.  As long as it meets the state standards for equipment, I'm happy.  I'm happier not spending 12 hrs in a POS, but as long as it works....


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## victoria17rock (Apr 28, 2021)

DrParasite said:


> To be perfectly honest, you sound pretty annoying.  "your" truck?  overstocking beyond par numbers (you know those numbers are there for a reason, right)?  all for IFTs?  please.  It's a truck, your an employee, and as long as both work, the world is good.  claiming "your truck" makes me think you have an overinflated opinion of yourself, especially as someone who has only been at the company for a year.  The trucks belong to your company, and are assigned by a supervisor/dispatcher.
> 
> When I was FT on the truck, we (my unit) had an assigned primary truck and an assigned backup truck.  We were a city 911 truck, and kept a few extra items (for example, we had a stairchair with treads, and a stairchair without treads), as well as had updated maps of our city and our street guide (which I updated).  We had 8 full time staff assigned to the truck, with the occasional part-timer who worked with a full-timer.  Our backup truck was occasionally used by other units (the damn thing would not die), but we tried to avoid our primary truck being given to other units.
> 
> ...


I’m sure I do sound annoying! Don’t want to sound over inflated! AC is absolutely a must lol. Thank you for your response!


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 28, 2021)

It's not your truck. It's the agency's truck. As long as it meets the state requirements for equipment, you have everything you need. 
Don't be a prima donna. It's a bad look.


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## victoria17rock (Apr 28, 2021)

NomadicMedic said:


> It's not your truck. It's the agency's truck. As long as it meets the state requirements for equipment, you have everything you need.
> Don't be a prima donna. It's a bad look.


Thank you for your response!


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## ffemt8978 (Apr 28, 2021)

victoria17rock said:


> I’m sure I do sound annoying! Don’t want to sound over inflated! AC is absolutely a must lol. Thank you for your response!


It's refreshing to see someone able to take criticism and learn from it.  Keep it up, because that ability will help you in the future.


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## Jim37F (Apr 28, 2021)

Well, sounds like you have a perfect opportunity to bring another truck up to your standards if nothing else.

If you find yourself rotating thru 5 different ambulances... you can clean up 5 different ambulances to "your standards".

Sure, mechanical issues are out of your hands, but cleanliness, supply stock, organization? That's all in your hands...

Sounds like no one else cares enough, so it's gonna be up to you to keep things cleaned up. Do it enough times, enough units, and as other crews get used to cleaned units they might actually take more action to help keep them that way/clean up the others a little.

Or maybe not. Idk how the overall culture is (I used to work Los Angeles area IFT, I know how easy it is for companies to be filled with crews who don't give a damn about their rigs as long as they drive from point A to Point B with the patient on the stretcher).

If nothing else, it's better than just complaining about you not getting the one ambulance you want and not doing anything else about the others your complaining about.


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## Emily Starton (May 5, 2021)

ffemt8978 said:


> It's refreshing to see someone able to take criticism and learn from it.  Keep it up, because that ability will help you in the future.


Yup, I usually meet some toxic people that are mad being corrected. This guy receives my thumbs up.


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## victoria17rock (May 6, 2021)

Jim37F said:


> Well, sounds like you have a perfect opportunity to bring another truck up to your standards if nothing else.
> 
> If you find yourself rotating thru 5 different ambulances... you can clean up 5 different ambulances to "your standards".
> 
> ...


Agree. You got it spot on! I appreciate your response! I am glad that you commented and that you got where I was coming from. I apologize if I didn’t explain correctly. I think I didn’t explain my situation correctly and I obviously sounded like a douche bag! You all rock! Thank you for everyone’s comments. I appreciate it all.


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## CarSevenFour (May 9, 2021)

victoria17rock said:


> I’m venting about pitty stuff lol.Anyone else out there picky about the ambulance they drive ? I’ve had the same ambulance since I started working at the company I’m at (about a year)We do IFTs. My ambulance is the only ambulance that is fully stocked has extra stuff in it it,just has everything and I keep it detailed/clean inside and out. I recently got merged with a new partner and asked for my ambulance 123. I was told yes you can keep your ambo ( 2 days out of the week I was scheduled on my partners) everyone knows that’s my ambulance and there others to choose from. Came to work it was gone, apparently the system wasn’t updated with my rig number.It’s pretty well known at station that I drive this rig 123 five days a week. They take mine because it’s clean and very well stocked (as it should be). None of the rigs are kept up on except for ALS.Honestly I get pissed. There many other rigs that run to choose from. Even though I do my rig checks religiously regardless of what ambulance I’m on,my ambulance has certain things in it that I have accumulated overtime or that there’s not extras laying around station for example a mega mover LOL. I’m the only one that also hangs my ambu bag up where I can reach and not have to open cabinets to get to it. I just like the comfort of not having to scramble around to find items or stock ambulance with items that should be restocked after they are used.Please tell me I’m not alone! Are you picky about the ambulance you drive? What are you most important BLS must haves?Thank you for reading my long rant!


Hi Victoria, naw, you're not being picky. Who has time to search for the buried BVM in an emergency? It SHOULD be right there, when you need it. Try holding your breath while you dig around for the bag valve mask and see what I mean! I used to say, "This is the best ambulance in the fleet, because it's mine and I am fully in charge of it and responsible for everything inside of it." I trained a lot of new guys and we had some good times, regardless of what POC rig we were assisgned to, I seemed to be a magnet for dead and dying rigs that had lived far beyond their time. But each one had its own personality, and I would tell stories of where it's been and what it did.  And I loved them all, Modular, Type II, Cadillac, Suburban, I didn't care, it was an ambulance and represented life itself. For, without them, what was I, and how could I do my job without it? The ugliest, old and battered Cadillac assigned to me was something I doted on because he had the scars to prove he had 'been there, done that' and deserved to be treated like the King of the Road-even though he was parked near the newest modular rig that still needed to prove itself in service. I liked your post; it's good to see someone who cares about being nit-picky about serving the public by trying to be your best and know that your rig is the best it can be, ready to handle anything that comes its way.


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## wtferick (May 9, 2021)

Eh. As long as the truck ran and equipment worked. I mostly cared about the station.  LOL


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## DesertMedic66 (May 9, 2021)

CarSevenFour said:


> Hi Victoria, naw, you're not being picky. Who has time to search for the buried BVM in an emergency? It SHOULD be right there, when you need it. Try holding your breath while you dig around for the bag valve mask and see what I mean! I used to say, "This is the best ambulance in the fleet, because it's mine and I am fully in charge of it and responsible for everything inside of it." I trained a lot of new guys and we had some good times, regardless of what POC rig we were assisgned to, I seemed to be a magnet for dead and dying rigs that had lived far beyond their time. But each one had its own personality, and I would tell stories of where it's been and what it did.  And I loved them all, Modular, Type II, Cadillac, Suburban, I didn't care, it was an ambulance and represented life itself. For, without them, what was I, and how could I do my job without it? The ugliest, old and battered Cadillac assigned to me was something I doted on because he had the scars to prove he had 'been there, done that' and deserved to be treated like the King of the Road-even though he was parked near the newest modular rig that still needed to prove itself in service. I liked your post; it's good to see someone who cares about being nit-picky about serving the public by trying to be your best and know that your rig is the best it can be, ready to handle anything that comes its way.


That’s kind of why you should being an equipment check at the start of every single shift. If you know where everything is inside your response bags and inside your cabinet you shouldn’t have to go randomly searching.


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## CarSevenFour (May 10, 2021)

DesertMedic66 said:


> That’s kind of why you should being an equipment check at the start of every single shift. If you know where everything is inside your response bags and inside your cabinet you shouldn’t have to go randomly searching.


Not even a cup of coffee until my unit was fully checked out and stocked. Minimum standards were fine, but I always had plenty of Kerlix and cardboard or inflatable splints, suction catheters over and above the bare minimum (we did a lot of TCs.) Ditto for the BVM, our cots were Model-30s, not a lot of room to carry additional gear like the Strykers have, but there was always a hard cased BVM strapped to the foot of the stretcher or hung on the overhead stretcher hook, near the rear doors, ready to grab as we unloaded the gurney. I think Victoria has the right attitude.


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## FiremanMike (May 20, 2021)

CarSevenFour said:


> Not even a cup of coffee until my unit was fully checked out and stocked.


yeah that’s going to be a no from me dog.


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## CCCSD (May 20, 2021)

I drink my second cup WHILE checking out my rig/boat/A/C...


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## Tigger (May 20, 2021)

FiremanMike said:


> yeah that’s going to be a no from me dog.


Seems like a great for me to do a terrible rig check.


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## FiremanMike (May 20, 2021)

“Hi I’ll have an egg McMuffin please”
“Ok sir would you like a coffee”
“No ma’am, I need to head in and get my truck checked out”


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## MMiz (May 20, 2021)

I'm particular  when it comes to rigs, offices, and supplies, but I've learned that being a good coworker and employee is making the best of the situation.  As a general practice I don't make issue out of anything that is issued to me.

The only deal-breaker for me in EMS was having no cigarette lighter plug for my GPS.  A fuse replacement later and I was good to go.

In non-EMS jobs I've worked in the summer without AC for months, been in windowless offices, and used to have to cover my desk with a tarp every time it rained.  As long as I get paid I keep my head down and keep working.


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## Mitchellmvhs (May 22, 2021)

I’m not super picky about my rig mostly because I used to be in a different ambulance everyday. When I did finally get a shift with the same one everyday I did like to make sure I had stuff in a particular way where I wanted it so it was more suited to how I like things. I have always done a full checkout and knew exactly where things were, but when I had the same one everyday I made sure to move stuff around for more my liking. The only thing for me is I HATE dirty ambulances lol. I’m talking more about people who leave trash and gross residue everywhere and I wipe nearly everything down at the beginning of my shift. Maybe covid made me a germaphobe, but I also feel like it’s embarrassing to have patients in something that looks so unprofessional.


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## NomadicMedic (May 22, 2021)

Mitchellmvhs said:


> I’m not super picky about my rig mostly because I used to be in a different ambulance everyday. When I did finally get a shift with the same one everyday I did like to make sure I had stuff in a particular way where I wanted it so it was more suited to how I like things. I have always done a full checkout and knew exactly where things were, but when I had the same one everyday I made sure to move stuff around for more my liking. The only thing for me is I HATE dirty ambulances lol. I’m talking more about people who leave trash and gross residue everywhere and I wipe nearly everything down at the beginning of my shift. Maybe covid made me a germaphobe, but I also feel like it’s embarrassing to have patients in something that looks so unprofessional.


Different story. If you’ve got guys that are leaving spitter in the front, don’t empty the garbage or don’t ever mop or clean. You’ve got some issues.


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## CarSevenFour (May 24, 2021)

DrParasite said:


> To be perfectly honest, you sound pretty annoying.  "your" truck?  overstocking beyond par numbers (you know those numbers are there for a reason, right)?  all for IFTs?  please.  It's a truck, your an employee, and as long as both work, the world is good.  claiming "your truck" makes me think you have an overinflated opinion of yourself, especially as someone who has only been at the company for a year.  The trucks belong to your company, and are assigned by a supervisor/dispatcher.
> 
> When I was FT on the truck, we (my unit) had an assigned primary truck and an assigned backup truck.  We were a city 911 truck, and kept a few extra items (for example, we had a stairchair with treads, and a stairchair without treads), as well as had updated maps of our city and our street guide (which I updated).  We had 8 full time staff assigned to the truck, with the occasional part-timer who worked with a full-timer.  Our backup truck was occasionally used by other units (the damn thing would not die), but we tried to avoid our primary truck being given to other units.
> 
> ...


So, you berate someone for calling her truck "Mine" but then go on to tell every "annoying" aspect of your glorious life working for a second-rate company hauling interfacility transports all day in second-rate units because they don't trust you enough to give you the 9-1-1 calls. The company gives you the broken down rigs because you are the best man for the job. You have a 'reputation' and you get the lousy rigs and most likely crummy partners no one else wants to work with as well. You might someday get a shiny new ambulance to drive, but first, you need to give up your "minimum standard is good enough for me" attitude.


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## CCCSD (May 24, 2021)

CarSevenFour said:


> So, you berate someone for calling her truck "Mine" but then go on to tell every "annoying" aspect of your glorious life working for a second-rate company hauling interfacility transports all day in second-rate units because they don't trust you enough to give you the 9-1-1 calls. The company gives you the broken down rigs because you are the best man for the job. You have a 'reputation' and you get the lousy rigs and most likely crummy partners no one else wants to work with as well. You might someday get a shiny new ambulance to drive, but first, you need to give up your "minimum standard is good enough for me" attitude.


Your attitude went out in the 70s.


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## ffemt8978 (May 25, 2021)

Play nice or become the focus of my complete and undivided attention.


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## DrParasite (May 25, 2021)

CarSevenFour said:


> So, you berate someone for calling her truck "Mine" but then go on to tell every "annoying" aspect of your glorious life working for a second-rate company hauling interfacility transports all day in second-rate units because they don't trust you enough to give you the 9-1-1 calls. The company gives you the broken down rigs because you are the best man for the job. You have a 'reputation' and you get the lousy rigs and most likely crummy partners no one else wants to work with as well. You might someday get a shiny new ambulance to drive, but first, you need to give up your "minimum standard is good enough for me" attitude.








I got to say, your legs must be super strong, with all the incorrect conclusions you jumped to about me and my former agency.  Everything you said was inaccurate, and not even based on anything I said in the post that you quoted.  In fact, much of what you said is completely contradictory to what I said, so I'm not sure where you are making any of that up from.

I think your attitude reflects more on you than it does on me.



CarSevenFour said:


> regardless of what POC rig we were assisgned to, I seemed to be a magnet for dead and dying rigs that had lived far beyond their time.


maybe the agencies you worked for didn't trust you with new ambulances?  maybe "You have a 'reputation' and you get the lousy rigs and most likely crummy partners no one else wants to work with as well?   You might someday get a shiny new ambulance to drive, but first, you need to give up your "minimum standard is good enough for me" attitude."


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## ffemt8978 (May 25, 2021)




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