# Blast from the Australian past



## MrBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Check out these 70s promo videos for the Melbourne (Australia) ambulance service; now known as Ambulance Victoria.  

Melbourne was reportedly the third city in the world behind Seattle and Miami to get ALS Paramedics (which they call MICA - Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) in 1971.  New Zealand was a year behind at (fourth place) in 1972,

I think they're a freaking serious whoot but I'm a nostalgia buff anyway; the period MICA gear (like the big tackle drug boxes and LP10) is like Johnny and Roy down under, those were the days.

Anyway enough blabbing ... 30S calls MICA 2, undertake job 167, 1700 hours, Collins St., City, cardiac arrest.

http://www.paramedic-community.com/ahsv/videos/archive/asm_rotary.html
http://www.paramedic-community.com/ahsv/videos/archive/25yrMICA.html


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## High Speed Chaser (Dec 9, 2009)

MrBrown said:


> Check out these 70s promo videos for the Melbourne (Australia) ambulance service; now known as Ambulance Victoria.
> 
> Melbourne was reportedly the third city in the world behind Seattle and Miami to get ALS Paramedics (which they call MICA - Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) in 1971.  New Zealand was a year behind at (fourth place) in 1972,
> 
> ...



I want to point out Ambulance Victoria have ALS paramedics and then MICA.

They used to have graduate paramedics who were people who applied directly to the Ambulance Service (now phased out)

People who have done a degree in Emergency Health which is usually a three year course are called Advanced Life Support Paramedics.

MICA are further trained after a period of time spent serving with Ambulance Victoria and have a bigger scope of practice. I'm not sure the details of this course but I believe it another few years of training in a university. 
Some examples of differences are MICA can perform endotracheal intubation where as ALS can not. MICA use 12 lead ECG while ALS use 3 lead ECG. I can find out more information if you want. 

Feel free to correct me if anything is wrong.


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## MrBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

As much as I like the Oz system, the Victorian naming convention *really* grinds me.  

Internationally "advanced life support" mean somebody who can run a full ACLS megacode, intubate, pace/cardiovert etc and give medications we've come to expect from ALS eg IV analgesia, midazolam, frusemide.

Victoria has to be *** backward and use "ALS" as the term for their base level which just stirs the pot a bit more!


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## High Speed Chaser (Dec 9, 2009)

MrBrown said:


> As much as I like the Oz system, the Victorian naming convention *really* grinds me.
> 
> Internationally "advanced life support" mean somebody who can run a full ACLS megacode, intubate, pace/cardiovert etc and give medications we've come to expect from ALS eg IV analgesia, midazolam, frusemide.
> 
> Victoria has to be *** backward and use "ALS" as the term for their base level which just stirs the pot a bit more!



At the time it was introduced, it was not base level.
Scope of Practice is not the same but to show an example,
EMT-B = Graduate Paramedic
EMT-I = ALS (also known as Qualified) Paramedic 
EMT-P = MICA 
Flight Medic = MICA Flight Paramedic 

I mean the difference of the scope of practice (CPGs) was significant (In my opinion) between a graduate paramedic and a Qualified paramedics when graduate paramedics were still around so that's why they may have called them ALS and since the phase out of graduate paramedics, and have not changed the name due to there being some graduate paramedics still.

Anyway thanks for the videos


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## EMSLaw (Dec 9, 2009)

I'm diggin' the 70s haircuts, too.  

While I know it's considered acceptable business attire in the Land of Oz, do medics down there really wear walking shorts and knee socks?  I was pretty sure I noticed some in the second vid.  Isn't that a problem if you have to kneel next to a patient?


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## High Speed Chaser (Dec 11, 2009)

EMSLaw said:


> I'm diggin' the 70s haircuts, too.
> 
> While I know it's considered acceptable business attire in the Land of Oz, do medics down there really wear walking shorts and knee socks?  I was pretty sure I noticed some in the second vid.  Isn't that a problem if you have to kneel next to a patient?



I have never seen a medic wear shorts. From an OHS perspective and as you pointed out, it could be a problem so I highly doubt any one would but that's not to say it doesn't happen.


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## Medic115 (Jan 29, 2010)

Very interesting, thanks for sharing...


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