# Icy Roads



## Phridae (Jan 2, 2005)

Well yesterday here in southern Wisconsin was lots of fun. It started out really nice and bit rainy, but then the temp. dropped below freezing, and everything was covered in ice. Now I live in a city called Delavan. Theres another city about 5 miles to the north called Elkhorn. Then there a small villiage to the south called Darien. All three of those cities are lined up along I-43. Elkhorn also has Hwy 12 that crosses I-43. Elkhorn was called out on multiple accidnets yesterday. I believe they only run 2 rigs. Thankfully all their accidents were toned out one right after another. They were either back at their station or clearing the hospital. (Elkhorn is volunetter) Then there was Darien. They only have 1 rig. Maybe they run about 500-700 calls a year. They hardly do more than one a day. They ran 5 yesterday. All of them due to the icy roads. Then theres P*******. They're one of the two paramedic services around here. (Theres M****, too, but they're in Lake Geneva, so we dont see them too often) Now Delavan is a paramedic squad. And for reason I dont know, Paratech and Delavan just do not get a long. I mean, I had a pen that said P******* on it and someone broke it. (It was a nice pen too!) 

Fire and Rescue here are not one in the same. There's City of Delavan Fire. But there is not City of Delavan Rescue. But there is Delavan Rescue Squad, Inc. that serves the City. Poo on politics.

Well, the chief of Delavan is not umm, well liked around here. So when Darien needs ALS, they call P*******, even though we're closer.  (Which I think is a load of crap because it shouldnt matter if you like who you're working with. Pt. care should matter.)

Darien was called to a one call roll-over on 43. There was going to be some extrication on this one. But of course, when you need your tools, they dont work. Their Jaws wouldnt start, so they called the fire dept here in Delavan for their crash truck. For some reason, one of the trucks from fire followed too. Good thing. Darien called P******* for ALS. While P******* was going down 43, they got behind a vehicle that would not pull over. So, they got really close and scared the people that they hit the vehicle in front of them and both cars went flying off the road. Nice.  The fire truck that was behind them saw all this and stopped. We heard all this on the radio. At first, everyone was alright. Or so they said. We were sitting around our station saying how we could have been there by now.  About 10 minutes later, they called us because they had 9 pts. and 2 rigs. So we took 3 of out 4 and went out there to help. Somehow, I ended up in the back of the Darien rig with 3 pts. Just me. I had a mother and her 2 children. The mother was complaining of neck pain, so she got borded. The oldest child said she had some belly pain, and there was a clear seat-belt mark visible. The youngest child and a small scuff on her forehead, but otherwise okay. So here I am, a lowly little basic in the back of a foreign rig. I had no idea where anything was.  Needless to say I was not comfortable. But off we went to the hospital anyways. Thankfully we got to the ED without any complications.  

Now Im not sure if I should have mentioned the names of the other amublance servies in here, but I did. Oh well.

I just want to know what your thoughts are on mutual aid.  We dont care for P*******, but if we're in a bind, we'll call them. Am I wrong to think that pt. care matters?

*Edited to remove the names of the companies involved, per member request*


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## MMiz (Jan 2, 2005)

Mutual Aid is a very weird thing around here.

I work for an ALS/BLS private company that is the new kid in town.  We're owned by three of Michigan's most respected ambulance companies.  We have the newest rigs, newest and best equipment, and offer services no other private company can offer.

We just got our first 911 EMS contract a year ago.  We took it from a company that has one of the worst reputations in Michigan, but dominates the Detroit area.  It them, AMR, another private company similar to us, and our sister companies (30 minute drive away).

We have amazing coverage so rarely need mutual aid.  AMR has an unspoken agreement with the large company we took our contract from, they both are unwilling to assist us.  That leaves the other private EMS company, and while we're close with them, sometimes they don't have units.

Private EMS companies, much like public departments, sometimes act like children and wont assist others when needed.  I can't even count the times we've sent our units to help cities and private companies.  I've even heard dispatch send our Paramedic First Response units with the ALS unit, knowing the PFR unit won't be compensated, and usually our ALS unit wont even be the transporting unit.  I'm not saying we're superior, but I will say that I notice we don't play the game as much as others do.  The sad part is that "The Game" is a patient's life.

This is one thing I never understood about EMS.  I think everyone thinks that their department or company is the best, but aren't we all doing the same thing?  I find that we all pretty much have the same knowledge, and most of us have similar equipment, but it's the attitude that is different.  Quite simply it's not our new rigs, new equipment, or fancy equipment that makes a great department/company, it really is the people.

I get frustrated with the whole mutual aid thing.


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## rescuecpt (Jan 3, 2005)

Mutual aid is easy around here.  We need help, we tell MedCom, they call for the closest help.  End of story.  No politics, no ********.  Works pretty well.


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## cbdemt (Jan 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by rescuecpt_@Jan 3 2005, 11:30 AM
> * Mutual aid is easy around here.  We need help, we tell MedCom, they call for the closest help.  End of story.  No politics, no ********.  Works pretty well.   *


 ditto.


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## Phridae (Jan 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by rescuecpt_@Jan 3 2005, 11:30 AM
> * Mutual aid is easy around here.  We need help, we tell MedCom, they call for the closest help.  End of story.  No politics, no ********.  Works pretty well.   *


 Yeah, its not that way around here. People BS for 15 minutes trying to figure out what squads they like and what ones they dont.


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## Phridae (Jan 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MMiz_@Jan 2 2005, 11:44 PM
> * Mutual Aid is a very weird thing around here.
> 
> I work for an ALS/BLS private company that is the new kid in town.  We're owned by three of Michigan's most respected ambulance companies.  We have the newest rigs, newest and best equipment, and offer services no other private company can offer.
> ...


 We're not new around here, we have been serving the city for 50 years. But we've only been paramedic for 4 years.   We dont get asked to do a lot of the intercepts either. When a neighboring town gets called our for something that seems like it could be ALS, Paratech is usually called out as well. We have told County Dispatch that we are willing to also be toned out with the BLS servies, but they dont.  A small villiage to the south wont call anyone but us though. But if you ask me, we do get the short end of the stick around here. And as highly much as I would like to think that people like us, I know we are not a well liked squad. But that happened before I was on, so I dont understand why. I just think a lot of people need to open their eyes and see what they're doing.


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