the 100% directionless thread

[Tigger]

...because it's a side venture and nothing else. when you go over to Firehouse.com, how much discussion of EMS anything do you see?

Depends, I really don't spend much time over there. Their EMS forum is pretty dead, that's for sure. It's a firefighting forum, I expect that they would talk about you know, firefighting.

Here I expect that we talk about EMS, not b!tch about how much fire sucks. There is certainly a difference.

EMS is not a side venture where I live. The crews get that. They spend as much time training with the medical division as the fire training division. The side of the engines don't say "FIRE DEPT" they say "PARAMEDIC SERVICES SINCE 1979." The department is proud to be the lead EMS agency, and becoming a medic is competitive. They do not give significant preference to medics in the hiring process, preferring to train them themselves. You do not have to be a medic to promote either, the medics here want to be medics. This is the second largest department in the state for what it's worth.

We has non fire based EMS providers have no basis whatsoever to judge whether or not fire department likes providing EMS or not. It is a complete disservice to numerous departments nationwide that provide excellent patient care and service delivery to call EMS a "side-venture."

 

[JPINFV]

We has non fire based EMS providers have no basis whatsoever to judge whether or not fire department likes providing EMS or not. It is a complete disservice to numerous departments nationwide that provide excellent patient care and service delivery to call EMS a "side-venture."

...and yet we have the greater Los Angeles area where paramedics are too stupid to even read a 12 lead for a STEMI notification. That's a job best left for the machine, and the paramedics see no problem with it. Oh, and call 911 and 99.99% of the time you'll get a fire medic.

 

[Tigger]

...and yet we have the greater Los Angeles area where paramedics are too stupid to even read a 12 lead for a STEMI notification. That's a job best left for the machine, and the paramedics see no problem with it. Oh, and call 911 and 99.99% of the time you'll get a fire medic.

What does that have to do with EMS being run by a fire department? LA has crappy paramedics (apparently). Again, that has zero to do with the fact that they are fire based. None. It has everything to do with inadequate education. But that is not endemic to fire departments. I would not doubt that there are 3rd service EMS agencies out there that do the same thing with 12 leads. I have no interest in wasting my time reading other agencies to find them.

 

[Chris07]

...and yet we have the greater Los Angeles area where paramedics are too stupid to even read a 12 lead for a STEMI notification. That's a job best left for the machine, and the paramedics see no problem with it. Oh, and call 911 and 99.99% of the time you'll get a fire medic.

...that seems more like a county ems system failure. A private medic is not allowed to read a 12 lead either, in fact a private medic in LA county is more useless since they typically aren't allowed to use standing field protocols and must thus have base contact for everything. Private or fire there is no difference, thus a system failure.

Then again you could argue that the system fails because fire departments (the largest ems provider in the county) are resitant to better education because of the cost of training the entire department (a pitfall to having an entirely cross-trained department). What's the alternative? Encourage affordable medic mills and cater to the lowest common denominator.

There are some great Fire medics in LA but because the fire departments make up 80% of the ems commissions their will is what goes. Until county officials grow a spine and push for better education and a better system, the machines will continue to read 12 leads.

 

[Anjel]

Gas prices are dropping just in time for the election.

Whatever. I filled up for 30bucks today.

 

[NYMedic828]

Gas prices are dropping just in time for the election.

Whatever. I filled up for 30bucks today.

Must be nice. My 4dr wrangler takes 22.5 gallons :sad:

 

[VFlutter]

Must be nice. My 4dr wrangler takes 22.5 gallons :sad:

I think my 2 Door takes 18 gal. The 16 Mpg is killing me

 

[NomadicMedic]

Ugh. Just had a huge face palm.

I was just having a discussion with two medics who believe its a waste to require our FTOs be degreed.

"There's plenty of FTOs who've been here a long time without degrees... And they do just fine."

Yeah. Why should we increase the educational requirement for the medics responsible for shaping the practice of our department when 20 years of tradition is what's really important.

 

[Veneficus]

Ugh. Just had a huge face palm.

I was just having a discussion with two medics who believe its a waste to require our FTOs be degreed.

"There's plenty of FTOs who've been here a long time without degrees... And they do just fine."

Yeah. Why should we increase the educational requirement for the medics responsible for shaping the practice of our department when 20 years of tradition is what's really important.

I assure you, it is not just your department that thinks that way.

I know of departments where FTO is an automatic promotion based on years of service.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Vene, it's not like that here. Or, at least it's not like that any longer. Our senior staff know that the times are a-changin'.

And not all of the department thinks that a degree is useless, but the old salty guys think its a waste of time.

All of our promotional processes require "progression toward a degree". I believe that it will become "degree mandatory" as the dinosaurs retire out.

We need to break the "tenure is a basis for promotion" cycle.

 

[MrJones]

Must be nice. My 4dr wrangler takes 22.5 gallons :sad:

I think my 2 Door takes 18 gal. The 16 Mpg is killing me

Be glad you don't have my Dodge 3500. It holds 35 gallons. Of diesel. And I wish I could see 16 MPG. :sad:

 

[NYMedic828]

Be glad you don't have my Dodge 3500. It holds 35 gallons. Of diesel. And I wish I could see 16 MPG. :sad:

If you are driving a 3500 series RAM as a personal vehicle EMS better not be your source of income...

Isn't 3500 an industrial model.

 

[shfd739]

If you are driving a 3500 series RAM as a personal vehicle EMS better not be your source of income...

Isn't 3500 an industrial model.

We have a few that do. Granted they are slightly older ones. 3500 is just your normal dually or non dually 1 ton.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I think my 2 Door takes 18 gal. The 16 Mpg is killing me

I would love that. Try 26 gallons and getting 13.5 mpg. Takes about $70-80 to fill up from a quarter tank. I get about 250 miles per 3/4 of a tank.

 

[Jambi]

3500 is just your normal dually or non dually 1 ton.

yup...though I call 2500/3500 3/4 or 1 ton trucks, preferably diesal, "fire sign." they can also be called "bro" trucks, but a common factor is that it must be raised (4x4 or not), never tow, and be driven to the firestation on a regular basis.

Also seen on these trucks are.numerous "skin," "independent," or "shocker" stickers, and some sort of obligatory MMA decal.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

My F 250 takes 39.5 gallons of diesel, but I get 21 miles to a gallon. Its nice.

 

[Handsome Robb]

My 4.7L v8 Jeep gets like 13 mpg or less...I need to tear into the motor because it's been steadily getting worse

 

[shfd739]

yup...though I call 2500/3500 3/4 or 1 ton trucks, preferably diesal, "fire sign." they can also be called "bro" trucks, but a common factor is that it must be raised (4x4 or not), never tow, and be driven to the firestation on a regular basis.

Also seen on these trucks are.numerous "skin," "independent," or "shocker" stickers, and some sort of obligatory MMA decal.

You know I was gonna post this...so true.

FWIW my Land Cruiser gets 9-11 mpg around town and 13-14 on the highway.

And I dont care.

 

[MrJones]

If you are driving a 3500 series RAM as a personal vehicle EMS better not be your source of income...

Isn't 3500 an industrial model.

EMS is not my only source of income, and the 3500 cab/chassis version could be considered an industrial model. The basic 3500 pickup, not so much.

My 3500 is a farm truck (for hauling hay, equipment, horses, etc) and (sadly for my wallet) daily driver. And, other than having the Laramie package, it's not raised, stickered (in fact, I stripped off all the factory emblems) or otherwise pimped out.

I do so miss the days pre-Katrina when diesel was cheaper than gasoline

 

[Anjel]

I get 375miles per tank.

Which is 12 gallons