Off-duty Boston EMT saves life

That's awesome. Boston is one of my favorite cities, and Boston EMS is one of the best in the nation.
 
MMiz said:
Boston EMS is one of the best in the nation.
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According to whom? That is highly debatable. Even from those of Boston EMS. ..

R/r 911
 
Ridryder911 said:
According to whom? That is highly debatable. Even from those of Boston EMS. ..

R/r 911
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It is my understanding that Boston EMS is one of the most selective services to join. It's also my understanding that they're relatively progressive system.
 
should off duty members be buffing the scene of gunshot victims?
 
MMiz said:
It is my understanding that Boston EMS is one of the most selective services to join. It's also my understanding that they're relatively progressive system.
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They only hire at the basic level, even if you are a paramedic, they'll hire you only as a basic, but they pay their basics around $20/hr to start. You have to take a written exam, go through a physical ability test, past a three tier interview system, and then you get hired, if you're lucky

After being hired, you go through Boston EMS Academy, 3 months of 8 hour days, 5 days a week, paid, of course. After that they go out on the field in three person ambulance crews, two new employees, and a preceptor, they do three of these sets, each with a different new employee and a different preceptor, and each one is, i believe, 4 weeks ( i may be wrong on the length of time) after that they are out of probation, and have a year to move inside city limits.

Oh, and no, I'm not an employee there, wish I was though, but the rent in Boston is prohibitive...
 
An off duty employee who disregards his own personal safety and enters a potentially unsafe scene, ESPECIALLY a shooting, is no hero in my book. Idiot, in my mind, would be more descriptive.

Flame if you wish, but the unfortunate reality is that bad things happen to good people (and bad for that matter). But regardless of what happens, I am a firm believer in going home to my family after shift. Someone elses emergency will NEVER compromise my safety if within my control. Thought they taught that in EMT class..........................
 
Flight-LP said:
An off duty employee who disregards his own personal safety and enters a potentially unsafe scene, ESPECIALLY a shooting, is no hero in my book. Idiot, in my mind, would be more descriptive.

Flame if you wish, but the unfortunate reality is that bad things happen to good people (and bad for that matter). But regardless of what happens, I am a firm believer in going home to my family after shift. Someone elses emergency will NEVER compromise my safety if within my control. Thought they taught that in EMT class..........................
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that is about my thoughts. If I knew the shooter was gone, I would have no problem.
 
firecoins said:
that is about my thoughts. If I knew the shooter was gone, I would have no problem.
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I still wouldn't have gone to the scene. Off duty means off duty. I'm not being paid, I'm not covered under protocols, I have no equipment, and I am not covered under the company's liability insurance should something happen to me. Not worth it, there will be plenty of patients for me on my next shift..................
 
MMiz said:
It is my understanding that Boston EMS is one of the most selective services to join. It's also my understanding that they're relatively progressive system.
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No not so much..........

Any system that believes there is a benefit by reducing your ability to perform is far from progressive. Their pay sucks, residency requirements are restrictive and cost prohibitive, their protocols only average, they talk funny, and their units are ugly (just my thoughts though.......)

No one is going to tell me that I have to live in one of the most expensive cities in the US, then tell my I am demoted to an EMT-Basic, and then only pay me $650 / week for my training. They're smoking crack!
 
That was my opinion too Flight, after talking on line and reading comments from some, I was never impressed. I am sure there is plenty of highly educated and excellent medics from there. My opinion was based from talking to ER Doc's and surgeons, and flight nurses/medics from that area as well. Never heard any thing about progressive treatment, rather the opposite.

I personally, am not impressed with jumping through hoops to prove someone. If they passed the license, and attend their orientation, and hiring process, then one should be able to perform patient care. It sounds too much like a "good ole boy" type of performance. Tradition and having to measure up, type mentality. Our job is important, and especially to provide excellent care, but this is not rocket science either, and after discussing treatment regime with some on line, if that is a representation, I am not overwhelmed.

R/r 911
 
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Being from the Boston area, I chuckled when I heard it said "they talk funny", and I can't speak to most of the other criticisms about Boston EMS, as I have no experience either in it or with any members of it. However, the biggest problem I have with their rules, besides the effective demoting, is the requirement to move inside Boston city limits to work for them. Is that a normal requirement in big city EMS? Seems like they would pass on many a good Basic and Paramedic by forcing folks to move.
 
FDNY does not have as strict a residency requirement. As long as you live in the NY, tristate area can you work there. This makes sense. Who is going to commute from Boston to work in New York? Okay the paramedics will.
 
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Just to get back on topic... it sounds like he was in uniform, to the point of having a radio, and was driving home from a special event... so he may have considered himself "on duty" still... and if he did have a radio... he might have been advised that the scene was safe... any further info?
 
Here is a thought, a small child still has his mother.......
Not that what this person did was smartest, ( as far as personal safety) but in the end the situation had a good outcome. A lesson that has been learned for both sides.
 
MMiz said:
...Boston EMS is one of the most selective services to join....
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calling bs to a point. to get on the dept, you need only a pulse a ticket and a passing score on the exam. this evidenced by some of the retards i know that got acceptance letters the last round of hirings.

now, staying on the dept is a whole diff story. there are a few places you can get the axe till your out of your probie phase. first, they can boot you right from the academy, fairly well without reason. secon, anyone of your preceptors can merely say, he just wont work out and your toast. then your a probie for a year. a whole year. fart in the direction of your div chief and your history. after all that if you make it out of your probie period, your a city employee making a damn good wage relative to the rest of the state. brand new gear and many other perks.

progressive: they are very prograssive in ma, but as we all know ma is behind the times from the rest of the country. bems is one of the only services in eastern ma(possibly the whole state but im only faminliar with eastern) that can rsi. they are doing the field trial for cpap, ez-io fentanyl. maybe sop in other state, but way ahead of the game for ma.
 
Airwaygoddess said:
Here is a thought, a small child still has his mother.......
Not that what this person did was smartest, ( as far as personal safety) but in the end the situation had a good outcome. A lesson that has been learned for both sides.
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Agreed... Dumbass, yet lucky, medic. Even on Psych calls, we wait for PD before we go in.

As for Jon's comment... How do you know that he didn't own his own radio, or a Department issued radio?

No matter what, that is a situation where i would not respond POV. Ever. I don't know 1. if the scene is safe 2. whet she has 3. Where the nearest bus is, and 4. If she is the standard sue happy american and is gonna come after me for botching her suicide attempt.

I'm glad that the kid still has his mommy, but the medic needs discipline.
 
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