Recent content by yankeefan213

It says "provisional." That's what I believed.

Its liability. 18 is the age of majority so one can justify having an 18 y/o alone on the rig to the lawyers a whole lot easier than a 16 y/o.

But again even brain development at certain ages is a bell curve with some ahead of it and some behind. Since it would be prohibitively expensive to give everyone yearly brain scans to determine when one is sufficiently developed for whatever activity (driving driking riding an ambulance etc)...

Absolutely. Unfortunately there is no quantitative measure for maturity so the government makes up an arbitrary age. That's why the drinking age the driving age and everything else based on an arbitrary age is crap. Some things should be restricted, but age is a poor substitution for a measure...

Whether or not a 16 or 17 or any year old should be on the rig alone is another debate, one which is on several other threads. I was trying to find out if its legal or not in NJ. Darien is a good example, but that's in CT not NJ.

I agree with this point of view, but does anone have first hand knowledge of a squad doing this?

Thats what I think. I'm sure no one would hire one but on volunteer squad? Same cert, same training. The only thing I could thinkn of would be that insurance would be through the roof if this was allowed.

Legally speaking, can an EMT in NJ who is under 18 be alone with the patient in the back of the rig? I know that I will not be receiving actual legal advice, but has anyone done it/known of it?

Very good point and you will get no arguement from me here. When I naively started the process to become certified in April or May last year, I thought that I was in this for the blood and guts as well, but I have come to realize in my limited experience that empathy and the ability to comfort...

Thank-you for the encouragement.

Thank you. I play baseball, and you always know who the best kids are because they are the ones the coach always yells at when they make a mistake, not because they do it more often, but because those are the kids who will internalize the coaching and change their error, and not become...

I have to say that here again I agree. I cannot say that I have seen, or will ever hope to see, what you have seen. For that you have my sincere respect. I certainly hope that tomorrow or the next day someone will press the magic button and there will be peace on Earth, but for now I will deal...

I don't entirely disagree; certainly life experience helps. But where do you get that experience? You have to go out and do things and if being the third man on an EMT crew doesn't give you that experience to be a better EMT in your 20s, what will?

Agreed. I want to thank all military servicemen, past and present, who put themselves on the line so that others don't have to. I absolutely positively detest any arguement beginning with that phrase. While I am sure well intentioned, (and I have been listening to what you have to say...

I am a 16 y/o EMT-B in NJ. I agree with the idea of 16 year olds with maturity and judgement being the exception rather than the rule, but (to stereotype) going off to college and joing a frat and doing all the crazy s*** associated with that doesn't exatly demonstrate great maturity either :)...