the 100% directionless thread

Jim37F

Jim37F

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Wow, our department had 3 seperate working, 2nd alarm fires yesterday, including one that was double fatality. OT shift I was working was close enough to two of them (one of the non fatal ones, and a brush fire) to end up relocated to cover the stations that responded (and had a few medicals in both areas) but not quite close enough to go to any of the fires.
At least when we woke up at 0130 and 0430 for medicals they were both fairly legit calls, both shortness of breath, one got out on CPAP pretty much right away once the medics arrived.
Didn't get to "play" with any fire, but felt a lot more useful than at my normal shift that might have had 1 call lol
 
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StCEMT

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Qulevrius said:
Best shift of the month so far. Started with a stroke, then GSW (drive by with small caliber, abd + arm with no exit wounds) and now a STEMI. Balanced out the rest of the BS.
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Pass along some of that cloud, I need to do something tonight besides ***** about confusing management decisions and dream of greener pastures.
 
Q

Qulevrius

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StCEMT said:
Pass along some of that cloud, I need to do something tonight besides ***** about confusing management decisions and dream of greener pastures.
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IMG_1159.jpg


That other thing you mentioned ? I have that too, a LOT.
 
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DesertMedic66

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After a month of flight time with only 2 IFTs for stable BLS patients I finally got a critical one. Fluids + TXA + RSI. Wish we had bloods.
 
Jim37F

Jim37F

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So that just happened, legit had a "cat stuck in a tree" call lol

Not that the cat was legit stuck...had to call a ladder truck to reach, and as soon as we got up to it, it ran away...to another part of the tree!
We determined the cat was not indeed stuck and no longer in distress, and thus went available haha
 
Q

Qulevrius

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Jim37F said:
So that just happened, legit had a "cat stuck in a tree" call lol

Not that the cat was legit stuck...had to call a ladder truck to reach, and as soon as we got up to it, it ran away...to another part of the tree!
We determined the cat was not indeed stuck and no longer in distress, and thus went available haha
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Reminds me of a call a few months back. A “public assist” to an elementary school for a child in EH. The school has sea pods with ladders that kids climbed and played on, one of them climbed on top & refused to come down. The engine crew geared up and dragged the kicking and screaming kid down. The kid gave them the run for their money - pulled off their helmets, called them *******s etc. Literally an equivalent of a cat in a tree.
 
Jim37F

Jim37F

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Peak said:
Ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?
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nope, which is why as soon as it ran away to another part of the tree and proved itself not stick we were "Ok, no emergency here" packed up and left (after reassuring the kiddos in the neighborhood watching it'll be alright ha)
 
PotatoMedic

PotatoMedic

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I don't mind that aeromedical has weight limits. Just put them in the job description and requirements so people know about them before they allpy and not at the end of the entire application process.
 
Jim37F

Jim37F

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Well, I had an OT shift last week...that single shift was busier than this last entire 3 shift cycle at my normal station (where the only call we had was the cat "rescue")
 
CANMAN

CANMAN

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PotatoMedic said:
I don't mind that aeromedical has weight limits. Just put them in the job description and requirements so people know about them before they allpy and not at the end of the entire application process.
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Really? I don't think I have yet seen a FP posting on the east coast that hasn't listed the duty weight/and or height restrictions if they have any. Both my current and previous employer made it very clear in the posting. Sorry you jumped through hoops not knowing, that sucks. I wish most places would do away with weight restrictions and go based off BMI instead. It's a better way to evaluate. I'm 6 foot tall and hit the gym and lift regularly. It's very challenging for me to maintain 210 duty weight in suit and boots. Meanwhile we have an RN who is 5 foot tall and about as round as she is tall and that is acceptable SMH.
 
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DesertMedic66

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CANMAN said:
Really? I don't think I have yet seen a FP posting on the east coast that hasn't listed the duty weight/and or height restrictions if they have any. Both my current and previous employer made it very clear in the posting. Sorry you jumped through hoops not knowing, that sucks. I wish most places would do away with weight restrictions and go based off BMI instead. It's a better way to evaluate. I'm 6 foot tall and hit the gym and lift regularly. It's very challenging for me to maintain 210 duty weight in suit and boots. Meanwhile we have an RN who is 5 foot tall and about as round as she is tall and that is acceptable SMH.
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Depending on the airframe they absolutely need weight limits. The vast majority of our airships are limited by weight. If I weigh 280lbs that is still 280lbs that the helicopter has to lift off safely with. We have some airships that will have to burn off fuel in order to lift a big patient with a big crew.
 
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Peak

ED/Prehospital Registered Nurse
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PotatoMedic said:
I don't mind that aeromedical has weight limits. Just put them in the job description and requirements so people know about them before they allpy and not at the end of the entire application process.
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Yep, there is a group around here doing that and suprise! they are difficulty finding staff. I don't really understand why they hide it, maybe they think people will crash diet for the job after they interview?

The problem is that high altitude and hot summers do limit the service ceiling, and weight does directly affect safety. You could buy a more serviceable airframe, but that would cost more money... so I doubt that will ever happen.
 
CANMAN

CANMAN

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DesertMedic66 said:
Depending on the airframe they absolutely need weight limits. The vast majority of our airships are limited by weight. If I weigh 280lbs that is still 280lbs that the helicopter has to lift off safely with. We have some airships that will have to burn off fuel in order to lift a big patient with a big crew.
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Sure, this is common all through the industry, but with BMI restrictions you would still be restricting weight, and more appropriately. If you had a cut off of say BMI less than 30, there's no way a guy who is 280lbs is going to make it into an aircraft because his BMI would be much higher then the allowed limited. Again, if I am 210lbs in gear and 6 foot tall and pretty muscular (27ish BMI), but my partner is 5 foot tall female and 200 pounds we are both under my companies weight standards but who is in better shape? If you used BMI instead of weight the 5 foot 200lb (39 BMI) crew member would either have to lose weight, or wouldn't be flying. It encourages people to be closer to a healthy weight for their size vs. "just being under" the cutoff IMO.
 
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DesertMedic66

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CANMAN said:
Sure, this is common all through the industry, but with BMI restrictions you would still be restricting weight, and more appropriately. If you had a cut off of say BMI less than 30, there's no way a guy who is 280lbs is going to make it into an aircraft because his BMI would be much higher then the allowed limited. Again, if I am 210lbs in gear and 6 foot tall and pretty muscular (27ish BMI), but my partner is 5 foot tall female and 200 pounds we are both under my companies weight standards but who is in better shape? If you used BMI instead of weight the 5 foot 200lb (39 BMI) crew member would either have to lose weight, or wouldn't be flying. It encourages people to be closer to a healthy weight for their size vs. "just being under" the cutoff IMO.
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MBI has many short comings. What about a 5’6” male who is into body building and weighs 200. Technically his BMI is 32 which is considered obese. But does that mean he is unhealthy?
 
CANMAN

CANMAN

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DesertMedic66 said:
MBI has many short comings. What about a 5’6” male who is into body building and weighs 200. Technically his BMI is 32 which is considered obese. But does that mean he is unhealthy?
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If you’re 5’6” male and you’re into bodybuilding and weigh 200lbs then you’re a god damn beefcake monster. I have a gym buddy who is pretty damn huge and rep’s incline press 315 and he’s 5’11” and 196lbs. Regardless of whatever system you use there are limitations and flaws, but I think BMI in my opinion is better and encourages MOST people to live a healthier lifestyle and maintain a reasonable weight. I don’t know a ton of bodybuilders who work HEMS, but I know a lot of sedimentary lifestyle people who do, and those are the target people. At some point as a program director some common sense and discretion should apply given a scenario like you described. I think that’s more appropriate then “the cutoff is 225lbs be as far as you want as long as you’re 224”. Just my opinion though you do what works for you and you’re program.
 
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