Interesting questions to think about Jon, thanks for asking so I start thinking ahead and being prepared like good little scout.
Some of these answers are going to blow you away so strap yourself in-
For one the D/S EMT is a she that somehow passed her NRs and state certifications, and she does not carry a jump kit. From what I have heard if there is a very serious truama or cardiac she freezes up and they end up calling for EMS (thank god they are less than a mile down the road) Ive also been told she is the former safety secretary that did mostly paperork and screwed with the safety manager (and still do) until the company decided to close the safety office and made her go through EMTB training which she barely qualified for.
The job is rendering BLS support while also doing clerical duties such as speaking with insurance reps, union reps, and following up with any injuries and medical care, writing safety reports, OSHA training (woohoo), safety inspections, etc. Basically one person is doing about 5 or 6 man job. Stressful but then again stress is my hobby.
They do not have company quick response vehicle, as spansive as the complex is I hope they do decide to invest in one, otherwise I have either sprint to my pt, or drive my own vehicle. A off-road mule would suit this purpose perfectly.
And yes I will be playing safety officer as well, I am in charge of all N/S safety aspects.
As for who is responsible for calling 911, I will likely have to get a company issued cell-phone for this purpose, if I find my pt in definite need of transport to the ER to get checked out this will help. As also if I am outside of my office and there is an emergency a supervisor can call me directly to the cell phone and thus I am "paged" out. I do not and I cannot sit in one spot all day and wait for someone to get hurt.
Yes, the Co has their own reporting reqs. We are required to write out an incident report sheet, put the information in a computer database and I must also send a copy of the report to HR as well as the shift supervisor.
As far as I know they do NOT have an AED on site. Once I find out for sure I will gather up some information and take it to management and push for an AED program. Once I am able to get it approved I plan on asking for a grant to purchase one, two if possible. AEDs are not cheap if given good reason to have one most federal or state agencies will grant the funds to purchase one. As you said having one mounted on every wall every 500 ft would be better, but as of right now Im not sure that is possible.
Yes I was joking about the combitube.
As I stated in my revised jump kit gear I included a complete set of both OPAs/NPAs. I once worked with a woman at this site that claimed to be 21 but did not look a day over 12, she was also hispanic, do your own homework.
As for the C-collar and spine board the company has never had either one, and if they do it is probably actively collecting dust in a closet somewhere. I will check into this, but c-collars are a must at any facility of this type, due to the dangerous environment. I have seen a 240 lb man slip on some ice landed flat on his back on the concrete floor ended up cracking c4-c6 as well as bruising L2-3. Even though he got up and walked to the first aid station, painfully I might add, he was out for 6 weeks total, due to the required operation to repair the damage.
As far as untrained workers holding c-spine, I plan on pushing for ALL supervisors and line foremen to take and complete a CPR class and maintain CPR, it is hard working a code by yourself and even harder trying to explain the process in an emergency. I also want to push for the supervisors to complete a 1st Responder course, since it is most likely that a supervisor will be first on-scene. This can be done within a 4 week period given that everyone is compliant. Of course this all may fall on deaf ears as well. I will have to wait and see.
As for spine board when I am paged out to a call by supervisor I will first ask them the MOI and for pts cheif complaint. If they have fallen hard or from a great distance or of they complain of back pain I am taking the board. You cant and dont take chances with spinal injuries. If the person is standing and says they fell from a great distance or if they fell hard, and is complaining of back pain I will do a standing takedown. If they are standing and not complaining of pain anywhere, I will ask them to sign my refusal and follow me to the office to complete an incident report.
Now here is the part that will blow you away, they do have o2 but *gasp!* it is for the hazmat team only. Of course the D/S supervisor's BP bottomed out shortly after giving blood last spring, she was allowed to use the hazmat scuba mask and tank for o2 therapy, lol. Dumb but go figure. I plan on getting the existing policy changed and have the proper oxygen delivery systems available for o2 hook-up. (N/Cs, NRBs, etc.)
I believe the Co issues Co jackets, but mine needs to stand out, not just for whacker purposes but so that EMS personnel that arrive on scene can easily see me and that I am currently treating my pt. They dont have to "hunt" for me.
I would like to have a blue one w/ reflective stripping that has my name and level of certification on it. (They refer the D/S EMT as the nurse, my personal opinion is to NOT call her that as she has not earned that title, and niether have I, people need to know the level of care they are getting so they dont expect us to whip out a Macintosh blade and intubate on scene or to perform a crico)
Given that the inside conditions of the main building is either freezing and wet or hot and wet, I am sure I will have to buy stock in the Ziploc company.
Thanks for asking these questions Jon as you have further prepared me. I hope this gave a few clearer answers, and if anyone has any further questions, feel free to ask.
Cap'nPanic
The one, the only, the chicken EMT :blink:
, but I'd recommend the following additions to your list:
) who will call 911... will 911 get called with every incident??? at my job... If it isn't Respirtory (SOB) / Cardiac (Chest pain) / code / severe trauma.... the EMT goes and sees what is going on... I see lots of sprained ankles.... icepack and sign my refusal please..