Any BLS units ALS equipped?

[MMiz]

This past weekend I worked standby for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. The participants walk 60 miles over three days. We'd go up and down.. and up and down... and up and down the routes helping out when needed.

Because we were working long hours, and expected large numbers of patients, the units we used were large mods. All units were all ALS equipped, even though my unit was BLS. I must say, the setup was absolutely amazing.

It was great to have medics just jump on board and have access to all their supplies. Sure the drug box was locked away, but they could access it, IV supplies, and all the other ALS stuff they would need.

Does anyone else run BLS units that have ALS supplies?

 

[Summit]

all of ours

 

[rescuecpt]

All of ours. At one department the ALS providers have a key and all ALS items (except the monitor) are locked up. At the other department the only thing locked up is the narcs.

 

[Jon]

This is very common at the part-paid local squads that have medics..... they have most or all of their used as BLS and ALS... Narcs are locked (Duh..) and sometimes all the ALS gear is locked in a compartment. Some of the squads in the western end of the county had an arrangement with their medic unit that they had a box bolted to the bench seat with a lock the medics had keys to... I belive it was "basic" ALS gear... tubes, code drugs, angios.... no narcs or anything, but it meant their was some spare gear in the rigs...

Some services lock the monitors up and have AED's for the BLS providers, others use the LP-12 or MRx and keep it locked out of ALS into AED mode unless the medic is on the rig...


Jon

 

[trishbug]

One of the squads I run provides ALS to areas that are BLS agencies, but have some ALS supplies on their rigs. It’s nice for ALS intercepts because the EMTs don’t have to carry all the equipment over to the other rig when everyone is rushing.

 

[KEVD18]

bls only

medics have a cabinet in the base 2with all the als stuff

 

[TTLWHKR]

Local ambulances are BLS, but EPI Equipped under that new protocol program from the DOH.

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by TTLWHKR@Jul 23 2005, 04:44 PM
Local ambulances are BLS, but EPI Equipped under that new protocol program from the DOH.

Epi as autoinjectors....

And only if your service wants to do it, and ALL are trained....

Jon

 

[TTLWHKR]

Originally posted by MedicStudentJon+Jul 23 2005, 06:16 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (MedicStudentJon @ Jul 23 2005, 06:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-TTLWHKR@Jul 23 2005, 04:44 PM
Local ambulances are BLS, but EPI Equipped under that new protocol program from the DOH.

Epi as autoinjectors....

And only if your service wants to do it, and ALL are trained....

Jon [/b][/quote]
That's what I said...

 

[ResTech]

My career department recently got Epi-Pens in PA. Personally I think albuterol should be on a BLS unit before Epi but thatz just me.

 

[MMiz]

What about Nitro and aspirin? I want nitro and aspirin.

 

[Phridae]

I dont know if this counts...
We usually run medic/emt. Sometimes for transfers and stuff, its just two emt's. All the ALS stuff is still in the truck. So, at that moment when theres just the two emts in the truck, it is a BLS truck, and it is stocked with ALS stuff. =D

 

[ResTech]

Yeah NTG and ASA would be nice to have on a BLS unit to. I would push for albuterol before NTG and ASA though for several reasons. This is a totally different topic so I wont go into great detail here but get the topic rolling and I'll post away.

 

[daemonicusxx]

Why do you think they lock up ALS stuff. if you're a basic and not allowed to use it, then you dont use it. the only real thing that should be locked up are the narcs, just cause people would steal those. but locking up a LP-12 just seems kinda dumb. you could get in some serious trouble for manually defibing as a basic. im sure they can be trusted.

 

[Jon]

where I've worked, occasionally an ALS truck has gone out "BLS"... some of the stuff is off, some isn't.... it all depends... Locally, several squads lock up all the gear in a cabinet and the LP-12 is set up for use as an AED....

Jon