Basic's Have their Place Too.

This is 1 of my biggest Pet Peeves with the DOH of Pa. You have 1 thing going on in 1 part of the Commonwealth & the remaining are just sitting back twiddling their thumbs.

Anyhow, back to the subject @ hand here. In the 23 years of EMS, I have seen a total of 5 Emts move on to becoming a Emt-Paramedic within the 1st year or 2 of getting their Emt Certs. Needless to say, their BLS Skills suck majorly. My opinion of it is simply get @least 3 years on the streets as an Emt, this way you are working with 3 years of BLS Skills prior to becoming a Medic. This is what I tell every new Emt whom wants to become a Medic right away.

Now, as for her comment, I would have (just my smart mouth) fired off a comment back, but that is just me. I think reporting it to her supervisor would be a wise move.
ResTech said:
We have the ALS Technician course here in South-Central, PA and covers everything already mentioned basicly. One neat little thing they do is bring is pig lungs and have the students observe ventilation of the lungs with explanation of A&P. Kinda nice thing to use to illustrate. I know where I work if ur trusted u do some things u prob shouldnt. Nothing major but it helps the medic out. For example, giving SL NTG, applying NTG paste, giving ASA, setting up the neb and actually giving albuterol, and I even flushed the lock immediately after the medic gave adenosine. Itz all about helping hands.
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And I may I add that its increasingly difficult for Basics to find a job with more and more services going all ALS - with basics being primarily used for non-critical transports. Meaning they very rarily to get use their skills if ever, and many end up giving up and enrolling into Medic school with little to no street experience at all.

My original plan was to work as a basic for a yar before enrolling in Medic courses, well I have wasted an entire 12 mos period looking for a job as a basic, and its looking pretty bleak. With no money to take Con-Ed courses req. to keep my certs, I can fully see myself losing them this year if things dont change.

I wish every service would mandate that they keep their EMTs in the Basic level for at least 12-18 mos before they are allowed to enroll, which would actually HELP the EMT market because once an EMT becomes a Medic, they end up with an EMT opening.

But it wont happen, not with the current yahoos.

-CP
 
Man, I would love to have two medics! I'd split them up and have two crews available (that is if we could find drivers). As a B, I love riding with medics. I love learning from medics. I love to ride with another B. I love riding with FRs and aides. You can always learn something in every situation, even if it is as simple as you don't want to ride with that person again. Also, it's nice to have a second set of hands in the back, since I take most calls solo in these parts.

I have only had one bad experience with a medic. I was LEFT on a scene while he tx the pt to the hosp. I had to get a ride back to station with the FD. That kind of annoyed me. I finished my shift and never rode with him again.

JB
 
There are quite a few Services within the Pittsburgh area that are now using their Emts for Wheelchair Transport & starting to use 2 Medics for BLS/ALS Transport. There is also a Service in Northwestern Pa that is now doing the same with their Emts too. It is a shame to go out get your Emt Cert Numbers then have to play Wheelchair Master as your BLS Skills waste away (If your are not running with a Volunteer Service).
 
An EMT B can make themselves irreplaceable simply by careing enough about their job to learn what a medic does. Then take that information and be able to recognize on every call what the medic is going to do and anticipate their moves. This can be done by simply getting a 12 lead set up or getting the medics equipment and tools set up for them. Then get yourself up in front and give them the smooth as glass ride to the ED so they have no problems useing what you have set up for them. The Basics who are happy being told what to do or could give a crap to know whats going on past their scope are the ones who drive companies to go dual medic. Of course this is just my opinion...:)
 
Head south my friend, in SC we are so short on medics that most places have a medic and a B or I on the truck...I havent had a medic partner in 5 months!
 
Yeah and about the only way a basic could run with a vol. service here would be to also obtain FF certification as well.

And it just plain sucks, this is why we have more and more inexperienced medics hitting the streets these days because of BLS being shoved out the door before you can even give your cert numbers.

I hope that one day maybe MEMS will have a BLS fleet that is not strictly WCV. Depending on the type of call either ALS or BLS will be dispatched out.

BLS can be dispactched out for fractures, assist in MVAs, anaphlaxis, diabetics, and codes where extra hands are needed.

But no that aint gonna happen, and where the phuck is the NAEMT ??

NAEMT is a joke. Why not just call it the National Association of politically driven Medic wannabes??

-CP
 
CaptainPanic said:
Yeah and about the only way a basic could run with a vol. service here would be to also obtain FF certification as well.

And it just plain sucks, this is why we have more and more inexperienced medics hitting the streets these days because of BLS being shoved out the door before you can even give your cert numbers.
-CP
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Around here most volly services I know have just an ems side so that people only interested in working the back of a rig can put their time in as well. I do not know what is like outside of where I live but we run more sick calls than real fire calls anyway. As far as running a dual medic rig I do not see how it is neccesary. I have been on some bad stuff where 1 medic, allthough hurried, did just fine with pt care. I think it a waste to send two medics out on a rig to handle bls calls all day. I do however see how a dual medic rig would be benneficial if there was a new medic w/o experience, needing a babysitter. :wacko:
 
I don't get it. If privates are going to more and more ALS that's because it's what their patients need and will pay for. Medicine is a business. That's how capitalism works. It's like the dinosaurs - evolve or disappear.

Granted, where I'm from we have tons of basics working for privates and vollying... but if you think about it, if someone is sick enough to be transported from one hospital to another, it probably makes sense for them to have ALS on board...
 
All of you have vaild points, but the main thing to remember is everyone starts out as a basic and moves up from there...I feel that every service should find a place for basics and I's and allow for them to develop and get the experince then go to school and get the medic cert.
 
What I have read here is a lot of people defending the "Basic's" BUT there is no need... Not because of that statement.

This person and her statements speaks volumes about who and what she is personally.

Just look at her and you will be able to see why she makes comments like that to fellow EMS personnel..
Really look at herthough and what do you see, insecure-poor self image? Rotten personal life?, lonely, this job IS her life, no control in her world or just plain bitter.

What ever her reason was, she was WAY out of line..

Sweeping my truck LOL!! What NON-professional.:wacko:
 
I think a lot of the reason B's and FR's are so undervalued around here anyway is that there's just so many of them.... literally. It took me forever to find a job when I was a B, but I've had my I cert for like two weeks and I've gotten 5 serious job offers. Most of the reason being that there's a lot of rural area around here, so a decent part of the time, it's almost 30 miles to a hospital. On that front, I'd have to say that the reasoning behind wanting to run 2 ALS providers on a rig is pretty sound.
 
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