Calls that are ALS

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emt_basic_newbie

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I've tried looking this up online but I couldn't find it anywhere. I know that with the fire department, 80% of the calls are medical. Of 80%, how many are ALS versus BLS? I'm asking this because the company I want to work for does 911 service for a few smaller cities and the ambulances are staffed with an EMT-B and a medic. Just wondering how much BLS experience I could expect to gain one on one with the Pt.
 
I'm sure it'll be different from area to area, but there are a few things to be considered.

1. The real question is ALS vs BLS vs Taxi ride [system abuse]. Generally the last group is the highest and inflates the number of "BLS" calls.

2. Just because a patient isn't going to die in the next 15 minutes doesn't mean that a patient is not "ALS." Considerations such as pain control or continuing assessment in case of a change in condition would make a "BLS" call "ALS"
 
According to National Statistics, about 21% of EMS requires ALS interventional therapy. I believe this is from the American Ambulance Association (AAA) ?.

Personally, all true emergency calls should considered ALS until proven otherwise.

R/r 911
 
Ridryder911 said:
According to National Statistics, about 21% of EMS requires ALS interventional therapy. I believe this is from the American Ambulance Association (AAA) ?.

Personally, all true emergency calls should considered ALS until proven otherwise.

R/r 911
Click to expand...

however, i don't think you want to give the wrong impression...

i've been on many calls with ALS where they decided not to "intervene", but that did not make it a "bls" call...

personally, i am getting used to not looking at things in terms of "bls vs als"...

there really is no such thing... it is ALS, unless not available, for most medical calls.
 
Where I work, we always have a Paramedic on the call. It is dependent upon the discretion of the Paramedic if the Basic or Intermediate is able to tech on the call. I allow most of my Basic and EMT/I tech on a lot of the calls. they need the experience. One cannot get it driving, as well I believe I have enough for right now ;)
 
Then there are the services and areas that require a medic to be in the back on ALL calls regardless of the level.

The most experience a basic can get in my honest, yet humble, opinion is at a busy hospital based ALS service where each truck runs at least 150-250 calls per month.
 
I think, but don't quote me, that some cities run seperate BLS/ALS trucks. So if you want to get a lot of BLS experience, just try and find a service that runs only BLS trucks.

But as for the EMT/Medic crews. That is totally going to depend on the medic. Some think they have to make EVERY call ALS just because they can, and others beleive that most calls can remain BLS. So totally depends on the service/medics.
 
Here in my tiny rural town in Northern Alberta, we have 2 paramedics that work on car. One is the District manager and doesn't work on car very often at all. This, of course, means we are a BLS service. On the plus side, we do have ALS intervention if we need it depending on whether or not one of the Paramedics happens to be on duty in some capacity.

Generally speaking though, the vast majority of our calls are for rides to the hospital. Everyone over the age of 65 here gets ALL of their medical services free of charge. To include, of course, ambulance service. I actually took a gentleman to the hospital who said he took too much of his inhaler. After looking through all the pockets in his jacket for his MDI, we learned he took too much of his VICK'S inhaler. But, he wanted to go to the hospital so we took him.
 
Depends on where you work. Private ambo companies usually will always have the medic in the back, medics don't even get driving status. Privates also run BLS trucks, so you can get experience on granny goes home calls, ect.

Fire depends as well, some departments make every call ALS, start IV's on everything, some don't. f we have true BLS calls or simple trauma, we will BLS it and medic drives.

Phoenix still operates 13 BLS engines and about the same # of BLS ladders. Thy have mmostly BLS ambo's and if the call is ALS a medic off the engine rides in. There are ways to get experience. Also your partner will pla a big role in that, get involved ask a lot of questions. Some emt's just watch and hold c-spine and don't try to understand what al is going on.
 
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