Dangers of EMS? Any experiences?

emschick1985

emschick1985

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A fire station just got shot at in a nearby town, have any of y'all had anything happening like this lately?
 
Have you been living under a rock?

Someone took a potshot and grazed a FF in Jacksonville, FL late Tuesday night - http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/23/jfrd-station-drive-by/20837641/

FDNY's MOVED E222 from its station in Bed-Stuy because of credible threats against PD Precinct next door.
http://nypost.com/2014/12/24/fdny-abandons-firehouse-next-to-police-station-targeted-in-gang-threat/

There are folks that are using current unrest as an excuse to lash out at Law Enforcement, with apparent splatter damage to other uniformed services.

Additionally, yesterday was the 2-year anniversary of the West Webster (NY) FD double LODD - shooter killed two firefighters as they arrived to fight the fire he'd started.
 
On the more routine level, an average of 50% of EMS professionals report being assaulted on the job within the last year, but we tolerate it, for some reason.
 
beano said:
Time to get a vest and concealed carry card.
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I've got both. In all seriousness, I'm wearing the vest again. Concealed carry doesn't do much, as the state prohibits me from carrying on duty.
 
beano said:
Time to get a vest and concealed carry card.
Click to expand...

Or a new job. I will work for a populous that doesn't respect me out of ignorance or misplaced priorities, but not one that actively threatens my life.
 
Quite a few years ago we had our units' windshield shot out during a domestic in Bakersfield.My personal defense weapon of choice... a 460 Stihl with a 30 inch skiptooth semi chisel chain, rakers filed to the bottom edge of the top plate, 10 tooth sprocket and Motul two stroke racing mix. Superior in ALL hand to hand situations also legal in all states and fits comfortably on the shoulder.
 
Joey DeMartino said:
Quite a few years ago we had our units' windshield shot out during a domestic in Bakersfield.
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This doesn't sound good... Lol. What ever happened to staging?
 
Back then the only staging I knew of was waiting between the gunshots to hustle the patient over the bushes in the front yard and off to KMC. Oddly... my partner turned out to become the your County EMS coordinator. And a few "new" definitions were implemented.
 
I've been shot at, punched, spit on, slapped, cussed out, ridiculed etc etc etc. Comes with the job. Try complaining to your boss and your called a little girl. Welcome to ems.
 
gonefishing said:
I've been shot at, punched, spit on, slapped, cussed out, ridiculed etc etc etc. Comes with the job. Try complaining to your boss and your called a little girl. Welcome to ems.
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Just because it's the way it's always been, doesn't mean it's the way it should continue to be
I'm glad I've worked places where management backs you when you press charges against someone after you've been attacked in the fields.
 
Jon said:
Have you been living under a rock?

Someone took a potshot and grazed a FF in Jacksonville, FL late Tuesday night - http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/23/jfrd-station-drive-by/20837641/

FDNY's MOVED E222 from its station in Bed-Stuy because of credible threats against PD Precinct next door.
http://nypost.com/2014/12/24/fdny-abandons-firehouse-next-to-police-station-targeted-in-gang-threat/

There are folks that are using current unrest as an excuse to lash out at Law Enforcement, with apparent splatter damage to other uniformed services.

Additionally, yesterday was the 2-year anniversary of the West Webster (NY) FD double LODD - shooter killed two firefighters as they arrived to fight the fire he'd started.
Click to expand...
No not living under a rock lol, that's why I brought this subject up, because we have a lot of dangers but no one seems to do anything about it. We have taken DT4EMS class which is very informative on the subject but that's about it
 
gonefishing said:
I've been shot at, punched, spit on, slapped, cussed out, ridiculed etc etc etc. Comes with the job. Try complaining to your boss and your called a little girl. Welcome to ems.
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Exactly. We are told to toughen up by peers or it's just brushed off for the most part
 
Naw.. emschick1985- toughening up is overrated and is a huge contributing factor to "burn out". I consider myself fairly tough but if I allow myself to not remain "sensitive- to a degree- pt. care becomes compromised as does our own ability to purge some of the garbage out that we encounter. Remain smart, intuitive, and cautious through situational awareness, and always remember that we are here to serve and care unconditionally. Study constantly, progress up the EMS ladder, become the boss or owner of the company and then very sensitively and with love in your eyes- fire everyone who jacked with you.
 
Been called names and have been hit but for the most part I have a calming effect on pts.
 
FDNY gave authority to field Luitenants to determine where a particular unit should be posted based solely on safety during this time of, let's call it, public anger.

In my case, my colleagues are posted at the station with 3 other units. The feeling I get unfortunately is all branches of Emergency service are looking to shift the conversation from the public anger to worsening response times and service by instituting an unspoken of "slow down".

Nobody wants to admit it, but the general sentiment right now of police EMS and Fire in NYC is such that maybe this is the right course to take to make the job safer. The problem is not the normal folks or even the protestors. Hard to describe. I guess you gotta wear a uniform and walk around NYC to really get a sense of it.
 
Aside from being hit, slapped, and verbally assaulted too many times to count. I have had an ambulance catch fire on the way back from a transfer in '95, had my partner drive off the road almost flipping the unit in '01, and in '07 became a lawndart when my aircraft experienced an LTE (loss of tzilrotor effectiveness) drilling me i to the ground.
 
Our hospital ED is remodeling to change out all the windows to make them bulletproof, reinforce all the walls. All the nurses have to wear Kevlar now. The hospital is hiring 20 new security guards and installing metal detectors at every entrance to the ED. Even then, there have been several assaults on nurses from people being brought in on "emergencies." Within the next year, our station's truck is going to be getting bulletproof glass and we'll be wearing Kevlar, too. And you can be darn sure I'll be carrying. All the people coming up from Detroit and bringing their crap with them. -_-
 
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