Did we earn a stork pin?

[Sleepnheat]

So my partner and I were dispatched for a woman in active labor with twins. We arrived on scene approx 2 mins after the delivery to find two premies (28 weeks). The first one out was ok for the situation, but the second was breach and slightly cyonotic. After initial assessment, cut cords wrapped and hit the road.

The next day a company wide email went out congratulating us in the call and stated that they would be giving us stork pins. We said ok, while we weren't there to catch, so to speak, I guess it counts.

Well since then, some station gossip has surfaced saying we don't deserve them. We didn't ask for them, and I am not going to loose any sleep over it.

What is the general consensus on this? Granted being there for the full delivery process definitely counts, but does that mean ours didn't?

Thoughts?

 

[DesertMedic66]

Is there really gossip about a pin? If that’s true you must be part of a very small company/department.

The company decided to give you the pin and that is their choice. I don’t know what our company defines for us to get a stork or arrest save pin because I really don’t care about a pin.

 

[CALEMT]

arrest save

Pretty self explanatory with this one lol. Not gonna lie I found it pretty cool when I got my arrest save pin... but thats cause I'm kind of the grim reaper when it comes to full arrests.

For the OP who really cares. Like my pal Desert said the company decided the pin was warranted. My thoughts are if this is what people are really gossiping about then you're at a small company where people have nothing better to do.

 

[Sleepnheat]

Well, it is a small company. I'd say about 45 providers listed on the roster.

I couldn't care less about the pin or even recognition. We were just doing our job, plain and simple.

While I might be wrong, I am pretty sure I know who has the problem with it. A single person, a young cocky medic who has an opinion on everything.

I was just wondering what others thought. Thanks

 

[E tank]

When you get your pay check, cash it. Done.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Pretty self explanatory with this one lol. Not gonna lie I found it pretty cool when I got my arrest save pin... but thats cause I'm kind of the grim reaper when it comes to full arrests.

For the OP who really cares. Like my pal Desert said the company decided the pin was warranted. My thoughts are if this is what people are really gossiping about then you're at a small company where people have nothing better to do.

They have standards for what the define as a full arrest save. Does that mean you get ROSC prior to the hospital but the patient later dies at the ED? Does the patient make it to the ICU? Does the patient stay alive in the ICU for X amount of days? Does the patient get discharged from the hospital?

 

[CALEMT]

They have standards for what the define as a full arrest save. Does that mean you get ROSC prior to the hospital but the patient later dies at the ED? Does the patient make it to the ICU? Does the patient stay alive in the ICU for X amount of days? Does the patient get discharged from the hospital?

I see your point. Mine was the 1/1,000,000 that walked out of the hospital.

 

[Sleepnheat]

Sounds like we are all thinking along the same lines. Thanks guys.

 

[VentMonkey]

I see your point. Mine was the 1/1,000,000 that walked out of the hospital.

So were the 4-5 (that I know of) that I had in the course of a year. I never cared to poach for accolades like a lot of the vultures at work do. I find that quite distasteful.

In no way am I assuming you did this, CAL. Also, I have no ideas what a “stork pin” is. I had a baby named after me one time after we delivered a kiddo. I found this out a few weeks later, that was admittedly flattering.

 

[DesertMedic66]

So were the 4-5 (that I know of) that I had in the course of a year. I never cared to poach for accolades like a lot of the vultures at work do. I find that quite distasteful.

In no way am I assuming you did this, CAL. Also, I have no ideas what a “stork pin” is. I had a baby named after me one time after we delivered a kiddo. I found this out a few weeks later, that was admittedly flattering.

It’s a pin in the shape of a stork that is provided to employees who assist with a child birth in the prehospital setting

 

[CALEMT]

“stork pin”

Pretty much a field delivery.

accolades

Not gonna lie, had to look that one up. Fancy vocab sir. I'm not one for flaunting accomplishments and I strive to keep under the radar. My pin and certificate thing I keep at home to remind me of the feeling I had on that day on that call.

 

[StCEMT]

Your coworkers must be really bored if the best thing they have to do is debate is a damn stork pin....

 

[Old Tracker]

I think the ambulance should have a stork decal, blue for boys, pink for girls. Kinda like enemy flags under the cockpit of a fighter plane. Getting sent to a potential delivery is the luck of the draw anyway.

 

[DrParasite]

So were the 4-5 (that I know of) that I had in the course of a year. I never cared to poach for accolades like a lot of the vultures at work do. I find that quite distasteful.

Not for nothing, but maybe that's part of the the problem. We (EMS) are horrible at PR, horrible at promoting what we do, and rarely recognize when people do good things, or have good outcomes..... but we are really good at pouncing on people when there is a screw up.

If you look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, you will find prestige and feeling of accomplishment is in the second level. I've seen citation bars for Stork pins, CPR saves, special teams (SWAT, Dive Team, major disasters, honor guard, hazmat, etc), these are simple things that people can be proud of, and can be something positive for a rare event or recognition for extra work.

The military does it for a reason. the FD does it for a reason. PD does it for a reason. It's a little thing that shows your more than just a number.

And before anyone says it, they have been doing them for decades long before I was born, so I don't think it's just a generational thing.

 

[VentMonkey]

Not for nothing, but maybe that's part of the the problem. We (EMS) are horrible at PR, horrible at promoting what we do, and rarely recognize when people do good things, or have good outcomes..... but we are really good at pouncing on people when there is a screw up.

Respectfully, you haven’t a clue what I am referring to. Out of all of the companies and services I have worked for, the one who’s owner is a former mayor would seem to be huge on PR, and you know what? They are.

In fact, once a year we have a company-wide award service that doles out awards for things people have done, successful resuscitations, etc. etc. The last time I checked he takes them to Sacramento himself and spends the week with them all expenses paid. There’s also the meals he buys them there that are hardly cheap.

These are all well-known facts within the company. He’s also still obviously got some pretty deep roots within the community which means we’re seen doing “community service” type things as a company fairly frequently.

EMS as a whole does such things? Sure they do, but when you work amongst people who go out of their way to seek praise for work they’re otherwise simply trained to do, let alone at the misfortunes of another individuals (clearly not referring to baby deliveries specifically here) emergency it pushes the envelope of morals...in my book.

Why not just do your f-cking job and get take what you take with grace? Is this not honorable enough?

Plus, it does take away some of the value of what such awards once meant. Say what you want, but you’re damn right we live in a generation of praise, and trophies for just about everything.

 

[NysEms2117]

My biggest award/accolade.... my paycheck as tank said. I do my job, I go home; tbh I’d probably lose whatever pin they gave me. Unless it gave me a bonus, I did my job that’s all.

 

[EpiEMS]

trophies for just about everything.

Yep. Stork pins are cute, but awards for helping out in something that women have been doing for thousands of years at home unassisted debases us all. Now, if you (OP) had successfully resuscitated a newborn, yeah, a pin might be nice. Or, say, facilitated delivery in an upside down car...or something...

 

[epipusher]

Cared enough to make a thread.

 

[akflightmedic]

I got the most amazing award one time at the Xmas dinner....something which was well earned and talked about for years. I was so proud of my award too cause no one, I mean no one in that department could possibly ever do what I did with such amazing skill.

We had just finished conducting water rescue training and I was towing the inflatable rescue boat back to station. I was driving this circa 1980s Bronco with over sized tires and a massive winch on the front which made the truck very unsteady for normal driving. But yes, this was our department boat/truck at the time. As I was returning to the station driving about 40 mph, I rounded a curve and a couple chickens and some chicks ran out right in front of me. I reacted and tapped the breaks which immediately caused the truck to swerve and the boat trailer then decided to play along. I am very fortunate there was no oncoming traffic cause at one point the boat/trailer were beside me before flipping upside down. The truck I was in rocked up on its side but then returned to normal position.

Several thousands of dollars damage later and many incident reports and chastising....the months passed by.

Then in December, I was presented with the first ever Rubber Chicken Award.

 

[Bullets]

If the baby didnt pass through the birth canal in your presence then my department would credit that as stork worthy.

We dont really do the whole award for a specific call thing. We have done them for the Hurricanes if you work during them. I did get a citation for an ocean rescue we were on, but thats only because the FD got involved. If they werent there, no one would have nominated anyone for doing our jobs.

We do do the labeling on our mass casualty rigs though. Its got hurricane flags and snowflakes on the side for its response during Irene, Sandy and Athena and Jonas. We are involved in the recovery efforts for Maria and Irma so we'll probably add that too