GOT THE JOB! kinda

....TsWSS...
 
Anjel1030 said:
Ok so I talked to the kid I know who took the test two weeks ago.

This is exactly what I have to do:

Take a barbell with 125 pounds. Walk forward 20 ft. Walk backward 20ft.

Take the weight up 5 steps. Down 5 steps backward.

Then with a partner. Take a stretcher that has 100 pounds on it, up the 5 back down the 5 stairs.

Then load it into the ambulance.

I really hope I can do it.
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Hey, if I can do a physical agility at the tender age of 45, anyone can. I'm barely 5'4 and old....you can do it :)
 
EMS49393 said:
Why are you people carrying stretchers up and down steps? They are not designed for that and you'll wind up getting injured. We have other equipment for transferring patients up and down stairs that no only weighs a lot less, it's much safer for you and your patient.

Jump cot and stairchair come to mind.
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the ambulance companies that are in this are do not carry the stairchairs. for us its either see if the patient can walk down the stairs with or help, strap the patient on a LSB, or use something from the residence to help such as a dinning room chair.
 
firefite said:
the ambulance companies that are in this are do not carry the stairchairs. for us its either see if the patient can walk down the stairs with or help, strap the patient on a LSB, or use something from the residence to help such as a dinning room chair.
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If you use a chair from the patient's home and it breaks while you are moving them, you have set yourself up for major liability. The first thing their lawyer is going to want to know is why you did not use the proper EMS equipment to transfer the patient safely down the steps. If you use a stretcher and you drop them, the same question will arise.

Is your company unwilling to furnish what you need to do your job safely, or are the employees unwilling to use the proper equipment?
 
EMS49393 said:
If you use a chair from the patient's home and it breaks while you are moving them, you have set yourself up for major liability. The first thing their lawyer is going to want to know is why you did not use the proper EMS equipment to transfer the patient safely down the steps. If you use a stretcher and you drop them, the same question will arise.

Is your company unwilling to furnish what you need to do your job safely, or are the employees unwilling to use the proper equipment?
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the first option. we have absolutely no room on the units for shairchairs. i know the employees are more then willing to use them. we are always told "make sure you use a sturdy chair".
 
Walking backwards down stairs with barbells sounds reckless and a safety issue. I work in wildland fire and our safety is always number one. We have to complete arduous physical exams each year but our safety always comes first. Gezzo who thinks up these test?
 
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firefite said:
the first option. we have absolutely no room on the units for shairchairs. i know the employees are more then willing to use them. we are always told "make sure you use a sturdy chair".
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I'm sure that will hold up in court just fine.:rolleyes:
 
EMS49393 said:
Why are you people carrying stretchers up and down steps? They are not designed for that and you'll wind up getting injured. We have other equipment for transferring patients up and down stairs that no only weighs a lot less, it's much safer for you and your patient.

Jump cot and stairchair come to mind.

Anyway, good luck. I'm a relatively small girl, 5'2" on a really good day in great shoes, and I dead lift tested at 212 lbs for my last job. My upper body strength has never been super, but I can crack a walnut with my thighs, and is long as you use your incredibly strong thigh muscles to lift, you should be golden.
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My service doesn't have a jump cot. We have either a LSB, Stair Chair, or stretcher available to us. Generally, if we're talking about going up and down porch steps, we'll just use the stretcher. If we're going up and down within a patient's house, we'll use a stair chair.
 
HotelCo said:
My service doesn't have a jump cot. We have either a LSB, Stair Chair, or stretcher available to us. Generally, if we're talking about going up and down porch steps, we'll just use the stretcher. If we're going up and down within a patient's house, we'll use a stair chair.
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Yea and the stairs we were going up with the stretcher were designed like porch steps.

And to FireTender I think... Yea I am taking care of my back. I've been resting and using a heating pad on and off since. Definitely the worst pain I've been in.

Before the test on Friday I had a different one using a box. Up and down 3 stairs 5 times. The box was awkward shaped and she made me sit it on each stair. So I was constantly bending over and picking it back up with no room to bend my knees. So I was using all arms and back. So I definitely know what I did wrong. Even the physical therapist giving the test told me it was the test was dangerous and that I needed to do it the safest I could.

I'm just glad they are both done.
 
Hockey said:
But...you're...like...a robot aren't you? :P
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Cute....Ha! I did a fire department agility at 47 too. Did less well than at 37 but it wasn't too bad for an old broad. Whatever got into my head that I should try just months after hand reconstruction surgery, I will never know. Maybe I am am a robot...or just old and suffering from dementia :huh:

Point is; good strong back and leg muscles and using good mechanics are a must.
 
Congrats! Just remember not to use your back! I threw my back out improperly lifting for college sports. no fun!
 
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