Harris county emergency corps

[aquabear]

But seriously, most 911 agencies in Texas are better than anything in California.

 

[TransportJockey]

County run EMS system just north of Austin with good pay and a good TCDRS pension program. All of the trucks are based out of a station with no street corner posting. All stations are either in house with fire or in stand alone EMS stations. The county purchases the latest equipment including Wheeled Coach mods build on F-450's, King Vision VLs on every truck, Stryker power-pro gurneys, Philips Monitors, and Lucas 2's and vents on all commander vehicles.

Protocols are evidence based and updated yearly to reflect the most recent medical literature available. The medical director worked in the county as a paramedic before going to medical school, he is very pro-paramedic and works in a local ER. The scope of care is cutting edge and includes DSI for adults, RSI for peds with iGEL airways, ketamine for pain management refractory to fentanyl, dual sequential defibrillation, pericardiocentesis, and field STEMI and stroke activations.

Williamson County EMS also has a community health paramedic program, tactical medics, and a swift water rescue team.

WilCo is a great service. If they had had open positions when i was looking to get back on a ground truck i likely would have wound up there instead of here...

 

[CTMD]

There isn't a set time but you'll just have to wait until your in-charge partner, supervisor and the clinical department are confident in your abilities. Don't expect it in less than 6 months of hire. HCEC is pretty off line driven other than Ketamine usage and RSI which you can do if a supervisor is on scene and approves it. Ultrasound and pericardiocentesis are apparently in the works.

Just like with any service it all depends on where you are located. Some stations get more trauma, others medical. The trauma calls aren't as frequent as they were in the past. The county has cracked down on the area gangs making the shootings and stabbings far less common than 5+ years ago.

Also the schedule is probably the best around. You'll work two 24 hr shifts a week with 5 days off in a row.

Ok makes sense. I thought they already had pericardiocentesis? So when you call for a medical consult is it like calling a base hospital where you can only do what they say and can not even perform any standing orders without base consult? Or do you just call to ask for a certain drug or procedure and then carry on as usual? Is overtime pretty limited or generous?

 

[CTMD]

But seriously, most 911 agencies in Texas are better than anything in California.

Oh I believe it. I'm applying to medical schools right now so I'm trying to figure out whether or not I want to work in california for about a year before moving on to med school or get experience in an aggressive 911 system somewhere else before I matriculate.

 

[STXmedic]

Ok makes sense. I thought they already had pericardiocentesis? So when you call for a medical consult is it like calling a base hospital where you can only do what they say and can not even perform any standing orders without base consult? Or do you just call to ask for a certain drug or procedure and then carry on as usual?

I don't know anywhere in Texas that you have to call for everything you do. If you have to call, it's for specific things (RSI, Ketamine admin, etc). Then it's call for that procedure, and carry on. Where I'm at, our doc doesn't believe in calling, so everything is standing order.

 

[RocKetamine]

Ok makes sense. I thought they already had pericardiocentesis? So when you call for a medical consult is it like calling a base hospital where you can only do what they say and can not even perform any standing orders without base consult? Or do you just call to ask for a certain drug or procedure and then carry on as usual? Is overtime pretty limited or generous?

It's in the guidelines but not in practice yet. Ned consult is a phone to either the medical director or one of two medical officers that are experienced Paramedics, just depends on who answers the phone. Currently you only need to call for Ketamine or RSI if a Supervisor isn't available.

Also, there are LUCAS II devices, McGrath Video Laryngoscopes, and transport ventilators with CPAP/BiPAP capabilities. Also the trucks also have a liquid oxygen system instead of tanks.

 

[CTMD]

Ok nice, yea in California it's so restricitve and whenever you make base you can no longer do anything without contacting base first. I'm kind of surprised that Ketamine is a consult order. Why is that?

 

[RocKetamine]

Ok nice, yea in California it's so restricitve and whenever you make base you can no longer do anything without contacting base first. I'm kind of surprised that Ketamine is a consult order. Why is that?

I really have no idea.

 

[CTMD]

I really have no idea.

Go figure. So do you work at HCEC or have you just had experiences with them?