How many of you carry a traumma bag in your POV

I have gotten to operate the woo woos two shifts in a row!

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Sasha said:
I have gotten to operate the woo woos two shifts in a row!

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Your movin up in the world!! Woowoos are fun, annoying though.
 
blackhorse said:
I have read enough to be shocked at how many could just simply turn a blind eye to someone in need. It's not something I'm capable of...
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You are worrying too much. A few more years of EMS experience and you will be perfectly capable.
 
blackhorse said:
Wow, i haven't read through every reply but I have read enough to be shocked at how many could just simply turn a blind eye to someone in need. It's not something I'm capable of, I know I wouldn't be able to live peacefully with my conscious if I didn't at least try to do what I could until someone came to relieve me.
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I agree. I refuse to allow an attorney to dictate how I should respond when needed when on or off duty.
 
This is a snippet from a diary written in a time of turmoil long ago. For me it puts much into perspective.

There would be no tea today. After the fall of Dunkirk there would be no tea for some time, only the screams of sorrow and the bombs that could be heard off in the distance. With the sounds of the enemy we would hide in the cellars and hoped we would not fall to their whims as the stories were told. No longer was there tea, no longer was there bread. How long must we endure this nightmare that we can never escape.

It has been long now I should think, no longer sure as time no longer has meaning in the darkness. I am hungry, and the sounds of bombs continue. The school of my youth was just an empty shell now, my father has aged so much, how can he go on so.

The loud sounds I heard outside was not familiar to me, I knew it was not German. Sister and I peaked from the window, American she said. Others in my village were out and dancing in celebration. I was afraid, but sister pulled me tight to greet our saviors, the Americans.
 
Scott33 said:
This is completely incorrect.

There is no legal obligation for UK HCPs to render aid when off duty. This has been discussed at length here and elsewhere - legal obligations and moral obligations are not the same thing.
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Well debatable:

General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice guide, ‘in an emergency doctors must offer anyone at risk the treatment they could reasonably be expected to provide’.
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The New NMC code of conduct states: that nurses and midwives are expected to ‘provide a high standard of practice and care at all times’ and ‘make the care of people your first concern’.
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The HPC standards is a little harder but I am sure if you walked past someone who needed emergency medical care I am sure they would say you would were ask risk of not "making sure that your behaviour does not damage your profession’s reputation."

C
 
bstone said:
Years ago when I first got my Basic I carried a BLS bag in the car. Never really used it. I lost it somewhere along the way, I think in my 2004 summer road trip over 4 months where I went over 15,000 miles. It was incredible. Anyhow, I carry a pocket CPR mask on my keychain and two pairs of gloves. That's it. No stethoscope, no BP cuff. I do have jumper cables if in case I need to defibrillate someone.
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Bstone-jumper cables, love it. :rofl:
 
Personally, yes, I would have seen if I could help that homeless man, absent any evident safety threats.
 
Long time lurker here.
My concern, legality aside, is what would I really be able to help with. Chest compressions, imminent delivery(if I had gloves at least), serious bleeding(again, with gloves), manual stabilization, assist with an active seizure. Fill in the blanks please, but without equipment, meds, and gloves, what else more could I do besides dialing 911?
 
chuck stank said:
Long time lurker here.
My concern, legality aside, is what would I really be able to help with. Chest compressions, imminent delivery(if I had gloves at least), serious bleeding(again, with gloves), manual stabilization, assist with an active seizure. Fill in the blanks please, but without equipment, meds, and gloves, what else more could I do besides dialing 911?
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Aside from assisting in keeping a patent airway and providing some measure of comfort to the victim, I think you've pretty much got it.
 
I carry a few small items I deem necessary I.E. gloves, pocket mask and they are in a small bag that is awfully dusty...lol
 
I carry gloves and a mask in the rear of my vehicle at all times. I've never had to use them, yet. Iowa has a really good protections of emergency services workers.

Code: 
IOWA GOOD SAMARITAN 613.17 Emergency assistance in an accident. 

A person, who in good faith renders emergency care or assistance without 

compensation, shall not be liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions

 occurring at the place of an emergency or accident or while the person is in 

transit to or from the emergency or accident or while the person is at or 

being moved to or from an emergency shelter unless such acts or omissions 

constitute recklessness. For purposes of this section, if a volunteer fire fighter, 

a volunteer operator or attendant of an ambulance or rescue squad service, 

a volunteer paramedic, a volunteer emergency medical technician, or 

a volunteer registered member of the national ski patrol system 

receives nominal compensation not based upon the value of the 

services performed, that person shall be considered to be

 receiving no compensation. The operation of a motor vehicle in 

compliance with section 321.231 by a volunteer fire fighter, 

volunteer operator, or attendant of an ambulance or 

rescue squad service, a volunteer paramedic, or volunteer emergency 

medical technician shall be considered rendering emergency care or 

assistance for purposes of this section. For purposes of this section, 

a person rendering emergency care or assistance includes 

a person involved in a workplace rescue arising out of an emergency or accident.

tldr; As long as you're not getting paid specifically for the services your render at that time and you act within your scope, you cannot be held liable as long as you're within good faith.
 
My only issue with it is define 'good faith' ?

My only issue with it is define "good faith" ? I know I'm beating a dead horse :deadhorse: but how is a lawyer going to define "good faith" ?


Think about it. We live in a litigious society.


My family and I come first, carrying a bag beyond a first aid kit risks
 
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usafmedic45 said:
You have a really :censored::censored::censored::censored: EMS system if it takes 15 minutes to get even first responders on scene. I used to work a very rural area and it was a huge deal if we had more than a 7 minute response time until the first person marked on scene. We averaged five to six minutes because we had someone assigned to get the vehicle(s) and if anyone else was responding and was closer, they went direct to the scene.

BTW, I can and will stop in extreme circumstances (I almost always stop for injured animals). However, it's a personal choice and I wasn't so offended by your comments as I was RocketMedic's.
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You have no idea what rural is if the longest response time is 7 mins from a page. I'm a 911 dispatcher and also an EMT and where I live, response times in one town can be as fast as 2 mins from first page. There is one transporting ambulance in our county, and if we get a call to a town 22 miles away, it takes about 23 from the time of the page to get there(warranting an emergency response IE lights sirens and exceeding the speed limit) Also getting a helicopter here from the closest hub (Des Moines) can take 25 mins if they aren't already in the air when we call for them. This is also a 24 hour staffed hospital ambulance.
 
NVRob said:
My only issue with it is define 'good faith' ?

My only issue with it is define "good faith" ? I know I'm beating a dead horse :deadhorse: but how is a lawyer going to define "good faith" ?


Think about it. We live in a litigious society.


My family and I come first, carrying a bag beyond a first aid kit risks
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The only real issue I can see would be if I were to stop, someone put two and two together that I work in EMS in some way/shape/form and I determine that I can't do anything and would leave. I would stay on scene until I could pass care onto someone at my level or above so I didn't abandon the patient IE negligence.

A general rule the two services I volunteer on say that if we see an accident we should call 911 and report it, advise them who and what we are, and if they advise us to stop and render aid we can. Same rule applies if you're enroute to work and see an accident.
 
I keep a trauma kit in my trunk due to the fact that I use it for work and I do alot of firearms training.
 
It's a sad state of affairs when potential legal problems interfere with patient care. Sad but true.

I have no markings, never will. It's absolutely unnecessary.

I have a bag I keep stocked with BLS equipment, a very small bag. That said, it would have to be an extreme situation for me to do anything more then stop any serious bleeding or perform compressions. I'd love to say I'd do an assessment but lets be honest, who ever is on duty is going to do their own anyways (hopefully).

Really though I see it more for personal use. If I am in a situation where I absolutely have to do something more, I am ready, otherwise I am not getting paid* plus anything else I do on scene will probably be redone by EMS regardless.

*meant both in the "not earning income" way and the "not on duty so not covered by company insurance" way.
 
chuck stank said:
Long time lurker here.
My concern, legality aside, is what would I really be able to help with. Chest compressions, imminent delivery(if I had gloves at least), serious bleeding(again, with gloves), manual stabilization, assist with an active seizure. Fill in the blanks please, but without equipment, meds, and gloves, what else more could I do besides dialing 911?
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You basically nailed it.

Work within your scope if you made the decision to stop and help. Immediate life threats like stopping bleeding and giving compressions for cardiac arrest.

Things I am wary of doing off duty would be airway management beyond headtilt - chinlift like OPA/NPA. I have them, but reserve them only for the most dire situations. (unlike being on duty where I'll gladly give everyone I meet two NPA plus an OPA if they aren't conscious) Why? because they step into the 'invasive intervention' zone.

This discussion makes me want to go read over my states good sam laws.
 
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