Jump kit

[rwik123]

Trolling maybe. Also, even after years of hanging around you yanks, I still don't really know what a jump kit is. I figure its a personal bag of some sort.

I'll bite.


I have a small bag (about the size of a small ladies hand bag) that I substitute for the main huge and heavy service issued bag because I don't want half the stuff in it at the vast majority of jobs. It also contains non-standard stuff. It contains:

- Assessment: Stethoscope, BP cuff, glucometer, tympanic thermometer.
- PPE: Goggles, spare gloves, a protective gown, P2 masks for me, my partner and for a pt.
- Small sharps container, pre-prepared IV roll all ready to go laid out on a pillow slip.
- Chest decompression necessaries in a pre-prepared roll.
- A few first aid bit: gauze, triangular bandage, crepe bandage or two.
- Spare syringes of each size: for spares, and to support RSI which requires each drug be drawn up in a particular size syringe.
- Bits: Oxygen connector bit, tongue depressors, ear plugs, rubbish bag, extra large alcohol wipe to clean a truly filthy IV site (mud etc), emesis bag, pens, pen torch, spare batteries, spare thermometer covers.


Brilliant for everyday use because its light (good for the back) and it has most of the stuff I need for the average job.

Carries some essential bits that may often be missed, lost or not carried in standard bags.

I always have my PPE close at hand. This has been almost essential several times.

I've really NEEDED the duplicated assessment gear at two mass casualty events where myself and my partner were both times required to split up.

Love my "jump kit".

I'm guessing your using this on duty. The OP is speaking about a kit that would be used off duty if he were to roll up on a nasty scene. I don't he's affiliated with anyone or else they'd give you one. But a J&J pocket bandaid kit and call it a day.

 

[Melclin]

I'm guessing your using this on duty. The OP is speaking about a kit that would be used off duty if he were to roll up on a nasty scene. I don't he's affiliated with anyone or else they'd give you one. But a J&J pocket bandaid kit and call it a day.

Ahhh. The trauma bay in the back of the car. Cool cool.

At least I got to talk about my little bag :wub: That thing is single handedly saving my back and shoulders.

 

[Tigger]

Here in WA the Good Samaritan Laws go off of your knowledge that you display or admit to. So if you run up to a scene and say "I'm an off duty EMT" then you have established a baseline level of skill and admitted that you are a professional.

It would be dependent on the individual scenario but you could be looking at serious legal consequences.

I think you might consider re-reading the actual text of the WA law that Sandog posted...

 

[leoemt]

I think you might consider re-reading the actual text of the WA law that Sandog posted...

Trust me, I know it. If you advertise yourself as a professional you are held to a higher standard. Good Samaritan Laws were not created to protect professionals. They were created to protect civilians so they would not be scared to provide first aid in an emergency. It is a law benefiting the lay person.

It comes down to the "Reasonable Person" standard. If a Reasonable Person would believe that you have skills / knowledge above a standard person you would be deemed a professional and would be held to a higher standard.

I know one volunteer fire fighter who got in trouble because he stopped to help at an accident. He was off duty and out of district and only provided basic first aid. However one of the witnesses saw his Star of Life emblem and EMT placard on his car and reported him for not providing appropriate care. It didn't make it to court, but he was still investigated and suspended from the dept as a result.

There is the letter of the law and the interpretation of the law. It is the interpretation that you are tried on and that lawyers will argue in court.

If a person stopped at an accident, jumped out with a EMT style jump kit and said "i'm an EMT" what would the lay public think and what would they expect. They would expect the level of care consistent with an EMT on an ambulance. Because you couldn't provide this level of care you would be guilty of not operating in your scope of practice.

We were told in EMT class, to keep our mouth shut when off duty. Yes it is ok to admit to knowing first aid and providing basic first aid / CPR in an emergency, but we shouldn't be telling people were off duty EMT's for this reason. Then we are covered under the Good Samaritan Laws.

I can think of several more cases where professionals got in trouble for their "off duty care". Its all up to the lawyers, having worked with lawyers during my private investigator days I know how they think. As I stated before, the OP would stand a very good chance of being sued. Maybe not in your state, but here in WA that is how it is.

 

[Tigger]

Trust me, I know it. If you advertise yourself as a professional you are held to a higher standard. Good Samaritan Laws were not created to protect professionals. They were created to protect civilians so they would not be scared to provide first aid in an emergency. It is a law benefiting the lay person.

It comes down to the "Reasonable Person" standard. If a Reasonable Person would believe that you have skills / knowledge above a standard person you would be deemed a professional and would be held to a higher standard.

I know one volunteer fire fighter who got in trouble because he stopped to help at an accident. He was off duty and out of district and only provided basic first aid. However one of the witnesses saw his Star of Life emblem and EMT placard on his car and reported him for not providing appropriate care. It didn't make it to court, but he was still investigated and suspended from the dept as a result.

There is the letter of the law and the interpretation of the law. It is the interpretation that you are tried on and that lawyers will argue in court.

If a person stopped at an accident, jumped out with a EMT style jump kit and said "i'm an EMT" what would the lay public think and what would they expect. They would expect the level of care consistent with an EMT on an ambulance. Because you couldn't provide this level of care you would be guilty of not operating in your scope of practice.

We were told in EMT class, to keep our mouth shut when off duty. Yes it is ok to admit to knowing first aid and providing basic first aid / CPR in an emergency, but we shouldn't be telling people were off duty EMT's for this reason. Then we are covered under the Good Samaritan Laws.

I can think of several more cases where professionals got in trouble for their "off duty care". Its all up to the lawyers, having worked with lawyers during my private investigator days I know how they think. As I stated before, the OP would stand a very good chance of being sued. Maybe not in your state, but here in WA that is how it is.

You are not a professional if you are not on duty. You will not be held to your scope of practice if you are not work. That makes no sense, it is also unlawful to function under an EMT scope of practice without medical direction, which you do not have if you are not on duty. So how could you be held to that standard?

 

[Shepard]

Trust me, I know it. If you advertise yourself as a professional you are held to a higher standard. Good Samaritan Laws were not created to protect professionals. They were created to protect civilians so they would not be scared to provide first aid in an emergency. It is a law benefiting the lay person.

It comes down to the "Reasonable Person" standard. If a Reasonable Person would believe that you have skills / knowledge above a standard person you would be deemed a professional and would be held to a higher standard.

I know one volunteer fire fighter who got in trouble because he stopped to help at an accident. He was off duty and out of district and only provided basic first aid. However one of the witnesses saw his Star of Life emblem and EMT placard on his car and reported him for not providing appropriate care. It didn't make it to court, but he was still investigated and suspended from the dept as a result.

There is the letter of the law and the interpretation of the law. It is the interpretation that you are tried on and that lawyers will argue in court.

If a person stopped at an accident, jumped out with a EMT style jump kit and said "i'm an EMT" what would the lay public think and what would they expect. They would expect the level of care consistent with an EMT on an ambulance. Because you couldn't provide this level of care you would be guilty of not operating in your scope of practice.

We were told in EMT class, to keep our mouth shut when off duty. Yes it is ok to admit to knowing first aid and providing basic first aid / CPR in an emergency, but we shouldn't be telling people were off duty EMT's for this reason. Then we are covered under the Good Samaritan Laws.

I can think of several more cases where professionals got in trouble for their "off duty care". Its all up to the lawyers, having worked with lawyers during my private investigator days I know how they think. As I stated before, the OP would stand a very good chance of being sued. Maybe not in your state, but here in WA that is how it is.

Yeah... this wouldn't really make sense. Would legislators prefer untrained laypeople to provide first aid and have trained EMTs and Medics drive by because they're worried about being sued?

The bottom line is any time you do anything in EMS there's a possibility of being sued. Fortunately, if you are not on duty and you're not being paid you are covered by the Good Samaritan law. Also. You won't be doing any ALS skills, any advanced BLS skills or anything more than a physical assessment.

For example. About a week ago I rolled up on a motorcycle vs. Auto. I heard the dispatch as I was getting out of the car so I put on a pair of gloves, instructed a bystander to hold c-spine. Checked ABC's he was a&o x 4, did a rapid trauma assess and pilfer! Fire was on scene. All you need is gloves and a cell.

 

[mycrofft]

"Jump bag" comes from kits carried by parachutists, especially medics/special forces (green berets). Smokejumpers have them also.

Basic supplies, 7.5 inch cheap serrated shears, small but reliable flashlight, at least four triangle bandages. Spare pare of cheap eyeglasses. Camera bags are good; moveable dividers, padded (so, insulated a little), much cheaper. Look for strong zippers, no mesh, good shoulder strap which fastens to the body of the carrier (hopefully, goes under it too), NOT to the lid; same for handles. Put reflective material on it. If you get tired of using or not using it, you can carry a camera or lunch in it.

 

[bigbaldguy]

We were told in EMT class, to keep our mouth shut when off duty.

Oh well then I guess we can't argue with that.

I can think of several more cases where professionals got in trouble for their "off duty care". Its all up to the lawyers, having worked with lawyers during my private investigator days I know how they think. As I stated before, the OP would stand a very good chance of being sued. Maybe not in your state, but here in WA that is how it is.

Sounds like it happens an awful lot. Maybe you could post a link to a news article or two about an EMT being sued for, you know saying they were an EMT.

 

[Sandog]

Oh well then I guess we can't argue with that.



Sounds like it happens an awful lot. Maybe you could post a link to a news article or two about an EMT being sued for, you know saying they were an EMT.

You missed your calling as a diplomat

 

[NomadicMedic]

Sounds like it happens an awful lot. Maybe you could post a link to a news article or two about an EMT being sued for, you know saying they were an EMT.

I would also like to see any citation these lawsuit happening in Washington, seeing as related in the following thread:

I can think of several more cases where professionals got in trouble for their "off duty care" ... As I stated before, the OP would stand a very good chance of being sued. Maybe not in your state, but here in WA that is how it is.

In other words, provide a citation for these "several cases", otherwise it's simply false.

There are many reasons why someone might repeat a falsehood. It could be as simple as they have heard it from someone else. That is obviously not a good reason to propagate an error.

 

[AUSEMT]

on a similar train of thought, im of the opinion that almost everything in urban EMS can be improvised/ done without for the first few minutes until backup arrives

you need gloves, trauma shears and pharmaceuticals.

everything else can be improv'ed from the environment around you or can wait 4 minutes.
CPR? compression only for the first while
hemorrhage? pressure, torn clothing as improv bandage and elevation
almost everyhting else can either wait or is superficial. (besides medical emergency needing pharmaceuticals. .i.e anaphylaxis and asthma in extremis - which i would personally use an pei pen for as well

just my 2 cents after seeing a ruck filled with 8 kits containing everything under the sun for a first aid post duty...

 

[mycrofft]

PS on personal kits: don't start relying on yourself to provide emergency care for friends or especially family. Too much emotional baggage for you AND for them. You will be either too wimpy or too urgent, they will tend to be noncompliant (you're the one who burns the toast, no?).

 

[abckidsmom]

PS on personal kits: don't start relying on yourself to provide emergency care for friends or especially family. Too much emotional baggage for you AND for them. You will be either too wimpy or too urgent, they will tend to be noncompliant (you're the one who burns the toast, no?).

Disagree. I keep a bag in my car for the express purpose of treating friends and family. It's always just first aid, but who else is going to do it? We aren't calling an ambulance to clean and bandage a wound.

I might be the one who burns the toast, but in my family I'm also (one of) the ones to go to with a problem.

I'm surprised at you, mycrofft, preaching non-self-sufficiency.

 

[mycrofft]

I was thinking more about the participants here who avowed to be THE medical resource for taking Granny the back way to Mt Rushmore etc etc.

First aid: yes. BLS on up: be prepared, but don't rely upon it.