L.A. County EMS Told to Conserve Oxygen, Don’t Transport Patients with Little Chance of Survival

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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Welcome to 2021 LACo, join what other counties in this state have already been doing for years.
 

akflightmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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Yesterday was VERY challenging....I could not understand why LA was getting this national coverage for doing what darn near all of us have been doing for YEARS!!!

I am active on many news sites, and the commentaries were so misinformed and ignorant. Mostly because people would not read past the headline, pure sensationalism. Headlines are meant to be eye grabbing, mind grabbing...enough to the point where it draws you into the story, to ACTUALLY READ the story. No one does that anymore and it is a sad commentary on our society. People read the headline, form an opinion, blast stupid comments, then share the hell out of it and the cycle repeats. It is an absolute dumbing down of our populace.

I wrote an explanation that any layman could understand and I kept blasting it left and right, everywhere. Copy, paste, repeat!

I did my part and hope like hell I convinced 1 or 2...
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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Yesterday was VERY challenging....I could not understand why LA was getting this national coverage for doing what darn near all of us have been doing for YEARS!!!
Because the news me spinning the story like they are letting people die due to covid. they did the same thing in NYC back in April:

it's fear-mongering, plain and simple. the media has been doing it since the pandemic started, often based on no facts, other than an incorrect assumption about a treatment path. gets more clicks on their websites. it has nothing to do with facts, or that the rest of the country stopped doing it 10+ years ago.

BTW, when I started in EMS in the 90s, we did a lot of scoop and run with cardiac arrests to the ER, where they were pronounced shortly after we arrived. Did a lot of crappy CPR in the back of a moving ambulance. The science says work them on scene, as they have a better chance of survival that way, and if you don't get pulses back or a viable rhythm, then it's not meant to be. why doesn't the news media put that in their reporting?
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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I didnt actually see a reason in the article for conserving oxygen, but fun fact. There are like only 3 places in the country that recertify oxygen cyclinders. I know this cause one is in my hometown, and the #2 guy there happens to be my hunting partner. He has been working 14 hours a day 7 days a week since September.
 

akflightmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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Because the news me spinning the story like they are letting people die due to covid. they did the same thing in NYC back in April:

it's fear-mongering, plain and simple. the media has been doing it since the pandemic started, often based on no facts, other than an incorrect assumption about a treatment path. gets more clicks on their websites. it has nothing to do with facts, or that the rest of the country stopped doing it 10+ years ago.

BTW, when I started in EMS in the 90s, we did a lot of scoop and run with cardiac arrests to the ER, where they were pronounced shortly after we arrived. Did a lot of crappy CPR in the back of a moving ambulance. The science says work them on scene, as they have a better chance of survival that way, and if you don't get pulses back or a viable rhythm, then it's not meant to be. why doesn't the news media put that in their reporting?
Yep, I remember. And I did a lot of the same education then as well.
 

KingCountyMedic

Forum Lieutenant
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Nice of LA to finally join the rest of the world. (30-40 years late but oh well)

I've never understood how the media and the entertainment industry always focuses on the worst EMS systems in the country. LA, Chicago, New York......
 

E tank

Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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Accuracy and context are optional (read: unhelpful) when advancing a narrative.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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136122677_3623139887793112_4027977936254984365_o.jpg
 

Bullets

Forum Knucklehead
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Nice of LA to finally join the rest of the world. (30-40 years late but oh well)

I've never understood how the media and the entertainment industry always focuses on the worst EMS systems in the country. LA, Chicago, New York......
What do all those systems have in common?
 

KingCountyMedic

Forum Lieutenant
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What do all those systems have in common?
Too many paramedics with not enough training, no good medical director oversight. No support. EMS in many of these areas is fire based with no real passion for medicine. They do EMS to maintain jobs and shiny ladder trucks etc. Also multiple private companies with many of the same issues and then throw in high turnover rates, low wages and poor equipment. I'm no expert, I've never worked in those areas but I have many friends I've made over the years in those areas and I've been there, rode along and spent a good deal of time talking to first responders from these systems.
 

luke_31

Forum Asst. Chief
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Too many paramedics with not enough training, no good medical director oversight. No support. EMS in many of these areas is fire based with no real passion for medicine. They do EMS to maintain jobs and shiny ladder trucks etc. Also multiple private companies with many of the same issues and then throw in high turnover rates, low wages and poor equipment. I'm no expert, I've never worked in those areas but I have many friends I've made over the years in those areas and I've been there, rode along and spent a good deal of time talking to first responders from these systems.
You’re not wrong. I used to work LA County and that’s exactly the issue.
 

CbrMonster

Forum Lieutenant
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Too many paramedics with not enough training, no good medical director oversight. No support. EMS in many of these areas is fire based with no real passion for medicine. They do EMS to maintain jobs and shiny ladder trucks etc. Also multiple private companies with many of the same issues and then throw in high turnover rates, low wages and poor equipment. I'm no expert, I've never worked in those areas but I have many friends I've made over the years in those areas and I've been there, rode along and spent a good deal of time talking to first responders from these systems.

This is exactly the issues, half the SoCal fire medics don’t want to be medics. They got their p cards to be a firefighter. They’re already pre burned out running bs medical aids and theirs tons of them especially etoh’ers.
 
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