Moms and Dads

mikeylikesit

Candy Striper
906
11
0
I got a question for you guys since i haven't seen it and since my supervisor states he will allow it.

On take your kid to work day, do you ever let your kids ride with you? or is your agency against it? Just wanted to know cause it is kind of cool.
 

CFRBryan347768

Forum Captain
491
1
0
I would never allow my child to ride with me, id be too worried about them and would not give my pt. 110% of my attention. I also think its a huge risk, diseases and all that stuff.
 

Jon

Administrator
Community Leader
8,009
58
48
Umm... if the kid is 14 or 15... that is one thing... if the kid is 6, 8 or 10... HELL NO!
 

Jeremy89

Forum Captain
290
0
16
I would never allow my child to ride with me, id be too worried about them and would not give my pt. 110% of my attention. I also think its a huge risk, diseases and all that stuff.

Bryan has a kid?? whoa...


lol
 

CFRBryan347768

Forum Captain
491
1
0
Umm... if the kid is 14 or 15... that is one thing... if the kid is 6, 8 or 10... HELL NO!

Well I was going to say that but seeing id be the first i didnt want this to turn into another under 18 thread. Also having worked with family(argh) i find that too stressful.
 

Jon

Administrator
Community Leader
8,009
58
48
I agree... let's not turn this into a "how old is old enough".

In fact... I think any employer who does this needs to talk with their lawyers, insurance folks, and their PR people. If all of the above, and parents are OK with it... than maybe. Just MAYBE. But I can't see how the liability-minded folks would think this is a bright idea.
 

ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
11,024
1,472
113
I agree... let's not turn this into a "how old is old enough".

In fact... I think any employer who does this needs to talk with their lawyers, insurance folks, and their PR people. If all of the above, and parents are OK with it... than maybe. Just MAYBE. But I can't see how the liability-minded folks would think this is a bright idea.

I see you forgot the most important group of people to talk too first...

THE PATIENTS

We're supposed to be Patient Advocates...and as such are to focus on what's best for the patients. How can allowing a child of any age, be beneficial to them in their time of crisis?

Mini-scenario time:

You take your kid to work with you, and while there get toned out for a sick person. Upon arrival, you find several distraught family members present who direct you to a patient with severe stroke symptoms. The family members observe your kid in the ambulance when you arrived.

1) What type of image of you and your agency does this project to the family?
2) What happens if little Johnny managed to damage or contaminate the one piece of equipment you really need right now?
3) What would you do if your kid inadvertently stuck himself with a contaminated needle, or was exposed to MRSA, TB, or any of the other creepy crawlies we're exposed to on a daily basis?

My take on this is simple, and I'll sum it up in that manner.

IT IS A VERY BAD IDEA!
 

Outbac1

Forum Asst. Chief
681
1
18
Here in the fall there is a take your kid to work day for those in grade 9, about 15 yrs old. Our company won't allow it. Either to go out on a run or at the base when on duty. They don't run a sitting service and there would be no one to look after them while you were on a run that could take all day. I can take them to the base when I'm off duty as I can stay with them.

So I have to find other arrangements for them to do on kid to work day. One went with a police friend on highway patrol. But my wife or I had to be contactable and able to go pick him up at a moments notice anywhere in the county. Another time he job shadowed the police chief at the station for a day. Just because he had to write a report for school and thought it would be nice to see what the chief of police did. Apparently a fine time was had by all. My other son. He wants to go with a plummer freind of mine to see what he does in the run of a day. Kids ... no two the same.
 

MAC4NH

Forum Crew Member
92
2
0
My agency will in no way allow it but even if it did, I would never take a kid (mine or anyone else's) on a ride-along. As all the other members have stated, an EMS unit is too dangerous a place for any child who is not a patient or with a patient. Besides the physical danger, we see things that most adults can't handle. A child should not be subjected to those sights and experiences.
 

karaya

EMS Paparazzi
Premium Member
703
9
18
My 17 year old daughter needed to do a "job shadow" project for her career development class. She decided to pick me and shadow my work as an EMS photographer. I got permission from one of my "embed" providers for her to ride with me in the supervisor's truck which has an extended cab for her to ride in the back.

The guidelines that I established was she could not enter homes to private residences or businesses and could only observe in the back of the ambulance if I was in back photographing the crew. As it turned out she rode on a busy day and a good deal of the calls were out in the open "public domain" (parking lots, streets, etc.) so she got to see and photograph me while I was photographing the paramedics.

Here's a shot I took of her near the end of the day.

D20_0015_web.jpg
 

MAC4NH

Forum Crew Member
92
2
0
My 17 year old daughter needed to do a "job shadow" project for her career development class. She decided to pick me and shadow my work as an EMS photographer. I got permission from one of my "embed" providers for her to ride with me in the supervisor's truck which has an extended cab for her to ride in the back.

The guidelines that I established was she could not enter homes to private residences or businesses and could only observe in the back of the ambulance if I was in back photographing the crew. As it turned out she rode on a busy day and a good deal of the calls were out in the open "public domain" (parking lots, streets, etc.) so she got to see and photograph me while I was photographing the paramedics.

Photographing EMS scenes outside is very different from riding in the back of an ambulance on a bad call. A 17 year-old is also very different emotionally from an 11 or 12 year-old. We allow 17 year-old EMTs to ride on my volunteer squad as 3rd crewmembers. While you have worked out most of the safety issues, I still would not do it with a younger child. As far as an older child (14-16), sounds like a good way to introduce them to what we do. Unfortunately, it's a way that's probably not available to most in the field.
 

Jon

Administrator
Community Leader
8,009
58
48
I think that even a younger child (IE, 14+) could probably do a ride along like you organized, Ray. We've done the same thing here for the local newspaper reporters/photographers... they occasionally like to ride a shift with us or the PD.

I remember hearing a story about an EMS agency that ran a bring your kid to work day. They ran a little EMS academy, taught the children CPR, let them climb around the ambulances, and probably a few demos. All the kids stayed at the base and were safe, but they got to experience what Mom & Dad do. - Now that would only work for a larger company, and it actually sounds like an EMS Open House... so the idea could even be test-piloted on your kids, then they tell everyone at school what fun they had, and to come to the station on next Saturday for a demo like it.
 
OP
OP
mikeylikesit

mikeylikesit

Candy Striper
906
11
0
i was really hoping that everyone here wasn't thinking that i was talking about young kids, it was approved for 16 and older. i think what Jon stated was a good idea, it would really help next time the EMS budget came up for discussion and you just let all the kids in the community learn a skill and have some fun.
 

Jon

Administrator
Community Leader
8,009
58
48
OK... around here, we have youth riding with us as members at 16, as well as riding as observers. Either require a parent's signature.
 

CFRBryan347768

Forum Captain
491
1
0
i was really hoping that everyone here wasn't thinking that i was talking about young kids, it was approved for 16 and older. i think what Jon stated was a good idea, it would really help next time the EMS budget came up for discussion and you just let all the kids in the community learn a skill and have some fun.

I think 16+ is fine; The first corp I joined, I was 15. I guess it really relies on the parents, do I see myself bringing my 16 y/o child nope, but more power to the parent that does.
 
Top