Off Duty emergency

[el Murpharino]

I wouldn't go out of my way to "save the day", but if I witnessed an event or was within earshot of someone yelling "HELP ME" I would treat the absolute life threats and call 911. Without the proper equipment, there really isn't much you can do except summon help. I wouldn't go crawling into a pond to see if someone was in an overturned car, though (for example). Common sense should dictate...

To put it another way...If your mother went into cardiac arrest in an airport (hypothetically), would you want someone to perform CPR/defibrillate her, or would you want someone trained in CPR to just turn around and walk the other way?

 

[trevor1189]

Oh, I didn't mean that in a derogatory way. As I am technically still an EMT-B (working on my ALS internship right now), I'll be the last to denigrate the efforts of Basics. As far as I'm concerned, Basics are the life blood of EMS. Yes, not much training involved, but they/we pick up a lot just being around the system, and learn more than you could imagine.

And let's face it: Becoming a medic is tough. Not everyone wants to do it. Thus, there is no way to support an EMS system with only medics. You have to have "ground troops" to take care of the mundane stuff and help the medics in gathering information and setting up their drugs.

And besides, even ALS does BLS stuff when they first arrive on scene. It's the basis for everything we do. Just because you add an extra layer on it doesn't mean the foundation is any less important.

I didn't take it that way. I just meant even if you are a medic and see someone in an emergency (even without equipment) you are more qualified to help them than the average bystander. Even if all you can do is BLS. That's all.

 

[PapaBear434]

I didn't take it that way. I just meant even if you are a medic and see someone in an emergency (even without equipment) you are more qualified to help them than the average bystander. Even if all you can do is BLS. That's all.

I do keep some stuff in my car. Don't go calling me a whacker just yet, though. It's all basic stuff. My old stethoscope, bottle of saline, BP cuff, roll bandages, 4x4's, some gloves, a penlight, a couple road flares (which I should have anyway, EMT or no), two rolls of silk tape, two occlusive dressings, and one of those roll splints. Nothing you wouldn't find in a standard First Aid kit with the exception of the stethoscope and the BP cuff.

It's basically the stuff I use in class for practice I have on hand for emergencies. Takes up less than a foot of space in the Stow-&-Go, unless you count the old reflective vest I stole from the station when they replaced them.

Oh, and a pocket mask, isolation mask, and a set of goggles. In case they get spurty.

 

[trevor1189]

I do keep some stuff in my car. Don't go calling me a whacker just yet, though. It's all basic stuff. My old stethoscope, bottle of saline, BP cuff, roll bandages, 4x4's, some gloves, a penlight, a couple road flares (which I should have anyway, EMT or no), two rolls of silk tape, two occlusive dressings, and one of those roll splints. Nothing you wouldn't find in a standard First Aid kit with the exception of the stethoscope and the BP cuff.

It's basically the stuff I use in class for practice I have on hand for emergencies. Takes up less than a foot of space in the Stow-&-Go, unless you count the old reflective vest I stole from the station when they replaced them.

Oh, and a pocket mask, isolation mask, and a set of goggles. In case they get spurty.

I also keep stuff in my car. It is all BLS stuff. I really couldn't care less if people call me a wacker. I'm sure if I ever have to use anything out of it on someone they will be happy I had it.

My aed/o2 tank are coming next week!


j/k about that last part lol

 

[frogtat2]

I live in a VERY rural area, where it can take some time for an ambulance to arrive. I carry a jump kit with basic stuff just in case. I feel it's better to be prepared. I have been the first on more than one car accident, and I just can't walk away. So I make sure I have gloves, pocket mask etc to protect me.

 

[firecoins]

Stopping and helping is more than enough. I don't need the ability to do surgery on scene as the reason not to stop. I don't need an ALS kit. I have stopped on scene of several bad accidents. When the responding units arrived, they took a report and asked for extra hands. I did reduce on scene time. Did it make much of a difference? Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes keeping the helpful but unknowledgable bystanders away prevents further injury to the patient and to those bystanders.

Good sam laws do not necessarily cover trained people. You stop knowing there is a legal risk. You can get sued for anything. As I said, I am not doing surgery on scene. You do basic stuff, just enough to pass it off to responding units.

 

[AJ Hidell]

And let's face it: Becoming a medic is tough. Not everyone wants to do it. Thus, there is no way to support an EMS system with only medics. You have to have "ground troops" to take care of the mundane stuff and help the medics in gathering information and setting up their drugs.

While I appreciate the spirit of your politically correct attempt to go out of your way to avoid offending Basics, I think that you and I both know that it's nonsense. Many areas of the country successfully run EMS systems that do not involve EMT basics. I have not worked in a system with Basics on the ambulance in over twenty years. Although many EMTs never go on to get an education, there are plenty of people who do. And in many areas of the US, there are multiple patch factories cranking out hundreds of medics a year, many of them never even finding jobs. There is no shortage of people who want to be a paramedic. And where paramedics are available, there really is no need for basics. They are not a necessity to an EMS system by any means.

 

[Aidey]

I've found that saying "I'm a Paramedic, I'll stay with you until the Ambulance gets here" has an amazing calming affect on panicky people, and causes the 15 or so bystanders getting in the way to suddenly vanish.

I don't carry anything except road flares and a blanket in my car. If I'm on a long car trip I'll have water, food, etc, but generally no medical supplies except gloves and a couple of CPR masks.

I figure at most I'm going to keep the patient calm and keep bystanders from doing something stupid, like moving a MVA patient with neck pain.