Pediatric Jump Bag

[BossyCow]

Who pays for the bags and the equipment in them? .

More importantly, who's liability is it if something in that bag malfunctions? If the rig provides equipment and the employee chooses to use their own instead.. I can see a whole list of reasons that the agency's liability carrier would use to deny culpability.

 

[frogtat2]

Pediatric Jump Kit

I have a "multipurpose" jump kit in my pov. My jump kit isn't what I would call exensive, but enough to deal with the ABC's. I have adult/ped airways and cpr masks. I also have adult/ped bp cuffs. I never know what call will come, or what I will run across. I figure its for my own good to have the basics for both.

 

[FF894]

More importantly, who's liability is it if something in that bag malfunctions? If the rig provides equipment and the employee chooses to use their own instead.. I can see a whole list of reasons that the agency's liability carrier would use to deny culpability.

Is a bag malfunction anything like a wardrobe malfunction??

Whos to say the equipment in the ambulance is any better? I've never heard of any state or other regulatory agency that sets standards for equipment such as bags. The supplies in the bag are probably the same? I know most companies around here restock at hospital, so whether you are stocking the ambulance bag or your bag, its the same stuff.

 

[BossyCow]

Is a bag malfunction anything like a wardrobe malfunction??

Whos to say the equipment in the ambulance is any better? I've never heard of any state or other regulatory agency that sets standards for equipment such as bags. The supplies in the bag are probably the same? I know most companies around here restock at hospital, so whether you are stocking the ambulance bag or your bag, its the same stuff.

Do you have any familiarity at all with liability issues and risk management? It doesn't have to make sense. It just needs to give the company who insures your agency a reason to not pay a judgement. The supplies are 'probably the same' not the same.. okay.. here's a for instance.. you are called to a peds with difficulty breathing.. the baby dies, probably due to nothing in your treatment. The parents call a lawyer.. because somebody must have done something wrong.. their baby died.. and blame is a natural phase of the grief process.. the attorney does a discovery on the call and finds out that you do not use the kit issued by the agency.. but you use your own.. at that point.. the law firm has a team of law clerks to dig up every consumer complaint ever filed against every piece of equipment in your bag.

If the equipment is 'probably the same'.. then why not use what is issued? If the judgement is found against anything in your bag, the agency you work for will not insure you.. the fault will be yours.. not the agency's so you better be carrying your own personal liability insurance.

 

[boingo]

The only equipment I use that isn't issued is the bag itself, all the equipment carried is supplied by the department. I suppose I could have a catastrophic bag failure, but I'm willing to take that risk. Well, thats not entirely true, I supply my own stethescope as well.

 

[BossyCow]

The only equipment I use that isn't issued is the bag itself, all the equipment carried is supplied by the department. I suppose I could have a catastrophic bag failure, but I'm willing to take that risk. Well, thats not entirely true, I supply my own stethescope as well.

And you maintain records of when you inventory the bag.. and you know if everything in your bag is current, not expired, not subject to a recall, you have records documenting all of this... because, in a law suit.. its not whether or not everything was 'okay'.. but can you prove it was.

To me.. if the equipment in the bag is the same. .there is no reason other than some type A personality control issue to use a personal bag instead of the one issued. If the issued bag is deficient in some way.. why not address that instead of doing an end run around it that puts you personally at risk?

 

[boingo]

I think you have a bit too much litigation paranoia. Its a bag, thats all. The equipment is supplied, its all in date, it is subject to all the same packing criteria as the issued bag. I will agree on the type A personality thing though.

 

[KEVD18]

bossy, its also sop at his department that each member equip there own bag. being municipal employees, they have wonderful legal protection. their liability is capped at 100,000 which is covered by the dept.

further, while im all for keeping liability in mind, there really isnt any here. as he said, its a bag. pretty much the worst that could happen would be say a zipper not opening. in that case, he could grab his partners bag. or one of the three off the rig. or since most als call in boston are dual dispatched, he could use one of the two personal bags from the bls crew members. or one of the three off of their truck. one more level of protection is the fd. bfd is sent on a lot of medical calls and they have bags on their trucks as well. so thats like 10 back up bags. theres no issue there. and all the fillings are dept issued.

 

[DR_KSIDE]

My kit

I used to carry the majority of adult item in my kit, but now that I have 3 kids and one of them happens to be prone to seizures and other medical problems, I have now upgraded to include a very good array of BLS supplies for both Peds and Adult. I was even able to fit in C-collars in my kit for both. I just don't carry O2, yet.

 

[FF894]

bossy, its also sop at his department that each member equip there own bag. being municipal employees, they have wonderful legal protection. their liability is capped at 100,000 which is covered by the dept.

further, while im all for keeping liability in mind, there really isnt any here. as he said, its a bag. pretty much the worst that could happen would be say a zipper not opening. in that case, he could grab his partners bag. or one of the three off the rig. or since most als call in boston are dual dispatched, he could use one of the two personal bags from the bls crew members. or one of the three off of their truck. one more level of protection is the fd. bfd is sent on a lot of medical calls and they have bags on their trucks as well. so thats like 10 back up bags. theres no issue there. and all the fillings are dept issued.

Dont forget EMS Sup - thats 2 more...

 

[KEVD18]

Dont forget EMS Sup - thats 2 more...

strong work. i had forgotten about the sup's and div chiefs, and i suppose we now have to add the possibility of the fire cars as well.

bottom line is on that particular system, theres really no way to not have a first in bag thats in order.

the best analogy i can come up with is imagine a volley system that doesnt regulate who responds to calls. ever scene a volley scene with a dozen volleys? i have. now, if everyone of them had thier standard issue whacker bag, you'd have the same deal.

 

[Jon]

Reading this thread, I don't see a lot of folks admitting to having personal jump bags.

My equipment is "left over" from when I was a volunteer firefighter and used to occasionally end up on scenes instead of on the engine/ambulance. It is VERY basic... and I've not opened the bag in over a year. The less I use it, the less it ends up in the car. As of now, it is a family first-aid kit.

So I'm not convinced that we are all the world's biggest whackers.

As for the OP's question... WHY? I never carried O2, so I never needed peds O2 supplies. I never carried a suction unit, so I didn't need peds suction supplies. I never carried a pulse-ox, so I didn't need peds pulse-ox probes. I did have a range of child, adult, and large adult BP cuffs... becuase I was given a set. That's all I had. 4x4's and kling are still the same... as are cold packs.

 

[KEVD18]

I have just one question, where in the hell did you get your emt-certs. practing health care out of a trunk? you have to be kidding me. how professional is that..this is clearly the biggest whacker site I've ever seen.

far as i can see, we're all talkign about stuff on the trucks, but if you dislike our little corner of the internet so much, why dont you roll on down the road.

for the record, this is probably the least whackerish site going what with elightbars, firehouse etc still online....

 

[Scout]

i think people vered off topic form the original qestion which i understood to be paeds in POV, most people replied thinking they were talking truck

 

[akflightmedic]

I agree with you and am also sad that most people missed my sarcasm in the first post.

Surely someone would have called BS on my "pedi 4x4s" and "specially concentrated saline for peds". Oh well....

 

[mcrs41]

I agree with Scout. For the main question, I carry a jump bag in my trunk, but it has only very basic supplies, 4x4s, cravats, hot & cold packs, etc. I do have an op set that includes the one or 2 small ones for peds, but other than that nothing special. I would also check local & state regs on what is allowed to be carried POV.

 

[smvde]

The only thing faster than a new EMT, First Responder etc, to include whackers, getting a personal jump bag, is a fire monkey headed for the buffet.

I've seen too many vollies and newbie EMTs with a jumpbag full of fluids, IV supplies, and one even had a damn combitube. First off, most of it is out of date by the time you would get to use it, and secondly, it goes beyond what the Good Samaritian laws will cover and they are in effect, practicing medicine without a license. Which I might add, is illegal and will cost you your license or certification.

 

[Frank_Fedderling]

I carry a box with pedi, neonate, preemie airways, bags, airway devices, etc. in my POV.. Just because it's important to be prepared, and I don't have the luxury of always having an ambulance on hand.

 

[CAOX3]

I carry a box with pedi, neonate, preemie airways, bags, airway devices, etc. in my POV.. Just because it's important to be prepared, and I don't have the luxury of always having an ambulance on hand.

Gloves is prepared.

 

[Sasha]

"pedi 4x4s"

You mean that's not what the 2x2s are meant for!?!