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nomofica

nomofica

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I'm going to ask you guys this, at the risk of being called a whacker (and yes, I know it makes me as such):

I'm looking at a personal jump bag because I'm doing a lot of med vollying for events such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer, Weekend to End Breast Cancer, stuff like that... They require that you supply your own equipment. I also do med for mountain climbing trips where the response times are very long.

With my current list of items (with other miscellaneous items included for myself), I'm standing at $692.55. List is here: http://alturl.com/xsnz

Now, when compared with this: http://sands.ca/it120002.html, the final prices are the exact same. However, this bag is fully stocked, and comes with more things which I'll need later on down the (not too distant) road. I know this bag is more than what I actually need in terms of size/contents at this point in time, but I am saving money and it keeps things all together in one bag.

Question is: is it worth it? Price difference in the end is ~6 bucks more.
 
Are you being reimbursed or out of your own pocket?

Do they have a mandated list of supplies, or are you making your own?



Water + deicer = win!
 
Because it's for multiple events and activities put on by multiple different organizations, no; there's no reimbursements nor are there any "set" lists of supplies.

I will be dealing with quite a few heat-related illnesses (heat exhaustion/stroke and the like), as well as several potential heart/stroke problems with the geriatric participants. Then there are the potential bike vs vehicle incidents (had 2 last year that I dealt with personally), as well as a cyclist experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke and end up falling off of their bikes (again, dealt with a few of those; nasty soft tissue damage out of those if they land the right - or wrong - way).

Hot weather + lots of physical activities + ill geriatric pts usually make for interesting times, as I've already experienced.
 
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If you volunteer for a legit group, they will supply you with gear, or reimburse you for a standard set of "approved" gear. It's been that way with every group I've ever done work for.

As an aside, adding your own O2 is a huge liability and makes me throw up the "wacker flag".

If it's stuff you need, and they need you there, they'll supply it.

End of story.
 
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I really can't imagine what you'd need beyong BP/steth, a bunch of 4x4s, some kerlex and tape, and a BVM.
 
n7lxi said:
If you volunteer for a legit group, they will supply you with gear, or reimburse you for a standard set of "approved" gear. It's been that way with every group I've ever done work for.

As an aside, adding your own O2 is a huge liability and makes me throw up the "wacker flag".

If it's stuff you need, and they need you there, they'll supply it.

End of story.
Click to expand...

I've never once been supplied with equipment from these organizations because there is no income whatsoever. Also, a lot of my vollying (such as for the mountain climbing groups) is not for an organization, but rather a group of "thrill seekers" I'll call 'em, who want somebody to make sure that somebody is there if they get hurt. And because I'm going to be doing more and more of that in the next few months, I'd rather have my own equipment which I'm familiar with instead of having to fumble my way around their bags (from my experience, are quite disorganized and understocked).

But again, this is why I'm asking you guys.
 
bstone said:
I really can't imagine what you'd need beyong BP/steth, a bunch of 4x4s, some kerlex and tape, and a BVM.
Click to expand...

The O2 is for the mountain climbing trips (I'm at the "rest stops" on the mountain sides). I've had situations where I needed it and didn't have it. Only reason why I'm contemplating the O2 purchases.
 
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With the sign saying "For use by doctor's order only"?

Rule of thumb, if you can't carry it comfortably you are overpacked or understaffed.

If an empty pack costs the same as a filled one, then the filled one has cheap stuff, or the empty one is overpriced... or both.

Your best tool in a real emergency will be a radio or cell phone with lots of batteries (get an Everready kit to run it on AA cells as a backup) and a list of the local contacts for EMS with transport. Go visit the locally receiving ER's and make sure of their locations, contact phone numbers, directions to get ther etc. in case something goes wrong.

When I did midget tiny junior peewee football and cheerleading medical standby, the stuff in the kit they supplied was outdated, inappropriate for my level of care, and had what I thought to be an unrealistic selection of materials as to type size and amounts. I gutted it and restocked it. When I was done I gutted it out again since I KNEW the next person would do the same. I also added a softsided six pack cooler with a shoulder sling ($2 used) filled with ice and some sandwich baggies. I actually STOOD on their hard case kit and used it as resupply/home base while I used my smaller soft kit.

And as always, look to your liability picture here. Enjoy!!
 
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Thanks, mycrofft.

i'll keep that in mind
 
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Lotsa good folks with experience here, the older...

the better!
 
nomofica said:
The O2 is for the mountain climbing trips (I'm at the "rest stops" on the mountain sides). I've had situations where I needed it and didn't have it. Only reason why I'm contemplating the O2 purchases.
Click to expand...
Really?

Why did you "need" it?
There's 21% in the air you breathe. If someone wants O2 to help them "catch their breath"... it is more of a mental thing than a physical one. Further - Does O2 really help most of our patients, or are we increasing free radicals that are linked with reperfusion injury? I don't think I've ever had a patient that was saved by O2... especially not a runner.

Many of these walks/runs HAVE money to spend - they collect lots of it from the participants. Most of the local ones have no problem shelling out money to have a BLS crew, or multiple crews on standby for their event, with a fully stocked rig. Then again, if you get money from them for supplies, it becomes a much more complicated arrangement.

If you really feel the need to go out and buy all this stuff... well... really think over what you'll use and need... not stuff that just looks cool to have. For example - if EMS response times are good... do you really need much more than some 4x4's, kling, bandaids, and maybe a SAM splint and a couple of cravats? Throw in a trauma dressing if you must.

Finially - Shop around for your supplies - Look at Boundtree and EMP in the US. Also - why the super-expensive BP cuff set? Get 1 each child, adult, and obese stand-alone BP cuffs... cheaper, and they are all self contained - no master parts to loose.
 
well, this past week was a great example as to why carrying O2 is a good idea. one of my friends who has been an EMT for about 30 years now had a travel pulse ox and a small o2 tank. a woman had accidently overdosed on methadone and was in severe respiratory distress. Us being on scene before AMR or Fire, we increased her respirations from 4-6/min to 10/min and her o2 sat from 86-94 in a matter of minutes.

that being said, i may invest in an O2 tank. not a large one, but something thats easily available.
 
DV_EMT said:
well, this past week was a great example as to why carrying O2 is a good idea. one of my friends who has been an EMT for about 30 years now had a travel pulse ox and a small o2 tank. a woman had accidently overdosed on methadone and was in severe respiratory distress. Us being on scene before AMR or Fire, we increased her respirations from 4-6/min to 10/min and her o2 sat from 86-94 in a matter of minutes.

that being said, i may invest in an O2 tank. not a large one, but something thats easily available.
Click to expand...

The same result would come from a BVM on room air!;)
 
Do you really need 5 sizes of BP cuffs? I don't even think we have that many on my ambulance.

An adult large will work for most of your patients, if you want more, get a pedi and a thigh cuff.
 
nomofica - Anytime you are working for a ORG or a company they should be the one suppling you with the materials you need to do the job. It has been my experience that if the company cant provide you with what you need to do the job properly then dont work for them. Even if it is a volunteer position. --- Just my take on it...
 
If that group of people wants to have a medic on hand so bad they will pay for your supplies and you can volunteer your time, If they dont want to do that they dont need a medic on hand that bad. I wouldnt even think about spending that much money out of my own pocket for something like that.

Just get a good basic first aid kit, a mouth barrier and a good cell phone or a radio so u can call for help if need be.
 
Well, to repeat what everyone else has been saying, any good org should supply what you need to get the job done. Having kind of come out of my fresh-out-of-class-new-guy-who-is-out-to-save-the-world-whackerdom, I can tell you, all you really want for personall use (eg to carry in your car) is gloves, a barrier, some 4-bys and some kerlix. (Plus a small FA kit w/ band-aids, sting-eze, hand sanitizer, etc for use on yourself or other occupants of your vehicle.)

As for the O2, do you really want to spend all that $$$ on a tank, bag, supplies, etc plus the refill fees and hassle? (And who wants to carry a d cylender up and down the mountians along with all your other gear? I dunnit and it isn't fun!)
 
To hit on a topic that has surprisingly been overlooked thus far, while doing these events do you have medical control? Liability insurance? Like others I have never heard of an organization doing a run/walk that didn't provide at least the supplies for first aid and when they do that's all you do is first aid. You're not a first responder, an EMT, or a paramedic (unless your service is called but that's a whole different ball of wax) all you are is a basic first aid provider. There is still some question as far as being able to legally carry O2 on your own, I know people do it and I'm not sure how but our service has a prescription written by our medical director for the use and administration of O2, it is a drug and must be considered as such.

As for your question I would say buy whichever bag is more expensive because it will help you save the world that much faster, you might even work me out of a job.
 
^^ Couldn't agree more

As for your O2, where do you plan to refill it?

No offense, but you're not performing surgery in the field; you really don't need ALL* of that.

*if any
 
Im gonna have to agree here. The road is paved with good intentions. Buuuuut. If you're out with one of your friends, he gets hurt, and dies .... I guarantee the family is going to say " well his friend was there to help him, and hes an EMT", or something to that effect.

Now you are liable. Did you have protocols to be providing care out there?
O2 is a by prescrition only drug. If you dont have protocol to do this, and something goes wrong thats practicing medicine without a liscence.

If an orginization wants you to do this that bad.... Id let them provide the stuff.

I carry a complete bag, and monitor in my vehicle. They are supplied by my agency, and I have standing protocol to act. Otherwise I wouldnt do it.
 
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