MedicPrincess
Forum Deputy Chief
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Lets have them. We all have'em. Things people say to dispatch or dispatch to us that just make you want to reach into the radio and punch'em right in the nose!
"Be Advised" For some reason, these two words just make me nuts. You call me on the radio. I respond to you. Do you really need to tell me to "be advised?" Just tell me already. Once you have called me, and got me on the radio, I am going to take whatever you have to say and do with it what I want. I am not going to hold back if you call me and tell me to "Be Advised the patient may be armed" and go in if you just say "the patient may be armed." If you call me and tell me to "Be Advised the patient has Agonal Respirations at a rate of 18" (don't laugh. that was an actual radio report to my truck not so long ago, as relayed to dispatch from the FD. Does dispatch actually have to repeat EVERYTHING that is said, no matter how :wacko: ) I am going to laugh just as hard as I would if you say "Respiratory Rate is Agonal at 18" and my trucks Nextel will be ringing just as quickly as people call me to see if I just heard that.
So, that being said, I have caught myself using it at least once per shift. Perhaps I should start punching myself in my nose when I say it too.
"Doing the Math for Dispatch" For our service, on an MVA, if a patient has no injuries at all....nothing....nada....no complaints whatsoever....we have a "NO Injury" form to fill out. We don't take vitals, don't have to call med control. They deny all injuries. Now if they mention they have so much as a broken fingernail from the accident then we have to get a refusal signed, we are supposed to get the refusal of transport cleared through Med Control any time we want to take one (our Medical Director allows very flexible discression to be used here, I have only seen 3 refusals cleared through Med Control. 2 were Diabetics, 1 was dispatched as a Seizure/Unconscious/OD call), and we are supposed to obtain 2 sets of vitals (again with the discression.) But either way, or if we transport we have to let dispatch know how many "potential patients" there were, so a run number can be assigned for each "potential patient." So a typical MVA might have 2 refusals, 2 No Injuries, and 1 transported. 5 run numbers. Ok. So when the (usually, but not always) EMT gets on the radio and says, "Were enroute with 1 patient, we have 2 refusals and 2 no injuries for a total of 5 run numbers...." REALLY!!! 1 + 2 + 2 = 5??? Seriously. Your kidding. I know sometimes our dispatchers, are....well....ummm....frustrating..... But don't they have to have simple math? Its not like they don't repeat it back to us. If we tell them everything except the "for a total part" they will repeat back exactly what we tell them. Like trained little monkies they are.
and after a shift like yesterday or the one it looks like I might have tomorrow since I cannot freakin SLEEP!!!!.....
"All Units, Stand By For Tones.....Medic (whatever number I am on that day) start Charlie/Delta/Echo response....." Especially, when its almost 1500 and I still haven't got to eat and I just sat down on the potty for the first time since 0500. Sure hate it for what ever kind of patient is yet to come, b/c we might just have a delayed response due to "heavy traffic."
"Be Advised" For some reason, these two words just make me nuts. You call me on the radio. I respond to you. Do you really need to tell me to "be advised?" Just tell me already. Once you have called me, and got me on the radio, I am going to take whatever you have to say and do with it what I want. I am not going to hold back if you call me and tell me to "Be Advised the patient may be armed" and go in if you just say "the patient may be armed." If you call me and tell me to "Be Advised the patient has Agonal Respirations at a rate of 18" (don't laugh. that was an actual radio report to my truck not so long ago, as relayed to dispatch from the FD. Does dispatch actually have to repeat EVERYTHING that is said, no matter how :wacko: ) I am going to laugh just as hard as I would if you say "Respiratory Rate is Agonal at 18" and my trucks Nextel will be ringing just as quickly as people call me to see if I just heard that.
So, that being said, I have caught myself using it at least once per shift. Perhaps I should start punching myself in my nose when I say it too.
"Doing the Math for Dispatch" For our service, on an MVA, if a patient has no injuries at all....nothing....nada....no complaints whatsoever....we have a "NO Injury" form to fill out. We don't take vitals, don't have to call med control. They deny all injuries. Now if they mention they have so much as a broken fingernail from the accident then we have to get a refusal signed, we are supposed to get the refusal of transport cleared through Med Control any time we want to take one (our Medical Director allows very flexible discression to be used here, I have only seen 3 refusals cleared through Med Control. 2 were Diabetics, 1 was dispatched as a Seizure/Unconscious/OD call), and we are supposed to obtain 2 sets of vitals (again with the discression.) But either way, or if we transport we have to let dispatch know how many "potential patients" there were, so a run number can be assigned for each "potential patient." So a typical MVA might have 2 refusals, 2 No Injuries, and 1 transported. 5 run numbers. Ok. So when the (usually, but not always) EMT gets on the radio and says, "Were enroute with 1 patient, we have 2 refusals and 2 no injuries for a total of 5 run numbers...." REALLY!!! 1 + 2 + 2 = 5??? Seriously. Your kidding. I know sometimes our dispatchers, are....well....ummm....frustrating..... But don't they have to have simple math? Its not like they don't repeat it back to us. If we tell them everything except the "for a total part" they will repeat back exactly what we tell them. Like trained little monkies they are.
and after a shift like yesterday or the one it looks like I might have tomorrow since I cannot freakin SLEEP!!!!.....
"All Units, Stand By For Tones.....Medic (whatever number I am on that day) start Charlie/Delta/Echo response....." Especially, when its almost 1500 and I still haven't got to eat and I just sat down on the potty for the first time since 0500. Sure hate it for what ever kind of patient is yet to come, b/c we might just have a delayed response due to "heavy traffic."