Questions about mtn. rescue

[WarDance]

I was just elected medical coordinator for the mountain rescue team I am a member of. Other members have been encouraging me to get my wilderness EMT upgrade. I know it is a useful thing to have but would it make more sense for me just to get my EMT-I? What about in the meantime getting my IV cert.? I am just trying to figure out what would be the best direction for me to go in that would also benefit the team the most.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

I was just elected medical coordinator for the mountain rescue team I am a member of. Other members have been encouraging me to get my wilderness EMT upgrade. I know it is a useful thing to have but would it make more sense for me just to get my EMT-I? What about in the meantime getting my IV cert.? I am just trying to figure out what would be the best direction for me to go in that would also benefit the team the most.

Greetings fellow SARer. I too was just elected Medical Team Leader for my counties SAR Team. I have been asking for input from then fine folks of EMTLIFE for a few weeks. Check out these threads:

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=12215

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=12219

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=12348

As far as continuing your EMT education. For what we do, the Wilderness EMT is great because it focuses on helping Street-EMT-trained folks to think about improvising and operating in environments that we don't see much in Street EMT. EMT-I won't give you that, but I would never talk someone out of contnueing their education in that way. IV Cert? Depends on if that is something that you folks carry (IV's and all). The big concern out here is that while W-EMT is great to have, their are no protocols in my county for wilderness medicine, so even if we have it, we can't use the new skills learned there (i.e. reduction of dislocations, clearing c-spine, administering other meds), so while I would love to get W-EMT for my personal education and benifit, it wouldn't be used officially. Assuming wilderness protocols are used in your neck of the woods then GO FOR IT (especially if the team will foot the bill), I've heard great things from those that have taken it. If you team suggested it... I would follow their advise since SAR operations differ from state to state and even county to county.

Bossy Cow or LucidResq might have more on this one...

 

[WarDance]

Congrats on getting elected for your team as well!

We have had an EMT-I on the team in the past so we have carried IVs, we just currently don't because no one can use them. We do have wilderness protocols for our team so I would benefit from getting the upgrade. I just currently don't want to spend money for both the wilderness upgrade and an EMT-I so I'll have to pick one for now....

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Congrats on getting elected for your team as well!

We have had an EMT-I on the team in the past so we have carried IVs, we just currently don't because no one can use them. We do have wilderness protocols for our team so I would benefit from getting the upgrade. I just currently don't want to spend money for both the wilderness upgrade and an EMT-I so I'll have to pick one for now....

Congrats back at you. If it were me: W-EMT and the IV Cert to start off with. See if the team will pay for part of it. I don't know how that works for you folks, but our team has a fund sepearte from the official budgeet from the Sheriff. It is built up by donations from victims and famiies we save/recover sa well as donations from Private Organizations that want to support us every so often. If we want to take a class that benifits the team (like Swiftwater Rescue Tech / Rope Rescue Tech / Search Management) we can submit a request for funds to the 3 finacial officers. I don't know if something similar exists for you... Personnaly I would love to get teh W-EMT upgrade, but while the education would be great, I couldn't use it much.

Good Luck in your new position.