Radio question

[emt_basic_newbie]

Hey guys, I've just started my EMT-B class and things are going well. I was wondering if someone could give me a quick introduction on how radio procedures go. Does every hospital have its own channel? I've never worked with a radio before and don't want to go into my rotations clueless.

 

[Chimpie]

This is going to be different w/ every city and every department.

Most hospitals have their own channel, but that is the easy part. Learning the lingo, how information should be given over the radio and proper radio etiquette is what is really important to learn. Every hospital and every department is different. You'll just have to ask/learn when you start your rotations.

 

[Epi-do]

Ditto what Chimpie said. Around here most of the hospitals have there own channel as well, although there are a couple exceptions where two hospitals share the same one.

Don't sweat not knowing about the radio, how it works, or what to say. There are plenty of people in EMT class that have never been exposed to radios, or alot of the other aspects of EMS. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Whoever you do your clinicals with should be aware that this is all new to you and be willing to answer your quesitons.

 

[JPINFV]

Every system/agency is different. In Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange County at least), for example, EMT-Bs don't have online medical control, so all radio communicaiton is between them and their dispatch.

 

[NJN]

The lingo is the worst. Almost every department has different 10-codes and signals. We don't have online med control we go thru dispatch. We have separate radios for comm with hospital. Just remember that one channel's 10-2 could be another's 10-20.

 

[Epi-do]

All I have to say about 10-codes is thank god we don't use them around here!!!

 

[Webster]

Each County has their own procedures. In our area, we aren't allowed to use 10-codes. Everything is plain English, which makes it very easy to understand both Dispatch and the area hospitals. I'd suggest you wait until you begin with a dept. to figure out the idiosyncrasies of their radio communications.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Not all hospitals have their own channels. But EVERY hospital has a "state net", "all hospital", etc.

As far as 10 Codes go, don't worry about it as a student... or even as an EMT. Plain English works just fine.

 

[KEVD18]

its so different from state to state and even area to area in the same state that your not going to get a clear cut answer to your question here. your best bet is to wait till you get a job. they will teach you how its done in that area. your kind of expected to butcher your first few(hundred) entry notes until you get the habg of it.

in ma, 95% of the hospitals are on what we call "C-MED". its a state wide radio network just for ambulance to hospital comms. there are different regions. you contact the cmed dispatcher for your region on a certain channel, tell them who and where you are and what hospital you want. they give you a channel assignment and you switch to that channel and wait. they tone out the hospital and you talk to them. some(very few) hospitals still have their own dedicated radio channels. no codes are used, just plain english. try to talk in code and the nurse tha answers the radio wont have the first flippin clue what your talking about. short and sweet is the key. age, sex chief complaint vitals interventions(other than the obvious) eta. 30sec or less. all they really want to know is if they need a team standing by(code team, surgery, pedi, trauma etc).

somepeople cant tell the difference between an entry note and a report. they want to give pmh down to an unrelated appendectomy 34yrs ago. they want to state the obvious(really, you put the diff breather on o2. well no poop). its bad sometimes. i have watched nurses toss the radio mic on the table and walk away.

 

[LucidResq]

Can I give you some general radio tips that will be relevant regardless of where you work or even what type of service you get into? (Fire, police, etc)

KISS - keep it simple stupid. Plan out what you're going to say before you key up and make sure it's concise.

Who and then you. Example... generally if you want to talk to Medic 6 and you're Medic 3, you would say "Medic 3, Medic 6" and then wait for "go ahead" and then speak. It sounds easy enough but when you're all stressed out and there's a million things going on it's easy to forget.

For the love of God please don't say pointless stuff over the radio. The purpose of radio communications is to relay necessary information. I'll never forget... one time I was on a training for my SAR team and I was rescue leader. Training base asked for the status of the patient we were taking down the side of the mountain and I told him he was still unresponsive but otherwise stable. His response was "Good. make sure you take really good care of him".... like I needed to be reminded.

Remember that every time you key up no one else can talk. It's bad style and even potentially dangerous to use up a lot of radio time because other traffic can't get through. While you're babbling someone else is getting shot at and can't radio for help.

Make sure that you charge any batteries you use and that you always bring at least one spare for each portable.

Radio equipment is MUCH more expensive than you probably realize. Don't break it and if it is broken don't tinker with it, whatever you do.

Don't yell, speak conversationally. Don't hold the mic up to your lips. 6 inches from my mouth to the mic seems to do well for me. After you key up give it a second or two to warm up before you speak and hold the button down for a second after you talk to make sure you don't get cut off.

Make sure you're on the right channel periodically. It's embarrassing to accidentally transmit on the completely wrong channel.

 

[firecoins]

The local town police department dispatches out 4 different local ambulance corps on 1 frequency. We all have our own radio budgets. We don't use 10 codes but we do have radio codes. Online medical control is done via cell phone. Hospitals have nothing to do with the radio as the nurses and doctors spend little or no time near a radio.

 

[JPINFV]

and remember, the dispatcher loves being called "Radio."B)

 

[EMTBandit]

Every system/agency is different. In Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange County at least), for example, EMT-Bs don't have online medical control, so all radio communicaiton is between them and their dispatch.

The lingo is the worst. Almost every department has different 10-codes and signals. We don't have online med control we go thru dispatch. We have separate radios for comm with hospital. Just remember that one channel's 10-2 could be another's 10-20.

Ditto here.

When you call the Hospital. All that they have ever really wanted from me is, Age/Gender/Illness/Injury/Vitals/whether they are in any full spinal or splints and ETA.

But around here, theres maybe only 1 or 2 hospitals that care when you call in. The rest just take em' as they come.

 

[StarOfLife]

Each County has their own procedures. In our area, we aren't allowed to use 10-codes. Everything is plain English, which makes it very easy to understand both Dispatch and the area hospitals. I'd suggest you wait until you begin with a dept. to figure out the idiosyncrasies of their radio communications.

Dispatch only uses 10 codes around here for communicating delicate issues such as a DV or for responding to a suicide, etc. The vast majority of communication is plain English.

A good thing to remember when speaking into your radio - many have a slight delay and your first word or two may be cut off. I always count to two and then speak now since I've had to repeat myself too many times. It is no fun while driving to a scene.

Usually you identify yourself by your number first, then state with whom you are trying to communicate. The rest is quite simple. But of course YMMV.

 

[certguy]

The trick to a good radio report , I believe , is to paint a good picture of what's going on to the hospital . Till the pt. gets there , you're thier eyes , especially in trauma calls . For example ;

Sharp Memorial , this is Schaefer 94 enroute to your facility code trauma with a 10 min. ETA . Onboard we have a 22 y/o male unrestrained driver in a vehicle vs. tree head on accident at apparently high speed . windshield starred , steering wheel is bent , approx. 1 foot space intrusion . Pt. was pinned in the vehicle with a prolonged extrication . Vitals - B/P 80/p , pulse 130 weak and thready , resp. 34 shallow , labored , skins pale , cool diaphoretic , pupils unequal , Right is sluggish . Pt. is unresponsive .

The above paints a picture of not only a critical pt. , but the MOI as well . Combine this with your assessment findings , treatment , and any SAMPLE info you may be able to get , and you have a great picture of what the hospital staff will be dealing with .

 

[mdtaylor]

I've never worked with a radio before and don't want to go into my rotations clueless.

Pay attention and listen carefully. It's doubtful that you will be allowed to get anywhere near the radio anyway, at this point... But if you are, be prepared.

 

[TheMowingMonk]

man we cant even give incoming info to the hospital with us. We call them on a cell phone and let them know where come and what were coming with.

 

[KEVD18]

Sharp Memorial , this is Schaefer 94 enroute to your facility code trauma with a 10 min. ETA . Onboard we have a 22 y/o male unrestrained driver in a vehicle vs. tree head on accident at apparently high speed . windshield starred , steering wheel is bent , approx. 1 foot space intrusion . Pt. was pinned in the vehicle with a prolonged extrication . Vitals - B/P 80/p , pulse 130 weak and thready , resp. 34 shallow , labored , skins pale , cool diaphoretic , pupils unequal , Right is sluggish . Pt. is unresponsive .

this goes on to prove my point about how things are different in different areas. that entry note would get you slapped in my service area. way too much information out of order.

that same entry note for me would be:

Sharp Memorial, this is Schaefer 94 enroute to your facility with a trauma alert. We have an unresponsive 22 y/o male unrestrained driver car v. tree with entrapment. Vitals - B/P 80/p, pulse 130 weak and thready, resp. 34 shallow, pupils unequal. (state extreme interventions here. You don’t need to tell them they’re c-spined, I should bloody well hope so.) eta 10min. do you have any questions?

Schaefer 94 out.


id save the rest for when i get there. total time on the radio, <30sec. they know what coming without the padding. sure the starred windshield is important, but it isnt going to change anything before you get there. the trauma team will still be there.

anyway, thats just how we do it up here. every place is different.

 

[BossyCow]

NIMS is doing a lot to limit the use of the 10 codes in favor of plain english.

Best piece of advice I ever got on using the radio is to think about what you are going to say before you push the button. Also, since our system uses a repeater, we have to wait for the repeater pause before speaking or the first word or two is garbled

 

[JPINFV]

this goes on to prove my point about how things are different in different areas. that entry note would get you slapped in my service area. way too much information out of order.

that same entry note for me would be:

Sharp Memorial, this is Schaefer 94 enroute to your facility with a trauma alert. We have an unresponsive 22 y/o male unrestrained driver car v. tree with entrapment. Vitals - B/P 80/p, pulse 130 weak and thready, resp. 34 shallow, pupils unequal. (state extreme interventions here. You don’t need to tell them they’re c-spined, I should bloody well hope so.) eta 10min. do you have any questions?

Schaefer 94 out.


id save the rest for when i get there. total time on the radio, <30sec. they know what coming without the padding. sure the starred windshield is important, but it isnt going to change anything before you get there. the trauma team will still be there.

anyway, thats just how we do it up here. every place is different.

Unit 98 transporting 902H, code 3, code 1 [means transporting to ER, have information. the "codes" in that are one of the few that were still being used when I left. Everything else was plain speach]

dispatch: 98, go with code.

98: 98, transporting a __ y/o F to Sharps following an MVA, unstable V/S with BP 80/p and pulse of 130. ETA 10 minutes. [throw in PMD for interfacility transports]

[dispatch calls ER, will request more info if the ER wants it].

Paramedics on board:

Transporting code 3 with paramedics, paramedics have made base contact [paramedics contact either a base hospital if indicated or the hospital itself for non-contact calls. Hence, the distinction is meaningless to the private ambulance company's dispatcher].