As soon as the civil war starts, all the lawyers are going up against the wall.
h34r:
Some misconceptions about the role of an EMT off duty
- Thread starter redbull
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As soon as the civil war starts, all the lawyers are going up against the wall.
h34r:Say hello to Mike M. for me
I will pass it along...I have heard the class is really good...
Flipper, I bet most of this is "by the book" talk. I do not think many would get on here and say that they HAVE let people who are seriously injured sit, alone with no aid while they waited for the on-duty crew to show up.
Sure, we should call 911 first, we are all in agreement of that... and we COULD be found liable for damages if we mess up but when the :censored::censored::censored::censored: hits the fan just about everyone would step up and help if help were required.
citizensoldierny
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Say hello to Mike M. for me
Hmmm... I know of a William Micheal M.
Nice to see a few more Long Islanders here.
citizensoldierny
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+1 class is good and it gets even better when you start to do ride time. I rode out of agency, made no special requests and got awesome preceptors in the 6 or so dept.'s I rode with.
It's a good intro to ALS, but one of the most important things to remember is make sure you are on top of all your clinicals, or you will be dropped from class if they are not completed on time. There is very little room for lateral movement of CC clinical rotations these days, and if you work / ride for an agency which only gets a few calls per day, you are going to have to make some phone calls to other departments.
citizensoldierny said:
Same guy. He knows his stuff and is a good laugh...teaches at a fast pace.
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That's all very well providing the scene is safe. Big difference between stopping on a highway at night in poor weather, and doing the same on a slow country road during daylight hours.
In those MVAs with significant trauma you mention, how do you control bleeding while you are holding c-spine, assuming you are the only one there?
There will almost always be other folks milling around who can be directed to do this or that. In a combat situation non medical folks (even dumb grunts
) can be instructed to "Put this towel over that wound and apply direct pressure and elevate it." or "Hold his head just like this and try not to move." etc. I can see an MVA working similarly in all but extreme cases such as being the only person on scene in the middle of nowhere at 2:00AM. MVAs usually draw a crowd.
LonghornMedic
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I say call 911. Period. But I say that in an area where the farthest ALS unit is minutes away. I don't carry anything other than my phone. In the urban/suburban area I live in, if a patient is so critical that they will die without my immediate intervention, they probably aren't going to make it anyway. If it were a rural area, where help was a long way off, I could maybe see carrying a jump bag and pitching in. Considering that a BLS FD is at most 5 minutes out, a dual Paramedic ambulance is at most 6-7 minutes out and a choice of 4 helicopters is at worst 10-15 minutes out, and I am not going to get involved(other than assisting with compressions for CPR). It's also somewhat frowned upon around here. I'm also not willing to risk my license on an off-duty call. Good Samaritan applies, but my agency is not going to pay to defend me against a lawsuit, frivolous or not.
hocomedic
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i always say K.I.S.S: Keep it simple stupid, all i have is a small trauma bag in case i cut my self or something and a CPR mask, if its anything serious i say call 911
bstone
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In the rare occasion that I get involved, my first step is to call 911. My second step is to reach onto my keychain and pull out the latex gloves I keep in a pouch. My third step starts with scene safety, etc....
LondonMedic
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Are you accepting responsibility for the safety of the person you're just asked to climb into an MVA scene?There will almost always be other folks milling around who can be directed to do this or that. In a combat situation non medical folks (even dumb grunts
Started CC class!
Sorry I did not respond sooner..my wife just gave birth to our second daughter...that being said I started CC class Sunday...Very interesting...Masterson is funny as hell, but Hank will be teaching most of the class. I am excited about it...
I understand getting on top of clinicals..our department is not bad...about 2900 calls a year..but we also have medics paid in other departments etc..so i am going to ride as diversly as possible and take in as much as I can..
I will keep everyone apprised...I am thus far...optomisitc... haha
Sorry I did not respond sooner..my wife just gave birth to our second daughter...that being said I started CC class Sunday...Very interesting...Masterson is funny as hell, but Hank will be teaching most of the class. I am excited about it...
I understand getting on top of clinicals..our department is not bad...about 2900 calls a year..but we also have medics paid in other departments etc..so i am going to ride as diversly as possible and take in as much as I can..
I will keep everyone apprised...I am thus far...optomisitc... haha
lightsandsirens5
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Wait a minute. Your *third* step is scene safety?!? That is my first! Then, and only then, call 911. What good does it do to call 911 if people are shooting at you or if after the call you are wiped away by a logging truck? Always always always always always always always make sure that your location is secure before you do anything. And I would also add, constantly reevaluate that security. Stuff can go south in a big frickin hurry, and, oh buddy do you feel stupid and scared when all of a sudden the wacked out dude on speed, who was supposed to be somewhere else, is now between you and your partner with the pt, and somehow the idiot cops are in the other end of the house. And all you are holding is the clipboard. Or (and I did not experience it personally though) the transmissin line abouve you attached to the pole the vehicle hit has been arcing for the past 5 minutes, starts dripping insulation about 30 feet aylway, and then explodes. Constant reevaluation of safety and security can prevent you from being there in those situations. Nothing is more importaint than scene safety and security. Nothing. At the worst, you remove yourself from the sene and then call 911.
Sorry bout the thread jacking. End of rant. :-/
bstone
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Dude- I am not an active EMT when an accident/emergency happens in front of me when I am a civilian. Before running up to it and going into EMT mode, my very first step is to call 911. Then glove up and assess scene safety when/if I volunteer to be in EMT mode.
Congrats on the new baby! Hope everyone is doing well.
FYI Mike was a student of mine. If Hank is Hank M, he was, too.
Thanks very much. I'm grateful to have worked with so many terrific people up there.
Really?? interesting, very small world...
TransportJockey
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This is an older thread... but let me get this straight. Do some of you really think that others of us are less of EMTs because we leave the job when we clock out? That you think less of someone because all we are willing to do is phone in an accident? I'm just not willing to risk my safety to help someone I don't know when I'm not on the clock. EMS is just a job, not a lifestyle
Yes. I will help someone if they fall out and have no ROSC. But I'm not giving breaths. Compression only CPR is just fine, and in fact it's getting taught more and more to laypeople.
I do carry a small kit, but like I've said in the past, there are no gloves and it's only for my use on myself when i'm offroad and out in the wilderness.
EMS/LEO505, toss me a PM if you would about your experience with lawyers and NM EMS helping off duty. I'm kinda curious about this from your perspective.
Yes. I will help someone if they fall out and have no ROSC. But I'm not giving breaths. Compression only CPR is just fine, and in fact it's getting taught more and more to laypeople.
I do carry a small kit, but like I've said in the past, there are no gloves and it's only for my use on myself when i'm offroad and out in the wilderness.
EMS/LEO505, toss me a PM if you would about your experience with lawyers and NM EMS helping off duty. I'm kinda curious about this from your perspective.
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