the 100% directionless thread

PoeticInjustice said:
For us, if the recovery time was longer than two weeks or so, they'd hold us back and restart us with the next class.
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That's good -- it'd be really unfair of them to dump somebody for an OTJ injury!

NYMedic828 said:
Since we are all EMS promotional hires, they put
you out line of duty injury/light duty and recycle you to the next class. Assuming there is a next class.

We have quite a few people already out injury. Seems we lose one a day to the running/PT.
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EMS folks can't run? Shocker :P
 
So NYMedic, I'm watching the first episode of Rescue Me, and he's speaking to probies -- here's hoping you didn't get a mean ol' speech from Dennis Leary at the beginning of your training!
 
NYMedic828 said:
Hooray, my TENS unit came. Now I can work on healing my trapezius while my legs get worse and worse for another 16 weeks.
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TENS units are da bomb, amazing what that sort of electrical therapy can do for you.

EpiEMS said:
Interesting. One would think that you're more than qualified for an FD/EMS gig!
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Meh so I woulda thought too. Always have had great interactions with Fire here and am friends with a few officers and medical division educators, they all said if I got an interview that things would be good. Buuttt alas...
 
Tigger said:
Meh so I woulda thought too. Always have had great interactions with Fire here and am friends with a few officers and medical division educators, they all said if I got an interview that things would be good. Buuttt alas...
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What could they be looking for? I mean, you're a college grad, EMT-IV, worked with a wide scope, etc. etc. -- what do they expect? An EMT-P, FF I/FF II with a PhD in Fire Science?
 
Fire hiring is almost random. There are several people in my academy class who got hired straight out of high school with no fire experience and no college. They got hired over lateral hires, college degrees, and paramedics. It really all comes down to what a few chiefs think about you in comparison to everyone else.

If you want a fire job, you have to spread a pretty wide net. I applied to 10 places to get mine.



...and now I'm about to apply to school to be a doctor instead. But, you know, whatever.
 
EpiEMS said:
What could they be looking for? I mean, you're a college grad, EMT-IV, worked with a wide scope, etc. etc. -- what do they expect? An EMT-P, FF I/FF II with a PhD in Fire Science?
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The FireTEAM test is the only thing that determines whether or not you get an interview. To take the test you only need an HS diploma. For where I tested, 90% of the test is based on the human interaction component. 10% goes to mechanical aptitude and you have to pass a reading and math component.

From there they place applicants in "bands," which have some sort of formula so that diversity goals are also met. If you end up in the top band, then they look at applications and resumes to see who gets an interview.

So here, previous experience doesn't mean jack.

rescue1 said:
Fire hiring is almost random. There are several people in my academy class who got hired straight out of high school with no fire experience and no college. They got hired over lateral hires, college degrees, and paramedics. It really all comes down to what a few chiefs think about you in comparison to everyone else.

If you want a fire job, you have to spread a pretty wide net. I applied to 10 places to get mine.

...and now I'm about to apply to school to be a doctor instead. But, you know, whatever.
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That's what I am realizing. It was a long shot and I knew it, but it still stings a bit. I really like this department, especially compared to other front range Colorado departments who treat ALS EMS as a redheaded step child.

I have subsequently re-centered my job search to third service, single role EMS departments, as well as Ski Patrols.
 
This Fire hiring thing sounds just nutty to me...so confused about their rationale.
 
EpiEMS said:
This Fire hiring thing sounds just nutty to me...so confused about their rationale.
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To be fair, its probably the best option given the volume of applicants. But yeah, it is a little inane.

And Tigger, if you ever decide to look east coast, there are a quite a few decent places in the Philly burbs that run basics--I made $15/hour starting at my last 911 job. No skiing for a few hours in any direction though.
 
Nothing annoys me more than losing a little rubber ear piece thingy from my stethoscope.
 
n7lxi said:
Nothing annoys me more than losing a little rubber ear piece thingy from my stethoscope.
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I can never decide which ones I like. I am constantly switching between the different sizes and materials. I usually lose a couple and end up with miss matched colors until I actual buy new ones.
 
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Do you guys keep a box of spares at the station? I'd change our earbuds out every so often when they go kinda grody
 
Yeah, we have spares, but I was on a call, grabbed my scope and noticed an ear piece had eloped. :( We carry an extra stethoscope in the gear, so I was able to listen to this COPDers wheezy airbags, but I'm kinda partial to my own scope.

Anyway, I found the extras, the crisis has been resolved and I'm back in my toasty bunk.
 
Those days where you get an AMA / refusal on every single one of your patients...


And all you think is that someone is going to look at that and say you talked every patient out of going to the hospital...
 
Breaking my skulking to ask if anyone can send me the link to that article with the pressure diagram showing the difference between rapid compressions and when you stop such as to give a rescue breath? I need it for another forum. Thanks. As yuo were. ;)
 
firefite said:
Turtles?
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ruge3u2a.jpg
 
Get called for a stabbing, which are fairly rare and a major event you know like one peg down from a shooting, turns out to be a guy with some grazes from being jabbed with a set of car keys.
 
I really hate outdated protocols.


That is all.
 
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