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What about the 5% of "You called EMS for what???"
the 100% directionless thread
- Thread starter KEVD18
- Start date
Where I am, 911 and IFT are totally separate. If you work at an IFT company, you only do IFT. If you work at a 911 company, you only do 911. 911 paid way better and had better benefits. It took me 3 years to get my first 911 job.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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I work for a company that rhymes with PCR and they have a 911 contract in addition to the IFT.
I'm just saying it's OK to take awhile to get into 9-1-1.
I enjoyed working 9-1-1, but like others said, it is mostly BS. Most days, I treated and transported people I felt didn't really need us. It was usually old people with mild discomfort. Nauseous? 9-1-1. Diarrhea? 9-1-1. Fever? 9-1-1. Like I could treat them or something was wrong, but it would be mostly things I'd stay at home for or drive myself, if bad enough. Sometimes it is kind of embarrassing when you show up lights and sirens for leg pain that has been going on for a month. You're not really missing out and it is OK to take awhile.
I enjoyed working 9-1-1, but like others said, it is mostly BS. Most days, I treated and transported people I felt didn't really need us. It was usually old people with mild discomfort. Nauseous? 9-1-1. Diarrhea? 9-1-1. Fever? 9-1-1. Like I could treat them or something was wrong, but it would be mostly things I'd stay at home for or drive myself, if bad enough. Sometimes it is kind of embarrassing when you show up lights and sirens for leg pain that has been going on for a month. You're not really missing out and it is OK to take awhile.
Old Tracker
Forum Asst. Chief
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Yes, quite a few 911 calls where the chief compliant is on the order of, "Well I've had this pain in my legs, arm, stomach, whatever, for 2 weeks, but it feels strange today and I can't sleep, that's why I called 911 at 0200."
This. The thrill of driving code to an "emergency" wears off real quick. You meet some really cool people doing IFT, and for every critical 911 patient you get 100 BS calls.
E tank
Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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Just don't miss that one in a hundred sick patient in the 100 BS calls just 'cause they have a BS complaint...that's the trick and that's the job...
Jim37F
Forum Deputy Chief
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Well we had a great shift. Muddled through morning checks and station clean up, polished the engine, we went and bought brunch stuff and fried up some bacon and eggs and fried rice... and I was able to sneak away to the dorms in the afternoon and per my FitBit got in a 2 ½hr nap hahaha, we ordered out for dinner, did a little workout, one of the 1st Watch guys came in for OT for the back half of the shift (2000-0800), and THEN we catch our first call (and they had a bunch of calls the day before so we were joking he brought their calls in with him haha.Great, 4 days off, and insomnia strikes the night before I go back on shift, 4 hrs of sleep last night... and the other FFs called off so it's just me to do all the FF1 things today too
Basically about as close to a best case scenario for a chill shift when running off of next to no sleep as I could have asked for. Outstanding. And then going to bed... I found myself staring at my eyelids again, couldn't drop off to sleep again. Another 4 hrs of sleep, and not because we had any calls or anything ugh. I hate insomnia.
Jim37F
Forum Deputy Chief
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But in positive news, one of my old high school buddies just posted he got a job as a Respiratory Care Practitioner, so congrats to him!
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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I got a 22” Blackstone flattop for a combo birthday/Father’s Day gift and it’s awesome. Everything I’ve eaten this weekend has been prepared on it.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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At times I just feel like that I’m not doing anything to help people which I know isn’t true and it’s frustrating.
VentMonkey
Family Guy
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I don’t miss the ambulance nearly as much as I thought I would initially.
CCCSD
Forum Deputy Chief
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Standing there waving both hands better than a lone thumb?
E tank
Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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Are you saying that the problems you'd like to be helping with are not the problems the patients you work with have?
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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Yeah a bit. I know that 911 isn’t constant serious stuff like on TV.
Nope. I do miss some skills. I can count on one hand how many IVs ive started in the last 3 years.......I've done fewer 12 leads.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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I thought I’d miss it too. In reality, I mIss the interaction with the patients and the hospital staff more. I don’t miss the “paramedic” part of it much. Working 2 shifts a month is enough to remind me that I don’t want to be on a ambulance again as a full time thing.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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sounds like you were lied to when someone told you what EMS was all about.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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I know it’s not constant car crashes and gunshots and delivering babies and saving lives every call.
It’s not that most all of the time. Most car crashes are also very rarely that serious anyways.