Tries At Becoming A Firefighter

VentMedic said:
Regardless, the state Paramedics still can have a large scope for their medical directors to institute into protocols unlike other states such as California.
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Medical directors in California can still petition state EMSA to expand the options for local systems. I think the bigger issue is that the more populated areas don't necessarily need a lot more due to short transport times and that the medical directors are hesitant due to the quality and number of medics that are under their control.
 
JPINFV said:
Medical directors in California can still petition state EMSA to expand the options for local systems. I think the bigger issue is that the more populated areas don't necessarily need a lot more due to short transport times and that the medical directors are hesitant due to the quality and number of medics that are under their control.
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Can you name one service that has petitioned the state beyond the "expanded" guidelines that exist now? We tried on another forum and could not think of one. Even those up near Shasta with long transport times still rely on the state's limited guidelines and will use an RN for anything beyond that.

Even the helicopters that do have a Paramedic also have an RN and/or RRT to pick up what the Paramedic can not do..
 
"Can" and "will" are two different questions entirely. Remember, there are counties in California that don't even trust their medics to interpet 12 lead ECGs and rely on the machine interpetation for transport decisions.

According to EMSA website, Ventura and Santa Barbra Counties both have 2-Pam auto injectors for nerve gas attacks and Contra Costa County allows some of their paramedics to transport heparin, NTG, and potassium drips. Not much, but it does happen.
 
JPINFV said:
According to EMSA website, Ventura and Santa Barbra Counties both have 2-Pam auto injectors for nerve gas attacks and Contra Costa County allows some of their paramedics to transport heparin, NTG, and potassium drips. Not much, but it does happen.
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Those are within the state EMSA guidelines, but not much more, so it is not a stretch for a few counties to be allowed to do this. However, many counties don't but will have access to a CCT RN to get the patient to the next hospital since many of the ALS EMS will take CP or trauma to the nearest facility rather than the most appropriate facility.

These few extra drips are also considered CCT in CA while in other states they are just part of ALS scope of practice.

I don't remember seeing any 12-lead ECGs being done on any of my travels in Northern CA either.
 
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rmellish said:
After four failures you need to evaluate what you're doing wrong, I won't argue with that.
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Well it is composed of 6 sections

Two memory sections
A math section
A personality section
A reading comprehension section
and
An analogy section

My problems are the math and reading comprehension parts. Yes, I graduated from high school, but it has been a while since I did all of that stuff. If I pass this written exam I don't think I'll have a problem with the physical exam or interview.
 
OP, if I were you, I would consider finding your own motivation to do well on the entrance exam. I would say if you are having so much trouble entering the class, you should reexamine your success passing the academic portion of the class, let alone the practical and physical skills. Consider finding an SAT or GRE book to review the reading comprehension and math skills.
 
Sasha said:
Actually, no, you messed it up. Let me fix it again for you.



You knock the EMS based fire systems, but that's a major part of my home state's EMS we have ALS respond to each and every call. I'd take EMS based fire ALS over pure EMS BLS any day.

I'm not saying that we have ALS because of fire, but if that's the way we can get it, so be it! Let's try not to debase a group of providers. Although I have only a small picture of my local EMS, many took fire standards so they could make a living in EMS.
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Fire-based ALS is fine... if it's 1974. But this is 2009 we're talking about. EMS has evolved. It's like JP said, if you make paramedic a rung on the promotional ladder then you will have people become paramedics just because they want to be firefighters. You want to talk about getting into this field for the wrong reasons? It's time to leave the archaic fire-EMS system behind and let EMS stand as the third entity it has become.
 
EMTinNEPA said:
Fire-based ALS is fine... if it's 1974. But this is 2009 we're talking about. EMS has evolved. It's like JP said, if you make paramedic a rung on the promotional ladder then you will have people become paramedics just because they want to be firefighters. You want to talk about getting into this field for the wrong reasons? It's time to leave the archaic fire-EMS system behind and let EMS stand as the third entity it has become.
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Do you know how much Paramedics did in 1974? And, many were Fire Paramedics. Did you know that it took a 2 year degree to be a Fire Paramedic for several FDs in the 1970s? Did you know that in many places it was either FD ALS or volunteer BLS?

Do you think Medic One in Seattle is archaic?

How about Miami-Dade Fire? Boca Raton Fire?
 
I'm famous in Michigan regarding FF testing. (seriously)

Just make sure you collar your coat when you test. ;)
 
EMTinNEPA said:
Fire-based ALS is fine... if it's 1974. But this is 2009 we're talking about. EMS has evolved. It's like JP said, if you make paramedic a rung on the promotional ladder then you will have people become paramedics just because they want to be firefighters. You want to talk about getting into this field for the wrong reasons? It's time to leave the archaic fire-EMS system behind and let EMS stand as the third entity it has become.
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Again. Florida provides ALS response to all calls. A majority of Florida's EMS departments do fire as well. I would take this ALS Fire Service over BLS EMS Third Service.

EMS has not become a third entity and will not become a third entity until it can provide professional ALS service.

You may say "How good is the ALS?". Granted, there are some pitiful excuses for paramedics, but that is not limited to the fire service, nor is it a requirement of the fire service. THere are good and bad paramedics everywhere. How many paramedics are in third service EMS systems just to play Rescue Randy? How many can't function as a provider once their protocols fail them?

If EMS based fire is how some areas provide ALS to their patients, so be it.
 
sop said:
My problems are the math and reading comprehension parts. Yes, I graduated from high school, but it has been a while since I did all of that stuff.
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I dunno, man. I been out of high school for thirty-six years and I haven't forgotten how to read yet. There's gotta be more to it than that.

What education have you taken since your first failure to remediate your deficiencies? Have you gone to college and taken English and math courses? Have you talked to the school district about adult education programs?

If you haven't done any of that, and you're thinking you'll just keep taking the test until you get lucky enough to score the minimum number of correct answers, then you deserve to fail, and you're right, you have a serious motivational problem.

Even if you pass this test by a couple of points, you are still going to be at the very bottom of the eligibility list. And with anywhere from dozens to thousands of applicants for every one opening, the chances of you ever actually getting hired are about zero.
 
VentMedic said:
Do you know how much Paramedics did in 1974? And, many were Fire Paramedics. Did you know that it took a 2 year degree to be a Fire Paramedic for several FDs in the 1970s? Did you know that in many places it was either FD ALS or volunteer BLS?

Do you think Medic One in Seattle is archaic?

How about Miami-Dade Fire? Boca Raton Fire?
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That's why I said it's fine if it's 1974. Yes, I know how much paramedics did in 1974. Didn't know about the 2 year degree, but an AAS in EMS is a 2 year degree, so whoop-de-doo. In many places it was either FD ALS or volunteer BLS. Now we have paid private ALS services. Works just fine around here. And yes, any ALS service with "Fire" in the name of the company is archaic. The only thing most of them have going for them is a union and a pension, which they have only thanks to taxpayer dollars.
 
Sasha said:
Again. Florida provides ALS response to all calls. A majority of Florida's EMS departments do fire as well. I would take this ALS Fire Service over BLS EMS Third Service.

EMS has not become a third entity and will not become a third entity until it can provide professional ALS service.

You may say "How good is the ALS?". Granted, there are some pitiful excuses for paramedics, but that is not limited to the fire service, nor is it a requirement of the fire service. THere are good and bad paramedics everywhere. How many paramedics are in third service EMS systems just to play Rescue Randy? How many can't function as a provider once their protocols fail them?

If EMS based fire is how some areas provide ALS to their patients, so be it.
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How about ALS EMS Third Service? It's the norm around here and works quite proficiently. And the paramedics are there because they want to be paramedics. I know... let people do the job they want... a novel concept, eh?
 
EMTinNEPA said:
How about ALS EMS Third Service? It's the norm around here and works quite proficiently. And the paramedics are there because they want to be paramedics. I know... let people do the job they want... a novel concept, eh?
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Where do you propose we get the funds for this third service? Do you have paramedics on each and every call? 100% of the time?

And like I said, many here become fire fighters to make a career out of being a paramedic.
 
Sasha said:
Where do you propose we get the funds for this third service? Do you have paramedics on each and every call? 100% of the time?

And like I said, many here become fire fighters to make a career out of being a paramedic.
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Same place we get funds for the third service around here: billing for our services. Private not-for-profit EMS companies. No, we do not have paramedics on each and every call because our protocols do not indicate an ALS response on each and every call. Some areas actually have confidence in their EMTs. And I'm not going to get into another ALS vs. BLS debate, because I know that's where you're trying to bait me. I'm going to medic school in the fall and I have enough conflict in my life without trying to pick sides when I'm in the middle, thank you.

If you want to make a career of being a paramedic, then you shouldn't be required to be a firefighter. The time you spend wasting on fire training could easily be utilized more effectively for MEDICAL education.
 
EMTinNEPA said:
Same place we get funds for the third service around here: billing for our services. Private not-for-profit EMS companies. No, we do not have paramedics on each and every call because our protocols do not indicate an ALS response on each and every call. Some areas actually have confidence in their EMTs. And I'm not going to get into another ALS vs. BLS debate, because I know that's where you're trying to bait me. I'm going to medic school in the fall and I have enough conflict in my life without trying to pick sides when I'm in the middle, thank you.

If you want to make a career of being a paramedic, then you shouldn't be required to be a firefighter. The time you spend wasting on fire training could easily be utilized more effectively for MEDICAL education.
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EVERY patient deserves an ALS assesment. When your third service can fund itself, not overcharge the patients, and provide a paramedic on every call then I'll conceed that you have the better system.
 
Here's food for thought---

People who love EMS who joined FD's because the FD is the sole 911 provider in the area. Just because someone is an FF at a FD based EMS doesn't mean they don't want to do EMS.


But yes, Sasha, 3rd services with medics on every truck do exist. MedStar here in Fort Worth is the sole 911 provider, and they are a medic/basic combo, with a medic on every single truck.
 
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