volunteer rescue groups

[emt seeking first job]

So my vollie service was working a crowded sreet fair.

We were fanned out with crash bags, a bus at either end.

The cops were happy to have us, anytime someone got intox, passed out, got hurt, they would grab us, and we dealt with it, whatever the moment brought.

One one day this 'rescue' organization showed up.

They blocked our bus, stood in a circle of 15 people, everytime they saw us go somewhere, they would all run behind us and crowd the patient.

And then on one ocasion, when someone dumped a lost child on one of our memebers, our Operations Chief asked their Oeprations Chief to take the child and attempt to find family, the person refused.....so we found a cop....

Thank god they left after two hours.

They could have posted a person on every corner, they had enough people, to observe, radio to their command an EMS incident, and their command could have advised our's for an even quicker EMS response.

We were deployed, a bus at either end, an event table, and two teams of at least three EMTs walking up and down the event area.

Instead they stood in a circle, eating, and then running after us when we were going to a job...against their own stated charter.

By charter, the group is supposed to be deployed by the city during a mass casualty incident or some disaster to begin basic CPR, First Aid, traffic control, scene security and rescue until EMS, Fire Police can arrive and control the scene.

They are even an overlap of what the American Red Cross is supposed to do....instead of these 'rescue' groups, why not have local branches of red cross. Would the companies that make monogrammed shirts go out of buisness then....?


/ rant

 

[mcdonl]

We woulda lynched 'em

They showed up uninvited? Did they provide care at anytime while they were there? Were they just using their downtime to hang out at the festival?

That is bizarre. Pun intended.

 

[emt seeking first job]

I do not know if they were invited or not.

I do not think our service was invited, that is the dynamic of NYC volunteers, they mostly invite themselves....yet we deployed ourselves strategically throughout the event.

The rescue people stood around their van, all 15 of them. And all 15 of them ran over if they heard we were doing something.

We had two walking teams of 3-6 members, and two buses, if one team was working a patient, the other stayed away and continued walking the crowd. If transport was requested, then the closest bus would approach from a side street.

Our services leadership was afraid to say anything to them or the police, as the rescue group is connected with the same politicians and funding organizations as we are.

Our leadership even gave their leadership a radio, and 'suggested', their members fan out to patrol the crowd (their was probably over 2,000 people at some points on the weekend) as each of them had a radio, but they ignored that initiative. They just stayed around their van with the (illegal but unchallenged red light)....

 

[mcdonl]

My town - less then 10,000 people
NYC - More then 10,000 people

Different worlds. Strange though.

So, FDNY is "on the hook" for coverage right? But, the volly service and anyone else is free to respond. Wow. Thats confusing.

 

[reaper]

I do not know if they were invited or not.

I do not think our service was invited, that is the dynamic of NYC volunteers, they mostly invite themselves....yet we deployed ourselves strategically throughout the event.

The rescue people stood around their van, all 15 of them. And all 15 of them ran over if they heard we were doing something.

We had two walking teams of 3-6 members, and two buses, if one team was working a patient, the other stayed away and continued walking the crowd. If transport was requested, then the closest bus would approach from a side street.

Our services leadership was afraid to say anything to them or the police, as the rescue group is connected with the same politicians and funding organizations as we are.

Our leadership even gave their leadership a radio, and 'suggested', their members fan out to patrol the crowd (their was probably over 2,000 people at some points on the weekend) as each of them had a radio, but they ignored that initiative. They just stayed around their van with the (illegal but unchallenged red light)....

So they had the right to be there, as much as you. If they choose to work that way, that is their choice. Do your job and do not worry how the oter service is doing theirs. If anything, it should make yours look better.

 

[emt seeking first job]

They only showed up one day of a nine day event.

I said nothing, one of our crew chiefs complained to our leadership, about them swarming around our patients, at one point I literally felt a dudes breathe on the back of my neck, I say 'ours' as we were the highest level of care, but our leadership just made these inarticulate gestures which meant "don't go there..."

There was a city ambulance there a few times, when they started treating someone first, as always, we stood down, and remained 15' back, until they asked us to help secure and carry someone.

When we drop of a patient at an ER, we leave...........

That organization is not supposed to show up at events, they show up at disasters, until EMS, Fire and Police can get there and control the situation. And then again, IMHO, those people should join the Red Cross and set up a neighborhood based rescue unit under thier auspicies.....

 

[reaper]

Then the police should have escorted them off the premises. Plain and simple.

 

[emt seeking first job]

not going to happen

The most the police did was roll their eyes.

In fact, the ranking police officer made us move our bus for their van...

One rank and file cop said why isnt our bus closer, as we carried someone out, I said, "your boss directed us to park there..."

That group was formed by a very powerful local politican.

The cops like us. We show up and standby at a distance during police calls, assaults, etc, so they do not have to call for EMS.

The one thing I will say about the service I am in, they act the right way in front of fire, police, and paid ems.

As I said, the cops liked us, at the end of each night they came over to shake our hands, we got the sick and injured out and away from the event quickly.

As a side note, I hate NYC street fairs in general, they were intended to have the local buisness sell stuff on the sidewalks, it had morphed into the same junk food stands, and venders selling art prints, socket sets and tube socks, going around to different areas, the local stores shutter and board up early....

I just went their to get experience caring for patients and because the event is importent to the president,

 

[emt seeking first job]

Plain and simple.

You obviously have never been to New York.

 

[reaper]

You obviously have never been to New York.

Have spent plenty of time there, thank you.

 

[usalsfyre]

What your saying is your group of unsanctioned whackers had a dispute with another group of unsanctioned whackers?

 

[fortsmithman]

What your saying is your group of unsanctioned whackers had a dispute with another group of unsanctioned whackers?

Lets not turn this into a volly bashing thread. That would be a good way to get this thread locked, let's try to be civil please.

 

[usalsfyre]

The comment is not meant to bash volunteers. Whatever anybody's personal feelings on vollys are, offically sanctioned volunteer EMS agencies are an important part of emergency response in this country.

 

[Rob123]

I do not know if they were invited or not.

I do not think our service was invited, that is the dynamic of NYC volunteers, they mostly invite themselves....yet we deployed ourselves strategically throughout the event.

The above is true not with all volleys. As an active NYC volunteer, I know that my organization only covers events that we are invited to. If another organization (FDNY, Hospital, Private or Volley) needs backup, we officially participate in the Mutual Aid Response System (MARS).

What your saying is your group of unsanctioned whackers had a dispute with another group of unsanctioned whackers?

Agreed. Stated differently, neither group had an invitation to be there. Both groups were simply positioning themselves to be able to respond quicker. In reality, both organizations are buffing calls that would normally get assigned to FDNY or other 911 responding organization. This is probably one reason why leadership did not "say anything" and did not contact the police.

I am certainly not volley bashing as I am one. I am simply stating my intrepretation of the events.

So, FDNY is "on the hook" for coverage right? But, the volly service and anyone else is free to respond. Wow. Thats confusing.

Not quite. We have a NYS charter that allows us to provide coverage to a very specific territory. "Special Events" such as street fairs, carnivals, bike races and mini-marathons often occur within the territory. My organization gets invited to most.

Our volunteer EMS charter was granted primarily because of the extended response times provided by 911 responders at the time the charter was granted. Today, 911 responders are still dispatched but we are literally minutes away from any point. Hopefully that clarifies why we are allowed to respond and didn't make it more confusing.

 

[Scout]

I do not think our service was invited,

Is that the norm, it appears you set up to "fish" for business, would you also wander around town at kicking out time to pick up drunks?

I'm not sure if I like this type of system?

 

[JPINFV]

In other words, both groups should have been told, "Thanks for coming, but audios."

 

[emt seeking first job]

In other words, both groups should have been told, "Thanks for coming, but audios."

The rescue group left after two hours.

The ambulance service stayed until the crowds dispersed. The police kept waving the ambulance service people over to deal with things. It saved them radioing for EMS.....

 

[JPINFV]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's wrong with calling EMS if the event organizers didn't have the foresight to contract with someone to provide first aid?

 

[jjesusfreak01]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's wrong with calling EMS if the event organizers didn't have the foresight to contract with someone to provide first aid?

Nothing, but it takes longer, and depending on the volume of people they treated, it might also keep more units in service.

 

[the_negro_puppy]

The rescue group left after two hours.

The ambulance service stayed until the crowds dispersed. The police kept waving the ambulance service people over to deal with things. It saved them radioing for EMS.....

I'm surprised there were so many EMS related calls for a simple street market event