We Lost Advanced Airway for BLS

SafetyPro2

SafetyPro2

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Well, the Advanced Airway bags were pulled from both our ambulances today. As you may recall me mentioning awhile back, LA County had pretty much decided to remove AA as an optional BLS skill (we were the only BLS agency in the county, and I believe the state for that matter that was doing it). Originally, they'd said September 1, but then that got pushed back to January 1 and there was some hope they'd reverse the decision, but then they moved it up to October 1 (but failed to tell us until a couple days ago). So, the Chief announced it last night at our meeting and we're now back to OPAs and NPAs only.
 
Sorry to hear that. Our county also allows EMT-Basics to use some advanced airway devices, but it's up to the agency. From what I understand, its a legal mess. When I started we had Combitubes, but I haven't seen them in months.

Because our longest high priority transport is really no more than 10 minutes, and ALS is ~4-5 minutes away, I've been told to just bag with the BVM until they arrive. Of course we have OPA and NPAs too.

I'd like to see EMS continue to evolve, and implement newer and more advanced techniques and devices. One day... one day.
 
Originally posted by SafetyPro@Oct 9 2004, 11:24 PM
Well, the Advanced Airway bags were pulled from both our ambulances today. As you may recall me mentioning awhile back, LA County had pretty much decided to remove AA as an optional BLS skill (we were the only BLS agency in the county, and I believe the state for that matter that was doing it). Originally, they'd said September 1, but then that got pushed back to January 1 and there was some hope they'd reverse the decision, but then they moved it up to October 1 (but failed to tell us until a couple days ago). So, the Chief announced it last night at our meeting and we're now back to OPAs and NPAs only.
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That stinks.

We just got combi-tubes for ALS. If they work out well, after a year or two, BLS might be getting them.
 
Well, originally a couple years ago, the state had said that they'd be implementing CombiTubes for BLS and that was the justification for yanking AA altogether. However, the state (primarily at the urging of LA County DHS) has now decided not to implement CombiTubes for BLS and still yank AA too.

Unfortunately, LA County DHS seems to have a little too much influence on the state, and they also are of the opinion that EMT-1s are basically glorified "ambulance drivers". You've heard me say that we're the only BLS FD in the county and that every other FD is ALS. What I haven't really said is that outside of Sierra Madre, ALS is dispatched for every EMS call, regardless of whether ALS-level care is required. You have a nosebleed in another city, you get Paramedics. The only ones that occasionally hand-off for BLS transport are LA County FD and other few departments that run non-transport ALS squads instead of ambulances...the FDs that run ALS ambulances end up transporting both ALS and BLS patients.
 
It is a sad day when life saving tools are removed from competant hands because of politics. This is what I hate about this field. We are out there trying to make a diffrence and help people, and the powers that be are tying our hands behind our back and then asking why we didnt save so and so.

For the good of your patients, keep fighting to get AA back for BLS. There is NO reason why basics cant do it.
 
Here in Wisconsin we can use Combi-tuebes. Like I'll ever get to though. We run medic/emt rigs around here, so the medic does everything. In wis, we have so many skills that we can do as a basic, but all I ever do is bps and blood sugars. Yep. I can take a bp better than anyone on my squad, I swear. <_<
 
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