What do you do to pass the time?

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
5,519
401
83
I'm wondering what everyone does to pass the time in EMS.

I've already posted that our company posts around the county in our units for the duration of the shift, so all of my activities are limited to the truck.

Many people have laptops and portable DVD players / screens. I have a portable DVD player and a large collection of DVDs. I sometimes read, but that usually doesn't last too long.

What's everyone else up to? What about if you're posted at a station?
 

coloradoemt

Forum Asst. Chief
616
2
0
On my volly dept there is always plenty to do. If its nice out I wash the rig, the engine and if I have time the attack vehicle. We always need inventories done, etc. Otherwise I just read or watch some TV.
 

Chimpie

Site Administrator
Community Leader
6,368
812
113
I mentioned this in my other post but I'll post here as well.

Do something physical but easy: Throw a football, frisbee, bring a baseball and some gloves and play catch, etc.

If you stationed at a station, well, the possibilities are endless. TV, movies, washing the trucks, or just sit in the driveway and watch all the honeys drive by. Lifting weights is good too as long as you're not lifting heavy. Just do tone exercises. You don't want to kill yourself right before going on a run where you have to do CPR.

I'm sure others have good suggestions too.
 

Luno

OG
Premium Member
663
45
28
When I used to work out of a station we started the day by cleaning and complete detail of the truck, and inventory, then usually breakfast, shined boots, cleaned the station, however blockbuster and hollywood video have great deals, usually about 20 bucks for a month, split between A/B/C shifts, it's all the movies you can watch, we also brought in personal weight set/bench, cardio equip, and got really good at playing outlaw golf on the x-box. I don't think it's a good idea to post in a rig for longer than 12 hrs, not to mention 24.
 

Jon

Administrator
Community Leader
8,009
58
48
I have had sevral partners at private companies with Portable DVD players - REALLY cool if you are on a "slow" day. Quite a few have portable televisions, which aren't great during the day (unless EMERGENCY! is on :D ) but at night can bre pretty cool - get to watch ER and Third Watch. See my other post about appropriate DVD's ;) http://www.emtlife.com/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=738

As Chimp said - frisbees are cool, as are footballs, just don't hit your partner in the chest and cause an R on T phenomanon ;)


Jon
 

rescuecpt

Community Leader Emeritus
2,088
1
0
We don't sit on shift at the FD. At the Corps I ride 0700-1300 every Saturday. Our usual routine is

0650 roll in, ********, check out log and see what overnight crew dealt with.

0700 inventory the first due rig. If we're in a good mood, second due. Sometimes we'll even check if the 3rd and 4th due are properly in the rear bay. The lazy way to do that is go into the radio room, open the garage doors for the rear bay, and wait for the cameras to cycle through and see if they're there. ;)

0730 start breakfast. Usually we make eggs, bacon and toast type stuff. Again, if we're lazy, hop in the 80 car and first due rig and head to the deli. Make sure to page houseman and dispatcher to breakfast.

0830 watch a movie, train the probies, sometimes do both at once.

Rest of shift - run calls, watch movies, nap in a dogpile (we're a tight knit group), beat each other up (yes, sometimes we aren't always angels), bake cookies, "entertain" the various visitors to the building with our antics, plot our movie schedule for the following week, cut all the good coupons out of the weekend paper... you get the drift.

When I fill in on night shifts they're usually more low-key... dinner & tv.

I love it, we have so much fun on Saturday mornings... it's worth not sleeping in!
 

emtal233

Forum Crew Member
50
0
0
When I vollie usually get there around 10a monday ride till 7pm, check out the first due mainly the als equip and depending on my day just grab my drug bag and plop myself in the fly car and roam around, get stuff done and hang out. In NYC911 I sit in my bus 12 to 16 hours a day on a street corner with nothing but my school books, my laptop with a few DVD's, and my partner sleeping... :D
 
Top