What does a typical BLS rig do in San Diego?

[helicub81]

Hi, I had a question about the typical calls a BLS rig would get in San Diego. I got my emt certification about 2 months ago and I am thinking about applying for a job at South Bay Ambulance. I'm a full time college student and South Bay was the only company I could find that had flexible hours. In fact, the person I called said they have several students working for them part time. (If anyone has any experience with this company, i'd love to know how it is.)

Anyways, the person on the phone said that their EMTs mainly do transport. What does this mean? Would a BLS rig still respond to 911 calls? Or would I just be transferring patients from hospital to hospital? I want to gain experience as an EMT.. use OPAs, NPAs, bag someone etc..... but if my patients are going to be conscious that doesn't seem very likely.

Thanks for reading,

Jason

 

[exodus]

You will be doing IFT only, and occasionly "code 2 urgents" from nursings homes to the ER. But the majority is going to be from hospital to nursing home. You wont even get hospital to hospital.

 

[helicub81]

Thanks for the quick reply. Does anything interesting happen on these calls? Do you think a BLS rig will ever utilize a BVM? OPA?

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

Will you run 911? No

Will anything of interest happen? No (I'm sure someone will disagree)

Definition of "Our EMTs mostly do transport": You will be the EMT who takes hospital discharges to their home or a nursing facility, as well as taking persons to and from their doctor/dialysis/CTscan/radiation/etc appointment. Glorified taxi.


CAVEAT: What qualifications does a BLS crew have to run any call besides these? practically none.

Look for an ER tech job (look for any hospital job) or go to medic school.

 

[firecoins]

a typical BLS rig in San Diego does BLS.

 

[CAOX3]

Will you run 911? No

Will anything of interest happen? No (I'm sure someone will disagree)

Definition of "Our EMTs mostly do transport": You will be the EMT who takes hospital discharges to their home or a nursing facility, as well as taking persons to and from their doctor/dialysis/CTscan/radiation/etc appointment. Glorified taxi.


CAVEAT: What qualifications does a BLS crew have to run any call besides these? practically none.

Look for an ER tech job (look for any hospital job) or go to medic school.

Half the people that call 911 could be handled by my grand mother in her 67 El Dorado after she finishes her errands and a few hands of bridge.

 

[Sam Adams]

Will anything of interest happen? No (I'm sure someone will disagree)

I"m not disagreeing, just offering a different view... Use the opportunity to: learn how to talk to patient's, become proficient at assessing vital signs in the back of a moving ambulance, learn about diseases and the medications prescribed for them (by reading and rereading charts), learning how to give and get oral reports. Transports offer an array of opportunities if you're interested.

 

[TransportJockey]

I"m not disagreeing, just offering a different view... Use the opportunity to: learn how to talk to patient's, become proficient at assessing vital signs in the back of a moving ambulance, learn about diseases and the medications prescribed for them (by reading and rereading charts), learning how to give and get oral reports. Transports offer an array of opportunities if you're interested.

This.
This is the best way to look at doing IFTs. They really are a great learning opportunity. You'll also tend to learn what drugs go with what condition that way when you get to medic school and explain how they work it shoudl click with 'oh that's why they were taking it'

 

[CAOX3]

I"m not disagreeing, just offering a different view... Use the opportunity to: learn how to talk to patient's, become proficient at assessing vital signs in the back of a moving ambulance, learn about diseases and the medications prescribed for them (by reading and rereading charts), learning how to give and get oral reports. Transports offer an array of opportunities if you're interested.

Good advice here.

Well as you can see from my last post, it was a rough night , IFT can be a great learning tool. Practice your assessments, witness the disease process. Learn from them, when your ready move on with your education and look for a 911 gig.

Don't dismiss it, every patient contact is experience you can use down the line.

 

[exodus]

You can also get on with another company that does CCT transports, and possibly get on a CCT shift where all you do is CCT. These are ALS transports with RN's

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

I"m not disagreeing, just offering a different view... Use the opportunity to: learn how to talk to patient's, become proficient at assessing vital signs in the back of a moving ambulance, learn about diseases and the medications prescribed for them (by reading and rereading charts), learning how to give and get oral reports. Transports offer an array of opportunities if you're interested.

I 100% agree with this, and this is definitely what I took advantage of when I started out in IFT in San Diego. I only meant to reference his question of bagging patients, dropping airways, running traumas, etc. You can definitely build a foundation of knowledge and skills, but once you have spent a decent amount of time doing IFT its best to move on to the next thing, whatever that may be. I also don't believe that working IFT for a year should be a prereq for medics. In my experience, the only EMTs who learned a good deal during their IFT time were extremely motivated and did extra research on their own. If they went to medic school they would have done most of this themselves anyway. Many of the skills above could be learned in extra ride-alongs and such, you don't learn much about prehospital emergency situations sitting next to a CT machine (although you could learn about the procedure and about the disease/injury being investigated).

I don't dismiss the increase in knowledge and experience gained through IFT, but its not exactly what they lead you to believe in school, I don't agree than one year or more if it is useful.

 

[ffemt8978]

One of the most valuable skill sets I learned working IFT was good report writing, since the company depended upon well written reports for reimbursement from Medicare/Medicaid and insurance companies. Having to write detailed and complete reports for every patient, even the returning grandma home ones, gave me a systematic approach to writing all of my reports, including my 911 calls.

 

[rural911]

Some great posts here regarding IFT. I definitely agree. In addition, if you are able, I would try and get on with a company that has 911 contracts. Will you get on a 911 unit right away? No! But the advantage is you build seniority, and if you do plan on furthering your EMS education you will have positioned yourself to be able to promote within that company to a Medic position as well as possibly getting on a 911 unit as an EMT, but just know that that usually takes a couple years.

Private Companies with current 911 contracts in San Diego county.

1. Rural/Metro ( joint venture with San Diego Fire Department, and runs calls within the "City" of San Diego, and also covers CSA-17 which is like, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, etc...) 619-280-6060

2. AMR ( I believe they still have the Grossmont district contract, nat city, chula vista..etc)

3. Mercy ambulance. ( runs mostly in Valley Center, Julian, etc.)


Fire departments that utilize non-sworn EMT's for there medic units. ( these are the latest I knew of, but that might of changed)

1. San Marcos Fire Dept ( currently hiring!)

2. Oceanside

Also, many departments are activating reserve FF programs again. In many of these programs you are the 4th member of the team on the engine, or maybe 3rd man/woman on the ambulance. This in most cases is a great way, if you are unable to get on with a private company that has 911 contracts in the beginning, to use some of those skills you learned in EMT school. Not to mention a good resume builder if you plan to further your career path in this field. Below are a few I believe are running these programs still.

1. El Cajon Fire Dept.
http://elcajonfire.com/archives/2008/10/new_el_cajon_re.php

2. Lakeside Fire Department
http://lakesidefiredist.blogspot.com/2010/10/reserve-firefighter-applications.html

3. San Diego County Fire Authority
Applications can be picked up at the Cal Fire Monte Vista station in east county.

4. Del Mar Fire Department

Hope this helps, and remember don't "stinkin thinkin" yourself out of applying for these places because you are brand new. When I started over a decade ago, many people tried to tell me oh, rural/metro will never hire you, you are new. Well not so I was hired brand spanking new, and was there for 7 years. So moral of the story apply everywhere that you have the certs for. best of luck to you. One last thing, if/when you consider going to medic school. Check out this program http://nmetc.com/ great environment of learning! They are very interested in helping you become a good medic, not in exposing your ignorance, like some programs you will come across.

PM, me anytime you have any other questions about San Diego or EMS in general here, and I'll do my best to answer it.

 

[MrBrown]

Why sit at a gas station inbetween doing patient transfer and earn minimum wage of course .....

 

[iftmedic]

Unfortunately only action you'll see will be your patients maybe crapping on your gurney from time to time, If you really want to use a nasal trumpet or any other airway device? is to just shove it down your partner's throat and bag him to get some experience. Or just go to a company that has 911 contracts. Otherwise you will be slinging gomers like its going out of style.

 

[looker]

Once in a while you probably will be able to us those red lights at top of your ambulance when you upgrade to code 3 and rush your patient to the hospital. Other than that, everything usually is routine transport.

 

[Monkey]

With South Bay, you will get pre-scheduled Dialysis, Dr's Appointment and discharges from Hospital to SNF on a regular basis.

However as stated you will get "BLS Emergency" calls from the SNF's when they don't want to dial 911 (this is for a variety of reasons, usually BS though)

When other BLS companies get swamped, they share the wealth of some of their calls, again, discharges to SNF and the occasional interfacility transfer.

BLS is the bottom rung on the ladder, if you have higher aspirations, it's a necessary evil to get there. It is fun if you make it that way, miserable if you make it that way, but either way, you gotta do it to move on.

 

[Monkey]

I agree with you on the skills part. However, the biggest shortcoming of almost ALL EMT's that I've dealt with is their "bed-side manner". Most EMT's suck at customer service and dealing with patients. The fact it's a pre-req to Medic is to try to get them some experience with that. You can't teach it, it's a learned thing by doing it.

If you can't deal with a whining patient on the way to dialysis, you will NEVER be able to deal with a *****y 911 call.

I see so many EMT's that are jaded, pissed, hate their jobs, and don't understand why they are doing what they are doing. Most of them, are looking for fire careers, and if they can't stand being on the bottom rung in BLS, they'll never survive a year of probationary firefighter status.

-S-

I 100% agree with this, and this is definitely what I took advantage of when I started out in IFT in San Diego. I only meant to reference his question of bagging patients, dropping airways, running traumas, etc. You can definitely build a foundation of knowledge and skills, but once you have spent a decent amount of time doing IFT its best to move on to the next thing, whatever that may be. I also don't believe that working IFT for a year should be a prereq for medics. In my experience, the only EMTs who learned a good deal during their IFT time were extremely motivated and did extra research on their own. If they went to medic school they would have done most of this themselves anyway. Many of the skills above could be learned in extra ride-alongs and such, you don't learn much about prehospital emergency situations sitting next to a CT machine (although you could learn about the procedure and about the disease/injury being investigated).

I don't dismiss the increase in knowledge and experience gained through IFT, but its not exactly what they lead you to believe in school, I don't agree than one year or more if it is useful.

 

[iftmedic]

Sling homers!!!!!, what else does a bls rig do in San Diego??

 

[iftmedic]

Sorry I meant gomers