what is a "whacker" to you?

[ChicagolandIFT]

I don't think "whacker" is the word I would use to describe you for taking your job seriously. I think "medical professional" would be a better fit.

You would be surprised how many people give me :censored::censored::censored::censored: about it. I tend to consider myself a professional in the making, I cannot wait till I hear back from the local paramedic program B)

 

[Scottpre]

There's a little whacker in everyone, I think....

I've worked in a variety of emergency-related positions, both paid and volly. What never ceases to amaze me is the efforts people make to be divisive and categorize people.

I saw it at the PD: veterans look down on rookies, detectives look down on patrol, patrol looks down on traffic, SWAT looks down on everyone else.

I see it in SAR: The more technical the unit, the more they look down on others.

I see it in EMS: EMT's look down on First Responders, MOFA/OEC looks down on basic EMT's. WEMT's look down on MOFA/OEC. Tac-Medics look down on regular medics, etc, etc, etc.

I even see it in emergency management (which is just silly, as its sort of the red-headed step-child of the emergency profession anyway): former military, FD or LEO look down on emergency managers who have never served in any of those services.

My $.02: We're all a little whacked from time to time. I have worked with veteran EMT's who are such "Adam-Henery's" that I can barely tolerate being around them. I've worked with EMT's who barely have 3 years, but have the right attitude.

The most dangerous folks to work with? The old dogs who think they know/have done/seen it all and the the young pups who are too new to understand they don't know anything. Both are complacent.

So, we all have a little bit of whacker in each of us and we all have the potential to be truly great EMT's if we get over ourselves and do the job.

 

[mcdonl]

Well Said...

This greenhorn hears your message.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

I've worked in a variety of emergency-related positions, both paid and volly. What never ceases to amaze me is the efforts people make to be divisive and categorize people.

I saw it at the PD: veterans look down on rookies, detectives look down on patrol, patrol looks down on traffic, SWAT looks down on everyone else.

I see it in SAR: The more technical the unit, the more they look down on others.

I see it in EMS: EMT's look down on First Responders, MOFA/OEC looks down on basic EMT's. WEMT's look down on MOFA/OEC. Tac-Medics look down on regular medics, etc, etc, etc.

I even see it in emergency management (which is just silly, as its sort of the red-headed step-child of the emergency profession anyway): former military, FD or LEO look down on emergency managers who have never served in any of those services.

My $.02: We're all a little whacked from time to time. I have worked with veteran EMT's who are such "Adam-Henery's" that I can barely tolerate being around them. I've worked with EMT's who barely have 3 years, but have the right attitude.

The most dangerous folks to work with? The old dogs who think they know/have done/seen it all and the the young pups who are too new to understand they don't know anything. Both are complacent.

So, we all have a little bit of whacker in each of us and we all have the potential to be truly great EMT's if we get over ourselves and do the job.

Huh? This thread is about whackers, not about the scewed up social stucture that makes up the various divisions of Emergency Services. Looking down on someone else does not make them or you a whacker. I am really confused on where this train of though came from.

I repeat:

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=2600

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=14170

If you want I could list several whackers that post/have posted here if you want examples. ^_^ But...

In short: MFR or EMT that just got their cert and feel that it is now their personal resposibility to save the world; although whackers know no specific age or length of time in EMS.

L&S on POV. Jump bag bigger than an ambo's in your truck. Scanner on 24/7. Jumping calls without belonging to a emergency service organization. Carrying your own radio with you 24/7. Buying pretty much anything from Galls. Turning your POV into an ambo. Buying your own gold badge to put in your wallet. Wearing nothing but t-shirts that say EMS or EMT on them. Racing Fire Engines to the scene of a call you heard on a scanner. Stoping for every car accident and declaring yourself the IC. <cough> <couhg> Posting about nothing but boots, the benifits of LED lights, your favorite stethoscope, how you can get blue lights on your toyota crapola, what knives and trauma shears you carry, what your favorite batbelt accessories are, how you can legally get oxygen tanks for your car, if a standard backboard will fit into your toyota crapola... you get the idea.

But it can be pretty much wrapped up in the idea that some believe that getting a certificate from your state stating that you are now an EMT-B measn that you have the authority and/or resposibility to save the world. The cert card becomes a badge to some, with some hidden Super Hero status that I am unaware of. Also, they tend to believe that their shiny new card from NREMT means that they are the end-all/be-all of Emergency Services and are... SPECIAL... :wacko:

They are also the ones who most often use the phrases "we were taught to do this..." or "you are suppossed to..." to which they end their authoritative statements with gems of knowledge like explaining to EMS veterans how to administer oral glucose or how to ventilate a patient... mind you, they just started their EMT class 2 weeks ago after being an "customer relations supervisor" at McDonalds for 4 months...

Again... I could point out a few great posts that highlight this... but, I have very few forum violations, and would like to keep it that way...

and...

My definition, all whackers feel that they “know it all”, otherwise, what would posses them to believe that they NEED to save the world or that 110 (minimum) hours of EMT class makes them qualified or responsible to “be prepared” for everything that will not happen. 90% of all whackers fall into the category of new EMT or MFR (almost never Medics or higher) who just got their cert (or are still in class, but think that this is good enough). Any whackerdom that exists in noobs usually goes away after they stop pretending to be heroes and get real life experience as to REALITY! Then the whacker experience goes away (hopefully).

You are confusing zeal, a love for the profession, and a genuine interest in helping people with people who want to save the world and believe that they have some divine authority now that NREMT gave them a laminated card. You obviously don’t understand what whackers are. A whacker doesn’t respond in an ambo or engine with authority to do so, the training to do so, the equipment to do so, or a profound sense of the responsibility that have as a authorized responder. A whacker drives around in a POV with a scanner and a truck full of Galls Medical Gear in the trunk looking to go play hero. You want that helping you? That is dangerous. Try researching some past articles online about whackers; people who toy with patient care and (at times) cause life threatening problems; like the recent report of the man who was pretending to be a cop and pulling people over to give them tickets. He went so far as to request backup over official frequencies when the person he was trying to pull over wouldn’t. Or the man who claimed to be a FF/EMT (not really) and showed up at an accident and (since no one questioned this) was “assisting” Medics and FFs on a MCI situation; going so far as to join the medics in the back of the ambo on a code 3 return. What the heck? Now many whackers do not go this far, but the underlying mental issues remain the same. They are full of zeal, but have no right to do what they are doing. Does that shinny EMT cert give us that right just because we have the same zeal? I don’t want burnouts treating me… but I DO NOT WANT whackers treating me either… who knows who they really are and such? Official responders show up in official identified units with uniform and THE RIGHT to be there. Whackers do not and should not be trusted just because they appear to care.

A question that proves that some people do not understand the real world of EMS or Emergency Services. You want to be a hero… go to Hollywood and join the cast of Trauma. The big deal is that this Rescue Rick attitude brings down the field of EMS and endangers lives. The second you think that zeal and an EMT cert makes you special and gives you the right to play hero is the second that you have already halted any attempts to be a real EMSer…

For the record... 95% of the people on this forum have great zeal for what they do. They care... too much sometimes... They get paid crap, work horrible hours in horrible environments, and see things that you can only imagine. They keep on going... why? THEY CARE!!! But the true professionals here can never be called whacker. They not only care but they have the experience, education, and knowledge to back up that zeal... experience, education, and knowledge kick you out of the whacker phase quick... unless you enjoy that state of insanity and naivety.

 

[Scottpre]

The train of thought comes from defining wackers as being yet another example of finding a way to categorize people in a derogatory way.

I suppose people do it as a way to feel superior to someone else.

Pointing at someone who is a wacker and how ridiculous they appear to the rest of us is validation of our own "wackerness" or wacker-like behavior: we feel smug because we are not them.

I don't condone the wacker. Your are aboslutely correct to highlight the very real danger of over-zealous, however well-meaning, people on a scene and the damage that wackers do to our profession as a whole.

I am just pointing out that in our smugness, we ought not to forget that we each have that wacker side in all of us and that the best thing to do is just do the job the best way we know how.

 

[Luno]

MOFA/OEC looks down on basic EMT's

I think you're probably getting this one backwards, especially since in your area, OEC and MOFA are not recognized within EMS beyond basic First Aid, regardless of the practioner's personal feelings...

Tac-Medics look down on regular medics, etc, etc, etc.

I'll give ya this one, but only in a loving big brother type of way...

The most dangerous folks to work with? The old dogs who think they know/have done/seen it all and the the young pups who are too new to understand they don't know anything. Both are complacent.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to differ with you on this point... The young pups are eager enough to do it all, the old dogs have seen enough to get bit in the *** by not doing it all, it's the middle of the road that kills...

 

[medichopeful]

You would be surprised how many people give me :censored::censored::censored::censored: about it. I tend to consider myself a professional in the making, I cannot wait till I hear back from the local paramedic program B)

I'm sure with your attitude you'll do fine

 

[dragonjbynight]

No Galls hate... as a matter of fact, I have two of their trunk organizers; one in my Mustang and one in my Jeep (I use them to organize detailing supplies, hold my vehicle fire extinguishers and first aid kits) and have ordered other items from them.

Hal9000's post describing whackers is balls on accurate. I see them same thing at the New England Fire/Rescue/EMS expo each year... people wearing their uniform shirts from FD's that are miles and miles away, carrying their portables, pagers, scanners. They think they are making a statement.. and they are...

"Look at me... I'm a whacker!"

I have to disagree with a small portion of this statement. Wearing a T-Shirt or uniform shirt from your department while in a different area or an expo does not immediately constitute wacker. At times, my old department would send us to different areas to take classes, check out equipment or so on and so forth and we were required to wear our dept. t-shirt or uniform shirt.

A t-shirt is a t-shirt, does it matter if it says some stupid crap about getting drunk....or so and so fire dept??

That being said, I completely agree with the pagers and scanners, bat man belts and so forth while at a conference nowhere near your area..

 

[Scottpre]

I think you're probably getting this one backwards, especially since in your area, OEC and MOFA are not recognized within EMS beyond basic First Aid, regardless of the practioner's personal feelings...

I'll give ya this one, but only in a loving big brother type of way...



Yeah, I'm gonna have to differ with you on this point... The young pups are eager enough to do it all, the old dogs have seen enough to get bit in the *** by not doing it all, it's the middle of the road that kills...

I think the MOFA/OEC ting is because of the vast difference between street medicine and wilderness medicine. On the street, an EMT is in their element, but 10 miles up a trail is a whole different story. Under those conditions, OEC or better yet, WEMT is going to likely have more applicable knowledge.

You might be right on the young pup/old dog. It's just be my observation.

 

[Scottpre]

I have to disagree with a small portion of this statement. Wearing a T-Shirt or uniform shirt from your department while in a different area or an expo does not immediately constitute wacker. At times, my old department would send us to different areas to take classes, check out equipment or so on and so forth and we were required to wear our dept. t-shirt or uniform shirt.

A t-shirt is a t-shirt, does it matter if it says some stupid crap about getting drunk....or so and so fire dept??

That being said, I completely agree with the pagers and scanners, bat man belts and so forth while at a conference nowhere near your area..

If anyone has ever been to training offered through the Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP), then you'll remember that the training is practically a fashion show for different people sporting their agency colors. Those guys are aren't wackers at all. The majority I've meet are serious professionals.

 

[emp430]

I think for the most part wackers are fine. I mean sure the light bar costs more then there car, but you can sure see it flashing out side of the following EMT- B class when he is showing it off. I've had a few bad run ins with :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty wackers. 2 I really remember........

First: This was 7 or 8 years ago before I got into EMS, but it always has stuck in my mind. On a winter day I was forced of the road by a MASSIVE blue light. Thought it was police or something until later(volly FD). I looked in my mirror and this guy was right on my ***. Came out of no where. After, he ran a stop sign a half a block up. Speed limit was 30 and he had to be doing 50 easy. He was hauling ***.

Second: After I became an EMT I was on scene helping out my dept. The incident happened where I worked. This wacker EMT lady came running up grabbing the persons head. To "hold c-spine" but she was moving her head and neck around like a bobble doll. This was a fall with LOC and a nice size bump on her head. The PT had some issue and this douche bag of an EMT was not helping any of them. We got her out of there. I pray I never see her again.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
I Pray The Lord, My Soul To Keep
If I Should Die Before I Wake
I Pray The EMTs Will Not Be Fake​

 

[Hal9000]

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
I Pray The Lord, My Soul To Keep
If I Should Die Before I Wake
I Pray The EMTs Will Not Be Fake​

:lol:

You'll need to spend a lot of time praying in some places.

 

[jazzydoc11]

What's wrong with being a whacker anyhow? Sure I suppose it could get annoying if the person has a know it all personality, but someone getting irritated by how zealously someone else takes their choice of profession is just immature.




I tell you right now, I'd sure as heck rather have all "whackers" for EMT's and Paramedics running around who really really care about their job and saving lives, rather than indifferent EMS workers who only want to put in their time and get the heck out.

So what on earth is the big deal?

thats what i wanted know because i dont get whats wrong either

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

thats what i wanted know because i dont get whats wrong either

Did you read the entire thread? Do you know what a whacker is? Do you realize that the post you are quoting was retracted when the poster realized that he actually didn't understand what a problem whackers are? Whackers can be and often are DANGEROUS and a DETRIMENT to real Emergency Services workers.

And enough of the "t-shirts and Galls don't make you a whacker" stuff. It has nothing to do with people who wear EMS related T-shirts or buy some items from Galls that make it easier to do their job, like a solid flashlight. Overdoing the T-Shirts and Galls in addition to the other things I mentioned before makes the composite sign of a Whacker, someone who is a danger to those around them because they care too much about being a Superhero/EMT (or in some cases presenting themselves to others as an EMT, without being one) and not enough about being a legit Emergency Responder/Medical Care Provider, usually because they are not a legit professional...