What it takes beyond EMT Class

[mwtrek]

I'm currently working with a college EMS agency. We run one BLS rig, with a call volume of about 150-250 per year. We are currently re-evaluating the training we provide after the EMT class to help members become competent EMT's. Do other agencies have an field training program and can you describe them?

Each year we have about 20-30 people take the EMT class through the agency but very few of those ever end up being promoted to a 'crew chief'. Since all of the members are students, it's hard to find staffing when a member is only around for 4 years. Most (if not all) of our current 'crew chiefs' work/volunteer at other agencies.

A major problem in getting EMT's comfortable 'teching' calls is our low call volume. I feel like most of our EMT's have a firm grasp on the medical knowledge but it is difficult for them apply it on scene. I'm not sure how to teach scene management.

I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about our situation.

Just as a reference below is the current requirements we have before someone can become a crew chief.

Prerequisites:
1. Trainee must be an Ambulance Attendant.
To be considered a Back-up Crew Chief:
1. Hold current certification as a NY- State EMT or higher.
2. Attend an RPI Ambulance Crew Chief training class to include:
a.) Call Dynamics
b.) Standard Operating Procedures
c.) PCR writing.
3. Complete Crew Chief checklist
4. Crew Chief 2 calls with a crew chief trainer in the patient compartment
5. Pass the practical exam, including PCR writing
6. Receive joint approval of the Captain and Training Lieutenant

Promotion:
1. Must be a Back-up Crew Chief
2. Must Crew Chief 1 call as a Back-up Crew Chief
3. Must complete the following FEMA sponsored classes IS-700 National Incident
Management System (NIMS), ICS 100: Introduction to ICS, and ICS 200: Basic ICS.
4. Must student-teach one training drill and submit an evaluation form
5. Request to be a full Crew Chief
6. Receive approval by the Promo Board

 

[John E]

I'm confused...

are you trying to increase the number of "crew chiefs" or better educate your EMT's?

How many crew chiefs does your service need?

 

[Cawolf86]

Crew chief - as in a supervisor?

 

[TransportJockey]

I'm confused what you're asking too... and what is a crew chief? I've never heard that term

 

[abckidsmom]

I'm confused what you're asking too... and what is a crew chief? I've never heard that term

I've heard that term. It's a sorta volunteer lingo for attendant in charge, released EMT, whatever.

A million years ago my first volunteer rescue squad used that term. As in, Monday Day Crew Chief, Monday Night Crew Chief, etc.

 

[Motojunkie]

We have crew chiefs. Basically they're the older medics who have a fly car and an office and split time between the two on their shift. Sometimes they just randomly show up on scenes or might go to a MCI and they're who we call first when we have a problem (broke truck, used drugs, etc.).

 

[JPINFV]

I've heard that term. It's a sorta volunteer lingo for attendant in charge, released EMT, whatever.

A million years ago my first volunteer rescue squad used that term. As in, Monday Day Crew Chief, Monday Night Crew Chief, etc.

Based on the training description, this is what I was thinking as well.

However, since people are asking what a "crew chief" is, the other use of the term I've seen is as a low level supervisor. At my first company, there was one crew chief on per day (24 hour shift) whose job was to assign ambulances, handle problems, fetch backboards, and other associated issues.

 

[Akulahawk]

I've seen "Crew Chief" used to mean something like someone who functions as a supervisor in the absence of an actual supervisor or someone who oversees a station where a Supervisor would oversee several stations. Something along those lines.

Another way is that they're the most senior non-management personnel that supervise operations on a given crew/unit but not for the entire group.

 

[94H]

I have seen the term crew chief used in two different ways

1. As a low level Supervisor

2. As someone who is cleared to run the call (every call must have a crew chief on it, they are in charge of the crew) I believe that this is what the OP was referring to

 

[Akulahawk]

IMHO, the goal should be to make your EMT staff competent, not necessarily "crew chief". What I used to do is run scenarios. Not just verbalize them, but actually figure out types of patients and actually run them...as in go through the whole event from start-finish. Obviously, we wouldn't be transporting to an ED or other receiving facility (trucks stayed stationary) so we'd have the "patient" and provider in the back of the unit for a certain length of time to simulate transport. The provider would HAVE to do everything they'd normally do. When we were done, everybody got critiqued for performance, and what they could do to improve.

Get creative! In low call-volume systems, you don't have the luxury of being able to run lots of live calls with an FTO...

 

[94H]

As for your problem Collegiate EMS sucks if you dont have a huge campus. I just got into a fight with my captain about it, since the Campus PD wont dispatch us if its gonna be a transport (since we are a QRS). I argued that with our influx of new (inexperienced members) we needed to expose them to as many calls a possible.

We used to run about 300 calls a year, so far this year I am the top responder with 4.

The solution that we came up with to expose our EMTs to get comfortable on calls was going to a local EMS provider, who helps us with training and such, for ride alongs. Together with that I always offer to let probies and other members practice skills on me.

We just instituted a training program for skills we dont use often (backboarding, etc.) but it keeps looking more and more like a failure

 

[mwtrek]

Thanks for the replies. I should have clarified what the term crew chief is. The Crew Chief is the EMT who is in charge of patient care. They will run the call and made all decisions. All care is done under the supervision of the Crew Chief.

I don't really like the term crew chief, because i feel that when you have a large crew (usually 4 this this case) everyone is part of the team. I prefer something like primary caregiver or something along those lines, but that's just my opinion.

Currently we have 3-4 crew chiefs. It would be nice to have more so that someone doesn't end up riding several times a week.