Wisconsin's new law trying to help EMS

[Emswabbt]

2015 Wisconsin Act 113: ambulance staffing by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and first responders. This law provides greater flexibility as it will no longer be required to have two EMTs in order to be able to transport a patient in ambulance.

Do you think it is a help, stall or stupid..

BE NICE..............

 

[reaper]

Lowering standards is never a good thing.

 

[Flying]

Going backwards.

 

[triemal04]

Just like to point out that while "be nice" is one of the rules of this forum, and has to be respected (under pain of banning ) in the real world, "being nice" to all, no matter what, instead of honestly and bluntly pointing out blatantly illogical, wrong, idiotic, and crazy things is why this country is so screwed up and getting more screwed up.

Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

To be honest, I'm pretty ambivalent about this. Most people who call 911 don't need one EMT helping them (who in all reality can do very little beyond basic first aid) let alone two (who still can't do much more than basic first aid). What the person needs is a ride to a doctor, and given the constraints on what EMT's can do, the single EMT doesn't really need anyone else with medical training helping them; they need a driver and someone to help carry things.

Now, as you start talking about higher levels of providers the situation does change some. Depending on what exactly is being done and second set of hands (connected to someone who knows what is happening/what to do) is not only helpful, but required.

If Wisconsin's statutes are written so that there is a clear difference between EMT's and paramedics...meh, who cares. If they aren't, and all EMS providers are lumped in as "EMT's," then yeah, this isn't such a good idea.

 

[Tigger]

Just like to point out that while "be nice" is one of the rules of this forum, and has to be respected (under pain of banning ) in the real world, "being nice" to all, no matter what, instead of honestly and bluntly pointing out blatantly illogical, wrong, idiotic, and crazy things is why this country is so screwed up and getting more screwed up.

"Be Polite" is rule number one. While we would like people to be nice, we welcome disagreements.

As for the OP, I don't have an issue with this for volunteer departments. It helps get an ambulance out the door that may not otherwise be able to respond. I would rather have BLS units intercept with medics instead of just sitting on scene waiting.

 

[DrParasite]

I think this is a good thing for volunteer departments, as it will let them get out the door with one EMT and one driver (since someone does need to drive, not always doing patient care).

I think it's a horrible thing for career departments, because a for profit entity will just drop staffing to 1 EMT and 1 driver, since they can pay the drivers less than they need to pay the EMTs.

 

[cruiseforever]

If things in rural Wisconsin are like things in rural Minnesota. The change was made to help the volunteer departments. We are slowly losing rural services.