EMS's topics - tribe.net

San Francisco Lovefest needs medical volunteers!

joseph — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:15:31 GMT

San Francisco Lovefest http://www2.sflovefest.org/ is a non-profit organization based on community, and a community needs help keeping safe and healthy when things just go a little south of right. In that spirit SF Lovefest is seeking medical volunteers to help with first aid and taking care of our own community. Medical volunteers will be out working with the crowds so you'll still have plenty of time to wander and listen to some great music. So what does it take to be a volunteer? All you need is to be a currently licensed EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, or Doctor and have a willingness to volunteer some of your time. Volunteers will be working side by side with Lovefest's allied partners for advanced life support and clinical care, so you'll have extra helping hands when you need it. Oh, and did we mention that you'll get a neat tee shirt to top it all off? We look forward to hearing form you!

So what is Love Fest? Lovefest is a fabulous celebration of electronic music and dance involving dozens of floats in a parade down Market St., hundreds of DJs playing at Civic Center plaza, over 50,000 people dancing in the streets with many hundreds of volunteers that make it all happen. Similar to Burning Man camps, the floats in San Francisco Lovefest are produced and paid for by local and national music collectives to showcase the creative spirit of the electronic dance music community.

To volunteer or for more information, send me a message via tribe. - joseph

posted in EMS - 2 replies

EMT LOD Death in Michigan

Intubater — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:06:27 GMT

Sadly, an EMT working an MVA west of Ann Arbor, Michigan was hit by another vehicle, initiallly pinned, critically injured, she died at U of M Hospital.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Radio Jargon

Doctor_Who — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:44:53 GMT

Do you have a list of the radio jargon in your area? I tried to find someihing on wiki but all I found was stuff for CB's. I'm trying to compile a list. this is handy for when I'm warscanning (freequing or just plain on scanning) while I'm on road trips listening in on different areas. Any help is appreciated.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Protransport-1 testing????

Stacy — Tue, 08 May 2007 02:41:10 GMT

I was wondering if anyone on the board has applied for Protransport-1? The company is based in Northern California, and has been around since 2000. I wanted to know about their hiring process/testing.

Thanks
Stacy :wave:

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Two EMT's assaulted

Doctor_Who — Sat, 17 Jul 2004 20:19:15 GMT

Here's something that happened recently. I am grossly appalled by some of the ppl we come in contact with and barring *ACTUAL* mental illness there is no excuse for doing dumb shite. Me and all of my brothers in the house are pissed that this happened. I can say luckily the police where there to intervene between the fire dept. and the perp or things may not have turned out so good for him....

Be safe ppl.
=--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--=
EMTs assaulted

A violent suspect assaulted two volunteer emergency medical technicians Saturday afternoon at Pointer Ridge Giant. The EMTs, from the Glenn Dale fire station, were responding to a call for an unconscious man in the store's bathroom.

They discovered James Brian Byrnes naked and apparently unconscious in a locked bathroom stall, with his soiled pants nearby.

When a 31-year-old female EMT tried to revive him, Byrnes grabbed her hair and punched her in the face, breaking her nose. He kicked an 18-year-old paramedic who attempted to help her colleague. Police deployed pepper spray and a baton to subdue the 40-year-old man from Bel Alton, who admitted using crack cocaine and alcohol in a suicide attempt. He was taken to Doctors Hospital for a psychological evaluation. The victims also were taken to Doctors Hospital, treated and released.
=--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--==--+--=

posted in EMS - 4 replies

Need some advice on EMT-B

Mr. X — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:48:37 GMT

Hi Everyone,
I live in the Bay Area, more specifically Oakland and I am attempting to become a firefighter. I am currently enrolled in the First Response (CPR & basic first aid) at Chabot college in Hayward. From everyone I have spoken with, including a few SF firefighters, becoming a Paramedic will greatly increase my chances of getting hired. Therefore I have made this my secondary goal. I will complete the First Response course at the end of the year and will need to go to a school for EMT-B. My problem is this: My goal is to attend the CCSF paramedic program which will begin in October of 2007. If I attend a community college for EMT-B, the semester will end in May of 2007. This leaves at most 4 months to obtain the NREMT certification, California registry, all of the other necessary paperwork and gain EMT-B field experience which CCSF requires 3- 6 months of before being accepted. I spoke with a HR representative from AMR and she stated that getting hired on average, takes about a month. So that cuts on the job experience down to 3 months. This isn’t even accounting for job availability which ebbs & flows throughout the year.
My other option is to go to NCTI in Livermore (which is almost an hours drive from me) to drop $1,700 on a 2 month program. Needless to say I would like to not have to spend that much money and I am somewhat worried about “cramming” such important material. But it does give me two months of breathing room to gain job experience.

Ok, so I am really sorry for the long winded e-mail. I know you all have more valuable things to do with your time than answer some strangers questions, but I really do appreciate any advice you might be able to give as to which program to attend. Either NCTI’s two month $1700 program, or Chabot’s $300 5 month program. Keeping in mind that the ultimate goal is the CCSF paramedic program in October of 2007. Any experience you might have had with either program would also be invaluable to me.
Thank you so much,
Stefan

posted in EMS - 11 replies

Ambulance work in SF area

themarine — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:53:36 GMT

Does anybody know if EMT-B's can work for an actual salary on ambulances in the SF area, or is it strictly on a volunteer basis? The reason I ask is because I'm in North Carolina right now, but will eventually be moving back to Cali, and the only guys that get paid over here are paramedics. Oh, and if they DO get paid, about how much might the expected starting salary be?

posted in EMS - 4 replies

St. Joseph's Ambulance, San Rafael, Ca

joseph — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:17:17 GMT

I'm curious about this company... who here has worked for St. Joe's and what did you think of the experience and management?

posted in EMS - 0 replies

phlebotomy

missadventure — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:40:33 GMT

has anyone done a phlebotomy cert in the bay area?

where is it offered? how long does it take?

thanks in advance!
m

posted in EMS - 5 replies

Just thought I'd share...

Rob — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 23:38:34 GMT

Today is my first day back on the job since I was injured fighting a fire back in January. I'm 5 days short of it being 8 months. To say I had performance apprehension this morning would be an understatment. First patient was chest pain with dyspnea. It was like I never left! Assessment, full ALS workup, and even got the IV without using a tourniquet!

Now that that's out of the way, we'll see how the shoulder holds up on the next fire.

Peace,
Rob

posted in EMS - 0 replies

NEMSA in NORCAL

Pete — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:48:35 GMT

hey all is anyone else here in the norcal amr barganing group?
How are things going in your county?

posted in EMS - 0 replies

San Francisco Lovefest needs medical volunteers!

joseph — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 04:07:00 GMT

San Francisco Lovefest needs medical volunteers!

San Francisco Lovefest (formerly called Loveparade San Francisco) is in its fabulous third year celebration of electronic music and dance involving 25 floats in a parade down Market St., 200 DJs playing at Civic Center plaza, and over 50,000 people dancing in the streets with many hundreds of volunteers that make it all happen. Similar to Burning Man camps, the floats in San Francisco Lovefest are produced and paid for by local and national collectives to showcase the creative spirit of the electronic dance music community.

San Francisco Lovefest is a non-profit organization based on community, and a community needs help keeping safe and healthy when things just go a little south of right. In that spirit, SF Lovefest is seeking medical volunteers to help with first aid, first response, and taking care of our own. Medical volunteers will be out working with the crowds, so you'll still have plenty of time to wander and listen to some great music while being there, just in case.

So what does it take to be a volunteer? You need to be a currently certified and practicing EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, or Doctor with at least one year experience and a willingness to volunteer some of your time. Volunteers will be working side by side with Lovefest's allied partners for advanced life support and clinical care, so you'll have extra helping hands when you need it. Oh, and did we mention that you'll get a neat tee shirt to top it all off? We look forward to hearing form you!

To volunteer or for more information, email medical(at)sflovefest.org

posted in EMS - 1 reply

NREMT-P Refresher

Nathan — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:40:51 GMT

Hello all, I am looking for a 48 Hour Paramedic Refresher that is being held over no more than a week that is NREMT approved. The time frame is important, the location isn't. If anyone knows of any upcomming between now and 2-07, I would appreciate a post.

Thanks,
Nathan

posted in EMS - 2 replies

ems career path

sian — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:49:42 GMT

What's the best initial training to get when the goal is to work as a paramedic in a remote FD with a high volume of of trauma call? Community college emt and fire/rescue programs; private wemt programs; army reserve combat medic training; etc.?

posted in EMS - 3 replies

Oxygen Regulator Fires

Doctor_Who — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 23:51:13 GMT

FDA AND NIOSH Public Health Notification: Oxygen Regulator Fires Resulting from Incorrect Use of CGA 870 Seals

Updated: June 19, 2006

Dear Colleagues:

We are updating the Public Health Notification of April 24, 2006 alerting you to the danger of fires at the interface of oxygen regulators and cylinder valves because of incorrect use of CGA 870 seals, and to point out an important precaution you can take to avoid such fires.

This update clarifies the FDA and NIOSH recommendation on the use of sealing- type washers (reusable, metal-bound rubber seal) and crush-type gaskets (single use, not reusable, usually Nylon Â®) with oxygen regulators. We believe that this new language will alleviate concerns around the proper use of both types of seals.
Background

FDA has received 12 reports in which regulators used with oxygen cylinders have burned or exploded, in some cases injuring personnel. Some of the incidents occurred during emergency medical use or during routine equipment checks. FDA and NIOSH believe that improper use of gaskets/washers in these regulators was a major factor in both the ignition and severity of the fires, although there are likely other contributing factors.

Two types of washers, referred to as CGA 870 seals, are commonly used to create the seal at the cylinder valve / regulator interface: The type recommended by many regulator manufacturers is a metal-bound elastomeric sealing washer that is designed for multiple use applications. The other common type, often supplied free-of-charge with refilled oxygen cylinders, is a plastic (usually Nylon Â®) crush gasket suitable for single use applications.
When used more than once, the Nylon Â® crush gaskets require higher torque than the elastomeric sealing washers in order to seal the cylinder valve / regulator interface, and if they are used again, they require more torque with each successive use. The cylinder valve / regulator connection is designed to be hand-tightened. If the crush gaskets are re-used, the need for increased torque may require using a wrench or other hand tool, which can deform the crush gasket and damage the cylinder valve and regulator. This can result in leakage of oxygen past the cylinder valve seat and across the nylon crush gasket. According to a forensic analysis supported by FDA and NIOSH, â€œflow frictionâ€ caused by this leakage of compressed oxygen across the surface of the crush gasket may produce enough thermal energy to spontaneously ignite the nylon gasket material.
Recommendations

FDA and NIOSH recommend that plastic crush gaskets never be reused, as they may require additional torque to obtain the necessary seal with each subsequent use. This can deform the gasket, increasing the likelihood that oxygen will leak around the seal and ignite.

The following general safety precautions should also be taken to avoid explosions, tank ruptures and fires from oxygen regulators.

* Always â€œcrackâ€ cylinder valves (open the valve just enough to allow gas to escape for a very short time) before attaching regulators in order to expel foreign matter from the outlet port of the valve.

* Always follow the regulator manufacturerâ€™s instructions for attaching the regulator to an oxygen cylinder.

* Always use the sealing gasket specified by the regulator manufacturer.

* Always inspect the regulator and CGA 870 seal before attaching it to the valve to ensure that the regulator is equipped with only one clean, sealing- type washer (reusable metal-bound rubber seal) or a new crush-type gasket (single use, not reusable, typically Nylon Â®) that is in good condition.

* Always be certain the valve, regulator and gasket are free from oil or grease. Oil or grease contamination is widely known to contribute to ignition in oxygen systems.
Â
* Tighten the T-handle firmly by hand, but do not use wrenches or other hand tools that may over-torque the handle.

* Open the post valve slowly. If gas escapes at the juncture of the regulator and valve, quickly close the valve. Verify the regulator is properly attached and the gasket is properly placed and in good condition. If you have any questions or concerns contact your supplier.

Reporting to FDA

FDA requires hospitals and other user facilities to report deaths and serious injuries associated with the use of medical devices. If you suspect that a reportable adverse event was related to the use of medical gas equipment, you should follow the reporting procedure established by your facility.

We also encourage you to report adverse events related to medical gas equipment that do not meet the requirements for mandatory reporting. You can report these directly to the device manufacturer. You can also report to MedWatch, the FDAâ€™s voluntary reporting program. You may submit reports to MedWatch by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088; by FAX at 1-800-FDA-0178; by mail to MedWatch, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787; or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.
Getting More Information

If you have questions about this notification, please contact the Office of Surveillance and Biometrics (HFZ-510), 1350 Piccard Drive, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, Fax at 240-276-3356, or by e-mail at phann@cdrh.fda.gov.Â Â You may also leave a voice mail message at 240-276-3357 and we will return your call as soon as possible.
FDA medical device Public Health Notifications are available on the Internet at www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety.html. You can also be notified through e-mail each time a new Public Health Notification is added to our web page.Â Â To subscribe to this service, visit: service.govdelivery.com/servic...be.html
Â

Sincerely yours,

Daniel Schultz, MD
Director
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Food and Drug Administration

Nancy Stout, Ed.D.
Director, Division of Safety Research
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
posted by:

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Good report writing slideshow. Make the rookies read this!

Doctor_Who — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 09:47:13 GMT

This is a short online slide show about report writing for EMS personnel. I highly reccomend it for anyone who has to write reports. While I have developed my own system that encompasses this method, it is good for people who want to improve their report writing or develop their on method, so that all bases are covered.

http://www.laurelrescue.org/files/training/EMSREP_C_files/frame.htm

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Looking for some classic EMS papers...

Tim — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 01:53:27 GMT

Does anyone know where I can get the text for "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society" presented by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council (1966)?

I also need the text for “Emergency Medical Services; Recommendations for an Approach to an Urgent National Problem” presented at the Arlie House conference in 1969 by the Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons and Committe on Injuries, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Both are white papers presented at conferences that helped shape the Johnson Administration's NHTS Committee and the establishment of national EMS guidelines.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

posted in EMS - 10 replies

Aircraft Good Samaritan law

Jay — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:53:05 GMT

Hi folks,

Just as an FYI, there is a federal law that provides for Good Samaritan immunity for emergency medical care rendered on an aircraft by fellow passengers (at least on domestic flights). See below.

Best regards,

Jay Wiseman, JD

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

49 USC 44701
"Sec. 5. Limitations on Liability.

"(a) Liability of air carriers.--An air carrier shall not be liable for damages in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the performance of the air carrier in obtaining or attempting to obtain the assistance of a passenger in an in-flight medical emergency, or out of the acts or omissions of the passenger rendering the assistance, if the passenger is not an employee or agent of the carrier and the carrier in good faith believes that the passenger is a medically qualified individual.

"(b) Liability of individuals.--An individual shall not be liable for damages in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the acts or omissions of the individual in providing or attempting to provide assistance in the case of an in-flight medical emergency unless the individual, while rendering such assistance, is guilty of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

posted in EMS - 1 reply

nremt question

jsebastien — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 04:33:54 GMT

my emt cert lapsed 2 months ago and i am getting ready to retake the skills and written exam to renew in california. however, my plan is to leave for the gulf coast to do some emt work there very soon. my question is, do i have to renew my california emt or i can i just go ahead and take the national registry? and if so, what are the prerequisites? thanks.

my apologies, this question is cross posted to a few other ems tribes.

posted in EMS - 4 replies

World Not Set To Deal With Flu

joseph — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 03:13:36 GMT

Very scary article. - joseph

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/30/AR2005073001429_pf.html

World Not Set To Deal With Flu
Strategy for Pandemic Needed, Experts Say

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 31, 2005; A01

Public health officials preparing to battle what they view as an inevitable
influenza pandemic say the world lacks the medical weapons to fight the
disease effectively, and will not have them anytime soon.

Public health specialists and manufacturers are working frantically to
develop vaccines, drugs, strategies for quarantining and treating the ill,
and plans for international cooperation, but these efforts will take years.
Meanwhile, the most dangerous strain of influenza to appear in decades --
the H5N1 "bird flu" in Asia -- is showing up in new populations of birds,
and occasionally people, almost by the month, global health officials say.

If the virus were to start spreading in the next year, the world would have
only a relative handful of doses of an experimental vaccine to defend
against a disease that, history shows, could potentially kill millions. If
the vaccine proved effective and every flu vaccine factory in the world
started making it, the first doses would not be ready for four months. By
then, the pathogen would probably be on every continent.

Theoretically, antiviral drugs could slow an outbreak and buy time. The
problem is only one licensed drug, oseltamivir, appears to work against bird
flu. At the moment, there is not enough stockpiled for widespread use. Nor
is there a plan to deploy the small amount that exists in ways that would
have the best chance of slowing the disease.

The public, conditioned to believe in the power of modern medicine, has
heard little of how poorly prepared the world is to confront a flu pandemic,
which is an epidemic that strikes several continents simultaneously and
infects a substantial portion of the population.

Since the current wave of avian flu began sweeping through poultry in
Southeast Asia more than 18 months ago, international and U.S. health
authorities have been warning of the danger and trying to mobilize. Research
on vaccines has accelerated, efforts to build up drug supplies are underway,
and discussions take place regularly on developing a coordinated global
response.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will spend $419 million in
pandemic planning this year. The National Institutes of Health's influenza
research budget has quintupled in the past five years.

"The secretary or the chief of staff -- we have a discussion about flu
almost every day," said Bruce Gellin, head of HHS's National Vaccine Program
Office. This week, a committee is scheduled to deliver to HHS Secretary Mike
Leavitt an updated plan for confronting a pandemic.

Despite these efforts, the world's lack of readiness to meet the threat is
huge, experts say.

"The only reason nobody's concerned the emperor has no clothes is that he
hasn't shown up yet," Harvey V. Fineberg, president of the National Academy
of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, said recently of the world's efforts to
prepare for pandemic flu. "When he appears, people will see he's naked."

Other scientists are sounding the alarm as well.

The most outspoken is Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for
Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In
writing and in speeches, Osterholm reminds his audience that after public
calamities, the United States usually convenes blue-ribbon commissions to
pass judgment. There will be one after a flu pandemic, he believes.

"Right now, the conclusions of that commission would be harsh and sad," he
said.

In hopes of slowing a pandemic's spread, public health specialists have been
debating proposals for unprecedented countermeasures. These could include
vaccinating only children, who are statistically most likely to spread the
contagion; mandatory closing of schools or office buildings; and imposing
"snow day" quarantines on infected families -- prohibiting them from leaving
their homes.

Other measures would go well beyond the conventional boundaries of public
health: restricting international travel, shutting down transit systems or
nationalizing supplies of critical medical equipment, such as surgical
masks.

But Osterholm argues that such measures would fall far short. He predicts
that a pandemic would cause widespread shutdowns of factories,
transportation and other essential industries. To prepare, he says,
authorities should identify and stockpile a list of perhaps 100 crucial
products and resources that are essential to keep society functioning until
the pandemic recedes and the survivors go back to work.

Deadly Potential

Since late 2003, 109 people are known to have been infected with the
emerging H5N1 virus in Asia. About half -- 55 -- have died.

Ironically, for the current H5N1 strain of avian flu to gain "pandemic
potential," it will have to become less deadly. Declining lethality is a key
sign that the microbe is adapting to human hosts. That is one reason the 34
percent mortality observed in the most recent outbreak -- a cluster of cases
in northern Vietnam -- has scientists worried.

Pandemic influenza is not an unusually bad version of the flu that appears
each winter. Those outbreaks are caused by flu viruses that have been
circulating for decades and change slightly year to year.

Pandemics are caused by strains of virus that are highly contagious and to
which people have no immunity. Such strains are rare. They arise from the
chance scrambling and recombination of an animal flu virus and a human one,
resulting in a strain whose molecular identity is wholly new.

In the 20th century, pandemics occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968. Although the
19th-century record is less certain, there appear to have been four flu
pandemics -- in 1833, 1836, 1847 and 1889. On a purely statistical basis,
the nearly 40 years since the last one suggests the time may be ripe.

The microbe called influenza A/H5N1 appeared in East Asia in 1996 and has
flared periodically since. It is highly contagious and lethal in chickens,
but it can be carried without symptoms in some ducks -- a combination that
helps keep it in circulation.

Birds occasionally infect humans, and scientists recently found evidence
that the virus is sometimes passed person to person. That form of
transmission is now difficult and rare, but the virus could evolve so that
it becomes easy and common.

If H5N1 never becomes easily transmissible in human beings, it will never
become a pandemic. If it does become transmissible, the consequences are
difficult to imagine. But history provides some clues.

The "Spanish flu" in 1918 and 1919 was the biggest and, along with AIDS, the
most important infectious disease outbreak of the 20th century. It is on the
short list of great disasters in human history.

At least 50 million people, and possibly as many as 100 million, died when
the world's population was 1.9 billion people, one-third its current size.

The Best Defense

Tests are underway at three U.S. hospitals on an experimental vaccine
against H5N1. But it is not the first H5N1 vaccine.

When a slightly different strain of the virus surfaced in Hong Kong in 1997,
killing thousands of chickens and a half-dozen people, researchers used
viruses from birds and people to make experimental vaccines. But neither
offered much protection in lab tests, and nobody knows why.

Instead of working on the problem, researchers dropped it. First SARS
(severe acute respiratory syndrome), and then a different avian flu strain
that arose in Europe (H7N7), took their attention.

"The urgency around this issue kind of dissipated," said John Treanor, a
physician at the University of Rochester and one of the leaders of the
vaccine project. "I think it's an example of how unpredictable things are.
We got distracted."

The urgency is back.

As the first, small hedge against disaster, the government last fall ordered
2 million doses of H5N1 vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur, one of the country's
three flu vaccine makers, even though nobody yet knows whether it works.

A half-dozen other countries are also working on pandemic vaccines. But
making enough to fight an outbreak is a tall order.

About 300 million flu shots are made worldwide each year. The vaccine
protects against three flu strains. If the global production capacity were
directed to make only H5N1 vaccine, the output could be 900 million shots.

Unfortunately, virologists are almost certain people will need two doses
about a month apart to mount a successful immune response against a wholly
new strain such as H5N1. That would cut the theoretical number of recipients
worldwide to 450 million. If each shot requires a larger-than-usual amount
of vaccine to work, the number will be even smaller.

Can the world produce more flu shots? Not easily.

Because nearly all flu vaccine is made by growing the virus in fertilized
chicken eggs, special factories and a steady supply of eggs are required.
Consequently, a key element of pandemic planning is getting more people to
get yearly flu shots, which will give companies a larger market and an
incentive to expand their plants.

Around the world, flu vaccine production has risen by just one-third in the
past decade. New plants in Brazil, South Korea and the Netherlands will
boost global production by an additional 25 percent in the near future.

In theory, even a modest amount of vaccine might be useful. Fighting disease
outbreaks is like fighting fires. You do not have to hose down the whole
world to put the fire out, but you do have to hose down the perimeter to
keep it from spreading. It might be possible to contain an H5N1 outbreak at
its source if the surrounding population were immediately vaccinated.

Would the United States, Europe and Japan be willing to donate their
precious vaccine supply to mount this long-shot defense? This is perhaps the
biggest unanswered question in pandemic flu planning -- and one likely to be
answered only at the moment of truth.

Officially, it is a possibility.

"If it was done in consultation with the WHO [World Health Organization] --
and with other governments that would make contributions, as well -- we
would be more likely to consider it," said Gellin at HHS. But observers both
in and out of the government said, not for quotation, that they doubt the
U.S. government would ever send a significant amount of its vaccine
stockpile overseas.

Only One Drug

In the absence of a vaccine, the only pharmaceutical bulwark against H5N1 is
oseltamivir. It can shorten the illness's duration, and if taken immediately
after exposure, it can even prevent infection. But the world's supply of the
drug is limited.

Sold as Tamiflu, it is manufactured by just one company, the Swiss giant
Roche, in a laborious, expensive process that takes eight months.

Twenty-five countries have ordered oseltamivir to stockpile, and five others
have expressed interest, a Roche spokesman, Terence J. Hurley, said
recently.

The United States already has a stockpile, but it is enough to treat less
than 1 percent of the population. The government has ordered enough to treat
3 million more people, or about 2 percent total.

At a congressional hearing in late May, the company's medical director,
Dominick A. Iacuzio, said it will begin producing oseltamivir in the United
States soon. The company says it could supply 13 million more courses of
treatment in 2006 and an additional 70 million in 2007 -- provided the
government orders them.

Would having lots of vaccine or oseltamivir make a difference?

In a study published last year, Ira M. Longini Jr. of Emory University ran a
mathematical model of what might happen if a pandemic such as the 1957 Asian
flu, which was caused by a virus far milder than bird flu, hit the United
States.

He and his colleagues estimated that with no vaccine or antiviral drugs,
there would be 93 million cases and 164,000 deaths. Vaccinating 80 percent
of people younger than 19 -- the group most responsible for spreading the
virus -- "would reduce the epidemic to just 6 million total cases and 15,000
total deaths in the country."

Giving that group eight weeks of oseltamivir would have the same effect, at
least temporarily. But it would take the equivalent of 190 million courses
of treatment -- more than anyone thinks the country will have in the next
few years.

Somewhat more realistic is deploying the drug to where the outbreak begins.
One researcher, Neil M. Ferguson of Imperial College in London, said in an
interview that results of his not-yet-published mathematical modeling "are
encouraging."

But unless antiviral drugs squelch a pandemic at the outset, their ultimate
usefulness will be small. Without widespread immunity through vaccination or
infection, the virus will simply move into a population when the drugs run
out.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

LoveParade special event EMS staff needed!

joseph — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 22:37:11 GMT

Mutual Aid Response Services aka MARS Medical needs more EMTs and Paramedics to help with the Love Parade event on Sept 24th in San Francisco. More info on the Love Parade can be found at:

www.loveparadesf.org/

Additionally, MARS will be providing EMS coverage for the after party at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. More info on that can be found at:

Skills: the official Love Parade after party.
http://www.skillsdjworkshop.com/eventscalendar.html
Venue: Bill Graham Civic Center. www.billgrahamcivic.com/home/index.htm

If you are interested in joining the paid EMS staff, please fill out a hiring interest form on our web site. www.medicalresponse.org/contact.html

Shift times and length for the event vary and pay is excellent!

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Ugly story out of New Orleans

Jay — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:06:28 GMT

Witnesses confirm e-mail account of police barricading
escape route

By Gardiner Harris

New York Times

Police agencies south of New Orleans were so fearful
of the crowds attempting to leave the city after
Hurricane Katrina that they sealed a crucial bridge
over the Mississippi River and turned back hundreds of
desperate evacuees, according to two paramedics who
were in the crowd.

The paramedics and two other witnesses said officers
sometimes shot guns over the heads of fleeing people.
The witnesses said they had been told by New Orleans
police to cross this same bridge because buses were
waiting for them there.

Instead, a suburban police officer angrily ordered
about 200 people to abandon an encampment between the
highways near the bridge. The officer then confiscated
their food and water, the four witnesses said. The
incidents took place in the first days after the storm
last week, they said.

``The police kept saying, `We dont want another Super
Dome, and `This isnt New Orleans, said Larry Bradshaw,
a San Francisco paramedic who was among those fleeing.

Arthur Lawson, chief of the Gretna, La., police
department, confirmed that his officers, along with
those from the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office and
the Crescent City Connection Police, sealed the
bridge.

``As soon as things calm down, we will do an inquiry
and find out what happened, he said.

Bradshaw and his partner, Lorrie Beth Slonsky, wrote
an account about their experiences that has been
widely e-mailed.

Cathey Golden, a 51-year-old from Boston, and her
13-year-old son, Ramon Golden, on Friday confirmed the
account.

The four met at the Hotel Monteleone in the French
Quarter. Bradshaw and Slonsky had attended a
convention for emergency medicine specialists. Golden
and her two children, including 23-year-old Rashida
Golden, were there to visit family.

The hotel allowed its guests and nearly 250 residents
from the nearby neighborhood to stay until Thursday,
Sept 1. With its food exhausted, the hotels manager
finally instructed people to leave. Hotel staff handed
out maps to show the way to the citys Convention
Center, to which thousands of other evacuees had fled.

A group of nearly 200 guests gathered to make their
way to the center together, the four said. But on the
way, they heard that the Convention Center had become
a dangerous, unsanitary pit from which no one was
being evacuated. So they stopped in front of a New
Orleans police command post near the Harrahs casino on
Canal Street.

A New Orleans police commander whom none of the four
could identify told the crowd that they could not stay
there and later told them that buses were being
brought to the Crescent City Connection, a nearby
bridge to Jefferson Parish, to carry them to safety.

But on the bridge there were four police cruisers
parked across some lanes. Between six and eight
officers stood with shotguns in their hands, the
witnesses said. As the crowd approached, the officers
shot over the heads of the crowd, most of whom
retreated immediately, Bradshaw, Slonsky and Golden
and her son said.

posted in EMS - 1 reply

state certs

Butchmuscleboi — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 22:30:15 GMT

hey guys...just wondering if you could tell me the avenues for reciprocity in CA or surrounding states....thanks

Toney

posted in EMS - 5 replies

EMT school

creativecommunications — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 01:14:22 GMT

This is something found best at a community college as a 1 semester class? Otherwise, I know Michael Lyons in San Francisco teaches CPR.

posted in EMS - 15 replies

Protocol Updates

Doctor_Who — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 06:02:49 GMT

Well my state (MD) has just finished with the rollout for the most recent changes in protocols. Besides the regular flipflop issues.

Ipecak is being removed from service forever. Seems the consensus is that it causes more harm than good, and there have also been dosage problems, especially with Peds (>15 YO).

Also the PASG / MAST devices (of which my station just spent alot of money to buy a new pair) have been removed from use for Peds and everyone else except for use in Bilateral Femur fractures on adults. But I have yet to see or meet anyone who has used them for this purpose.

The rest of the changes where relativly minor. Some rule changes on minimum time/distance requirements for calling in helicopters, basically only for specialty traumas where road conditions or certain specialize trauma or burn wards are more than 1 hour driving from your present location.

Also we are now allowed to Defib, children under 12 now. The requirement previously was 12< and at least 70lbs, (which is pretty uncommen considering how many fat kids there are), now we have special sets of pads with resistors built into them to accomidate the little ones.

Other than that, all is well in the land of milk and honey. I cant wait until next year when they change it all again!

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Refresher and State Changes?

danmorgan — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 01:36:14 GMT

First, does anyone know of a good, inexpensive refresher course in the Bay Area? Preferably one that works around normal business hours well?

Second, last I heard the state was going to NREMT-B to get a new state EMT-B cert. Did that go through? I'm guessing if so that means if your state cert lapsed you'd need to get the Nat'l to get it?

This is what I get for getting bogged down in the 9-5 world...

posted in EMS - 9 replies

Now hiring EMTs and Paramedics

joseph — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 06:03:52 GMT

Both companies that I own: Mutual Aid Response Services (MARS) and Medical Event & Doctor Services (MEDS) are hiring. MARS is based in SF and covers the greater bay area. MEDS is based in Fresno and covers the central valley. If you are looking for some interesting work on the side from your regular full time EMS job this may be for you. We work festivals, raves, community and corporate events, night clubs, and as government sub-contractors with various local and federal agencies.

For more information on MARS check out http://www.medicalresponse.org/
For more information on MEDS check out http://www.eventmed.com/

posted in EMS - 3 replies

show me the money.

jsebastien — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 02:51:40 GMT

i'm an emt with a fire degree working in the bay area, ca. i've been in ems for quite a few years now and quite honestly, considering a career change, because of well, the money! don't get me wrong, i love my job and all that and admittedly, i was warned about the low pay by my seniors in the field, but well then i got a little older and and found out about bills. heh. i am tired of working my ass off and struggling. yes, i work/live in one of them most expensive cities in the us, but even so, it seems this biz just doesn't pay...anywhere. *sigh* tell me i'm wrong and that there is a place to make some money for what we do?

somewhere that pays folks who work on a 911 rig? or even better, a place that will hire a queer firefighter emt?

posted in EMS - 9 replies

magnetism

anng — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 19:26:27 GMT

I am totally drawn to trauma, but it seems like it's the folks on heavy drugs/alcohol/psych issues who are drawn to me. An otherwise great day volunteering at SF Pride yesterday ended with a couple hours of hand holding with a gal on a few too many substances who just wouldn't cooperate with any of the other medical personnel - especially the men. My partner/team leader was way more qualified and experienced than I am (he's a medic with 10+ years experience with NYFD, and I'm an EMT who's done some volunteer and summer camp work but never worked in the field on a rig), but she just shut down if he tried to talk to her, and she didn't deal really well with even the female nurses (one tried to be kind and understanding and talk to her, the other barked orders at her - not in a mean way, just in a getting things done way). I'm sure it "helps" that I'm younger than a lot of the other volunteers, and look even younger than I am, so the kids think I can relate better to whatever shit they have going on, but there's got to be something else happening in here, I think. I just can't pin it down.

I also find in these situations that I have a hard time dealing with the medical and psych issues at the same time. That is, I can either be the hand holding calming influence who explains what's going on and that everything is going to be ok and listens as the patient spews out whatever it is they need to get off their chest, or the one traking vitals and whatnot, but I just can't seem to get it together to do both at the same time. Is this a matter of experience/practice/etc, or do these situations just demand two bodies?

Any thoughts, suggestions, similar experiences?

posted in EMS - 4 replies

Ambulance Jobs

JeremyMilhous — Mon, 16 May 2005 20:50:50 GMT

I'm looking for work as an EMT, preferably on an ambulance in the 911 system (rather than CCT). I've applied to AMR, MEDS and MARS. I'm trying to find more companies running 911 cars i could apply to. CCT and other leads would be appreciated too.
Any hints or leads?
Thanks
Jeremy

posted in EMS - 6 replies

CPR Instruction

danmorgan — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 22:16:35 GMT

Has anyone managed to navigate either the AHA or RC programs to become an instructor in the Bay Area? Both their websites have been changed to give very little information, especially AHA.

posted in EMS - 4 replies

Hep C Article

joseph — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 22:03:08 GMT

By request I am posting this link about Hep C:

http://www.local1259iaff.org/hepc.html

posted in EMS - 2 replies

Bay Area Urban Skills training

creativecommunications — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 04:52:15 GMT

I'm thinking about doing a workshop for some fun skills. CPR, Aikido, Ham Radio. I have a few amazing instructors.

Any interest or ideas?

posted in EMS - 4 replies

emt pt promotions job july/aug 05 nationwide

creativecommunications — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 00:00:54 GMT

an agency i know is conducting a search for qualified people for healthcare / health screening promotions in 144 malls nationwide. We will begin executing this program on an ongoing basis in this July and are starting to put our mall teams together.

We know we have many diversely talented people in our database so we are reaching out to see how many qualify to help with these promotions.

Please read the degrees / disciplines below and let us know if you have experience in these areas. Also please complete the short questionnaire below.

We appreciate everyone’s help with this. This is an incredible opportunity for EPS and talent on file to gain future business.

The immediate 144 Mall July-August program calls for staff qualified to take a blood pressure screening. Other programs with similar healthcare screening and preventive promotions will follow.

There may be other healthcare degrees not listed that qualifies an individual to conduct blood pressure screenings.
RN (Registered Nurse) LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)
AND (Associate Degree Nursing) EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
MT (Medical Technologist) MLT (Medical Laboratory Technician)
CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) MA (Medical Assistant)
Dental Hygienist PA (Physicians Assistant)
NP (Nurse Practitioner) Other healthcare degree

posted in EMS - 0 replies

bay area 911 dispatch test- next one around june

creativecommunications — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 20:12:36 GMT

http://www.ssf.net/jobs/joblayout1.asp?JobID=35

Public Safety "911" Dispatcher

The Peninsula Cities 911 Testing Consortium invites applications for the position of Public Safety Dispatcher.

Written Exam Date: The Peninsula Cities 911 Testing Consortium Administers Written Exam Three Times Per Year
(Dates to be determined. In the past, it’s been given in February, June & September)

http://www.dispatchjobs-in-smc.com/html/Further_Information.html

posted in EMS - 1 reply

Comfort?

hanuvatra — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:25:04 GMT

I'm in an EMT class and just got some steel-toed black boots for dress code. I'm wondering from experienced EMTs, can these be comfortable for long shifts? They're manufactured by Wolverine, under the Stanley brand name.

posted in EMS - 13 replies

Class Help

firemedic — Wed, 12 Jan 2005 04:33:26 GMT

I am currently in a paramedic program and we were assigned 2 topics to write a short summary on. I'm having problems finding information on one of them. If anyone know anything or knows a good website please let me know. This is due on Friday.

Topics:
1. Shy-Drager Syndrome
2. Riley-Day Syndrome

Thanks for the help

posted in EMS - 2 replies

Any EMTs in the LA area want to work NYE? - From Athena

joseph — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 01:38:44 GMT

I would like to post a job listing for some medical personal or EMT people who would like to make some cash on New Years. We are in LA and need two people for a surreal event called "Sea of Dreams" Please post and have them contact AThena at 310-245-4147.
go to www.anonsalon.com for more info.
Thanks
Athena

posted in EMS - 1 reply

RSI (intubation)

firemedic — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 03:48:06 GMT

Currently I'm in Paramedic School in Washington, We just finished our chapter on Intubation in the field. Curious to find out if what states can and can't intubate in the field. And, what is everyones feeling on paramedic intubating

posted in EMS - 4 replies

New EMS Scope of Practice Survey

joseph — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:24:15 GMT

From NAEMT on the new scope of practice in EMS...

The Scope of Practice Survey site is up. Please forward this site to your respective EMS email lists. It is imperative that we get the word out and send people to the site to get their input.

Here is the direct link:

http://www.naemt.org/ScopeSurvey.htm

Remember, we are on a tight timeline. The site will come down on December 15, 2004.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

some stupid questions...

missadventure — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 19:28:54 GMT

hi there,

i want to go to school this summer to get either an EMT or Wilderness EMT...

do any of y'all know if the EMT is a subset of the WEMT? that is, if you have a WEMT, can you work as an EMT?

does anyone know of a community college that offers WEMT? not too far from san francisco? (< 800 miles?)

here's some news about the staffing of paramedics at the sf fire dept...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/22/BAGQO8SR8O1.DTL

it implies that starting EMTs make 65,000/yr, any truth to that?

thanks!
mo

posted in EMS - 6 replies

hello all

crowfeather — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 21:09:50 GMT

hey everyone.
im new to the tribe and the EMS field.
im looking to relocate soon so i figured this would be a great opportunity to hear what the EMS systems are like everywhere else.
just thought id say hi.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Assisted cheating- is this typical?

Fri, 08 Oct 2004 04:44:52 GMT

Taking a course for prep to do MA state exam. The exam last night was initial assessment, BSI, scene safety, and legal ethical ... basic, yes, but non-trivial. Examiner left the room with the key--illuminated--to the 100 question test on the screen ...

And before the exam given, he held a class break, leaving the room, with the test out ..

I guess I'm asking, are the #'s passing state practicals so low, that they deliverately lower the bar int eh prep class to get as many as possible to "pass" so that:

1. the state gathers revenue from a hefty practicals/written fee set ($200) from folks who'd likely not make it that far otherwise

2. similar, but less paranoid - so few are making it that they lower the prep bar in hopes that the pool for state cert. is big enough and the need is so big that there'll be enough to fill it?

Please, I'm not being critical, really just asking ...

posted in EMS - 1 reply

Ladder 49

Doctor_Who — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 06:10:12 GMT

Hehehe I realize that some of you folks are not into firefighting, and I'll save all of my off-colour comments, jokes and trash talk about you EMS ONLY folks since I work both sides of the house. But I figure this information is worth passing on.

So I havent seen this flick yet, but I havent heard any grumbles from the folks who have seen it so I'll probably go see it this friday.

On a quasi-related note. I think Firehouse.com and Nextel are sponsoring a promotion where if you goto to certain nextel stores and show them your firefighter ID then you can get a free ticket to go see the movie.

As far as I am aware not all Nextel stores are in on the promotion, so i guess you either need to goto the ladder 49 website or the Nextel public safety website or the firehouse.com website (good luck finding info there) and see if the nextel store near you is in on this promotion.

fire is hot, (duh!) be safe!

posted in EMS - 0 replies

BM EMS 04

Michelle — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:20:35 GMT

So, how did things go this year? I wasn't there and haven't heard much about problems. Was the EMS system used much? Anything interesting happen?

posted in EMS - 1 reply

how many volunteers/professionals/

jon — Fri, 28 May 2004 03:51:34 GMT

How would you describe your EMS "work status" (some may fall under one or more)

1) EMS Professional loosely described as:
o paid
o professional policies of conduct
o logistical support from employer
o a priori duty to act (while on duty)

2) EMS volunteer
o like EMS professional, but unpaid
Ex: Workplace response team (in addition to normal job) or say working with volunteer fire departments

3) "Civilian"
o unpaid
o typically no external support
o response occurs in the course of everyday life.
o does not necessarily have a duty to act.
often covered by good samaritan laws.

I find I fall under "Civilian" for the most part. I took First Responder training last summer more out of a sense of social responsibility and to augment my somewhat eclectic areas of knowledge than out of any pursuit of a career in EMS. Though I volunteer at area Parades and the like, I'm more likely to put my training to use in say while walking down the street or while driving on SF Bay Area highways.

Based on personal experience, I'm thinking that Civlian EMS types are smallest in number, but I'm curious what reality says.

posted in EMS - 2 replies

personal malpractice insurance

anng — Tue, 18 May 2004 01:59:18 GMT

I'm going to be working as an EMT at a residential summer camp. Even though the camp carries insurance, I'd like to get my own policy just to cover my ass (plus I do a lot of volunteer work, so I should really have one anyhow).

Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with individual policies to share? What companies should I be looking at? The only one I know of is HPSO, which advertises in JEMS, but their ads are all I know of them. http://www.hpso.com/index.php3

posted in EMS - 1 reply

Regarding not giving breaths during CPR

Jay — Wed, 12 May 2004 16:20:46 GMT

Hi folks,

Below is an email I received from a friend and my reply.

--- X wrote:
> Hi Jay,
>
> I subscribe to Popular Mechanics. In the most
> recent issue (June),
> there is a 1 page article on updating CPR
> methodology by removing the
> mouth-to-mouth part. It will be on their web site
> http://popularmechanics.com/ but is not there yet.
> “Articles from the
> June issue will be on the PM.Zone in the second week
> of June.”
>
> Don’t know if you have seen anything about this, so
> thought you might be
> interested.
>
> - X

Hi X,

[sigh] This is going to turn into a huge freakin'
headache because that recommendation is being so
wildly misconstrued that it's almost unbelievable.

The particular study on which this is based involves
_only_ people with no prior training in CPR who are
calling 911 while at the scene of a cardiac arrest.
It seems that those people -- that very narrow, highly
limited group -- do better when instructed to do
compression-only CPR.

There is _NO_ plan to make this a more general
teaching. In the overwhelming majority of cases,
people who have been trained to do CPR in the
conventional way, including the giving of breaths, will
be taught to continue to do it this way.

I think that the basic problem here is that many
people just don't want to give mouth-to-mouth
breathing, so they are seizing on any excuse, no
matter how flimsy, to not do it. (This is the reason
that every person who takes one of my FA/CPR classes
is given a mouth-to-mouth face shield to take with
them. I carry mine in my back pocket.)

Unfortunately, this bit of misinformation is spreading
with the speed of cyber-wildfire. I shudder when I
contemplate how many otherwise survivable persons will
be lost because of the spread of this literally
fatally flawed misinformation.

To get a more accurate report, go to www.webmd.com and
type "CPR 911" into the search box.

Please feel free to forward this as you wish.

Best regards,

Jay

posted in EMS - 0 replies

burningman EMS ?

Doctor_Who — Mon, 15 Mar 2004 23:36:12 GMT

Is anyone from the Burningman EMS systemn on this tribe?

posted in EMS - 12 replies

Firefighters

Banzai — Sun, 25 Jan 2004 01:57:15 GMT

Ok just got to vent for a moment. In the area that i run the FD responds on all med calls. The problem is that the depts are all volunteer so they are VERY eager. I dnever want to step on any toes so i always bite my tounge and wait for them to move out of the way. this is getting very annoying though since I have come from a high call volume area to a low one. Sometimes I just want to yell, "You guys are nothing but MFR's. Get out of my way and let a real paramedic show you how its done!"Please don't get me wrong the FF's are great to have on scene, they are always there to help and are extremely motivated to assist a patient, but they need to know when to move aside and let me in to give difinitive care. I hope I have not come across with to much of a Paragod attitude but please remember that a paramedic has to be able to get close to a patient to help them.

posted in EMS - 9 replies

seeking info re: NEMSA

Pete — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 05:56:26 GMT

Hey, has any one heard of or have an info about NEMSA?
They are a new group (EMS only union) who want to de-cert SEIU were I work and replace them.

posted in EMS - 0 replies

CERTIFICATIONS

jeka — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 07:56:53 GMT

Small rumour going around the office that now, if you let your emt expire, you have to re-cert with not only the california registery, but the NR! Anyone head about this?

posted in EMS - 13 replies

Jobs

Nightpoet — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 17:08:07 GMT

I am a 21 y/o EMT-B and here in Kern cannot go Paramedic without a year in the field.
Here in Bakersfield we have one ambulance company and they have frozen their hiring. Does anyone know of places in California that have a good market for EMTs? Because here isn't it.

posted in EMS - 1 reply

Payback

Doctor_Who — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 18:08:19 GMT

I was down at the firehouse. Watching tv in a daze halfway between waiting for another call and going to sleep. One of our senior members is in the room next to me going over vehicle specs. for the new fire truck we are ordering. Next thing I know he's on the house horn calling for medics to respond to the kitchen for a trouble breathing.

I run into the kitchen to find we have a walk-in patient. An old-timer from D.C. Fire/EMS 20 something years of service. He has difficulty breathing and he keep reaching for his chest complaining of tightness. Let me tell you that EVERY fire and EMS person in the house was running around grabbing the o2 the aed, pulse ox., aide bag and drug box. You would have thought we were on the set of E.R. and we had something much more serious.

Our patient kept apologizing for waking us up and causing so much trouble. Trust me we where not upset. I guess after the third time he apologized one of our senior members told him that he didnt have anything to worry about and that he should just relax and let us do our jobs. After all its time for him to recieve a little payback after so many years of service.

Our patient almost cried after the senior member said that. Man that was a diamond in the rough....it totally took the monatony out of the routine and made me remember why I do this stuff....anyways I thought I'd share that w/yall.

posted in EMS - 4 replies

Are you a Union member?

Pete — Fri, 27 Feb 2004 17:35:48 GMT

I’m curious about the unions who represent Paramedics & EMTs.
My union in Santa Cruz for AMR is SEIU Local 250.
http://www.seiu250.org/onthejob/ems/
Is anyone a member of another union?

posted in EMS - 2 replies

EMS Today in Salt Lake City

joseph — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 02:31:05 GMT

I am in Salt Lake City for the EMS Today conference hosted by JEMS...anyone here going? I am taking some pre-conference classes and am really looking forward to the main conference...I will post goodies and pearls here if I find something worth sharing... - Seppe

posted in EMS - 0 replies

Non-Ambulance EMT Jobs

danmorgan — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 17:09:32 GMT

I've been chewing on this problem a while, so I thought I'd see if anyone else had some angles on it.

Due to some pending legal action with the DMV (their fault, not mine) I can't get my ambulnce cert right now, which means no employment with any ambulance agencies. I'd like to know if anyone has some ideas or leads for other options as an EMT-B in the SF Bay Area? For instance someone told me that security companies sometimes hire EMTs and contract them out along with security packages.

posted in EMS - 7 replies

What will you do when you can’t do this?

Pete — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 04:05:11 GMT

Lately I’ve been thinking about the future and considering the options when I can’t hack the ambulance any more. I’ve been thinking about PA school, I don’t think I could be an RN (too much doing the Doc’s biding). All the Pa's I know love their job; it seems the closest to what we (Medics) do.

Anyone else thought about this?

posted in EMS - 2 replies

Tax Info

Tim — Sun, 25 Jan 2004 21:35:28 GMT

Just to let everyone know, I found out that if you work a 24 hour shift that you can deduct $31.00 a shift off for your takes for meal expence. Also if you wash your own uniform you can deduct soap and washer/dryer usage. Don't forget boots, socks, hats, gloves (for those of us in colder climits) Just thought it might help some people.

posted in EMS - 3 replies