The only constant in life is change...

About 9 months ago I was hired to work for the local ambulance service. When I first started, I quickly realized that things were different then what I'd been exposed to previously. Not better, but not worse either. Different.

Perhaps the biggest difference was that at the local service there is a paramedic on every ambulance that responds to 911 emergencies. New Jersey (that place where I cut my teeth on the ambulance) is different. I've mentioned it before.

Anyway, the war stories at the new service always seemed to revolve around the paramedics, and the runs they'd be on. Their partners were very very rarely mentioned.

Initially, the fact that the EMT's in the story were glossed over annoyed me. "You've got to do BLS before you can do ALS." and "Paramedics save lives, EMTs save Paramedics." were quotes that I was known to use at home on a regular basis.

Well, things change. I'm 9 or so months into it, and I've realized (generally by talking to the different medics that I've had the chance to work with, but also through my own observations) that most of the EMTs working for the service are green. Like, fresh out of school, no street experience, never taken a blood pressure in the field green. Where in NJ I was an adequate EMT, at new job I have paramedics requesting me as a partner, because they think highly of me.

I don't think I've gotten better, I just think that the standards are different here. I know the emphasis is...

National Ammo Day

For those of you unaware today was National Ammo Day.

Despite the fact that I was scheduled to work from 0400-1000 and 2300-0600 along with a nice stressful medic class (we did IVs and that involved your humble host getting stuck with a needle, not such a good combo) and I still managed to make it to the shop for a little bit of ammo.




Ok, so the National Ammo Day guidelines say at least 100 rounds, I went a little above that, although not as much as Jay G did.

--Jim

Task force seeks ban on Assault Weapons...

Is the headline in the Washington Post today.

Nevermind the fact that the so called "assault weapons" are semi-auto weapons that look scary. 

Nevermind the fact that the drug cartels are getting their full auto weapons from the corrupt Mexican government (military and police).

Well, my answer is simple.

No.

Your move.

--Jim

Late Runs...

Everybody who works in EMS hates them.

I don't particularly mind staying late for an emergency run, I understand that people can't choose when to have a heart attack, or get hurt.

Staying late for a transfer just drives me FREAKING nuts, and I'm likely to start something along these lines:

H/T TOTWTYTR

Quote of the Day:

In
regards to Socialized Healthcare (yes, it's socialized, telling
yourself anything different is lying to yourself and everyone else.)



I heard an analogy on the radio the other day that I want to
expand.  Imagine healthcare is an automobile. Our car is the best car
in the world. In fact, it is so much better that when people with other
cars really need to drive somewhere important, they come and use ours.
 However, our car does have some problems. It needs a new set of tires
and maybe a new transmission.  So to continue the analogy, the proposed
reform is to take our nice car and replace it with a shitty import that
gets bad mileage, has a terrible safety rating, was rated Worst Buy by
Consumer Reports, and costs twice as much.  In fact, it costs so much
more that we really don’t know how we’re going to be able to afford the
payments.



H/T to Larry Correia @ Monster Hunter Nation

Fort Hood Shooting, etc.

If you're not living under a rock, you know about the shootings at Fort Hood in TX last Thursday.

To say that I'm upset is a huge understatement.  The men and women who defend our country with their lives deserve our undying respect and gratitude.  I get more then a little annoyed when I read comments like the one posted over at Wyatt's place.

I responded to it in comments, so have a read for the full thing, but the second commend sums it up nicely:

"Tree, Rope, Terrorist Dirtbag.

some assembly required."

--Jim

Like Caleb Says...

Make a Hippie Cry!

And then follow the link to Caleb's and download the song on iTunes.  $0.99 isn't much, and it goes to a good cause!

That is all.

Nature....

While taking a hike in the woods, please be smart... don't walk across a fallen tree suspended 15 feet in the air above a creak.

If you insist on doing so, please try not to fall.

If you must fall, please fall where the EMS guys can get to you without a ton of issues...

The full story will come out sometime later.

Engaged

As of approx 1715 this afternoon I jumped off the cliff and got engaged.




Better picture later.


-- Posted From My iPhone

Sorry for the absense

Medic School/ Work / Sick is just wiping the floor with me.

I'm gonna go pass out, and maybe have a chance to blog tomorrow.

(It also doesn't help that I found a new author whose works I love!!!)

Hang with me, and we'll get back in the swing of things. Promise.

Tougher Gun Laws Would Not Have Prevented This Tragedy

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11153484

I am truly sorry for the grief that this family is going through, but the simple truth of the matter is that the firearm in this instance was simply a means to an end. If the child was determined to commit suicide, then for all intents and purposes there is no way to stop him, short of putting him in a psych facility on suicide watch.

In all reality, the system failed this kid. The system being his parents, and his school and his friends. That is truly a tragedy, but prohibitting the population from owning firearms would not have fixed this issue. The child in question could have downed a bottle of Tylenol and destroyed his liver, or overdosed on illegal street drugs bought at his high school.

My smpathies to the parents.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Explosions...

...And Boobs.

How much more fun does a guy need. Want more pictures, simply refresh, and I use the F5 key to perform the function :)

--Jim

Always Remember

Always remember those who lost ther lives, their loved ones, and everyone who had their lives changed by this horribleday 8 years ago.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Citizen's Academy

A blog post by Xavier reminded me of something that I have actually meant to talk about here in the past.

At one time, I was firmly convinced that I didn't want to work in the engineering field, that I wanted to take my four year college degree and use it to find a job in federal law enforcement. As time went on, and I never heard anything back from the federal positions that I applied for, I looked to the idea of possibly getting involved in local law enforcement.

When I first move to Indiana from PRNJ in 2007, I was firmly in the midst of attempting to locate full time local police work. I had the opportunity to attend the Evansville Police Department's Citizen's Academy in the fall of 2007. I was hoping that attending the academy would give me a leg up in the future.

The Citizen's Academy is a great educational experience. We attended sessions ranging from the motor patrol group, to the K-9 teams, to the SWAT, to the firearms guys, to the homicide detectives. It was an awesome couple of months. At the time, class was once / week for several hours in the evening.

If you have any interest in law enforcement, or just want a better look at what the guys in blue do for a living, what they have to put up with, attending a citizen's academy like the one that EPD does is probably worth your time.

I wish Xavier nothing but the best in his experiences, and may he teach us all something :)

--Jim

Martha Stewart

Ain't got nothing on my friend Lauren.



-- Posted From My iPhone