*****The Official Medics/EMTs/Firefighters..Pt II******

[daiawa]

Yeah Cali is wacky with pay. Im in the southeast and the absolute minimum a EMT will make at my dept is 33k, medic 39k with no degree or experience, medic crew chief is 48K. The only ALS FD around pays the same for Fire medics. The local privates pay around 10/hr EMT, 13/hr medic. That being said getting off at least a hour to 2 hours late every single shift is definitely helping to fuel the fire with finishing my pre-reqs for nursing school.

[meatjesus]

I was on a forced vacation from the misc for just a few days or I would have told you guys earlier. I ran on my first structure fire! Plenty of nozzle time with limited interior time. My dink was hard for hours. Still in my probie year and I can safely say that I LOVE THIS JOB. I am not asking for much. Just 1 fire per shift would be nice.

[trimble006]

I was on a forced vacation from the misc for just a few days or I would have told you guys earlier. I ran on my first structure fire! Plenty of nozzle time with limited interior time. My dink was hard for hours. Still in my probie year and I can safely say that I LOVE THIS JOB. I am not asking for much. Just 1 fire per shift would be nice.

Jelly! My small city gets 1-3 structure fires a year and we've already had one of them in May! I was on it for 18.5 hours from the time the call came in til the last bottle was filled and truck was washed though. I'm on call this weekend and am really hoping for a good call!

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

I was on a forced vacation from the misc for just a few days or I would have told you guys earlier. I ran on my first structure fire! Plenty of nozzle time with limited interior time. My dink was hard for hours. Still in my probie year and I can safely say that I LOVE THIS JOB. I am not asking for much. Just 1 fire per shift would be nice.

Congrats man, addictive isn't it?

[H51]

About to start doing IFTs fulltime anyone have any suggestions on what to bring to snack on during downtime? Also about to start a fire academy for a volunteer fire department. Looking forward to earning the FF/EMT title

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

About to start doing IFTs fulltime anyone have any suggestions on what to bring to snack on during downtime? Also about to start a fire academy for a volunteer fire department. Looking forward to earning the FF/EMT title

For snacks I always bring some assorted nuts, dried fruit, and beef jerky. You can always buy a reasonably sized cooler/freezer packs to keep in one of the compartments so you can have more food options.

[daiawa]

About to start doing IFTs fulltime anyone have any suggestions on what to bring to snack on during downtime? Also about to start a fire academy for a volunteer fire department. Looking forward to earning the FF/EMT title

Just PLEASE do not fall into the bad eating habits of EMS. You might think it will be easy not to now, however you will be surprised. Being IFT you should be able to have a little more flex in your calls, however always bring some healthy snacks like 2rude said, just in case. Also if you will be going to decent sized hospitals often try and make it there a little early. Most hospitals have decent cafeterias with fruit, salads, etc... much better than mcdonalds.


I gained nearly 20lbs my first year in EMS, albeit on a incredibly busy 911 night shift. Im just now finally getting it off.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Thought this was pretty cool:


Bud Henkels from the Montgomery County (PA) Fire Academy sent in this amazing building construction prop that he built for his Firefighter Awareness to Wood Frame Construction class. The focal point of the presentation is this scale model (1 ” = 1′) that shows the students wood frame construction from foundation to ridgepole.

On one side it incorporates modern day platform framing and on the other side, later day balloon framing. Having both different construction types present make it easy to show the differences with each style. The prop includes the ability to add a real time smoke conditions that demonstrate how differently smoke and fire can travel through each type of construction. While the prop is certainly a major part of it, the program also includes a 3-hour power point program that focuses on building terminology and other building constriction methods.

Bud’s previous experience as a carpenter and contractor certainly shows through with this quality craftsmanship. Wile making a quality prop like this will certainly take some time; it doesn’t have to cost much money. There is a good chance that someone around your firehouse has the talent and ability to make something similar. This prop, sitting on a table in the firehouse or training room can be referred to during many formal classes, and even more importantly those informal kitchen table classes. Instead of doing some third grade quality drawing on the dry erase board; pointing something out on a prop like this would certainly enhance the learning opportunity.

[patzyy]

Question I know paramedics don't make anything but are we talking they make minimum wage or a little bit more. In California if that helps

911 where i live (bay) medics make about 30/hr starting.

sf fire EMTs make about 30/hr starting, medics roughly double that

[patzyy]

About to start doing IFTs fulltime anyone have any suggestions on what to bring to snack on during downtime? Also about to start a fire academy for a volunteer fire department. Looking forward to earning the FF/EMT title

anything good, I try not to get junk food, but i do always do. kinda an EMS thing haha. You might have to go part time, there's no way you can do a fire academy and work full time, maybe you can but really really difficult.

Good luck, I just finished my fire 1 academy for a volunteer department.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Been on an unfortunate streak of codes the last few shifts. Sore as hell from doing so many compressions. No saves.

[MJB32]

Was doing clinical rotations in the ER on Sunday for my AEMT class (passed btw!) and a GSW to the chest was brought in by private car. Pulseless upon arrival, and cpr was started. Spontaneous recirculation and then he was intubated. Trauma team got into the room and they cracked his chest. 4 rounds of epi and i believe they also pushed vasopressin. 4 bags of blood as well as fluid. Nurses got lines in the AC and femoral as well as a central line. Got to see them use the internal paddles as well as a cardiac massage. Pt died and the dr let me look inside his chest before they stitched it back up. His Right ventricle as well as his left lung were completely blown apart.
Was in the hospital again yesterday doing more clinical time and they brought in a V-Tac arrest but got pulses back before arrival.
A different pt was pulseless upon arrival and that was a code save as well.
All in all I definitely got to see some cool stuff during my clinicals.

Almost forgot, was on the ambulance with my preceptor to get cleared to practice with my AEMT cert. We get a call for abdominal pain. Upon arrival, 80-something year old female complaining of 10/10 abdominal pain radiating to her back. Pt was sitting watching tv when it started/ We put her on the monitor and take a 12-lead. New onset left bundle branch block, but it was irrelevant to the situation. We get her into the ambulance and get a pressure which was 220/130... take it again manually and it's the same. Pulse was 90. I get access in her left AC with a 16g. Took another pressure 3 mins later and there was no change. Pt states the pain is "pulsing". No pulsating feeling upon palpation. Arrival at the hospital and the pressure was 124/80. Took her to a room and the pressure was back up to 210/100. So what do you guys think? Could this have been a "Triple A"? I honestly wasn't too sure.

[daiawa]

With a true ruptured AAA you wouldn't of had the chance to even get a BP most likely, not to mention feeling your first AAA is something you will never forget. If she is normally normotensive a spike to that level of hypertension can cause pulsating pain to various parts of the body, most common is going to be upper neck going into the skull and the back of the head. Could be idiopathic, could have been a hypertensive crisis with the arrival BP being a fluke, either way would definitely be a pt I would follow up on.



That being said I know there are a few things that can cause the major swings in a non trauma pt, however I honestly cant remember them. Hopefully someone else has some ideas.

[daiawa]

Been on an unfortunate streak of codes the last few shifts. Sore as hell from doing so many compressions. No saves.

Had to "ride the rail" on a pt last week that was stabbed in the chest. Unfortunately a lot of you damn medics are so focused on getting a line they forget a lot of basics, so I ended up having to do compressions and trying to use my glove as a chest seal even though it was moot at that point.

Do yall not carry auto-pulses or thumpers?

[Yeti06]

Had to "ride the rail" on a pt last week that was stabbed in the chest. Unfortunately a lot of you damn medics are so focused on getting a line they forget a lot of basics, so I ended up having to do compressions and trying to use my glove as a chest seal even though it was moot at that point.

Do yall not carry auto-pulses or thumpers?

we carry a lucas thumper.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Had to "ride the rail" on a pt last week that was stabbed in the chest. Unfortunately a lot of you damn medics are so focused on getting a line they forget a lot of basics, so I ended up having to do compressions and trying to use my glove as a chest seal even though it was moot at that point.

Do yall not carry auto-pulses or thumpers?

Nah we don't use any auto-pulse or thumpers. It's definitely been discussed but I don't think our medical director is sold on them for some reason.

[2423]

Had first day of EMR/EMT class today let the studying begin

[TheChadster08]

You can't trust machines all the time. We have to have 2 sets of vitals if we transport to the hospital to see if they are trending.

I've taken a few on the life pack 15 and they will be normal, we get them in the back and I take it again and then it's lower than sht. So the runs goes to a, bs lets take em just cause they want to go, to a, oh **** I need to get a line and make sure I'm covering my bases.

I always like the first preussre to be done manually. That way you can listen to see if it is regular, how the skin feels, then do a quick breath sound check. I can cover that many bases in about 30 seconds.

[daiawa]

Any legit trauma, or someone who just has "the look" gets a manual BP first. The zoll thats on my truck right now has been spitting out legit looking hypotensive pressures, like 84/52, 78/46. Instead of something obviously off like 50/20, so that has thrown off a lot of new guys working with us. Also listening to people encode with pressures like 160/140 on BS pts just make us all look bad. Manual BP first is a very smart move.

[Tipys]

Been MIA how is everything?

[GetHimABodyBag]

Got a tech job, part time but hospital benefits start soon.

Finished Smolov Jr for squats, but have a CPAT coming up so been doing a lot of farmers, stair climbs with a sandbag, C2 rower, sledgehammer work, and jogging.

Did not get selected to test for my dream department, but I am not ruled out for future tests.

Thinking about going to east coast to be a livein or living with a friend while going to RN school. Says EMT jobs in ER and 911 ambulance are easy to get lol. The rent is dirt cheap. If I finished RN I'll challenge NR Medic in a state that's not California. If I get hired out in CA while going to school then deuces and peace out

[coobreeze22]

You can't trust machines all the time. We have to have 2 sets of vitals if we transport to the hospital to see if they are trending.

I've taken a few on the life pack 15 and they will be normal, we get them in the back and I take it again and then it's lower than sht. So the runs goes to a, bs lets take em just cause they want to go, to a, oh **** I need to get a line and make sure I'm covering my bases.

I always like the first preussre to be done manually. That way you can listen to see if it is regular, how the skin feels, then do a quick breath sound check. I can cover that many bases in about 30 seconds.

i agree with this. the first ones always manual, then after that reassess with the automatic

[TCKelsey]

Hanging at the station about to watch the Bristol race.... love this job

[Tipys]

Got a tech job, part time but hospital benefits start soon.

Finished Smolov Jr for squats, but have a CPAT coming up so been doing a lot of farmers, stair climbs with a sandbag, C2 rower, sledgehammer work, and jogging.

Did not get selected to test for my dream department, but I am not ruled out for future tests.

Thinking about going to east coast to be a livein or living with a friend while going to RN school. Says EMT jobs in ER and 911 ambulance are easy to get lol. The rent is dirt cheap. If I finished RN I'll challenge NR Medic in a state that's not California. If I get hired out in CA while going to school then deuces and peace out

How you liking the tech job?

[TheChadster08]

Had a good little car fire the other day. 4 door avalanche with everything on fire but the engine.

I'm on the ambulance tomorrow but we have RIT training tomorrow and next shift.

How is everyone else doing?

[iPhoneSRQ]

Had a good little car fire the other day. 4 door avalanche with everything on fire but the engine.
I'm on the ambulance tomorrow but we have RIT training tomorrow and next shift.
How is everyone else doing?

Car fires are fun and easy cleanup. If your dept follows nfpa its been called RIC for several years now. Enjoy the box tmrw and stay safe brah.

[Awfulwafflebrah]

My EMT course starts on the 2nd. Nervous, but excited to start something I'm actually interested in.

[daiawa]

Got a tech job, part time but hospital benefits start soon.

Finished Smolov Jr for squats, but have a CPAT coming up so been doing a lot of farmers, stair climbs with a sandbag, C2 rower, sledgehammer work, and jogging.

Did not get selected to test for my dream department, but I am not ruled out for future tests.

Thinking about going to east coast to be a livein or living with a friend while going to RN school. Says EMT jobs in ER and 911 ambulance are easy to get lol. The rent is dirt cheap. If I finished RN I'll challenge NR Medic in a state that's not California. If I get hired out in CA while going to school then deuces and peace out

DO IT! However in any decent 911 service the jobs are far from easy, however nothing compared to CA. Fire jobs however are infinitely easier to come by than the west coast, however for half the pay and most are no where near as progressive.

[2423]

My EMT course starts on the 2nd. Nervous, but excited to start something I'm actually interested in.

Good luck mann are you taking it at a community college

[Awfulwafflebrah]

Good luck mann are you taking it at a community college

ya its the only place that offers it where I live. Apparently it's a good program and they have the Firefighter 1 course. Supposedly the departments from out here pick from the courses so we'll see. Baby steps.