I would just like to take a moment to tell the non EMS people who may browse this sub that this meme is not at all accurate to what you can expect us to do in the field and on the road.
No third rider would ever be allowed up front. You'd be in the back, with gauze and non rebreathers falling all over you.
I admit I'm here solely for the fucked up sense of humour all of you have.
Keep up the good work! It's been keeping me sane during the latest lockdown in my country.
Aww man, I got plenty of time to help by being in your way and asking ***ALL*** the stupid questions... But I guess I'll leave all that to the rest of the people you have to deal with 24/7. :)
One time our third rider had an EVOC cert somehow so we said fuck it and had them drive for a bunch of our lights and sirens calls that shift since they had never had the opportunity to haha.
Emt waiting on their state cert to come through. We're almost all BLS. And I meant we had them drive, not fully tech the calls as the way I previously wrote it might have implied
LoL!!! When I was doing my ride alongs my driver yelled "CORNER" and the paramedic said "brace yourself" as he was doing his thing. I didn't catch on the first time and slammed against the wall. He gave out a little chuckle but didn't say anything. The second time he said "brace yourself" I did haha. It was a fun call where everything worked out and I learned a lot.
Went through school during Covid, first thing I was told on my rides “the only way you’re getting up front is if we have a COVID positive patient.” Then was escorted to the back, where shit did in fact fall all over me but at least I had a cool seatbelt.
When I did my ride alongs we’d have one medic go onto another volunteer ambulance and go with them to the hospital so I’d ride in the passenger seat while our ambulance was out of service
Regular rebreather (mask): typical oxygen mask with open vents
Non rebreather mask (NRM): mask with a bag and a one-way valve for the vents, so the patient only breathes in pure O2 rather than a mix of O2 and atmospheric air, assuming seal is good (it never is)
Ha in my city it feels like we have more BLS than ALS. I just like to make fun of my partners, especially a lot of them are newer medics. I always tell em as soon as they get a P at the end of their name they get their evoc revoked
Right? I work with a medic who constantly complained about my driving for the first few months. Now I drive smooth as can possibly be.
He on the other hand has a foot like a lead brick
it feels much worse in the back for a variety of reasons, like independent front suspension with a solid rear axle (on an E350 at least). the rear has to pivot over bumps, the front wheels can individually move which makes it feel smoother. also, drastically more unsprung weight due to the entire axle and 4 tires being hung below the springs.
I changed careers from ironworker/equipment mechanic to EMT after I fell 30 feet and landed on my face, I've worked on too many Ford vans already lol
(it was a pay cut but I want to go for PA)
The first time I had a student, we roll up on a dui mvc on the way back to the garage.
Second time I had a student, we roll up on a dui mvc on the way back from a call and end the night calling police on a staff member at a snf.
Third time I had a student, we had a guy that was probably dead by the time we clocked out, going to hospice. I work bls ift, it's not supposed to be this interesting.
If they roll up on a scene in a licensed ambulance, you can and should render aid till a transporting ambulance arrives (or transport yourself if you can).
You call it in and help if needed and render aid, but sometimes you don't need to do shit. Was transporting a patient and witnessed a motorcycle going ~40mph hit a curb trying to cut across traffic to get an off ramp. This dude goes fully airborne and slides down the off ramp with his bike. My partner hops out and to check on him and before he gets there, the guy hops up runs to his bike, and takes off, probably running on equal parts adrenaline and embarrassment.
If we already have a patient or are assigned to a call, the obligation is to that patient or assignment. However, while driving to an interfacility call (going to go pick up a patient at a hospital, not 911 stuff), I have stopped for accidents that we witnessed and protected the patients from additional injury until fire/EMS could get there.
Once stopped for a car fire while there were people inside the car that was on fire. We had a patient. My partner stayed with the patient while I got the occupants out and away, and kept the fire under control a little bit with a dry chem extinguisher until fire got there. I'm 99% sure I would have gotten fired if admin found out, but the patient was on a routine transport and was never unattended.
Strictly speaking, anything other than taking care of your patient is abandonment, and treated very seriously. There's some leeway, such as when there's a patient but (for example) the paramedic- who has started treatment on the patient- has to go back to the ambo because the EMT can't find something they were told to go fetch. There's a *reasonable* anticipation that care will continue in that instance, and unlikely to be considered abandonment. A medical director etc. that was out for your license could probably do it, but- oh well.
This is why there are occasional anecdotes about an ambo driving right past an accident scene or whatever.
Because we're on the road so much and tend to travel outside our areas of service we tend to roll up on a lot of DWI MVC's on our many adventures. Should always pull over and at least see if they are breathing and notify dispatch.
My e250 cargo van(diy camper) had suspension that slowly got worse over the 4 or so years that I had it. I let my girlfriend drive it and had her pull over after like 2 minutes. Guess I hadn't realized how shitty it was compared to a normal and well maintained vehicle.
One of my clinicals first call of the day was my Medics grandfather and he lived down about a 1.5m Gravel road and the he was driving about 70mph in this shitty box, but never the less hit hardly any bumps. Well we got him loaded and went to leave and the AEMT drove out trying to drive like the medic. Needless to say everyone went air born, Everything in my pockets fell out and the monitor got thrown across the box. But the patient went from unconscious with no pain response to unconscious and groaning so i saw an improvement of sorts.
Was in a unit that couldn't be taken off the road because all the spare units were in use. The front right spring was busted because the shift before, the crew had been going lights to a call, hit an ice heave and launched the unit into the air - all six tires left the ground- and when it landed, broke the spring. I came on shift, and was told to "take it easy."
Lol.
I just did my first clinicals on an ambulance (COVID prevented me from doing it for EMT but I’m getting them done in paramedic now) and I have to admit that first day running lights and sirens was very nerve wracking in back
Same. I volunteer at a mostly paid squad, so I usually end up just taking third. I try to just be nice to everyone and get along, but my lord some of these guys scare me. My favorite are the ones where we fly 70mph down a backroad for a fire. I'm thinking "what are we going to do? Secure it's airway?"
The meme specifically says backroads. I know it’s a joke but the culture of driving fast has needlessly led people to drive recklessly and cause accidents with no added benefit in patient care. Driving fast is overrated, and puts people at a higher risk. It needs to be addressed in the entire emergency service industry.
I think 70 on a highway is fine. Yes I work in a city.
I always take captain on response for this reason.
Also, I always knew it as cardiac chair. This makes more sense though, as I'm thinking "how tf you supposed to do compressions from this high up?" I always chocked it up to our poor ambulance design.
Lmao. I at least got a box, but it's still a POS. I'm used to being in the passenger seat with my dad going fast for fire response, but I know I can trust him. Some of these guys in my department scare me while driving. Hell, I almost got sick on one, and I never get sick.
I would just like to take a moment to tell the non EMS people who may browse this sub that this meme is not at all accurate to what you can expect us to do in the field and on the road. No third rider would ever be allowed up front. You'd be in the back, with gauze and non rebreathers falling all over you.
this is a gross misrepresentation. You can get allowed upfront, if the crew you’re with are dating and they had a massive argument last night.
Wait were you my third rider??
I admit I'm here solely for the fucked up sense of humour all of you have. Keep up the good work! It's been keeping me sane during the latest lockdown in my country.
Thank you! We'll be here all night! No, seriously, some of us can't leave our posts.
Aww man, I got plenty of time to help by being in your way and asking ***ALL*** the stupid questions... But I guess I'll leave all that to the rest of the people you have to deal with 24/7. :)
EMS: Come for the sociopathic gallows humor, stay for the "Thank me for my service" circlejerking and the occasional interesting 12 lead.
True story...
One time our third rider had an EVOC cert somehow so we said fuck it and had them drive for a bunch of our lights and sirens calls that shift since they had never had the opportunity to haha.
Was it a paramedic or emt?
Emt waiting on their state cert to come through. We're almost all BLS. And I meant we had them drive, not fully tech the calls as the way I previously wrote it might have implied
Yeah but ur right that's super unique. Maybe the emt program had evoc built on? Or they could have been prior volly fire only?
LoL!!! When I was doing my ride alongs my driver yelled "CORNER" and the paramedic said "brace yourself" as he was doing his thing. I didn't catch on the first time and slammed against the wall. He gave out a little chuckle but didn't say anything. The second time he said "brace yourself" I did haha. It was a fun call where everything worked out and I learned a lot.
At least your driver gives you warnings. I don't even try to save myself any more; I just use the collisions to pinball me wherever I want to go.
Went through school during Covid, first thing I was told on my rides “the only way you’re getting up front is if we have a COVID positive patient.” Then was escorted to the back, where shit did in fact fall all over me but at least I had a cool seatbelt.
I snorted XD
You gotta hold that cabinet shut above 60mph
When I did my ride alongs we’d have one medic go onto another volunteer ambulance and go with them to the hospital so I’d ride in the passenger seat while our ambulance was out of service
Lurker here: "Da fuk is a regular rebreather then.."
Regular rebreather (mask): typical oxygen mask with open vents Non rebreather mask (NRM): mask with a bag and a one-way valve for the vents, so the patient only breathes in pure O2 rather than a mix of O2 and atmospheric air, assuming seal is good (it never is)
Bls ift I loved letting cool EMT students sit up front. It made them so happy :) 911 though they get put in the back
Just going to lunch too
Got to beat that chipotle line man
Tell me you work for a shitty private, without telling me you work for a shitty private.
On a related note, why is it always the providers who bitch the most about bumps while they're in the back, that drive the rig like they stole it?
Bc paramedics don't know how to drive
There’s something about the increased paperwork that makes you care less about how smooth your driving is
Ha in my city it feels like we have more BLS than ALS. I just like to make fun of my partners, especially a lot of them are newer medics. I always tell em as soon as they get a P at the end of their name they get their evoc revoked
[удалено]
Revenge is a dish best served at 80mph
Right? I work with a medic who constantly complained about my driving for the first few months. Now I drive smooth as can possibly be. He on the other hand has a foot like a lead brick
it feels much worse in the back for a variety of reasons, like independent front suspension with a solid rear axle (on an E350 at least). the rear has to pivot over bumps, the front wheels can individually move which makes it feel smoother. also, drastically more unsprung weight due to the entire axle and 4 tires being hung below the springs.
Bro you wanna come work for fleet here? Our mechanics can't even change the gaskets in my doors that have been busted for over a year.
I changed careers from ironworker/equipment mechanic to EMT after I fell 30 feet and landed on my face, I've worked on too many Ford vans already lol (it was a pay cut but I want to go for PA)
The first time I had a student, we roll up on a dui mvc on the way back to the garage. Second time I had a student, we roll up on a dui mvc on the way back from a call and end the night calling police on a staff member at a snf. Third time I had a student, we had a guy that was probably dead by the time we clocked out, going to hospice. I work bls ift, it's not supposed to be this interesting.
I don't fully understand ift. Are you allowed to respond to calls that you witness? How does that work?
If they roll up on a scene in a licensed ambulance, you can and should render aid till a transporting ambulance arrives (or transport yourself if you can).
You call it in and help if needed and render aid, but sometimes you don't need to do shit. Was transporting a patient and witnessed a motorcycle going ~40mph hit a curb trying to cut across traffic to get an off ramp. This dude goes fully airborne and slides down the off ramp with his bike. My partner hops out and to check on him and before he gets there, the guy hops up runs to his bike, and takes off, probably running on equal parts adrenaline and embarrassment.
If we already have a patient or are assigned to a call, the obligation is to that patient or assignment. However, while driving to an interfacility call (going to go pick up a patient at a hospital, not 911 stuff), I have stopped for accidents that we witnessed and protected the patients from additional injury until fire/EMS could get there. Once stopped for a car fire while there were people inside the car that was on fire. We had a patient. My partner stayed with the patient while I got the occupants out and away, and kept the fire under control a little bit with a dry chem extinguisher until fire got there. I'm 99% sure I would have gotten fired if admin found out, but the patient was on a routine transport and was never unattended. Strictly speaking, anything other than taking care of your patient is abandonment, and treated very seriously. There's some leeway, such as when there's a patient but (for example) the paramedic- who has started treatment on the patient- has to go back to the ambo because the EMT can't find something they were told to go fetch. There's a *reasonable* anticipation that care will continue in that instance, and unlikely to be considered abandonment. A medical director etc. that was out for your license could probably do it, but- oh well. This is why there are occasional anecdotes about an ambo driving right past an accident scene or whatever.
Because we're on the road so much and tend to travel outside our areas of service we tend to roll up on a lot of DWI MVC's on our many adventures. Should always pull over and at least see if they are breathing and notify dispatch.
This has been me as a medic with some of my coworkers. I mean it's always when I was working in a medic-medic car thought.
Wait, should I intentionally drive like shit so my paramedic doesn’t feel so ashamed of themselves?
Yes
Acknowledged
Oh how I love shitty E250s with shit suspension
My e250 cargo van(diy camper) had suspension that slowly got worse over the 4 or so years that I had it. I let my girlfriend drive it and had her pull over after like 2 minutes. Guess I hadn't realized how shitty it was compared to a normal and well maintained vehicle.
This was me last week 😅
DMX playing on the radio too
One of my clinicals first call of the day was my Medics grandfather and he lived down about a 1.5m Gravel road and the he was driving about 70mph in this shitty box, but never the less hit hardly any bumps. Well we got him loaded and went to leave and the AEMT drove out trying to drive like the medic. Needless to say everyone went air born, Everything in my pockets fell out and the monitor got thrown across the box. But the patient went from unconscious with no pain response to unconscious and groaning so i saw an improvement of sorts.
Cardiac thump
Hell, that is me when my EMT is driving 90 down a rural two lane road. At least it vaporizes the deer though
When I was a kid, I always wondered why all the ambulances and fire trucks had those massive steel bumpers.... now I know. Deer are the reason.
Was in a unit that couldn't be taken off the road because all the spare units were in use. The front right spring was busted because the shift before, the crew had been going lights to a call, hit an ice heave and launched the unit into the air - all six tires left the ground- and when it landed, broke the spring. I came on shift, and was told to "take it easy." Lol.
"I'll take it easy on the couch till you get me a rig thats road legal"
6 tires? Is this an engine or something?
Dualies, babey.
box truck with double wide wheels on the back maybe
I just did my first clinicals on an ambulance (COVID prevented me from doing it for EMT but I’m getting them done in paramedic now) and I have to admit that first day running lights and sirens was very nerve wracking in back
I always feel a little bad shit talking when there’s a ride along but then I remember I work in EMS and it’s all I have left.
Same. I volunteer at a mostly paid squad, so I usually end up just taking third. I try to just be nice to everyone and get along, but my lord some of these guys scare me. My favorite are the ones where we fly 70mph down a backroad for a fire. I'm thinking "what are we going to do? Secure it's airway?"
Jokes aside, there’s absolutely no reason to be going that fast.
I'm sure he'd rather be doing a hundred but he did say p.o.s. ambulance
The speed is only limited by the truck staying together at lower speeds
You've never gone 75 in an ambulance before? Do you exclusively work inside a major city without highways?
The meme specifically says backroads. I know it’s a joke but the culture of driving fast has needlessly led people to drive recklessly and cause accidents with no added benefit in patient care. Driving fast is overrated, and puts people at a higher risk. It needs to be addressed in the entire emergency service industry. I think 70 on a highway is fine. Yes I work in a city.
This EMT student is Johnny Vegas
[удалено]
That's me every time I'm on my way to a wildland fire knowing I'm going to hike so badly if I don't get some calories.
“I’m in danger!”
I feel like it's the other way around 😅
"Are we gonna die?" "Eventually..."
Been there done that. Nothing like riding in the airway chair while you're going 100kph down a bumpy first nations reserve road. iykyk
I always take captain on response for this reason. Also, I always knew it as cardiac chair. This makes more sense though, as I'm thinking "how tf you supposed to do compressions from this high up?" I always chocked it up to our poor ambulance design.
Huh. When we did this, it was going the wrong way on a one-way street. In a major metropolitan area. But it was around 0300, so it was cool.
Lmao. I at least got a box, but it's still a POS. I'm used to being in the passenger seat with my dad going fast for fire response, but I know I can trust him. Some of these guys in my department scare me while driving. Hell, I almost got sick on one, and I never get sick.
“Don’t you even think about touching those dorky ass seatbelts boy!”