I am the PARAMEDIC, First to arrive at the scene, I respond to the cry for help of the sick and injured. Trained and Skilled in the Healing Arts.
I fight to buy time for suffering humanity.
My duty takes me to varied places, and challenges me in various ways. I function anywhere at any time, even in small dark places, cannot deter me from rendering aid to those in need of my skill.
I try to ease pain of the injured, and with gentle hands I've known the thrill of bringing a new life into the world. On Return to base, I relinquish to others those whom I have salvaged from death, praying that the skills taught to another will be enough to complete the Rescue I began.
I am the PARAMEDIC! The gift of love for my fellow man is what I give back to my Community. With Brain and Heart and with skillful hands entrusted to me by God, I serve to help others to Live!
Welcome to My Web Site, that’s devoted to EMS professionals. Professionals who are too often referred as "ambulance drivers,” Professionals tired of not receiving the respect they’ve earned in the Medical Community. Professionals tired of being continually ignored as a critical part of the team that makes up the Emergency Services field. It's time that we step out into the light and proudly announce to the world who we are and what we do!
I stood staring out the station bay window, staring onto the
black rain soaked street.
The station is quiet, the rig is silent, the faint sound of sirens past echo in my ears.
The smell of diesel hangs in the air like a vivid dream.
It's 3 a.m., I still see the pain. I still see the fear. I still hear the sorrow.
I cannot sleep.
The silence is pierced by the emergency tone, my heart begins to beat fast, a
thousand thoughts rush my
mind in an instant, what kind of terror has shattered the night?
As the bay door opens, the
rig awakens with mighty
vengeance.
The doctor tells the parents
their baby is now in God's
hands, his ever loving
embrace.
I walk what seems like a
thousand miles, I stand
outside of the hospital in the
cold rain as the tears stream
down my flushed cheeks.
I replay over and over the
baby's lifeless thousand mile
stare, this time the angels
beat us to the call.
I feel empty. I feel cheated.
I feel angry.
It's 5 a.m., I stare blankly out
the station bay window. I am
numb. The sounds of painful
cries echo in my ears, the
smell of diesel is intoxicating.
The rain gently falls.
The night is silent.
By Ben Deacon,
EMT
The above Poem was written by Ben Deacon. Ben's poem was published in his department's news letter last year. I have been given the honor by Mr. Deacon to publish this wonderful poem. If you would like permission to use Ben's Poem please e-mail me and I will put Ben in touch with you, so you may obtain his permission to use.
The dispatcher tells of a baby
who will not wake up.
The dark silent street
suddenly comes to life, red
pulses of light disturb the
night, sirens shatter the eerie
silence.
My heart feels like it will
explode, I must cage my
fear, my sorrow , my pain.
Mommy went to Heaven, but I need her here today, My tummy hurts and I fell down, I need her right away.
Operator can you tell me how to find her in this book? Is heaven in the yellow part, I don't know where to look. I think my daddy needs her too, at night I hear him cry. I hear him call her name sometimes, but I really don't know why.
Maybe if I call her, she will hurry home to me. Is Heaven very far away, is it across the sea?
She's been gone a long, long time she needs to come home now! I really need to reach her, but I simply don't know how.
Help me find the number please, is it listed under "Heaven"? I can't read these big big words, I am only seven.
I'm sorry operator; I didn't mean to make you cry, Is your tummy hurting too, or is there something in your eye?
If I call my church maybe they will know. Mommy said when we need help that's where we should go.
I found the number to my church tacked up on the wall. Thank you operator, I'll give them a call.
May I have the Number Please?
If someone is our hero, it is because that person does what you would like to see Accomplished.
"Never forget what has happened. If you forget, it will happen again."
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
EMS
REMEMBERING SEPT 11, 2001 6 YEARS LATER
NEW NAVIGATION MENU 02-2008
what it is and who we are
Somewhere in the realm of society, located just between the security of sanity and the neurosis which precedes psychosis, we find a group of individuals who cling to life and death by a slender thread.
These people are those who make up what is known as E.M.S.
You may find that these people located in various positions within the city in an effort to be prepared for the next possible disaster which could occur, hindered only by the natural obstacles of daily traffic.
No other group of humanity can carry so many items in their pockets which are strategically located in optimal positions of the body. Perhaps you’ll find scissors, band aids, tape, chap stick, combs or essential lifesaving sustaining items, but one thing that is certain, the last paycheck has long since met its demise and will not be found here.
With an overwhelming desire to sustain the flame of life from the last flicker of a spark which is near spent, these people cope on a daily basis with variables which few people can tolerate.
When things go right the public loves them, the newspapers ignore them and life goes on.
Then the earth shaking bill arrives, which automatically turns everyone against them and publicity now surrounds them.
These individuals come from all walks of life With few standing on common ground until they meet in the surrounding of the insanity of the streets, then all seems to pull together with each needing the others to lean on For support and occasionally share the stories which create a flurry of mixed emotions.
What kind of people are they?
They are the people to whom for moments at a time you may need to trust with a life of yourself or loved ones.
These people who crawl into a twisted steel cage which once was a fine automobile, to search for signs of life amongst its occupants.
The calm voice on the other end of the telephone when it seems as though your world is crashing around you.
These people are the last to win the respect of the public and the first to be brought to court for actions which were made on the spur of the moment in the environment of absolute chaos.
It makes you wonder what kind of dedication it must take to shoulder the task which has been placed in front of these individuals.
These are the men and women of E.M.S.
EMS RESPONSE
People's lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) and paramedics, EMT’s with additional advanced training to perform more difficult pre-hospital medical procedures. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drowning, childbirth, and gunshot wounds all require immediate medical attention. EMT’s and paramedics provide this vital attention as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, EMT’s and paramedics typically are dispatched to the scene by a 911 operator and often work with police and fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and extent of the patient's condition while trying to ascertain whether the patient has preexisting medical problems.
Following strict rules and guidelines, they give appropriate emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient. Some paramedics are trained to treat patients with minor injuries on the scene of an accident or at their home without transporting them to a medical facility. Emergency treatments for more complicated problems are carried out under the direction of medical doctors by radio preceding or during transport.
EMT’s and paramedics may use special equipment such as backboards to immobilize patients before placing them on stretchers and securing them in the ambulance for transport to a medical facility. Usually, one EMT or paramedic drives while the other monitors the patient's vital signs and gives additional care as needed.
At the medical facility, EMT’s and paramedics help transfer patients to the emergency department, report their observations and actions to staff, and may provide additional emergency treatment. After each run, EMT’s and paramedics replace used supplies and check equipment. If a transported patient had a contagious disease, EMT’s and paramedics decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and report cases to the proper authorities.
Beyond these general duties, the specific responsibilities of EMT’s and paramedics depend on their level of qualification and training. To determine this, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) registers emergency medical service (EMS) providers at four levels: First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Some States, however, do their own certification and use numeric ratings from 1 to 4 to distinguish levels of proficiency.
The lowest level—First Responders—are trained to provide basic emergency medical care because they tend to be the first persons to arrive at the scene of an incident. Many firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers have this level of training. The EMT-Basic, also known as EMT-1, represents the first component of the emergency medical technician system. An EMT-1 is trained to care for patients on accident scenes and on transport by ambulance to the hospital under medical direction. The EMT-1 has the emergency skills to assess a patient's condition and manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies.
The EMT-Intermediate (EMT-2 and EMT-3) has more advanced training that allows administration of intravenous fluids, use of manual defibrillators to give lifesaving shocks to a stopped heart, and use of advanced airway techniques and equipment to assist patients experiencing respiratory emergencies. EMT-Paramedics (EMT-4) provide the most extensive pre-hospital care. In addition to the procedures already described, paramedics may administer drugs orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs), perform endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment.
EMT’s and paramedics work both indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather. They are required to do considerable kneeling, bending, and heavy lifting. These workers risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens and back injuries from lifting patients. In addition,
EMT’s and paramedics may be exposed to diseases such as Hepatitis-B and AIDS, as well as violence from drug overdose victims or mentally unstable patients. The work is not only physically strenuous, but also stressful, involving life-or-death situations and suffering patients. Nonetheless, many people find the work exciting and challenging and enjoy the opportunity to help others.
EMT’s and paramedics employed by fire departments work about 50 hours a week. Those employed by hospitals frequently work between 45 and 60 hours a week, and those in private ambulance services, between 45 and 50 hours. Some of these workers, especially those in police and fire departments, are on call for extended periods. Because emergency services function 24 hours a day, EMT’s and paramedics have irregular working hours that add to job stress.
Facts On CPR
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults. Most arrests occur in persons with underlying heart disease.
CPR doubles a person's chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.
75% of all cardiac arrests happen in people's homes.
The typical victim of cardiac arrest is a man in his early 60's and a woman in her late 60's.
Cardiac arrest occurs twice as frequently in men compared to women.
CPR was invented in 1960
There has never been a case of HIV transmitted by mouth-to-mouth CPR.
In sudden cardiac arrest the heart goes from a normal heartbeat to a quivering rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). This happens in approximately 2/3rds of all cardiac arrests. VF is fatal unless an electric shock, called defibrillation, can be given. CPR does not stop VF but CPR extends the window of time in which defibrillation can be effective.
CPR provides a trickle of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart and keeps these organs alive until defibrillation can shock the heart into a normal rhythm.
If CPR is started within 4 minutes of collapse and defibrillation provided within 10 minutes a person has a 40% chance of survival.
what it is and who we are
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CODE OF ETHICS
Professional status as an Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic is maintained and enriched by the willingness of the individual practitioner to accept and fulfill obligations to society, other medical professionals, and the profession of Emergency Medical Technician. As an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, I solemnly pledge myself to the following code of professional ethics:
A fundamental responsibility of the Emergency Medical Technician is to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, to promote health, to do no harm, and to encourage the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care.
The Emergency Medical Technician provides services based on human need, with respect for human dignity, unrestricted by consideration of nationality, race creed, color, or status.
The Emergency Medical Technician does not use professional knowledge and skills in any enterprise detrimental to the public well being.
The Emergency Medical Technician respects and holds in confidence all information of a confidential nature obtained in the course of professional work unless required by law to divulge such information.
The Emergency Medical Technician, as a citizen, understands and upholds the law and performs the duties of citizenship; as a professional, the Emergency Medical Technician has the never-ending responsibility to work with concerned citizens and other health care professionals in promoting a high standard of emergency medical care to all people.
The Emergency Medical Technician shall maintain professional competence and demonstrate concern for the competence of other members of the Emergency Medical Services health care team.
An Emergency Medical Technician assumes responsibility in defining and upholding standards of professional practice and education.
The Emergency Medical Technician assumes responsibility for individual professional actions and judgment, both in dependent and independent emergency functions, and knows and upholds the laws which affect the practice of the Emergency Medical Technician.
An Emergency Medical Technician has the responsibility to be aware of and participate in matters of legislation affecting the Emergency Medical Service System.
The Emergency Medical Technician, or groups of Emergency Medical Technicians, who advertise professional service, do so in conformity with the dignity of the profession.
The Emergency Medical Technician has an obligation to protect the public by not delegating to a person less qualified, any service which requires the professional competence of an Emergency Medical Technician
The Emergency Medical Technician will work harmoniously with and sustain confidence in Emergency Medical Technician associates, the nurses, the physicians, and other members of the Emergency Medical Services health care team.
The Emergency Medical Technician refuses to participate in unethical procedures, and assumes the responsibility to expose incompetence or unethical conduct of others to the appropriate authority in a proper and professional manner.
EMT OATH
Be it pledged as an Emergency Medical Technician, I will honor the physical and judicial laws of God and man. I will follow that regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of patients and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, nor shall I suggest any such counsel. Into whatever honors I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of only the sick and injured, never revealing what I see or hear in the lives of men unless required by law.
I shall also share my medical knowledge with those who may benefit from what I have learned. I will serve unselfishly and continuously in order to help make a better world for all mankind.
While I continue to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life, and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times. Should I trespass or violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot. So help me God.
Written By: Dave D.
Written By: Dave D.
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NOVEMBER IS CPR AWARENESS MONTH
Before you can fully understand this webpage and all of the issues facing the EMS you need to understand the rich and complex history of ambulances and the Emergency Medical Service. It doesn't matter if you know everything about EMS, or nothing at all this information will prove enlightening to everyone. As I researched this material for my website I learned quite a bit about the history of EMS and I think you will too.
The History of the ambulance service (a precursor to the modern Emergency Medical Service) was born as a result of numerous milestones throughout history. The ambulance service can be traced all the way back to the middle ages. During the Crusades of the 11th Century, the Knights of Saint John received instruction in first-aid treatment from Arab and Greek doctors. The Knights of Saint John then acted as the first emergency workers, treating soldiers on both sides of the war on the battlefield and bringing in the wounded to nearby tents for further medical treatment. During this time it had become common practice for small rewards to be paid to soldiers who treated and carried the wounded bodies of other soldiers in for medical treatment.
In the year 1487 during the siege of Malaga in Spain, the next recorded use of an ambulance (horse drawn cart with attendant) was used by the military. They were used to help remove wounded solders and civilians from the fields of battle.
However the first big leap in EMS came during the late 1700s. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey to develop the first medical patient care system for the French army. One of his findings was that leaving wounded soldiers on the battlefield for several days increased the complications and suffering. This delay in treatment resulted in needless deaths. "The remoteness of our ambulances deprived the wounded of the requisite attention," he wrote. In 1797. Larrey then developed a method to send trained medical personnel into the field to provide medical care to the wounded soldiers and to provide medical care en route to the field hospital. This action increased their chances of survival and benefited Napoleon's conquest efforts. He designed a special carriage staffed with medical personnel to access all parts of the battlefield. The carriage became known as the ambulance volante, or flying ambulance.
Baron Larrey developed all of the precepts of emergency medical care that are used today by all modern EMS systems:
1)Rapid access to the patient by trained personnel.
2)Field treatment and stabilization.
3) Rapid transportation back to the medical facility, while providing medical care en route.
Although removal of the wounded and dead from the battlefields has existed in some form since early Greek and Roman times, Larrey can still be considered the "father of emergency medical services."
At the beginning of the 1860s the United States created the first field ambulance and attendant. The first recorded use of a field ambulance and attendant was during the Civil War. During the U.S. Civil War, both sides attempted to emulate the medical practices of the Napoleonic wars with little success. Lack of funding, government support, and dedicated personnel initially prevented the development of an effective ambulance system. During the Second Battle of Bull Run in August of 1862, on the Union side alone over 3000 wounded solders lay in the field for 3 days and 600 wounded solders lay in the fields for over a week. James Brady and Walt Whitman reported that emergency medical facilities were primitive and many wounded solders died in agony. At that time the ambulance service was being run by the QuartermasterCorps. It was transferred to surgeon general Jonathan Letterman, MD, to organize and he reinstated all of Larrey's concepts greatly increasing the survival rate of the wounded.
At the Geneva Convention of 1864 an agreement was developed among the European countries to recognize the neutrality of hospitals, the sick and wounded, all persons involved in medical care, and ambulances. It provided safe passage across battle lines for all medical and injured personnel. On August 22, 1864, the organization adopted for its logo the reverse of the Swiss flag. The log
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