Firefighter / Paramedic Some Responses
This week I post some of the comments received after the Firefighter paramedic commentary of last week.
All post have eliminated names so that no one has any fear of replying.
They are presented in no particular order.
I have seen it work well both ways, but by far the best is the person who has firefighter
training, either vol or paid,before going to paramedic training. These people know how to
work in a group setting. By far the most problems with a new paramedic is the first year.
Sometimes you need to hit them with a 2x4 to get their attention and show them that they are
not Gods gift to the world. Most are great if they survive the 6 months to a year
I think you hit the nail on the head. I especially liked the toilet paper comment. I
think sometimes people have to be reminded that we still do Fires, and that even though he
has a key to the drug box, he still might have to hit a hydrant. I think constant drilling in Fire
related
topics can help.......I hope it helps that what I'm trying. I think it is easier to cross train a
Firefighter to a medic than vise-versa.
At first glance I laughed at the generalities made, but realized, that the scenario presented
could have occurred at our department. You see, I am one of those firefighter/paramedics
who came from a third service EMS background. On my very first day I found myself asking
my captain who would be ‘command’ at a medical scene. Would it be me, the shiny new
penny who ultimately would be caring for the patient or he, who was the officer? My
question was for clarification only and to see how the team dynamics would play out. His
answer was simple, the medic assigned to the ambulance would be in charge of patient care
and the officer would control the scene. Shame on the medic in your scenario for
disrespecting his captain and shame on the captain for getting his panties in a wad over a
rookie’s idiotic comment.
You asked how training methodology could be changed to make the FF./EMTP more
successful. Would you ask a quarterback to play defensive line? HELL NO! Would you
promote the water boy to captain? I would hope not. The fire service is supposed to work as
a team. The fire service has chosen to incorporate advanced life support as part of its EMS
response. The fire service needs to recruit qualified players for its team. The only way to
accomplish this is to hire the right person for the job. We should get away from high-test
scores, as well as residency, minority and veteran preference for hiring criteria. Maybe we
should raise the bar and require that all applicants have a degree in fire science and
paramedic certification prior to being hired. Not too many people fail the fire academy, but
many do fail paramedic school and anyone with half a brain can do well on a civil service
exam.
A close friend puts all of this in perspective by saying, “ Anyone can play the piano, but to
play it well you must practice, and practice often.” For us to play well we must become more
educated, and have better training. Our senior firefighters should be more accepting of
change. We respond to more EMS calls than to fires, ALS is a necessity and experienced
paramedics are key to this equation. Yes we are independent, and able to make quick
decisions, but this does not mean that we cannot be team players. We make better team
players because our clinical prowess can be shared with the group. Our independence does
not need to be sacrificed because we are creative thinkers and can adapt to most
circumstances. Our officers should embrace the talent on their given team and use it to their
advantage.
How come a paramedic and an EMT have to be recertified periodically like annual or every two years and there is no such requirement for fire certifications like FF. I/II?
Thanks for all of your input it is what keeps the website going.
Check back next week for a different topic!