Well....we are down to 39 recruits now.
During our morning PT, the instructors asked us if we had any issues finding the hospital or stations we were assigned to, and if any of us were late. A LONG time ago, they said "If we ask you a question, we probably already know the answer...so it pays to be honest." Everyone answered that there were no issues.
One of the recruits was pulled out of formation and we were instructed to begin our morning PT. After a little while, one of the instructors and the Lieutenant walked up into the gear lockers, packed up all of his stuff and ripped his name tag off from the locker. After we finished with our morning PT and convened in the classroom we were instructed that the recruit had been given the opportunity to resign.
The recruit was assigned to a hospital on Thursday, but while he did report to A hospital...it was the wrong one!! The instructor had informed us before that if we were at a hospital, bring gym shoes. You cannot wear steel toe boots into the OR. The recruit brought his gym shoes with him but he decided that he would wear them in the ER. And to put the icing on the cake, at about 3:45 the charge nurse told him that he could go home if he wanted to. Well....he decided he would go home early. The problem is that we do not work for and are not paid by the hospital....we work for the Fire Dept. Any orders/instructions should come from Fire Dept personnel.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Week 8: Day 3
What do you do when you have a problem and you don't know who to call???.......you call the Fire Dept.
That was the overall theme for today while I was on my ride-a-long. I was staffed on an Engine at a different Station than yesterday. We had 3 calls....but only 2 worth noting.
Call #1
A gentleman fell out of his bed (according to the dispatch...but it was actually he fell off his couch) and needed help getting back up onto it. We were sent out to assist. When we arrived, we found the patient sitting on the floor just beside the couch. We put our gloves on, spoke to the gentleman, and began to lift him out onto the couch. Upon lifting him up, the sheet covering his lower half began to slip off and we quickly realized that all he was wearing was his t-shirt. We set him down onto the couch, recovered him with his sheet, and made sure he was ok before departing.
Call #2
We were working out at a local gym when we received a call for a "water hazard." We grabbed our crew and left to the address provided. Upon arrival, we found the tenant outside waiting. It seems that he developed a water leak and it was flooding the house he rented. After entering the residence, we found standing water in the kitchen and as we walked across the carpet, footprints would appear with puddles in them. We then went to the basement, where it was similar to a shower. Streams of water were falling from the ceiling, paint was bubbling off and leaking water, and the drop ceiling in one of the rooms had fallen apart. We shut off the electricity and advised him to call his landlord.
Honestly....we typically FLOOD houses with water.....how are we supposed to know what to do to get rid of water!?!?
Back to the Academy tomorrow......
I'm sure some of the recruits did something stupid, or forgot some gear somewhere in the County......so we shall see if and how we are punished.
That was the overall theme for today while I was on my ride-a-long. I was staffed on an Engine at a different Station than yesterday. We had 3 calls....but only 2 worth noting.
Call #1
A gentleman fell out of his bed (according to the dispatch...but it was actually he fell off his couch) and needed help getting back up onto it. We were sent out to assist. When we arrived, we found the patient sitting on the floor just beside the couch. We put our gloves on, spoke to the gentleman, and began to lift him out onto the couch. Upon lifting him up, the sheet covering his lower half began to slip off and we quickly realized that all he was wearing was his t-shirt. We set him down onto the couch, recovered him with his sheet, and made sure he was ok before departing.
Call #2
We were working out at a local gym when we received a call for a "water hazard." We grabbed our crew and left to the address provided. Upon arrival, we found the tenant outside waiting. It seems that he developed a water leak and it was flooding the house he rented. After entering the residence, we found standing water in the kitchen and as we walked across the carpet, footprints would appear with puddles in them. We then went to the basement, where it was similar to a shower. Streams of water were falling from the ceiling, paint was bubbling off and leaking water, and the drop ceiling in one of the rooms had fallen apart. We shut off the electricity and advised him to call his landlord.
Honestly....we typically FLOOD houses with water.....how are we supposed to know what to do to get rid of water!?!?
Back to the Academy tomorrow......
I'm sure some of the recruits did something stupid, or forgot some gear somewhere in the County......so we shall see if and how we are punished.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Week 8: Day 2
Today was my first day (of two total) for ride-a-longs in the County. I was staffed on an Advanced Life Support (ALS) Medic. In all, it was a great learning experience. I was finally about to see some of what we have been learning put to real use, rather than a book form and "scenario" format where things are obviously staged a bit. Doing things in real life and with real "emergencies" add something that you cannot find in the safe environment of an Academy.
Shift starts at 0600...but if you are on time, you are late. I reported at 0530 to perform gear checks, equipment checks, and assist in checking out the unit.
Call #1: 0625
76 y/o/M with difficulty breathing
Pt was having trouble breathing. After taking vitals, he had a rapid pulse and a somewhat lower BP. We administered a breathing treatment and the pt stated his breathing and chest felt better. Nothing else pointed to a major problem. After admitting him to the hospital, they ran their own tests. Later in the day we found out he was most likely having a heart attack. It was a "silent" MI (Myocardial Infarction). All of our tests did not show any flags to indicate that it was a heart attack, and he was not complaining of the typical symptoms associated with a heart attack (crushing chest pain, pain in the jaw, shooting pain in the left arm).
Call #2: 0845
9 y/o/F with difficulty breathing and limited speech
Pt was having trouble breathing. After taking vitals, we found NOTHING wrong with this girl. The girl was in school and was pulled down to the nurse's office. Her grandmother arrived and we gathered some information from her about the girl. It seems that the girl likes to try and get attention, and this may have been an anxiety attack/need for attention. The grandmother did not want to seek further care
Call #3: 1240
(I was in the middle of working out when this call came in. I quickly stopped what I was doing, grabbed my station boots and jump suit since I was in my PT clothes, and jumped in the rig)
56 y/o/F with pain in the back and left leg
Pt was bed ridden with pain that started 2 days ago.....(my question is why are you waiting 2 days!!!) After taking vitals, we had to transport the pt to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a bulging disk, among other problems..so this may have been part of the issue. We put her into a flexible stretcher, carried her downstairs, and loaded her onto the cot. While en route, she was drugged up with some morphine. I'm not quite sure the final outcome of this lady...
Call #4: 3:15
62 y/o/F possible stroke
Pt walked up to the Fire Station (not ours..but we reported to it since it was an ALS call) complaining of tingling and numbness in her right fingers. After assessing the woman, we noticed some facial droop (typically seen in stroke victims) but not much else. The woman was disoriented and kept asking "Is it really 3 o'clock?".....to which I assured her it was. We dropped her off at the hospital since there wasn't much we could do aside from take vitals and monitor the patient to make sure she was ok until we transferred care to the hospital.
It was a good day......I got to meet some of the career firefighters out in the County and run some calls. They showed me around and were very patient/helpful. They let me assist as much as possible, without creating a sense of urgency and making me nervous. I was also included in lunch...which was great!!! For $3, I had 2 chicken breasts, a salad, bread rolls, and green beans and potatoes. They were also VERY appreciative of the bagels and cream cheese I brought in for breakfast.
Hopefully tomorrow steps up the pace a little bit.....
Shift starts at 0600...but if you are on time, you are late. I reported at 0530 to perform gear checks, equipment checks, and assist in checking out the unit.
Call #1: 0625
76 y/o/M with difficulty breathing
Pt was having trouble breathing. After taking vitals, he had a rapid pulse and a somewhat lower BP. We administered a breathing treatment and the pt stated his breathing and chest felt better. Nothing else pointed to a major problem. After admitting him to the hospital, they ran their own tests. Later in the day we found out he was most likely having a heart attack. It was a "silent" MI (Myocardial Infarction). All of our tests did not show any flags to indicate that it was a heart attack, and he was not complaining of the typical symptoms associated with a heart attack (crushing chest pain, pain in the jaw, shooting pain in the left arm).
Call #2: 0845
9 y/o/F with difficulty breathing and limited speech
Pt was having trouble breathing. After taking vitals, we found NOTHING wrong with this girl. The girl was in school and was pulled down to the nurse's office. Her grandmother arrived and we gathered some information from her about the girl. It seems that the girl likes to try and get attention, and this may have been an anxiety attack/need for attention. The grandmother did not want to seek further care
Call #3: 1240
(I was in the middle of working out when this call came in. I quickly stopped what I was doing, grabbed my station boots and jump suit since I was in my PT clothes, and jumped in the rig)
56 y/o/F with pain in the back and left leg
Pt was bed ridden with pain that started 2 days ago.....(my question is why are you waiting 2 days!!!) After taking vitals, we had to transport the pt to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a bulging disk, among other problems..so this may have been part of the issue. We put her into a flexible stretcher, carried her downstairs, and loaded her onto the cot. While en route, she was drugged up with some morphine. I'm not quite sure the final outcome of this lady...
Call #4: 3:15
62 y/o/F possible stroke
Pt walked up to the Fire Station (not ours..but we reported to it since it was an ALS call) complaining of tingling and numbness in her right fingers. After assessing the woman, we noticed some facial droop (typically seen in stroke victims) but not much else. The woman was disoriented and kept asking "Is it really 3 o'clock?".....to which I assured her it was. We dropped her off at the hospital since there wasn't much we could do aside from take vitals and monitor the patient to make sure she was ok until we transferred care to the hospital.
It was a good day......I got to meet some of the career firefighters out in the County and run some calls. They showed me around and were very patient/helpful. They let me assist as much as possible, without creating a sense of urgency and making me nervous. I was also included in lunch...which was great!!! For $3, I had 2 chicken breasts, a salad, bread rolls, and green beans and potatoes. They were also VERY appreciative of the bagels and cream cheese I brought in for breakfast.
Hopefully tomorrow steps up the pace a little bit.....
Week 8: Day 1
Well...today was our last day of lecture for EMT.
It has been a rapid pace of learning......but I can't wait for Fire to start and EMT to be done.
We have our County test on Friday the 12th, and our State Certification on the 19th. If anyone fails either...they are allowed one makeup....if they fail that, they are out of a job.
Tomorrow and Wednesday are our ride-a-longs in the County and Thursday will be spent doing practicals to prepare for Friday.
So far so good.....
It has been a rapid pace of learning......but I can't wait for Fire to start and EMT to be done.
We have our County test on Friday the 12th, and our State Certification on the 19th. If anyone fails either...they are allowed one makeup....if they fail that, they are out of a job.
Tomorrow and Wednesday are our ride-a-longs in the County and Thursday will be spent doing practicals to prepare for Friday.
So far so good.....
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K Run
On September 6, 2008, we participated in the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K Run.
There were originally about 35 recruits that had signed up to run, but due to Tropical Storm Hanna passing through and some of the recruits no longer being with the Dept., only about 12 of the recruits showed up to participate.
Our team was made up of recruits and some of the career firefighters in the Dept. I am happy to say that we (as a Dept.) came in first place for the Firefighter Division. One of our runners was also first place overall for firefighters (he ran the 5K in 18:36).
I am happy with my performance, although I did have to slow down to a walk for a very brief period. I completed the run in 23:50, with an overall 302 place (out of 2009). In the firefighter division, I was 30 place (of 105). Only 2 other recruits from my class finished ahead of me (by about 50 seconds).
There were originally about 35 recruits that had signed up to run, but due to Tropical Storm Hanna passing through and some of the recruits no longer being with the Dept., only about 12 of the recruits showed up to participate.
Our team was made up of recruits and some of the career firefighters in the Dept. I am happy to say that we (as a Dept.) came in first place for the Firefighter Division. One of our runners was also first place overall for firefighters (he ran the 5K in 18:36).
I am happy with my performance, although I did have to slow down to a walk for a very brief period. I completed the run in 23:50, with an overall 302 place (out of 2009). In the firefighter division, I was 30 place (of 105). Only 2 other recruits from my class finished ahead of me (by about 50 seconds).
Friday, September 5, 2008
Week 7: Day 2, 3, 4, 5
Not a whole lot happened this week...just lectured a bunch and did practicals to get ready for County and State testing.
Our County test is next Friday, and the State test is on the 19th. From the 15th through the 19th, we will be doing practicals all week in order to prepare.
I managed to get a 100% on 3 of the 4 quizzes we took this week. I am going into finals with a great academic standing. (Overall, I am second in the class. I am 1% lower than the highest girl, who is a certified Medic).
On Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, we are going to be out in the field. I will be riding on a Medic Unit all day Tuesday, and an Engine all day Wednesday. I am in two of the busier stations, with a major highway running through....so hopefully I will have some exciting news to share.
One of the chapters we lectured on and learned about was Obstetrics / Gynecology. Let me tell you.....Childbirth is not a miracle, and it is definitely not beautiful!!!
Tomorrow we are running a 9/11 memorial 5K near the pentagon. Wish me luck......
WEEK 7 COMPLETE!!
Our County test is next Friday, and the State test is on the 19th. From the 15th through the 19th, we will be doing practicals all week in order to prepare.
I managed to get a 100% on 3 of the 4 quizzes we took this week. I am going into finals with a great academic standing. (Overall, I am second in the class. I am 1% lower than the highest girl, who is a certified Medic).
On Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, we are going to be out in the field. I will be riding on a Medic Unit all day Tuesday, and an Engine all day Wednesday. I am in two of the busier stations, with a major highway running through....so hopefully I will have some exciting news to share.
One of the chapters we lectured on and learned about was Obstetrics / Gynecology. Let me tell you.....Childbirth is not a miracle, and it is definitely not beautiful!!!
Tomorrow we are running a 9/11 memorial 5K near the pentagon. Wish me luck......
WEEK 7 COMPLETE!!
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