Why Fire Dept's at Medical Calls.

[jaycee]

This question was asked on a thread here a while ago.
Well let me tell you what happened today.

I was at a doctors appointment today at Grandview Medical Centre, This Clinic has I believe 14 or 15 doctors plus registered nurses and nurse practitioners there during working hours.
While I was waiting, a very large man at the other end of the waiting room was in obvious distress to the point of him slumping to the floor, a doctor and a nurse came out to see him and within minutes the fire dept. arrived, [ having already been called] they proceeded to stabilize the man , administering oxygen and then the paramedics. ambulance crew arrived and took over with the firefighters assisting.
It took all 6 firefighters and two paramedics to lift this large man onto the gurney and off to the hospital they went

So here we are , a Medical Clinic with all those doctors and nurses there, who do they call? "Emergency Services " which is the fire, ambulance and police depts.
All full time firefighters in Ontario are fully trained and certified in first aid, cardio pulmonary resuscitation and must requalify every 3 years, and take training on the job while working.

So there you go , even doctors and nurses rely on them when required.
Been there , done that for 30 years.

Something to think about when you come upon an accident scene or when yo see firefighters at a house where there is no apparent fire, they are there trying to save a life.

[bdog]

Yep, n there is a peeing match going on now in Windsor Ontario about what u just described, I say let them do their job they r trained for, if it cost more, so be it, lets save a life, some folk think the pay is to high, well, how bout let them folk go to a job without warning, just a ph call, go now, with unknown outcome for them or the person/people in need of help, don't know if they or the people will live or die trying to save a life.....

[trimmer21]

Yep, n there is a peeing match going on now in Windsor Ontario about what u just described, I say let them do their job they r trained for, if it cost more, so be it, lets save a life, some folk think the pay is to high, well, how bout let them folk go to a job without warning, just a ph call, go now, with unknown outcome for them or the person/people in need of help, don't know if they or the people will live or die trying to save a life.....

The Windsor folks need a reality check. MHO staff can be 20-30 minutes away from a call and Police even farther. Fire units can be on scene in minutes with enough training and equipment to keep someone from "spiraling the drain" until advanced medical units can be there. People who complain have no idea what they're talking about.

[Snowwalker]

Firefighters should be paid BIG BIG BIG....Cuz they sure aren't going home after every shift happy.
They witness a lot of very sad things.

Rule #1 A child is NEVER DEAD...at all time the victim is to be treated as if they are alive and you are providing medical care.

Carried a doll( size of a seven or eight year old child) up the side of a mountain in a large backpack, so the search and rescue EMTs had something to put on a stretcher when they came down. All the bear left was one bloody shoe and piece of a foot. They found the victim because they could hear the sound of the Grizzly feeding and breaking bones in it's jaws.

See rule #1...

[3Wheelerdude]

Being a Volunteer Firefighter myself, I can tell you that we get there before the ambulance on most calls.
On many occasions I have left my grocery cart in the aisle (Only to return to it being in the same spot 2 hours later!), left a 20$ bill on a restaurant table when it only cost 7$ and even left my daughter's b-day party to respond to a call.

When people ask why, I tell them that one day it will be them or their kids that need help ASAP and that they will be thankful we are willing to leave our regular routine to be there.

Fortunately Paramedics work hand in hand with us over here, and we have a lot of respect for each others services.

So my answer to 'why FD at medical calls?' : because we can be there faster, with a lot of equipment (including a Defib) and trained first responders.

[patvetzal]

Not to mention clearing the path, holding and fetching gear and directing traffic. Our fire dept crews are all local guys, some of our relief paramedics come from 100km down the road,
Few years ago a friends house burnt. The first fire crew ( volunteers) on scene went in and grabbed his gun safe, dragged it clear. The rest of the house was totalled....

[bdog]

The Windsor folks need a reality check. MHO staff can be 20-30 minutes away from a call and Police even farther. Fire units can be on scene in minutes with enough training and equipment to keep someone from "spiraling the drain" until advanced medical units can be there. People who complain have no idea what they're talking about.

I sure don't get where ur comin from or goin with this, "Windsor folks need a reality check" if anybody needs a check up i think u should be making an appointment

[jaycee]

Being a Volunteer Firefighter myself, I can tell you that we get there before the ambulance on most calls.
On many occasions I have left my grocery cart in the aisle (Only to return to it being in the same spot 2 hours later!), left a 20$ bill on a restaurant table when it only cost 7$ and even left my daughter's b-day party to respond to a call.

When people ask why, I tell them that one day it will be them or their kids that need help ASAP and that they will be thankful we are willing to leave our regular routine to be there.

Fortunately Paramedics work hand in hand with us over here, and we have a lot of respect for each others services.

So my answer to 'why FD at medical calls?' : because we can be there faster, with a lot of equipment (including a Defib) and trained first responders.

3Wheelerdude;, I have a lot of respect for you " Volunteer Fire Fighters " keep up the good work , stay safe.
May you have a peaceful ,quiet, Christmas with your family.

[Woodsman]

Yes fire fighters can & do play a big part in first response to medical calls.
My big pet peeve is the use of the term "volunteer firefighter".
By using this term most of the public actually believe they are actually volunteering their time where in most cases they get paid for their services.
Very few "volunteer fire services in Ontario" are actually volunteers but actually part-time employees.
Rates of pay vary service to service with some per call/training night to a percentage of the pay budget based on how often the individual participates.
This I have no problem with but lets call a spade a spade.
Yes they provide a vital service & leave their families at inopportune times, but not as unpaid volunteers.
Yes they have my respect but I've meet some who play on the term "volunteer" and won't admit they are payed for their services unless confronted by someone who has the actual facts.

[JBen]

I was/am considering seeing if I can get on one of the local volunteer forces that are(were) hiring.

Your right Woodsman in that it's more part time, than volunteer. Certainly can't speak for all municipalities just the one I'm looking at.

$20/hour while answering the call.
Whether thats attending a car accident for an hour and pulling a mangled child from a wreck and receiving $20.00
Whether thats rushing to someone's home for a heart attack
Whether thats possibly being involved in some rescue operation as with anglers on thin ice
Or
dealing with an inferno.

$20/hour for risking their lives, pulling mangled bodies from wrecks to save lives or just plain old run of the mill CPR for a heart attack victim makes them more volunteer than anything else imo because it certainly isn't done for the $, benefits or any other consideration other than to "volunteer" their time to help. Especially in small communities that don't have the budgets for full timers who are amply compensated for the risk, cost (ptsd), and other they take on.

Think about that.
$20/hour while active, answering a call whatever it may be. Whether thats bread and butter CPR for a heart attack at someones home, or extracting a mangled dead child from a car.