From: Doug.Plaza@f413.n107.z1.fidonet.org (Doug Plaza)
Newsgroups: misc.emerg-services
Subject: No2:O2 (Entonox)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 00:16:00 -0800

GS>That's how things still are up here. In Massachusetts there are
private
GS>companies, Municipal third service providers, fire system providers,
GS>police providers and even a couple of hospital based providers. Pay
GS>varies wildly. In general municipal providers (of all types) are the
GS>best paid, with private companies being the worst.

Jumping in here...
New Jersey's Advanced Life Support appears to be similar to that in
Massachusettes with the exception of all of the states ALS is hospital
based.  Most ALS vehicles do not have patient transport capability.
Most of the ambulance services are operated by volunteer "First Aid
Squads".

GT> Above that we are getting our GS>advanced }clinical skills program
(Intubation,cannulation etc) which GS>will be a }Senior Ambulance
Officer Position.

Is there currently any use of ALS, or is this a new program?  Our
department just celebrated its 10th anniversary of providing ALS
services;  92 calls with one unit the first year, over 10,000 calls
with
three units currently.

toss GS>  }up between the F350 diesel (turbo I think) and the
Chev light truck GS>  }about the same size - can't remember which one.
Any input on what GS>  }they're like to drive?

Our department has a custom vehicle called a "Centurion" which is based
on a four wheel drive F-350 Ford chassis.  The vehicle is a diesel (no
turbo, try and stay away from the turbo) and resembles a 4 door Bronco.
This vehicle has held up extremely well!  I understand Ford may be
offering this vehicle from the factory under the "Metropolitan" name.
We also have two diesel GMC / Chevy suburbans, both of which have been
maintanance nightmares since day one!  Since we do no patient transport
and do not carry recue equipment (rescue services are provided by the
Fire Departments), we are currently trying police package equipped Ford
Crown Victorias as response vehicles.  We have a '91 and a '92 in
service and so far these are the best vehicles and most economic
vehicles we have had.

GS> GT}What we do: A qualified Ao is certified in Defibrillation,
Glucagon, GS> }Anginine , Salbutamol and Box Jellyfish Antivenom plus
all the normal GS> }BLS stuff... (Glucagon is for hypoglycaemia,
Anginine is Glyceryl GS> }Trinitrate and Salbutamol is Ventolin.)

GS>An AO is roughly equivilent to a Paramedic, but it sounds like you
can
GS>do less in the medication department. We use Atropine,
GS>Adenocard,Epinephrine, Bretylium, Morphine Sulfate, Nitroglycerin,
GS>Dopamine, Lidocaine, and Verapamil for cardiac patients. Valium is
used
GS>for status seizures and as a premedication for cardioversion. We use
GS>Nalaxone for opiate ODs, Thiamine and Dextrose for Hypoglycemia, or
as
GS>an alternative Glucagon. We use Ventolin and Alupent for
GS>Bronchoconstriction. We do not use Jellyfish Antivenon, since that
is
GS>not a major problem around here.

GS>As for clinical skills we do Intubation, IVs, Intraosseous
Infusions,
GS>Needle decompression of the chest, needle crichothyrotomy.

New Jersey's med list is quite similar to Massachusettes.  We can't do
needle crich. but we can do external cardiac pacing.

What type of Trauma system do they have in Australia?  Any use of
Helocopters or fixed wing aircraft for patient transport?

                                     Doug Plaza MICP NJ
  SLMR 2.1a  My reality check just bounced.


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