Scuba Death Leads to Lawsuit Settlement Against American Medical Response

[irishsquid]

I can't fathom the fact that these responders are not required to be drug tested. If I want a job as a Walmart Greeter, I have to prove I'm not an abuser of substances which might cause me to put a smiley sticker on crooked or upside down. The majority of customers in the industry (Carpet Mfg.) I work in requires mandatory drug screening and yearly testing of all contractors. If you want to enter their facilities to fill a candy or coke machine, you will provide a drug test. To allow a heroin/cocaine user to
provide first response aid to injured people is criminal. IMHO

 

[Rick Murchison]

I can't fathom the fact that these responders are not required to be drug tested. If I want a job as a Walmart Greeter, I have to prove I'm not an abuser of substances which might cause me to put a smiley sticker on crooked or upside down. The majority of customers in the industry (Carpet Mfg.) I work in requires mandatory drug screening and yearly testing of all contractors. If you want to enter their facilities to fill a candy or coke machine, you will provide a drug test. To allow a heroin/cocaine user to
provide first response aid to injured people is criminal. IMHO

Easy to say... a little harder in practice.
Latency times for Cocaine are generally less than five days, Opiates even less. If there's any discernable "schedule" to your drug testing scheme and you don't test every other day or so, a sharp coke or heroin user can easily time their trips so they're back in town for the tests.
Whenever I suspected an employee of drug abuse, I'd announce a pee test for the next week. I'd collect the pee on the appointed day... and then again the next day. The second day's pee is the pee that gets tested. Got some very interesting results with that system.
"Yearly testing" is a complete joke unless you're dealing with a total idiot addict who can't go a week without a hit. (or a month, in the case of weed).
Rick

 

[irishsquid]

Easy to say... a little harder in practice.
Latency times for Cocaine are generally less than five days, Opiates even less. If there's any discernable "schedule" to your drug testing scheme and you don't test every other day or so, a sharp coke or heroin user can easily time their trips so they're back in town for the tests.
Whenever I suspected an employee of drug abuse, I'd announce a pee test for the next week. I'd collect the pee on the appointed day... and then again the next day. The second day's pee is the pee that gets tested. Got some very interesting results with that system.
"Yearly testing" is a complete joke unless you're dealing with a total idiot addict who can't go a week without a hit. (or a month, in the case of weed).
Rick

Rick,
You are dead on about being effective in testing. I do agree yearly tests are a joke. Our yearly tests aren't on a given date or exactly a year apart, but still could be easily avoided. The day or 2 after method you described is definitely clever. Randoms are also used where I work; which I failed to mention. The guys in this case were having on going abuse problems, which should warrant a program of at least weekly testing and randoms. Most addicts of heroin or coke are by my definition: idiots. As a general rule, I don't agree with proving I'm not guilty of drug use. I'd prefer testing done when behavior, incedents, etc. warrants it. I guess I just couldn't resist a knee jerk reaction to these responders reckless behavior in such a demanding, stressful, & critical profession.

 

[fisherdvm]

When I was in the service, the soldiers think that it is funny to call me up at 4 AM, and saying I have to pee in a cup within 30 minutes.

I think it is the only time they get to screw the officers... I can see the big smile on their face as they watched me pee!!

 

[seansrs36]

Actually you would be surprised how many counties here in California use AMR for their Paramedic service. Santa Clara County, Kern County, Riverside, Ventura just to name a few. It is cheaper for them to use a contract service then to hire full time firefighter/paramedics. In fact the city of Glendale, CA up to a about 10 years ago had AMR.

 

[JTJ]

The thing that people need to understand about the private ambulance sevices is that there are many paramedics working that actually care about the care they give the patients. Prior to moving back to Ohio, I was a full-time county based paramedic. EMS was controlled not by the Fire Departments but by the EMS Service. This was necessary because there was not a full time demand in the county for the Fire Department. I have nothing against the Fire Services. I would love to be able to get a position with one but due to my age, I am not considered for employment. So now my options have been reduced to Private Services or trying to get a job in the local hospitals. I am currently working for a private service. Nurses and Doctors treat the private sector in our area as outcast. They act as if we have never performed our jobs in a correct manner. It doesn't matter that guys/gals like me have been out in the field and have performed in the same situations that the firefighter/paramedics have been in. They act surprised when we bring someone in with the proper treatment. It is comical at times by the reaction we receive.
I hope that people understand that in every field there will be some bad eggs, even some bad firefighters. It is up to fellow workers and employers to make sure that the bad ones are weeded out.

 

[Wildcard]

IMO, i think it was a stupid decision to give away the contract from AMR to another private company. Im not against private companies, but there are some that are hanging on by a thread. I think AMR has the best reputation, out of all the other companies. There are always one or two people that mess things up for the rest of us.

OK, Im not even going to finish reading all the posts here. This may get long and Im going to make a lot of typos. First off Jobar has no clue, time or training. AMR has a HORRIBLE reputation amongst the EMS community. They turned patient care into a business, a canadian business. They also run garbage trucks and school busses.
As a Paramedic in Cali since 1985, lic 04588, still current, I can comment on a few things. Fire based medics ( a medic is a paramedic not some 18y/o emt wanna be) for the most part, with many very notable exceptions, are medics to get a fire job then stay medics to get the extra pay. Thats why I stoped proctoring. My first interview question for paramedic students was why do you want to be a medic? 9 out of 10 answered "to get a job with the fire department"...:shakehead End of interview.
Medics shooting smack on duty? I guess there are POSs in every profession. Stoping a code? Sure, depending on local protocal. I do it all the time. Used to in Cali and still do in Alaska. I just call the hospital and tell them if I can reach them, if not, I tell them when I can I have called the code. This has been ACLS protocal for several years. If you dont get a response in the first couple of rounds of Tx, then dont waste the drugs and money on futile efforts..... Why was this restarted? I can only wonder. Clearly it should have not been.
We had a huge lawsuit many years ago. MVA, DOA, no problem. Coverd up the body and left it with the cop on scene (btw I was not involved with this) as protocal dictated. Half an hour later the body does a gas exhale/groan kind of thing. People that deal with bodies know what Im talking about. Cop calls an ambulance back and a rookie medic starts a code.... The guy was very dead but it started a lawsuit.
Why was this dredged up anyway? It serves no usefull purpose.
If you have any doubts about privates, untill the fire service discoveredhow much money ther were loosing, 90% wanted nothing to do with EMS. It was forced on many and they worked it in. Again with many many noteable exceptions, fire fighters and EMS folks are two different animals. Long time private medics are there becouse they love the job. It sure aint for the pay. FFs love there job too but there is the money/retirement thing to factor in too. It all boils down to each person and the system they work in. All have bad, good, and great medics.
The evening red wine and the flexerill I took after my day of humping gear are clearly working aganst my poor spelling and making it worse. Im not even going to proof this for typos.
The company should have to pay and the "medics" should be jailed. Not for stoping the code but for riding the horse on duty.

 

[Wildcard]

I can't fathom the fact that these responders are not required to be drug tested. If I want a job as a Walmart Greeter, I have to prove I'm not an abuser of substances which might cause me to put a smiley sticker on crooked or upside down. The majority of customers in the industry (Carpet Mfg.) I work in requires mandatory drug screening and yearly testing of all contractors. If you want to enter their facilities to fill a candy or coke machine, you will provide a drug test. To allow a heroin/cocaine user to
provide first response aid to injured people is criminal. IMHO

All EMS providers are on a random drug test schedule. How often it is done is up to the employer. Drug use by anyone is criminal, by health care providers on duty much more so.

 

[H2Andy]

AMR has a HORRIBLE reputation amongst the EMS community. They turned patient care into a business, a canadian business.

see, if you dig deep enough into any problem (from child slave labor to global warming) you'll find a Canadian

:10:

 

[Bspurr13]

Wildcard - Well said!!! I'm P08810 - not many of us left with a state # that starts w/ a 0. Are you out of EMS all together?