Adventure: Post Roll-out Increment Losses

The actual video I made is too large for me to put on here directly, so here's the link.

My Adventures at EMS Today

‘Twas the night before #EMSToday

Here we go.  It’s GO TIME!!

This time tomorrow, I’ll either be in Baltimore, or well on my way whether it’s by 2 wings or 4 wheels. It’s been a year since my last adventure at EMS Today, let’s see if this one can end up better (like actually being there for my flight IF I fly).

While traveling tomorrow, I hope to make it in time for the AHA Lunch & Learn entitled “2010 Guidelines Are Out, You Recertified…Now What?” and the opening keynote.

Then the exhibit hall to meet some folks.  Word on the street (and in the motor pool, and in the pt. admin office, and in the mess hall) is that there’s going to be a fellow there worthy of an ANTHEM, who motivates us using the BLUE STAR, and for folks to CALL 911 on scene.  Something about him premiering a new song or something.

Also get to see some folks from Talon Rescue, AHA, Zoll, and Veinlite.

I’ll be blogging while I’m on the road/in the air.

 

Til next time…

I CARE, I SEARCH

For this one, I’m going to take off my “retired combat medic” hat and put on the one for my normal 0600-0900; 1330-1645 job.

It all stems from something that happened yesterday/last night at “Friendly City School District” near the “Friendly Neighborhood ALS Ambulance Company” that I applied to.

If you didn’t catch it on msnbc, here's a link to the story. Go ahead and read it, I’ll wait.

Pissed yet?  If not, read it again!

It takes quite a bit to get that little line under the picture of a CDL in Illinois that says “SPB Class B/C”. That particular line on my licenses says I can legally transport children to and from school in Illinois.

In addition to getting the appropriate class CDL, there’s fingerprinting, background check, physical, drug screening, and quite a bit of classroom instruction—8 hours of which is provided by the State.  The remainder of mine came from “Ye Olde School Bus Contracting Company”.  To keep that School Bus Permit (SBP), we annually have to go through a 2-hour refresher class and physical.

Now, yesterday/last night(Thursday night), a young one ended up in a bus yard scared until another driver (we heard mechanic at YOSBCC) got him on a bus and to school—hearing that told me one thing…

something that was DRILLED INTO MY FEEBLE MIND from day one…

that driver did not check the bus.  Whoever it was did not take the 45 seconds to a minute to walk up and down the aisle, checking on, between, and under the seats. I do this four times a day everyday, sometimes more.

Even the dispatcher at YOSBCC reminds us every afternoon in a safety message.

WE GOTTA WALK THE DAMN BUS!!!!!!

If that was to happen to a driver at YOSBCC, not only would that driver no longer be employed, nor have a SBP for three years, nor every other driver beating a path to their door for a beat down, but that driver would also be sitting in the local hoosegow on CHILD ENDANGERMENT charges—that is correct.

So when you put your child, niece, nephew, grandchild, neighbor kid, sibling, etc. on to that big yellow sardine can with the blinking lights and stop sign (don’t get me started on THAT right now…), kinda put a bug in that driver’s ear to do some good walking between routes.

I think I need to change hats before I get so pissed at this that I give myself a CVA…I need some coffee

Til next time…

 

I CARE I SEARCH

Various sundry items…starting with a HOOAH

I was going to begin this post really ripping some people and asking for help.  I read this article about Paramedic Joe Riffe from Louisville, KY not being able to get a prosthetic leg.  That was Wednesday—I looked at Joe’s blog today and found out that the insurance company reversed it’s decision.  I hollered out a HOOAH that made my daughter come see what was going on.

Joe lost his leg due to injuries he sustained while hiking. He talks quite a bit about the events leading up to and after on his blog.

Hope you’re able to get back out on the streets soon, Joe.

In other news, watching the Hop schedule out of Scott like a hawk.  Noticing quite a few more flights to Andrews coming…hopefully there will be one early enough on the Thursday of EMS Today that I can get to the AHA Lunch and Learn, plus a few others before checking in and getting ready for everything to kick off.  Only thing left to pack are my normal boots while I’m wearing my uniform boots…which one is to be determined.

Until next time…

Getting ready…

Two completely different uniforms of sorts (and a kilt) almost ready to make the trek (with me, of course) to a small burb on the east coast.

My air travel for this latest adventure will be provided by the Army Air Corps Air Force (slogan: all of our planes leak). The last time I was in a USAF plane, I was coming home from Somalia. Why I didn’t think of flying Space Available last year (I could have went to McCarren for Expo instead of flying commercial) is beyond me.

Lodging is taken care of thanks to one of those “name your own price” sites.  The hotel is decent and a fair walk from the convention center. That works for me.

The new business cards have been ordered.  Just hope they’re done in time and I do NOT forget some this time.

I do have to remember to find a post office so I can mail back all the “conference swag” I get this time.

More about this adventure, and my son getting his Tiger soon.

until next time…

The packing list…

As I sit here eating my box of chicken mcbites, it hit me that since my registration fees are now paid, all that’s left is travel and lodging…and putting together my packing list for the Baltimore festivities known as EMS Today. What am I going to pack for my weekend?

I know for a fact that I have to take at least one complete uniform with me in case I fly either my civilian or military means. I just ordered a RETIRED patch for my uniform—then found out the place I ordered it from is about 10 minutes away. I need to try to get back my $6.00 shipping and handling (and put it in my gas tank).

I believe a new kilt is in order.  After all, it is a new year. The fine folks at Sport kilt.com have a nice ACU one that’s on sale.  I do believe it’s a must buy. So for the ACU kilt, I believe I will have to get some new nametapes for my uniform shirt (now that I’m retired.) I won’t get away with wearing my rank, but #CoEMS and my twitter name should suffice—just long enough to get told otherwise.

I have to remember my now adorned 5.11 Tactical shirt and regular jeans or EMS pants. Still deciding if I’m going to put my NREMT patch on the right sleeve or not.

Have to also remember my business cards…although they’ll direly need to be changed. I’m not the “68W Coordinator/Trainer”. Now I’m the “Easy chair holding coffee cup lifter”.

A lot to do and get in the next 31 days…damn, I’m going to be busy.

MY Top 10 of ‘11

1. The people I have met in 2011 This should go without saying. I finally got the privilege to meet the folks behind the keyboards and @ signs that I have spoken to in 140 character blocks. It was worth being called an “ass” when I met Ted Setla, as much as it was worth watching @THEGrinderMedic order someone a drink called “uh…” in Vegas. Hope to meet more next year.

2. EMS Today 2011 Well, yeah, the first real conference I went to would make the #2 spot. It had its own set of adventures (to include a missed flight). When is the pre-party for next year’s at Pratt St.?

3. EMSWorld Expo 2011  Wow…the one thing I bitched the loudest about getting my travel approved for only made #3. The strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center will never be the same after the #CoEMS crew was done with it. Will NOLA be the same?

4. FDIC 2011 The biggest Fire Department conference of the year made the Number 4 spot on this year’s top 10. Finally meeting The Fire Critic, Capt. Willie Wines, and a few others.  Same place in 2012—the week before my 41st celebration of being alive.

5. My unit returning home from Iraq The 801st Combat Support Hospital (Detachment 10) was in Iraq for 10 months providing Detainee Health Care. All but two of my Soldiers are now home.

6. 21 seconds at FDIC The Globe Firefighter Challenge only took me 21 seconds to complete at FDIC in Indianapolis.  It would have been faster if I had known that the “rescue dummy” weighed about three pounds (I was expecting much heavier).

just crawl between the cones to take less time

7. Participating in #KiltedtoKickCancer The idea of a couple of friends not only increased awareness for the male specific cancers, but also ended up with a pretty penny being donated to LiveStrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It also got the biggest reading from this headquarters while trying to make my kilt (which is now hanging in the closet and a 3rd one is being planned on for purchase eventually). I will say, though, that they’re nice in the summer…but one wintertime word:  SHRINKAGE. (Though they make life easier with the TSA)
 

8. Making the “Medic’s Mecca” The only reason this is not higher in the countdown is because 1) the LACoFD Museum was closed and 2) the crew from LACoFD Station 127 were out on a run when I arrived. It was still a nice retirement present from my unit given to me the day before Thanksgiving.
 

9. Attending the 9th Annual US Army EMS Conference I wasn’t expecting to go, but I got my first glimpse of the Alamo and Durty Nelly’s in San Antonio. This trip was much better than phase 2 of my BNCOC.
 

10. My Retirement Orders It took over a year to get them, and that included re-submitting the packet exactly one year after I first put it in. But getting them puts a chapter to a close that I am very thankful to have written in history. It had its high points and low points, and I actually got to see some beautiful parts of the country while I was in the Army Reserve, but now I get to watch the younger Soldiers fill in my place as I sit and watch from my rocking chair.