Volunteer Paramedics

[GS608]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/...ulance-drivers


How can you allow a volunteer with only a first aid cert to drive an emergency vehicle with zero training? surely thats a slap in the face to trained paramedics?

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/...ulance-drivers


How can you allow a volunteer with only a first aid cert to drive an emergency vehicle with zero training? surely thats a slap in the face to trained paramedics?

I am a volunteer ambulance officer and I work with a fully trained paramedic. I have a bit more than just a first aid cert, I have done driver training and I go to training nights every 2 weeks. Whilst I am not pretending to be a paramedic, I have done 6 full weeks of training and I am always learning on the job. Sure there are things you can't do (administer certain drugs, put in lines) but I pretty much do everything the paramedic does and they are happy to let you.

[GS608]

Yeah thats fair enough but you have done all the training, where as that article states just a first aid cert will suffice and you can go out drive an ambulance with a trained paramedic. Volunteers do great work but they do need the right training to attend emergency situations.

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

Yeah thats fair enough but you have done all the training, where as that article states just a first aid cert will suffice and you can go out drive an ambulance with a trained paramedic. Volunteers do great work but they do need the right training to attend emergency situations.

I am not sure about NSW but technically it is the same here, over here we have towns that are just volunteers (even though I am a volunteer I do not agree with it as I have seen what happens), I am lucky as in my town we work 1 volunteer 1 trained paramedic and they are happy to teach you and I have even been the attending on jobs. When I started all that was required was a first aid cert, but my station manager insisted on doing observation shifts and being able to drive, operate the stretcher, operate the ZOLL (defib/ECG) etc. Then I was required to spend four weeks training where you were taught a **** load of stuff and then had to be tested on it, both written and practical, we had to complete scenarios and it was a fully trained paramedic who decided whether you made the grade. I then did another 2 weeks training to reach another level, again performance was evaluated by a qualified paramedic. To top it off we do 3hour training sessions on a monday night every 2 weeks and some of the nights are refreshers that if you do not attend that night, can't make it up or pass you have to redo the 4 week course.. As I said apart from giving the more potent drugs and not being able to inject, I do the same job as the paramedic. Now possibly NSW will do the same and this is the media and the public being their usual selves, but possibly not. I will admit I would not want someone with just a first aid cert coming to see me, but I doubt they would do any more than operate the stretcher and drive.

[geckoGT]

There are a number of issues here but lets get the most important thing out first. Volunteers do a outstanding job and without their enthusiasm, sense of community duty and dedication, many people in this country would not be alive today. I have worked many times with volunteer ambo's both in WA (Karratha St John, while I was an army medic) and in QLD (both honorees and first responders). What these guys lack in formal training, they make up for in dedication and private study. Guys, I lift my hat to you all and keep up the good work, you make our job better and make a difference out there. Lets not forget, every paramedic service in australia was born out of, and grew from the efforts of volunteers.

Next point to remember is that often the paramedic crew (the full time guys) in major metro areas that responds to you, consists of a qualified paramedic and a paramedic student. That student may be a first year student and may actually be on their first week on road. If that is the case, in QLD, that student will have had 6 weeks of training which includes a week of driver training. At that level of training the only thing the student is allowed to do without supervision is first aid, apply oxygen and semi automated defibrillation. Everything else is under the direct supervision and control of the qualified paramedic. Sounds a lot like what NSW are suggesting doesn't it? In many QLD towns there is only 1 paramedic on 24 hr call out who will drive himself to an incident and then get a cop, firefighter or in extreme circumstances a member of the public to drive to hospital. In the majority of cases the paramedic will be the only medical person on scene. I bet those paramedics would love to have one of these First Aid/Driver's with them.

Another important point to remember, an ambulance service costs 100's of millions per year to run, yet people complain when they have to financially contribute to it, claiming why should they pay when they don't use it. Sure some pay ambulance subscription (the numbers of these people are decreasing) or have health insurance, those that don't complain about the bill and often don't pay. That is why many ambulance services are severely underfunded, leading to situations like the use of volunteers. To post a second paramedic to each of those towns would cost an additional $200,000+ year by the time you have factored in wages, accommodation, leave, equipment and training etc. Who is going to pay that, the paramedic can't do it for free and the service can not pluck people off the paramedic tree out the back. My suggestion, if the public considers the use of volunteers as inappropriate, then maybe they should pass the community hat around and raise the funds.

Final point, at no point in the article did it state these volunteers would be driving without specialised training. As they will be service volunteers, they will be covered by all aspects of the service work cover, professional indemnity, liability etc. This will mean there is no way the service will allow these volunteers to drive and operate ambulance equipment without formal competency based training with annual assessment, just as I have. This will apply to all equipment from the thermometer, defibrillator and through to the vehicle itself (and everything in between). There is not a service in australia that would allow untrained persons to drive in emergency conditions without some form of quanitified training. I was a volunteer firefighter (urban, not bush) in Karratha and I had to do formalised training with logged hour accrual before I could drive the truck in an emergency, the ambo's did the same.

Lets congratulate all the volunteers and anyone that has some free time and community spirit, put your hand up and keep with the aussie spirit of helping your mates out.

Now I will get off my soap box and go back to my vodka, which I need after the day I have had today.

Keep safe and healthy everyone.

[3vXT]

Someone with basic training is better than no one. If someone can keep oxygen going to my brain while the other person transports me to an emergency room somewhere i don't really care what certificates they have or don't have on their wall at home.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by ken2903

Someone with basic training is better than no one. If someone can keep oxygen going to my brain while the other person transports me to an emergency room somewhere i don't really care what certificates they have or don't have on their wall at home.

I think you would find the training will be quite extensive and lets not forget that they will be assisting a qualified paramedic, so you are still getting someone with advanced training and skills.

I am not for a moment saying it is the best option, that would in no doubt be 2 paramedics. All I am saying is without serious financial change to the service to cover the additional staff, these volunteers will be more useful than a single officer response and will allow the paramedic to offer a higher standard of care.

[MO]

A media beatup of sorts and the union rightly standing up and saying full timers are the way to go.

Gecko has said it all and I back his words. As a retired firie,when I was working in Alice Springs we would send one of our blokes into the ambos to ride with them for the day,where and when it was possible. We would assist with whatever the ambo crew wanted.

[vegabass]

Its a pathetic article that lacks detail and substance.

I have driven ambulances many times with critical patients to hospital. Just a ********** when you get to hospital and you car is back at the crash scene.