TexasCHLforum.com

Jasonw560 wrote:I had an EMT badge issued to me at the last place I worked in the field. It's in the bottom of one of my drawers, useless, and a waste of money.

I used to see the "woo-woos" all the time. I even worked with a couple.

The EMTs who were also VFFs would be the ones (as Basics) would have the trauma shears in their pants, tourniquets tied to them, and $100 stethoscopes around their necks. Also drove the jacked-up personal trucks with the Maltese cross or Star of Life on their windows, and all the sirens and lights they could afford. Not to mention the scanners hung on their belt loops.

These were also the ones us paramedics would LOVE to take down a peg or three on calls. In front of their colleagues. Or their chief.

Wow, that's quite a superiority complex you've got there. I was never a paid in-the-field first responder, but I did work for pay in the ER of a large regional level I trauma center for a number of years, and I knew a little something about rendering ELS even in the field. During the years that I worked in that hospital, I was the first one on scene several times involving grisly motorcycle and car accidents on a popular mountain road where paramedic care was not always quickly available. I know of at least two people who literally owe their lives to my efforts—not that this makes me any better than anyone else. But I'm with Jim here. If you had the time to try and deliberately humiliate a volunteer, particularly in front of his peers and superiors, then I question whether you were giving the patient 100% of your effort. And if you actually used the time which you made available by not giving the patient 100% of your focus in order to humiliate a volunteer in front of his peers and superiors, then I question whether or not you possess the interpersonal skills to be a good paramedic. I would have been worried for what care the patient wasn't getting if you had time to play at social engineer. Furthermore, if he was there with his peers and superiors then he had every right to be there. If he is behaving inapproriately, take it up with his superior—who is the only one who has the right to reprimand him. If not, then let it go. It is unprofessional when competing agencies cannot work out their differences in the field without resorting to being a jerk. Public humiliation just makes you look like a bully, and it doesn't do a single thing to help your patient, who properly should be commanding all of your attention. You don't get paid to be a social cop or the arbiter of whether or not volunteer first responders have any value; you get paid to be a paramedic.

BE one.



And oh, by the way, I never tried to climb into an RA or helicopter where I wasn't invited, and I never tried to manage a case once the paramedics showed up, although I did volunteer to help, even in the menial things like lifting a gurney into the RA or fetching something for the paramedic. Those guys were always classy and never abusive. Heck, I knew half of them anyway since they were transporting to the same trauma center where I worked. Still, there's no reason for nastiness, and the help I gave them was appreciated. Nobody ever tried to pull a superiority attitude with me. It simply wasn't called for or ncessary, and they always had other fish to fry.....like the patient's health.

mojo84 wrote:No disrespect intended, just curious why firefighters need a badge. Is it just tradition or is it actually necessary?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_firefighting

In the UK, the Great Fire of London in 1666 set in motion changes which laid the foundations for organised firefighting in the future. In the wake of the Great Fire, the City Council established the first fire insurance company, "The Fire Office", in 1667, which employed small teams of Thames watermen as firefighters and provided them with uniforms and arm badges showing the company to which they belonged.

Apparently, the reason for the maltese cross on the badge and other emblems and paraphenalia is:
http://firefightersmaltesecross.com/About/about.html

The Maltese Cross A good manyindividuals, including fire personnel are not aware of the complete significance of the eight points on the Maltese Cross. Here they are: The Maltese Cross, depicting the meaning and importance to fire fighters of the six points. From the days of the first crusade, the cross has been the symbol of the Christian warrior who pledged not only to fight in defense of the Holy Land, but also to protect the lives of his compatriots. The Maltese Cross now worn by modern firefighters is actually an adaptation of a particular crusader insignia, the cross of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem... The Knights, one of the oldest orders of warrior monks that fought for Christendom, took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Also known as Hospitallers, the monks maintained a hospital for pilgrims in Jerusalem. Then that city became the centre of the crusade-embattled lands, the brothers militarized their order, but continued to protect pilgrims and extend their charity to the sick and poor. Because of the extensive armor that covered their bodies and faces, the Knights were unable to distinguish friend from foe in battle, so the need for an identifiable emblem for the Knights became crucial. Since they fought their battles for a holy cause, they chose the Cross of Calvary, a white or silver cross on a dark background. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the Knights of St. John moved to the island of Malta. During the crusades, many Knights became firefighters out of necessity. Their enemies had resorted to throwing bombs and sailing war vessels containing naphtha. Hundreds of Knights were burned alive. Others risked their lives to save their brothers in arms from dying painful fiery deaths. Thus these men became our first firefighters and the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow Crusaders who awarded each hero a Badge of Honor ; a cross similar to the one firefighters wear today. The Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his/her life for you, just as Crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so may years ago. The Maltese Cross is a Firefighter's badge of honor, signifying that he/she works in courage... a ladder-run away from death.

I don't know how accurate that is, but that is what I was able to find with 10 seconds of google-fu.