Judy Belanger, Paramedic Toronto EMS

City Executive Deputation Sept 19, 2011

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[MarcColbeckCCP]

Very well said Judy! Good for you. I couldn't agree with what you've said more. Marc Colbeck, former CCP, Toronto EMS. Lecturer in Paramedicine, School of Medicine, Flinders University.

[hadmyphill]

Very nice Judy! I don't think you could have put more relevant information in those two minutes.

[BHalyk]

you would never do a 12 lead on a VSA patient...also doctors dont need to pronounce a death. ACP can TOR patient with physician approval on scene. and although I agree that paramedics cannot diagnose, they can suggest a differential diagnosis. As a result, a positive STEMI on a 12 lead can save a patients life because of the time saved by bypassing the ER.

[tr3mblay69]

@medstar01 Not sure why this discussion is getting personal but i agree with the fact that merging fire and ems will most definitely lower prehospital care. Fire is great to have on scene on a vsa because they usually get there faster and can start cpr, but at the end of the day fire's prime JOB isn't patient care, its fires and helping with extrication etc at MVC's. I'm not belittling fire's role at all but paramedics have a way bigger medical skill set and can simply provide pt care fire can't

[medstar01]

Sitting around doing "nothing" and "afraid" of being laid off. Obviously you don't know what happens in an EMS or Fire Station. Last time I checked, only physicians can diagnose an MI, not paramedics. Pay attention in class instead of wasting your time texting. The 12 lead is kind of worthless if nobody is doing CPR on a VSA pt. before the ambulance arrives. The ALS runs 3 rounds of protocol before calling a doctor to field pronounce. No bypass required. Your negativity hurts EMS.

[qazwas2001]

@medstar01 Fire responds faster because they are sitting around doing nothing, which is why they are afraid of being laid off. Those resources will be moving to ems. Since 2007, long after the opals study, paramedics can diagnose a myocardial infarction through 12 lead and activate the cath lab, bypassing emergency altogether. Lets see you do that with your CPR C ticket.

I am currently a 2nd year paramedic student. I had firefighters in my class, until they all failed.

[medstar01]

Interesting how you avoid informing City Council about the OPALS study for adults - cardiac arrest component which in Phase III "showed no incrimental benefit in survival from ALS." Phase I and II, however, did show the importance of bystander CPR and significant improvements in survival from the optimization of an existing defibrillation program, both of which can be provided by the Fire Service. Needed EMS resources are often tied up with offload delays, redirected transport.