As far as the Victorian Liberal opposition and ambulance promises go, this one is interesting.

In a media release dated 20 July 2010, the State opposition has stated that they will increase eastern metro (peripheral) ambulance cover by making the Belgrave, Emerald, and Yarra Junction branches all 24 hr branches.

Is this a good thing?

Could this funding and person power be better spent elsewhere?

Despite figures showing extended average wait times I would like to see the number of cases each of these crews attended – especially Belgrave.

I suspect Belgrave services more than just their  peripheral area and that the money could be spent on finding  Mooroolbark their own branch in a strategic position as well as finding Knox and Vermont South branches a less decrepit home.

Let us know what you think about the Liberal party promises and your own solutions as well as any other thoughts – what about the west?

She died later that night in hospital.

I spoke to paramedics who had heard the gruesome details first-hand from those on scene. Of how they felt that this was the worst scene a paramedic could attend. And of some paramedic’s relief that it hadn’t been them on scene.

I read in the local paper, the Knox Leader (June 8, 2010 – words by – Adrian Bernecich), about a hero grappling with the horror of the day. Dean Filmer showed all that is good about humanity by trying to help despite the carnage and danger. He’s also going to seek counselling after all that he’d witnessed.

I just hope the paramedic’s who attended this patient seek counselling themselves. No training or life experience could prepare a paramedic for what happened that day. Those that transported the woman to hospital would have had her cries and pleas in their ears for the long journey to one of the city trauma centres. They would have fought to keep her comfortable despite her skin peeling away at the slightest touch.

These people, the paramedics, will grapple with this horror for a long time to come and the community will probably never understand this battle.

To papers, like the Knox Leader, don’t forget that paramedics are people too. Nasty things take their toll.

I think they deserved a foot-note after this job.

Time to vote via telephonium on the “Proposed variation to Ambulance Victoria Enterprise Agreement 2009″.
This time it’d be nice to actually have some people voting – unlike the three people who did vote last time.
At Azureblues.com we’re not about to tell you which way to vote – suffice to say that voting is important.
Cheers and happy voting.

While this is an obvious loss to the MICA community, it’s a great thing for the road crews in Melbourne.

With his experience and approachable demeanour, new students and experienced “roadies” will stand to benefit from his knowledge.

I know this from personal experience.

Good luck and best wishes.

Although this road safety report from Western Australia states that restricting the power-to-weight ratio is not proven to have a statistical effect on road fatalities involving the “yoof”, you’d be fooling yourself if you believed that hoon cars don’t beget hoons. Nanna drivers don’t usually drive Godzillas, XR6s, SSs, or 200SXs. They drive 1979 ‘Rollas or 92 Pulsars. So what should be done – in my humblest of opinions?

I agree with the new P-plate licensing including the passenger and alcohol restrictions. They’re logical. But to truly deter the rapscallions I think the devilish details should read something like this:

• <10km/hr over limit – $ fine.
• >10km/hr <20km/hr – $$ fine.
• >20km/hr <30km/hr – Car impounded for 1 month + $$$ fine + loss of license for 1 month.
• >30km/hr – Car sold by Police at auction if roadworthy + $$$ fine + loss of license for 6 months.
• >30km/hr – Car crushed and sold as scrap if not roadworthy + $$$ fine + loss of license for 6 months.

Simple to understand and would act as a deterrent. These fools of drivers really need to understand that actions have consequences. Time for them to grow up I reckon and get out from behind mummies skirt.

And a quick message to those parents out there that buy little Johnnies first car – and make it a “go faster” expensive one. This habit does not teach little Johnny to value the privilege of driving. Get him to save up his K-Mart wages and buy something himself.

The 1990 Barina ain’t so bad.

I’ll leave you with a couple of thoughts.

The first is with regards to the recent tragedy and comes from a paramedic on the scene. Paramedic Ron McLeod stated – “It was just carnage everywhere”, and that it was the worst he’d seen in 30 years. Those images will haunt Ron and the other attending emergency services personnel for the rest of their lives. That is not fair to them or their families.

And lastly – to the families of those affected by this and other tragedies. Try not to dwell on what has past (it goes without saying that this disaster will stay with you forever) – instead use those feelings as a catalyst for change. Educate anyone you meet. You can and will make a difference.

40+ degree heat (104F) is truly hard and dangerous work. It’s not just the sweating Nannas that appreciate the hard work.

From this point forward, until I change my mind, we’ll natter about ambulance, medicine, science and associated topics in a positive way-ish.

I promise. Honest. Besides, only half of Victoria’s ambos bothered to vote in the latest EBA ballot. So whats the point of fighting something that people obviously don’t care about. I promise that was the last of it…

Despite Ambulance Victoria (AV) running an ambulance service propped up by paramedic goodwill (overtime), AV has managed to secure a 20% pay cut on this goodwill.

It’s remarkable that paramedics were threatened by Fair Work Australia and Ambulance Victoria for even thinking about withdrawing from voluntary overtime (due to fears for public safety) – yet on the other hand Ambulance Victoria allegedly dropped over 20 ambulances from service the other night (allegedly commonplace too). With no repercussions.

Viva La Pay Cuts – except for the boss’ $30,000 pay rise.

Nice.

With the new EBA happening and paramedics likely to experience a pay cut overall, we’re still willing to tackle new skills like Intranasal Fentanyl, IV Dextrose, new burns dressings, and MDI Salbutamol. All of which benefit Joe Public but increases the expectations on the Paramedic in Victoria.

On the other hand, firemen gained allowances for things like CPR. Is it paramedics goodwill or the proactive fire union that made the difference?

Don’t get me wrong, firies rock – especially when they turn up at cardiac arrests to do compressions for us. Good on ‘em for getting the cashola.

Anyhoo – it’s all food for thought. I’m leaning towards feeling that our union has dropped the ball. We’re looking at a capped 2.5% raise while Alfred hospital physio’s, etc are looking at 5+%. good on ‘em too I say. They earned it after falling behind.

Maybe next time for us?

Solidarity. Mutual goals. And then it all crumbles. Or has it?

So the Ambulance Victoria enterprise bargaining melodrama continues. This time in a more surreptitious manner. Ambulance Victoria has struck an agreement of sorts with the Victorian Ambulance Union (AEAV), a last minute face saving exercise, apparently.

Next came the MICA mass resignations and another last minute agreement between the MICA paramedics and Ambulance Victoria. This assured an improved package for MICA paramedics.

En masse there has been a collective “fair enough too”. But this has left the Victorian work-horse paramedic in an unenviable position.

They can now accept an agreement that has been universally seen as  degrading  pay and conditions or they can say no and go to arbitration.

There are three major problems with arbitration. Number one is that it puts in jeopardy the gains made by MICA paramedics. Secondly the arbitrator could strip the hard earned and required benefits that all paramedics enjoy. And thirdly paramedics could be seen, by Joe Public, as being greedy and ungrateful.

These are interesting and confusing times.

Greed, human nature, comradeship, and so on. A true melodrama is playing out.

You see, there’s been some union-ing goin’ on. And it’s been makin’ me sad.

In fact, of all of the workplaces I’ve ever worked in (and there’s been more than a few), I have never seen such low morale.

Paramedics are just fed up with the enterprise bargaining process and how hamstrung we’ve been by Free Work Australia (FWA) or whatever it’s called.

Unlike just about any other occupation or field of work we paramedics can’t express ourselves with any form of industrial action. No strikes, no stopworks, no overtime bans (despite overtime being voluntary). Even our MICA paramedics have been threatened with mass sackings for expressing their concerns.

Anyhoo, this has been an ill-worded, grammatically rubbish post but I think you get the point.

So in a nutshell:

We, the paramedics of Victoria, feel shafted by the Victorian Government and by our own union, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Cheers!

Back in the day I had a hell of a time passing my university degree. I always had questions floating around in my head about everything I’d learned. To many whys and not enough acceptance. All this did was to brick up any further learning. Then I’d start falling behind.

I vowed never to go back.

Then I did.

This time I accepted what I was told. I kept up. I went home and read. I answered those questions in my head, in my own time, at my own pace. The simplicity of it all just clicked.

This is why, if I can, I break everything down to its most simple form. Even being a paramedic.

So here’s the theory:

• When you meet the patient find out first if they’re alive, dying or dead. This should be fairly obvious.
• If they’re gasping give them oxygen. If they’re not breathing, start CPR and pop the defibrillator on. If they look like they’ve had a big trauma, have someone stabilise their neck. If the blood’s pouring out, stop it. Otherwise take a breath.
• The next step is to find out what’s wrong. I reckon the best way is to ask them. See, simple is nearly always the best.
• Get a baseline. Conscious state, blood pressures and heart rates, see how well their breathing is. This’ll give you an idea as to whether they’re getting worse or if your treatment is working.
• Treat what you can treat and transport.
• Done, QED, keep it simple stupid.

This is just the standard clinical approach. Don’t over complicate it.

You’ll fix the diabetic hypos, and the heroin overdoses. But if they’re sick I say leave it to the folks that earn the big bucks. There’s only so much you can carry anyway.

Apparently, even though the word is great and perfectly descriptive, acopia isn’t a real word. What! Although Wikipedia has it listed. Take that real dictionaries!

Anyhoo, here is the AzureBlues guide to conquering your acopia. And if you’re not sure if you’re a sufferer we’ll start off with a few key signs (I think I’ve worn out the apostrophe button after that sentence) in a vaguely Dave Lettermanish style.

1. Your house stinks of stale food and strange fungus.
2. Your carpet moves by itself.
3. There’s cat poo in your living room that’s older than your 18 month old child.
4. You hand paramedics your health care card before you’ve even told them why they’re needed.
5. You’ve called the ambulance because you couldn’t move the Range Rover to get to your Mercedes.
6. You call ambulances because you’ve run out of smokes.
7. You think the ambulance will get your ingrown toenail seen quicker if the ambulance takes you to hospital.
8. You use pizza boxes as furniture.
9. You call an ambulance for something small yet there are 4 cars in the driveway and plenty of people around to drive one for you.
10. Did I mention the cat poo?

So how can one rid themselves of the label “Acopic”?

It’s all simplicity incorporated:

1. Buy and use a vacuum. A weekly vacuum around your place will take 20 minutes. You may get fitter, and your kid will be less grey after crawling along the floor.
2. Wash your dishes once a day. That way you won’t have to by pizza all the time because of a lack of clean plates.
3. Chocolate and cigarettes are not a food group. Fruit, vegies (not chips), and lean meats are good for you. Eat these and less of the others and you’ll be able to think straight.
4. If you can’t see your toes, cut down on the food and go for a walk. It’ll hold off the diabetes, strokes and heart attacks. This is good.
5. Remember that emergency ambulances are for emergencies. Minor cuts, bruises, bad hair days, lack of ciggies, and ingrown toenails don’t need ambulances. Call a friend and ask them to take you to the local Dr.
6. Change the sheets on your bed. Strange stains on the sheets aren’t imperfections in the fabric – they’re strange stains.
7. If it smells bad then it probably is. This refers to food, the dog, your car, and you.
8. If the bin’s full, empty it. That way the things that smell bad will smell bad outside your home.
9. That cat poo on the floor is not furniture or an art installation. Toxoplasmosis is bad. Clean it up.
10. Kids are not pets and should not be created to claim pension benefits.

I think that may just about do. If you’ve got any other ideas drop us a line in the comments section.

Cheers.

• Money loses its ability to reliably raise wellbeing beyond a household income of $100,000 – $150,000. Beyond this level, well being does not increase in line with increasing income.
• Single parents who are not earning money are an extremely high-risk category for developing depression with 70% having a high level of income uncertainty.

Anecdotally, ambulance crews see this every day. Young mums, with kids, and no time to work due to lack of support from family or the derro that walked out on her. She feels worthless, unable to independently support her children.

On the other hand, the more you earn the more your heart and soul belongs to the workplace. That’s not a recipe for happiness. The Audi RS4′s nice but you only use it to commute ‘cos the boss has you working weekends. The kids get screwed up and can’t cope with life.

I’m not going to preach because, as an ambo, I’ll never earn the big dollars. All we can do is the important things like standing by our families.

QED

Little snippets of nothing that apparently mean something. Sounds like a Milky Way Ad.

My problem, I think aside from my other idiot-syncrasies, is that Twitter is little more than the status updates from Facebook but just with a little added Ashton and Oprah.

Isn’t it?

Maybe I’m narrow minded. But according to this article, 60% of people who try Twitter stop trying the next month. Forever.

That’s crap. Facebook is at least lots of percents more.

Anyhoo. Sorry for the delay in the posts. Except from my Tweets on the right hand side. Pass the Duchy, Twitter does have a use. Micro-updates to blogs.

What a hypocrite.