Mendham Borough First Aid Squad
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We pick things up, we put things down...

1/18/2016

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... and we try not to drop them along the way.

Two weeks of class are under my belt, and I'm feeling kind of good. There is certainly a lot of material being covered, and a whole bunch of practical exercises so we can practice skills until they become second nature. Ashley even described the practical exercises as "fun," even while they are designed to get you to think critically about patient care, teamwork and communication.

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The first couple of lectures focused on the background of the Emergency Medical Service system(s) and how they are organized, plus legal aspects including privacy and documentation. 

Practical skills focused on lifting and moving patients, and use of backboards, stretchers and stair chairs. The one from Striker Medical that we carry in our rigs is pictured here..


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Class is in session!

1/5/2016

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And so it begins, not with a whimper or a bang, but rather with a 2-and-a-half hour orientation session last night. 24 hopeful future EMTs, split about 50/50 between men and women, from squads around Morris, Union and Somerset counties.

I'm taking my EMT course through Atlantic Training Center at the Morris County Public Safety Academy in Parsippany, although there certainly are many other training organizations offering EMT courses in New Jersey.

The key message last night was pretty simple: Becoming an EMT is hard work. Be prepared to put in the time, study, practice and study some more. Classroom lectures, reading assignments, online lectures and quizzes, in-class written and practical exams... plus 10 hours of clinical rotation in a hospital emergency department or with the Mobile ICU (MICU, aka paramedics). Clearly, this is not something you can coast through with some last minute cramming.

One instructor explained that they weren't there to help us pass the course. Their goals were to turn out the best EMTs possible, and while they'd be more than happy to help us when we need it or when we ask for help, but ultimately this has to be something that we, as students, really wanted to succeed at.

The goal, as he explained it, was to teach us to "act, not react".

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    Author

    Jon Alperin, one of our MFAS volunteers, shares his journey to becoming an NJ certified EMT.

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    from the Start

    Here is Jon's journey, presented in time order:
    • T-30 & counting
    • A look back at my first year with this squad
    • 1500 pages of EMT know-how
    • Class is in Session!
    • We pick things up, we put things down
    • The head bone is connected to the neck bone...
    • Questions? We've got a million of them...
    • Practice is vital, and vitals take practice
    • Getting ready for the 1st test
    • Taking a breather
    • Be still my beating heart
    • Gearing up for mid-term exams
    • A peak inside a PSAP
    • Urgency, not emergency
    • Paramedics - Our partners in success
    • Under pressure
    • Around the bend, the end is in sight
    • From beginning to end
    • A grim way to learn
    • The toughest lesson
    • One behind, one ahead
    • Tom Petty had it right...
    • Just gonna let this speak for itself
    • The end of the beginning

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  • About Us
    • What We Do
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    • MFAS FAQ
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  • Volunteer
    • How to Help
    • Cadet Program
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  • Donate
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