JS> I'm sorry that you feel that you have been insulted. It is YOUR state
 JS> DHS that's been insulting YOU, by requiring their standards be higher
 JS> than the National Registry Testing!! This happens when your state
Huh?  Actually, states that require a higher level, are just raising the 
level of professionalism in that state.
Just a little better than all the rest....
 JS> Dept of Health Services, including many states where there is little
 JS> or no cooperation between the EMS providers and DHS bureaucracy, who
 JS> really have no idea of what street medicine really is all about.
Chuckle.  TN for one, does not see much of that.  All of the people in
the State office of Emergency Medical Services have seen the streets, even 
down
to most of the clerical staff.  Damn good at it also!
 JS> Believe me,
 JS> I've been there, done that. Many states have DHS employees who are not
 JS> even qualified to be making the kinds of decisions they do. Arizona
TN is not in that situation.
 JS> abolished. The community colleges (teaching and testing) and the state
 JS> fire marshall's office (licensing) would then have control - where it
 JS> really belongs.
TN has been that way for years, albeit the state office of emergency medical
services does the licensing.  Where it really belongs.  We use the fire
marshall for fire related stuff, not medical.
 JS> Arizona does not have a standardized test and the NRT does and that is
 JS> why the state of Arizona is converting. By the year 2000, all of
Fine.  They should do so.  But other states that already have a standardized
test, and require a higher standard, should not be required to LOWER THEIR
STANDARDS to meet those of states WITHOUT THE SAME LEVEL OF QUALITY CARE!
 JS> process. I know because I'm very, very, informed, shall we say. One of
Good for you.  
 JS> the NRT long term goals is to have the NRT replace ALL the states'
 JS> testing be standardized nationwide to the NRT level and establish new
 JS> guidelines and levels of care.
NRT, with all their money grubbing outlook, may have that goal.  Many
of us hope that goal is unobtainable for them.
 JS> The AHA overhauled their program two years ago. Now it's time for
 JS> EMT's and Paramedics to do the same. That way, if I'm in another
Not if it requires LOWERING THE STANDARDS ALREADY IN PLACE IN A STATE!
 JS> You'd be surprised at how many lawsuits get filed against EMT's and
 JS> Paramedics for not DOING or FOLLOWING established PROTOCOL. This never
 JS> gets published in the papers much, but it's a big problem. The
Actually, although it does happen, the frequency is not near as much as
urban legend makes it out to be.
 BB> Just because some states have standards lower than NR, does not mean
 BB> that NR is the gold standard.  Maybe the overall baseline, but by
 BB> no means the gold standard.
 JS> NRT is the "gold standard". That is fact, Blake. It satisfies a
Absolutly not.  It may be fact in your state, but don't presume to speak
for the entire country.
NRT in some states, is a lower level of training/certification, than is 
acceptable.
 JS> *LEGAL* level of care that will stand up in a court of law. It makes
Again, maybe in your state, but not in others!
 JS> Here's the REAL LEGAL test. If I'm traveling in another state and am
 JS> NREMT certified, and I come upon an accident scene as a first
 JS> responder. An ambulance shows up with two EMT's. As an NREMT, I
 JS> identify myself as such and I take command of the scene. An EMT must
 JS> yield command to a
 JS> NREMT if the NREMT requests to do so. I cannot pass or yield command
 JS> to the EMT's. I can ask them to assist until relieved of command by 1)
 JS> another NREMT, 2) an EMT-P, 3) a NREMT-P, 4) a doctor licensed in that
 JS> state that accepts FULL responsibility for the patient(s) on the
 JS> scene, or 5) the hospital E/R physician via cellular patch.
In the state of TN, as in others, you will be requested to leave, and if
you persist in "taking command of the scene" you will be escorted away from
the scene by law enforcement.
If you try this stunt in Nashville, Metro Police will most likely arrest
you for interfering.
... 
--- PPoint 1.98
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