I've been in the volunteer fire service for 27+ years. In that time the one thing that drives me nuts at my local fire department (been a member there 17 years) are the misplaced priorities by our members (mainly leadership).

Example: Our duty officer vehicle (which is a licensed QRS or medical response vehicle) and our Engine don't have pediatric AED (Automatic External Defibrilator) pads for use with pediatric patients. Been this way for several months. What we do have though is a brand new popcorn machine in the kitchen and idiotic signage on our rigs (slogans and such) that was recently purchased yet we can't properly defibrilate a child in a life/death situation.

Bring it up and nothing is done but I guarantee you at next month's company meeting someone will want to buy some worthless piece of shit we don't need and will get approved and ordered immediately.

Thanks for letting me rant.

If it makes you feel any better, statistically the odds of a ped having a shockable rhythm are very very very low.

And the full-energy adult pads will still cardiovert a pediatric heart.

Do the AEDs have selector switches? Or do they depend on the ped pads to reduce the power level?

Somewhat related: I was campaigning for dashcams for our patrol cars and was told there was no money for the purchase. Several days later I saw a brand new refrigerator in the admin offices.
Priorities.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
If it makes you feel any better, statistically the odds of a ped having a shockable rhythm are very very very low.

And the full-energy adult pads will still cardiovert a pediatric heart.

Do the AEDs have selector switches? Or do they depend on the ped pads to reduce the power level?

I'm aware the statistics are very low. I've been a medical professional for many years, ACLS, PALS certified, etc....

They rely on the pads to reduce the power level. The primary medical vehicle response vehicles (both Rescue Squads) have the proper pads but our ROGs (Recommended Operating Guidlines) call for all AEDs to have both sets of pads. The duty officer vehicle often runs on cardiac arrest calls.

I just find it annoying that leadership cares more about slogans and stupid bullshit than having vehicles properly equipped. We aren't hurting for money as we receive a nice amount of tax dollars for our expenses.

If you're in the area though stop by for free popcorn with extra butter....

And if scrutiny was coming from the other direction, you 'd get written up for not having "required equipment"

Perception is everything, and the perception here is pretty bad...but, could also be a case of a wonky budget?

I've worked places with very clearly defined and divided budgets. Admin budget, equipment budget, food budget, etc.

I could be told there was no money for new radios or cameras because the equipment budget was spent, but the brand new popcorn machine would appear because the money allocated for it was always allocated for it, in a separate budget.

Could this be a similar case of not necessarily saying "screw the AED, I want a popcorn machine instead" and more a case of disproportionate budgeting?

Not really a priority thing, more on the order of just plain foolishness... but our local FD bought a shiny new truck and then figured out it was too tall to fit in their garage.

quote:

could also be a case of a wonky budget?

No, they move money from one line to another all the time.

The only way to explain it is as I titled the thread "Misplaced Priorities".

I thought the AED determined shock and amount applied, so the pads didnt matter? OR is that just some versions?

I think it is the same everywhere.

We were asking for new cameras for the investigators, more of the smaller point and shoot variety not the DSLR cameras (where only one investigator who used to work for CMPD Crime Scene knows how to use)

Those are not in the budget nor is training courses available but they bought a new microwave and looking at pricing for new stand up desks.

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:
Not really a priority thing, more on the order of just plain foolishness... but our local FD bought a shiny new truck and then figured out it was too tall to fit in their garage.

That happens more often than you think.

quote:

brand new popcorn machine

At medical conferences held in hotels there are often commercial popcorn machines in the lobby. They are there because they do a really good job of masking formaldehyde if dissections are going on. Just a little factoid there.

Just one of the reasons most Departments are paid! No more stopping for a case going to the fire but you do get a higher caliber of Participants. And there are rules and reg's to follow that are real. I know many fine Volunteer FF. And I know many that are there for giggles.

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:
Not really a priority thing, more on the order of just plain foolishness... but our local FD bought a shiny new truck and then figured out it was too tall to fit in their garage.

That happens more often than you think.

Several years ago our FD bought a new bucket truck. An 80 footer with man bucket and a water cannon up top. Only thing is they didn't know it had no onboard water tank and not even pump until they got it. Witch is fine, but how did they spec it out and not know? In all fairness I think it was from some sort of grant. Made front page of the paper, pretty embarrassing. So they dedicated an older seldom used pumper to feed it. First time it was put into a big fire they burned up the engine of the pumper truck trying to feed it enough water to use the nozzle at height.

Our local fire department, career, not volly, wasted half a million dollars on a TILLER TRUCK.
We don't have any streets or corners narrow or tight enough for a tiller truck. No pump, no hose bed, no tank, totally reliant on other engines to get, and pump water to the tower. Freaking useless. They could have got a good aerial for a lot less money, but boy, does it look good in parades!

quote:

Originally posted by Fla. Jim:
Just one of the reasons most Departments are paid! No more stopping for a case going to the fire but you do get a higher caliber of Participants. And there are rules and reg's to follow that are real. I know many fine Volunteer FF. And I know many that are there for giggles.

Vol FDs actually make up about 75% of the departments in the US.

quote:

Several years ago our FD bought a new bucket truck. An 80 footer with man bucket and a water cannon up top. Only thing is they didn't know it had no onboard water tank and not even pump until they got it. Witch is fine, but how did they spec it out and not know? In all fairness I think it was from some sort of grant. Made front page of the paper, pretty embarrassing. So they dedicated an older seldom used pumper to feed it. First time it was put into a big fire they burned up the engine of the pumper truck trying to feed it enough water to use the nozzle at height.

Given that new trucks generally are spec'd from the ground up with the Chief, there's no excuse for them to not realize that.

That being said, a lot of towers don't have pumps. Any decent pumper should be able to pump it without issue.

Just looked up the stats and your right about 70% nationwide are Vol. . In Fla. it's more like 34%