Chit Chat 14 - The Quest To Stay Open

[HPD260]

Our ESU guys wear their sidearms strapped to their leg. It’s still looped around the belt But the leg strap takes a lot of the weight off the belt.

And cross drawing is a horrifically bad idea. Everyone in front of you gets lasered.

Not to mention weapon retention issues and draw issues if you get pinned down somewhere. It's becoming very popular with K9 handlers though for some reason. Any form of cross draw is specifically prohibited by policy at my department, including carrying off duty.

[dudme]

Festival season is coming for the first time in 3 years
This year would have been my 20th in a row at Roskilde, but then came Ze Virus. And it sold out so quickly in '20 that I only got a Thursday ticket
But I've just gotten onto one of the stage building crews which means: Full festival ticket (oh yes!); No work during the festival (So I can drink one hundred beers each day); Meal/drinks tickets (good for my budget); And a real bed inside a trailer, plus free access to proper showers (The best perk of them all, as I'm too old to go for days without a shower, my body is too old to sleep on the ground for a whole week, and I'm too much of an old man to tolerate partying teens and their stupidly loud soundboxes next to my tent when I need to sleep).
[Borat]Great Success![/Borat]

Everybody is, they just don't realize it. And I for one am so happy to be coming out of the coat season! Some of these guys have jackets that have not been laundered since the Civil War and you can tell.

[JY Kelly]

Not to mention weapon retention issues and draw issues if you get pinned down somewhere. It's becoming very popular with K9 handlers though for some reason. Any form of cross draw is specifically prohibited by policy at my department, including carrying off duty.

It’s certainly prohibited in ours. It’s also just a really bad idea.

[Feenix]

Our ESU guys wear their sidearms strapped to their leg. It’s still looped around the belt But the leg strap takes a lot of the weight off the belt.

The drop-leg holsters seem to work well in certain kits, but my military pals can't stand them. They bounce around too much when running, or so I'm told.

[HPD260]

The drop-leg holsters seem to work well in certain kits, but my military pals can't stand them. They bounce around too much when running, or so I'm told.

One of the biggest problems with drop leg holsters is that people run them too low. They were meant to lower the gun so you could clear armor, not to put the grip of the gun halfway down your thigh. Too many people run them so low that they have to bend sideways to get an effective grip on the pistol.

[doomonyou]

I started scribing in the ER to get some clinical exposure for med school. Holy smokes, I had no idea half this country is missing their gallbladder! OK so maybe half is an exaggeration, but dang, take it easy on the junk food everyone. Vegetables are good!

ED is a great place to study the human being for sure.
Obesity is common place
All pain is a 12 and only narcotics help. As they talk to you in a normal tone of voice.
The ED is the primary care center for 80% of the population

If you get a chance, do some ride time with the local fire dept / EMS
Then you will really get to see how people live!

[Feenix]

One of the biggest problems with drop leg holsters is that people run them too low. They were meant to lower the gun so you could clear armor, not to put the grip of the gun halfway down your thigh. Too many people run them so low that they have to bend sideways to get an effective grip on the pistol.

That's fair. I have no real experience with them aside from trying one on during my tacticool phase.

[JY Kelly]

One of the biggest problems with drop leg holsters is that people run them too low. They were meant to lower the gun so you could clear armor, not to put the grip of the gun halfway down your thigh. Too many people run them so low that they have to bend sideways to get an effective grip on the pistol.

I used a drop holster when I was on the MC unit. It allowed the gun to be easily accessible while astride the MC.

[Talon]

ED is a great place to study the human being for sure.
Obesity is common place
All pain is a 12 and only narcotics help. As they talk to you in a normal tone of voice.
The ED is the primary care center for 80% of the population

If you get a chance, do some ride time with the local fire dept / EMS
Then you will really get to see how people live!

Great advice for sure. I have a friend who told me some of the wildest stories from his time as a paramedic in downtown Houston, just the crazy calls and people. The ED I'm working at is at a Level 1 Trauma center, so we're seeing a lot more beyond sore throats and back pain, which is good for me to get the clinical exposure I'm seeking.
You're definitely right about primary care, most of the people coming in have issues that could be solved through their primary care doc but can't go to because of long waits for appointments, inability to pay, etc. I've already seen quite a few who were recently incarcerated and just need some medical assistance for fairly normal issues but have to wait until they get a job, etc. etc.

[JY Kelly]

Great advice for sure. I have a friend who told me some of the wildest stories from his time as a paramedic in downtown Houston, just the crazy calls and people. The ED I'm working at is at a Level 1 Trauma center, so we're seeing a lot more beyond sore throats and back pain, which is good for me to get the clinical exposure I'm seeking.
You're definitely right about primary care, most of the people coming in have issues that could be solved through their primary care doc but can't go to because of long waits for appointments, inability to pay, etc. I've already seen quite a few who were recently incarcerated and just need some medical assistance for fairly normal issues but have to wait until they get a job, etc. etc.

I worked as an EMT in the 90’s and spent time in some of the busiest L1 trauma centers in northern NJ- St. Joe’s in Paterson, Hackensack Medical Center, UMDNJ in Newark. These are places that will answer the question, “Do I really want to go into medicine?”

[Feenix]

You're definitely right about primary care, most of the people coming in have issues that could be solved through their primary care doc but can't go to because of long waits for appointments, inability to pay, etc.

Man, I can't even imagine having a primary care/family doctor. Huge shortage of docs up here; ER, urgent care, and clinics are the norm in many parts of the country for primary care.

[doomonyou]

30 years playing paramedic and throw in 15 as an ED nurse, then deciding to jump in the mid level ring (Nurse Prac). Has made me really hate people in general. I have no issue caring for and treating those truly in need. Its the fat slobs, abusers, etc that over run the ED or call 911 for their poor life choices that I can't stand.
My GF worked a L1 trauma center (shes a CT tech) to pad her resume. She worked at OSU in Columbus Ohio. She called one night and said there were 140 some people in the waiting room!! This is just one ED in Columbus, I think there are 10 hospitals in the city. 2 L1, 2 or 3 L 2 trauma centers, which there isn't much difference between the two. She lasted a year and didn't renew her contract.
My city I worked in had two level 2 centers and was a regional hub for debauchery covering Kentucky, Ohio and WV. I work in the ED as a side gig to pay off my school bill and then I'm done with it. I should have gone into research or informatics. What I really need is an cubicle in the basement counting band aids or shaking sharps containers and replacing the the full ones

Actually, my latest job is prison nurse in a female only prison - easiest job I've had. 12 hour nights, I work a week and off a week. Work a few hours a night dealing with nonsense and then read, play on the computer, go to the gym, eat too much, LoL a pretty good gig.

[keaton_86]

30 years playing paramedic and throw in 15 as an ED nurse, then deciding to jump in the mid level ring (Nurse Prac). Has made me really hate people in general. I have no issue caring for and treating those truly in need. Its the fat slobs, abusers, etc that over run the ED or call 911 for their poor life choices that I can't stand.
My GF worked a L1 trauma center (shes a CT tech) to pad her resume. She worked at OSU in Columbus Ohio. She called one night and said there were 140 some people in the waiting room!! This is just one ED in Columbus, I think there are 10 hospitals in the city. 2 L1, 2 or 3 L 2 trauma centers, which there isn't much difference between the two. She lasted a year and didn't renew her contract.
My city I worked in had two level 2 centers and was a regional hub for debauchery covering Kentucky, Ohio and WV. I work in the ED as a side gig to pay off my school bill and then I'm done with it. I should have gone into research or informatics. What I really need is an cubicle in the basement counting band aids or shaking sharps containers and replacing the the full ones

Actually, my latest job is prison nurse in a female only prison - easiest job I've had. 12 hour nights, I work a week and off a week. Work a few hours a night dealing with nonsense and then read, play on the computer, go to the gym, eat too much, LoL a pretty good gig.

That sounds pretty gnarly. I've often said (jokingly) that when I'm prime minister of New Zealand, nurses and teachers are the first people getting raises. The **** they have to put up with is on a different level

[dudme]

30 years playing paramedic and throw in 15 as an ED nurse, then deciding to jump in the mid level ring (Nurse Prac). Has made me really hate people in general. I have no issue caring for and treating those truly in need. Its the fat slobs, abusers, etc that over run the ED or call 911 for their poor life choices that I can't stand.
My GF worked a L1 trauma center (shes a CT tech) to pad her resume. She worked at OSU in Columbus Ohio. She called one night and said there were 140 some people in the waiting room!! This is just one ED in Columbus, I think there are 10 hospitals in the city. 2 L1, 2 or 3 L 2 trauma centers, which there isn't much difference between the two. She lasted a year and didn't renew her contract.
My city I worked in had two level 2 centers and was a regional hub for debauchery covering Kentucky, Ohio and WV. I work in the ED as a side gig to pay off my school bill and then I'm done with it. I should have gone into research or informatics. What I really need is an cubicle in the basement counting band aids or shaking sharps containers and replacing the the full ones

Actually, my latest job is prison nurse in a female only prison - easiest job I've had. 12 hour nights, I work a week and off a week. Work a few hours a night dealing with nonsense and then read, play on the computer, go to the gym, eat too much, LoL a pretty good gig.

I have watched a documentary or two on Cimamax about that a time or two.

[K_50]

That sounds like a great deal to me.

Me too . Not in terms of hours spent vs. rewards gained, as I'll be putting something like 100 hours of work into it. But I like building stuff, and I count the work days as making up for two lost festivals - camping out and spending all your time in good company, just swapping drink for work most of your waking hours.

I spent this weekend doing a similar, but much smaller job at Copenhell (a metal festival here in Copenhagen), starting the build of one of the site props.
The two modules in the pic and one more go on top of a shipping container, along with some down the sides to make it look like a church. The outside will be covered with raw boards, painted black (much metuhl!).
Besides all of us getting wicked sun burns from working outside for 2x12 hours it was a lot of fun. And it got me the full ticket, which has been sold out for 3 years (and the line-up is insane this year!).