Tag Archives: Kelly Grayson

Part I – CCW on duty… and the conversation we SHOULD be having

September 15, 2012 10:40 pm | 19 Comments |

Kip Teitsort of DT4EMS.com uses this poster to express a brilliant analogy on arming EMS/Fire providers.

Like a reanimated zombie you just can’t kill, the debate over EMS/Fire responders carrying concealed weapons (CCW) on duty is back on its feet.  Kelly Grayson weighed-in on the Virginia issue over at his blog, and EMS World picked up another story out of Ohio.

This debate annoys me as much as the political banter of an election year, and for the same reason.  Each side is so focused on their philosophical rants that they miss out on the conversation we should be having.  It starts with the simple question, “Will ______ issue or policy substantially change my everyday life?”

For the issue of concealed carry on duty, the clear answer is, “NO.”  Regardless of the CCW policy outcome in Virginia and Ohio, EMS/Fire providers will still face the largest likelihood of line of duty deaths (LODD) from cardiovascular disease and motor vehicle collisions.  We are our own worst enemies.

But what about all the assaults on providers?  We have to do SOMETHING!!

Absolutely.  Action must be taken on a national level to teach EMS providers how to evade and defend themselves from the most common healthcare-atmosphere assaults.  

Here’s where we can start the conversation that SHOULD be taking place.  Take a look at the EMS section of The Secret List and the “Assault on Staff” log in the DT4EMS forums.  You will find instances of providers being shot or stabbed.  CCW may or may not have changed those outcomes, we will never be sure.  

But you can be sure of something else.  CCW won’t change the fact that EMS/Fire personnel will continue to get physically assaulted.  Far more common are the “empty hand” assaults on providers who haven’t been trained in simple evasion and defense of said threats.  According to the Use-of-Force Continuum, these assaults should not be answered with lethal force on the part of the provider via CCW.  This may be a shock to some, but getting punched or kicked by a patient-turned-assailant doesn’t justify a lethal-force response.

The conversation needs to be directed toward first addressing the most common assaults.  Training like Defensive Tactics for EMS/Fire is the logical first step.  When we, as an industry, have taken steps to mitigate non-lethal assaults through basic training, then (and only then) we can begin having the lethal-force/CCW conversation that so many want to jump into today. 

 

Posted in: Clinical Considerations | Tagged: , , , ,

EMS Book Review: A Paramedic’s Story: Life, Death, and Everything in Between

March 24, 2012 8:00 pm | 3 Comments |

In keeping with the 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge for EMS Professionals, I’ll be offering up a book review each month this year.  February got pretty busy, so I’ll be doing two reviews for March.  This EMS Book Review is A Paramedic’s Story: Life, Death, and Everything in Between by Steven “Kelly” Grayson (ISBN-10: 1607146576).

Among other things, Grayson is an active contributor to EMS1.com, where his bio page reads, “Kelly Grayson, NREMT-P, CCEMT-P, is a critical care paramedic in Louisiana. He has spent the past 18 years as a field paramedic, critical care transport paramedic, field supervisor and educator. He is a former president of the Louisiana EMS Instructor Society and board member of the LA Association of Nationally Registered EMT’s.”

Clearly, he is qualified to tell ‘a paramedic’s story.’  The question is whether it is a story worth reading.  When I first saw the table of contents, I was thinking, “Oh no, a collection of war stories that all end with him looking like an EMS Superhero.”  Despite my misgivings, I plowed ahead into the book.  Quickly I realized two things; first, that they weren’t all war stories.  Some of the chapters are simple retellings of conversations or shifts that Grayson had with important people in his career.  Second, there aren’t any chapters that build a case for him being an EMS Superhero.  Instead, they all speak to something more foundational, perhaps that we’re all normal people trying to do an abnormal job.  Both of these elements made the book more inviting.

Another welcoming aspect of the book is Grayson’s writing style.  He has a colorful and dynamic style that keeps a story going where many EMS authors would instead get bogged-down in procedural details of a call.  He also keeps the chapters short, perfect for passing the downtime at your next posting location.

My only caution to readers is that Grayson’s colorful writing sometimes crosses over to profane.  It is usually because he’s giving a direct quote from someone encountered on the streets or otherwise under extreme stress.  I don’t hold it against Grayson.  Many of the instances are stories I can relate to from my own experience, and there were just as many obscenities when they happened to me.  So, while I understand the writing style, I wouldn’t recommend giving this book to a young family member with EMS interests.

Overall, I recommend this book to adults both with and without EMS experience.  The paperback version comes in at only $10, and this makes it a perfect fit for both your jumpbag and your wallet.

Posted in: Book Review | Tagged: , , ,