[Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members

Tue Nov 22 01:08:10 EST 2011


Eh?  Sorry Cathy, but if we're talking "routine", i.e. non-emergency transports, I gotta disagree about freeing up.  I'm not sure what DFRS policy on routine transports other than these GEC runs is these days, and indeed whether there is a policy at DFRS level or whether the individual fire department corporations have their own, and if so, whether there may be conflicts between county and departmental... that's one thing I need to try to dig out.  I can say that many years ago when I was a volunteer at one of the departments in Montgomery County, they tightened way up on routines, but I don't know at what level that decision was made... when I started, all that anyone in the department's first-due area had to do was call one of the stations and ask and it was done, no charge.  They may have suggested or requested a donation, not sure.  But as time went on we did fewer and fewer of them; I think it may have gotten so it was for family of members only... point is, these resources are for emergencies.  As Matt mentioned, they frequently are sent out on calls that aren't bona-fide (is that right? spelchekr sez no) but that's on the caller.
>
> Having said all that, you're sure right about private ambulances not being cheap... I suspect their rates are sometimes based in part on what they know they can get out of insurance companies (like a lot of other stuff in the health care "system") - I'm sure that what you went through with your dad is the same thing I have with my mom.  :(  And you're certainly correct about ways to waste the resources!  arrgh.
>
> It'll be interesting to follow the future goings-on re hospitals in the county now that this Holy Cross facility has been approved for Germantown, and that WAH may (? I don't know if that's a done deal or not) move out to Cherry Hill Road.  My understanding of the idea of the GEC was that it was supposed to free up the ambulance time and I guess it must have had some effect in that regard.  I think there was a bit of a (piddling!) contest between Adventist and Holy Cross re the upcoming Germantown facility, and I'm not sure that's over yet!
>
> (Reminds me of another thing about the public and scanners... how often do we hear that one or more hospitals are on "yellow" or "red" - I bet people would have fits about that too!  I've had to use ERs a couple of times recently over the last 5 yrs for kidney stones, and I've always checked ER status, no matter how much in agony I've been!)  :)
>
> (1:04 a.m. and they just dispatched _two_ ambulances to the GEC for routine transports... no one is going to convince me that that isn't horse poop!  Why don't they just jump-start the MedAmBus, knock the dust off it, and run it back and forth every 12 hours or so!)
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug
>
> ----------------------------------------
> > From: cathy at drzyzgula.org
> > To: oldsdoug at hotmail.com; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: RE: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members
> > Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:24:32 -0500
> >
> > Perhaps serving people at the GEC with a transport by ambulance to the
> > hospital when needed actually frees up ambulance time by allowing shorter
> > trips from up-county locations. My experience with private ambulances is
> > the patient pays for the trip, and they aren't cheap. Used to have to hire
> > one to take my dad to "routine" dr. appts. Because it was the policy of the
> > assisted living place. Lots of ways to waste health care resources all
> > around us.
> >
> > Cathy D
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Doug Kitchener
> > Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 8:13 PM
> > To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members
> >
> >
> > Thanks, Matt.
> >
> > I don't begrudge that stuff all that much, because if they get called, they
> > gotta go, and in instances like that, the callers are the abusers (whom I do
> > begrudge!). My pet peeve is that here in Montgomery County, they will
> > dispatch an ambulance for a "routine transport" from the Germantown
> > Emergency Center (operated by Adventist Healthcare) to Shady Grove Hospital
> > (also operated by AHC) _at 0230 in the morning_!
> >
> > What is routine about that...
> >
> > They rotate these transports through different fire stations... including
> > the ones that are first and third due at my house.
> >
> > I'm going to be awfully pissed when I have "the big one" and A-728 is out on
> > a friggin' routine transport in the middle of the night.
> >
> > When the GEC opened, there was some kind of reimbursement arrangement
> > between AHC and the county concerning this service, but I don't know if it's
> > still in effect or has ever been reviewed... but even if it has, I think it
> > needs to stop, period... Adventist Healthcare can damn well buy an ambulance
> > or two and start running them back and forth.
> >
> > I've tried to find out what the current arrangement is, and to interest
> > people at the Gazette Newspapers into looking at this, but nothing ever
> > happened. Part of my reason for raging about it here is that maybe someone
> > in the local media will see it, investigate, and hopefully blow it over.
> > One evening soon I'm going to plan to go to a county council meeting and
> > raise the roof about it.
> >
> > The cops are a "whole 'nother" story...
> >
> > I apologize for the rant, I'm in a bad mood anyway, but this business really
> > gets my goat, as you can tell.
> >
> > End of rant, and without sarcasm, Happy Thanksgiving to all!
> >
> > DK
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > > Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:37:09 -0500
> > > Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members
> > > From: fivealarmphotography at gmail.com
> > > To: oldsdoug at hotmail.com
> > > CC: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> > >
> > > That is a very important point. If the public knew that they wasted an
> > > amublance for a subject with "chapped lips" (Yes, it happened last
> > > month). Or the Domestic Stand-by that they did with the same couple
> > > the same day 3 times. If they knew the truth, then there would be change.
> > >
> > > On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 5:58 PM, Doug Kitchener
> > > <oldsdoug at hotmail.com<mailto:oldsdoug at hotmail.com>> wrote:
> > >
> > > Whether you agree with that or not, I'll tell ya one thing... if the
> > > general public heard half of the BS that we overhear from time to
> > > time, there'd be an overhaul of the police and fire systems. In fact,
> > > I'll tell ya two things... I'd love to know what and where all the
> > > emergencies are that these cops are going to that they have to run up
> > > the HOV lanes during rush hour at 80 mph.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Tom, for posting the link.
> > >
> > > ----------------------------------------
> > > > Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:19:30 -0500 > From:
> > > tom at clouse.com<mailto:tom at clouse.com>
> > > > To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net<mailto:scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
> > > > Subject: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members >
> > > > http://www.wtop.com/?nid=893&sid=2640496
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Matt Stevens
> > > Photographer
> > > www.FiveAlarmPhotography.com<http://www.FiveAlarmPhotography.com>
> > >
> >
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