Morongo Basin Ambulance

[avdrummerboy]

As to hearing our dispatches, most of what is going on is still on the 800MHz system, and as long as the feed provider keeps up with additions and adds in the new UHF frequencies, you'll hear everything. If not, then it might be time for you own scanner

Station 4 has been owned by MBA for almost a year now but has only recently been staffed by our race units after the races are over. So, yes, on certain days, for certain hours, we have 6 units and 4 stations staffed. It's pretty nice on our end as many hands make for light work lol

 

[tmccormick87]

Thanks for the info! I'm pretty sure the feed owner will stay on top of the new frequencies, as I've recently found out that I know him, completely apart from this hobby, lol. If he doesn't, I will tell him to, haha. I'm actually just starting to look around for a portable scanner, I'm beginning to think maybe it's time!

Forgive my ignorance, but what races do you mean? What are the race units, the ambulances that go to races as a precaution? I had no idea that MBA did that.

Years ago, when my folks were alive, my Dad maintained a membership with MBA, but they've been gone 11 years now. I only recall having to call you guys one time, however, and he eventually let it lapse. In the final year of their lives, I had to call the County unit several times, to the point where it always seemed to be the same shift with the same female paramedic each time, and was invariably always around 2 am. :roll:

I was thinking once upon a time MBA had a Yucca Valley station on the west end, but that it was let go many years ago, and that the Lear house was the one that just recently opened, based on the newspaper article. Your units seemed to be pretty busy today, I saw quite a few of them around YV while I was doing errands, and even saw two stopped together at the same red light on their way back through town, lol.

 

[avdrummerboy]

We still have the station on the West end of Yucca, that's our station 3. And yes yesterday was a little busy haha, today's already starting out kind of crazy too!

 

[Duster]

I worked for MBA back in the Dark Ages when it was still JTA. We had 2 stations, and Sta 2 was in the back of the (then) phone company building next to the (then) Alamo Market on Adobe. I've seen the new Sta 2 down from the fire station, but it sounds like you've expanded. Landers Ambulance still existed then (working PT for them too once in a while), so JTA didn't go north much unless Landers wasn't staffed. Where are your newer stations now?

Sent from my Samsung S5 on Tapatalk

 

[avdrummerboy]

Four stations, Station 1 off of Hwy 62 on Park Avenue in Joshua Tree, Station 2, on Adobe off of the 62, down the street from Station 421. Station 3 is on Sante Fe ave in Yucca Valley, the West end, and Station 4 is right on the corner of Lear Avenue and Hwy 62.

 

[Duster]

Very cool. Thanks for the info

Sent from my Samsung S5 on Tapatalk

 

[tmccormick87]

Again, many thanks for the info! This is the first time I've talked to someone "in the know" so to speak, and I'm just full of questions, lol.

Yes, today started out pretty wild!! Turns out Mercy Air flew right over my house on the way to 29 for the shooting they had out there this morning.

I apparently had stations 3 and 4 mixed up, thinking that the Lear house was station 3. The other day I was at the feed store when 41s ambulance was dispatched to the nursing home on Santa Fe, and one of your units was on scene before 41 even passed me. I guess that would definitely explain how :lol:

Does each team work the same station, with the same partner, or are you always rotating?

I give kudos to the unit who had to go down to Chino on a transport last night. It was really late when they got back and re-fueled, and whoever was on the radio still sounded so chipper for somewhere around 1 a.m.!

 

[avdrummerboy]

No problem for info, any questions, I'll try to answer them.

Yeah, Santa Fe calls are interesting, having to hear them go out and sit and watch as MA41 shows up while we're sitting around right across the street!!

As to shifts, we're on a 6 month full time schedule with part time medics filling in the extras, so for 6 months you're with the same partner on the same shift, though not necessarily the same station, I move from station 2 to station 1 during my 72 hours here.

Late night transfers do happen and can be no fun but you eventually get used to little sleep and still going.

 

[tmccormick87]

I've driven past that Santa Fe house probably a gazillion times and didn't know that was one of your stations! I saw a unit at it for the first time the other day, lol.

OK, the questions commence, lol.

On your 3 day schedule, once you've worked your 72 hours, how many days off do you have before your next shift starts? And are you guys always 1 EMT and 1 medic on a team, or do you ever have 2 medics at a time?

I briefly talked with the MBA team that was out at the disaster preparedness day last October at the Walmart, and one was a girl, so I asked her how she enjoyed it. I've heard a few girls on your units while I was listening to the scanner, so I was wondering how many girls do you have? Are most EMTS or paramedics? In my next life, I'd love to be medic. When I was the right age to do it, it wasn't something that many girls did, and now that it's much more common, I'm way to old to start, lol. When I was young, I worried my squick factor was too high, but now after raising horses for 25+ years, I've seen some pretty gory things. Still, not the same as people though, and I wasn't sure I could handle it. I have a lot of admiration for those of you who do!

 

[avdrummerboy]

3 days on and 4 off unless you're pulling OT, then 96 and 120 hour shifts aren't unheard of! We're 1 EMT and 1 medic unless theres staffing trouble, then they try to do dual medic if need be, but that's more of a worst case scenario. We've got a few females on the team, most are EMT's, we have one female medic.

 

[tmccormick87]

The one I talked to said she was an EMT, and the guy with her was the medic. Logic tells me that the EMTs usually drive then, and handle the radio comms, so that the medic can be in the back with the patient?

Those OT hours are a lot, but I guess I would rather be busy on shift than not, lol! We're so spread out up here that I can see where you'd be understaffed at times.

Which station do you most enjoy working? Seems like Yucca would be the slowest station for you. I sort of feel for the people on MA36. Now that they are in JT, it seems every call the engine ends up handling solo with you guys, and when 36 does get to go, it's always being sent back to YV, where it was originally 41A to begin with, lol.

Another question, if you're not tired of answering them! I noticed that some of your units are numbered in the teens, 15, 16 and 17. Did MBA actually have that many ambulances one time, or is there a different reason for having that numbering system? The most I think I've heard on the air at one time is 5 or 6.

I finally went and jumped in with both feet and found a little handheld, gently used scanner on ebay. Since I know nothing about them, I'm having a friend program it for me, as it's a steep learning curve, haha.

 

[avdrummerboy]

EMT's usually drive (except for BLS transferrs) and handle the radios as well as handle pt care on scene. A minimum of 32 hours of OT for full timers every week is indeed a lot haha but it's not too bad most weeks, last week is the worst of the year because of King of Hammers!

Station 3 is kinda a blessing and a curse when working there as it is a little slower most days but when it does get busy it sucks because there's only one unit there so no switching off calls! Station 2 in 29 is kind of the hidden gem out there. MA36 is an interesting thing, station 41 is too small so they had to move out to J Tree, the county needs to just buck up and build the station bigger to get them back in their area!

Unit numbers and Medic numbers are two separate things. Medic numbers are playable, any unit can be any medic, but unit numbers are fixed, and from what I understand fixed at many levels, CHP, DMV, lots of official alphabet soup places, so the unit number cannot really be changed.

We have had that many units over the years, but many of them have gone away (one literally burned up!!) Our newer rigs started over at unit 1 and up, so the newer ones are 1, 2, and 3, and soon to be 4 and 5. the highest unit number is 19.

 

[tmccormick87]

Well damn.
I lost an entire post last night, hope I can even remember what I wrote, lol.

You surprised me when you said the EMTs handle the patient care on scene, I figured the medic would have the edge in most situations. Is there a specific reason for this? But it's the medic on the radio when you have to go on air with the hospital in route?

So happy KOH is over! Now the traffic can get back to normal, lol.
Did any of you guys have to stay out in Hammer Town, or just drive back and forth?

It never crossed my mind that they moved 41A/36 to JT because of space, lol. I guess it does make sense in a way, since it's a newer/bigger station. I figured maybe it was because they started the new AO program last fall, to get the FF PMs back on the engines. I do know that 41 has been here for many years, even before I was born, haha. This is my second time around living here, and when I grew up here in the 70s, a friends father was the Fire Chief, before the county took over services. The station is wedged in there pretty good though, with the strip center on one side and the vet hospital on the other. I'm not sure they could expand, even if the county wanted to.

Wow, one of your units actually burned up??
Nice to hear you are getting some new ones!

I know I had asked a couple of other questions, but for the life of me I can't remember them right now. :lol:

 

[tmccormick87]

Whew, some busy times, but I finally remembered a couple of those questions I was saving for you, lol.

This first one is probably the easy one. When an airship is requested, I've heard the landing zone designated as the LV, and I was just curious as to why it was called the LV instead of the LZ, unless I am hearing it totally wrong?

The other question has to do with your coverage area. I remember a few months ago, there was a call clear out in Johnson Valley, with a really obscure address. Somewhere west of OWS. and not too far from where Station 43 is apparently. They dispatched ME42, MA42, Utility 43 and MBA. ME 42 ended up being diverted to another call en route, so MA42 ended up being first on scene, and waiting for MBA. The MBA unit could not locate the scene, it was dark, and this call went on for over an hour, with locations and ETAs being communicated back and forth from 42 to Comm Center to MBA dispatch to the MBA unit. Finally 42 asked to have your unit switch to the EMS channel that would let them talk directly with each other. With some help from U43 guiding them in, MBA eventually made it on scene, but it was the longest call I've heard. All this time MA42 waited with the patient, and MBA ended up transporting to HD.

OK, after all that, lol, my question is, is there something legal that prevented 42 from transporting the patient themselves? I know it was outside of the YV coverage area, but even with the mutual aid agreement, did that still make them have to wait for you? (meaning MBA). It was only categorized as a fall I believe, but I remember thinking it was lucky it wasn't something serious. Just curious. I know very few calls ever go on that long, and calls out there in the boonies have to be difficult at night.

 

[avdrummerboy]

You're just hearing it wrong, it's LZ (Landing Zone.) It happens lol, I remember when I first got into scanning I was hearing Kitchen a lot, then realized that if a dispatcher says Medic Engine really fast it sorta sounds like kitchen haha.

As to the second part, yes, it's all politics, since it's our EOA we're the transporting agency and they wait for us to arrive, obviously if it's some super trauma or something Station 42 can take care of it (usually with an airship.) Yes, out there it can be confusing and at night it's easy to get turned around. And you got to hear the game of telephone that is multiple dispatch centers haha. Most of the time I'll just hop on county 4 VHF if I'm in range or just tell our dispatch to have the engine switch to 4-EMS or 4-COMMCENTER.

 

[tmccormick87]

Well, thank God for that, lol. I swear it sounds like LV though, and I could not figure out why they would call it that, when it's a landing ZONE, lolol. I'm going to pay closer attention the next time someone has to call for one. You gave me a good chuckle over "kitchen" though, now I don't feel so bad :lol:

Now that I've been listening for a while, the dispatchers voices are becoming more familiar, and there IS a dispatcher for the SO that talks incredibly fast, and I've even heard a deputy or two ask to her slow down once or twice.

Speaking of airships though, you guys had another rough go not long ago. I could not believe that you were told that the helicopter could not land at JT Airport. I know it's owned privately now, but to deny use in case of emergency is just not right! And a flat tire on one of the units on top of that had to suck! That airport incident was even discussed in a local group on Facebook, as one guy made a post about being surprised the airport was denied for use, and nobody believed him. Since I heard it too, I stepped in and backed him up, as people were giving him a rough time.

Yeah, the game of telephone was pretty amusing. I've got my own small scanner now, but it's a learning experience, lol. I love being able to hold on a channel or lock one out, since I enjoy the scanner more for the medical/fire calls than the law enforcement ones.

Another question for you, one I had forgotten until I heard a call that reminded me of it again today. It's from a law enforcement angle, not paramedic though. I've heard some deputies use the term DOA, and I'm pretty sure they didn't mean Dead on Arrival in the usual way. They seemed like average calls, and I don't think they were talking about dead bodies, lol. Does it also mean something else that you know?

 

[f40ph]

If it's an "average" law enforcement call, they're probably saying "GOA". Gone on Arrival. Usually referring to a suspect or reporting party not being in the location they were dispatched to.

 

[avdrummerboy]

^^^ What he said ^^^ It's GOA, some will also use UTL (Unable To Locate.)

And yep, we've been told multiple times that the JT airport is no longer to be used as an LZ for choppers. So, usually we book it to HDMC and use the pad there.

 

[tmccormick87]

Thanks gentlemen!
Makes total sense of course. Until now, if I listened long enough and used logic, I've always been able to figure out an abbreviation, until this one. Well, not counting LZ, which I knew what it was, even if I thought I heard LV which didn't seem to make sense, haha. Have never had a problem with UTL, AIQ, AOR, AOS, DB, SO and others.

And tonight, I guess I heard a total validation of GOA.
ME41 was called to a store for a fall, and when they got there, the Cap said what sounded like "On scene, patient DOA" and then canceled MA41. But since he never called for the SO or a coroner, I'm going to assume it was another case of my mis-hearing GOA. :lol:

And I don't believe I heard not one MBA call today!!
Did the frequencies change like was mentioned at the beginning of your thread?? Until today I've been receiving them on 5136, but the only time I think I heard anything was when it was on CommCenters channels, but not yours. Kind of caught me off guard, when I realized how quiet it had been. I even checked my scanner just to make sure I hadn't locked it out by mistake, but I haven't, to my knowledge.

Although I did see Unit 18 when I made a trip into Walmart, and then MA41 was dispatched to your Yucca station for a walk in bite of some sort.

 

[avdrummerboy]

Yeah, today's been pretty mild, I've only ran 2 calls, and the rest of the crews have only ran like 3 more haha.