View Full Version : Big Thank You to Apple Valley FD and AMR
firemedic301
10-09-08, 17:55
This AM I got a frantic call for my ex-wife (we are still great friends!!!) that her sister, niece (her and my son are the same age and have been raised together), and husband were involved in a head-on TC in Apple Valley. She told me that her niece was possibly fatal and husband was really bad. I was 5 minutes from the scene with my son and upon arrival I could see it was a grinder head-on. The lady in a small Honda was being extricated by AVFD and AMR was working in my ex-family. The niece was altered and stable, the husband had major chest trauma and a NASTY tib-fib.
In the end it looks like pos. one fatal (the Honda driver) 3 immdiates flown to LLUMC and ARMC. It is strange to be an observer like that on a scene. I am sooo greatful to say I know almost everybody on scene and they were doing and did a GREAT job!!! Kenny Sanders and his crew from AVFD and Tony Cuccochi (sp?), Cory Layton, Joe Guerrero and the rest of the AMR Victorville crews-- GREAT JOB!!!!
After eval at LLUMC the niece had a Lacerated Liver, Spleen, Lung contusions, Fractured Thorasic Vetabreas, Brain bleed. That is all I have heard so far. Anyway, THANKS AGAIN to the crews.
It does not surprise me that things went well at the scene and that they were treated well.
The AVFD is a quality department with a lot of really good guys. Glad they're gonna make out okay.
A year ago today MY family was crashed into by a guy with a suspended license and my wife was knocked out for about 30 seconds according to witnesses.
It's not a good feeling getting that kind of call is it?
Wow,... Just read the news paper article (online) and saw the pics. BIG UPS to the AVFD (AVF"P"D?), sounds like they did a good job. Hope your extended FAM is okay...
So Nuke, I've been out of the High Desert for a minuet. Is Apple Valley the last Fire Dept. in the Victor Valley not to go SBCo.? Besides Barstow.
firemedic301
10-09-08, 23:14
AVF"P"D is holding strong but I think we all know it is only a matter of time.
Good job by the crews. Whenever a firefighter watches another department treat his family and is complimentary of their work, you know they did a GREAT job. Strong work. I hope it turns out well for your family.
I never even heard of Apple Valley until this website. Are alot of you guys So. Cali or what? I guess I can mapquest it or something.
You guys need to get more Northern, Arizon, Nevada and Oregon departments involved in here also. I like the west coast focus though.
RedBloodedAmerican
11-04-08, 14:38
I did my medic internship with VV AMR, and my preceptor was none other than Tony Cacace, and I would honestly say I dont think i've come across too many medics that can match his knowledge base, skills, and professionalism; as well as his overall demeanor and personality.So hearing that all went well with a call like that doesn't surprise me and I'm not just saying this because I was his student. ( he passed me almost 3 years ago, I dont need the brownie points anymore)
The same goes for AVFD, I had to the opporutnity to run some good calls with them and they seem to have a bunch of great guys.
Glad to hear the scene went well, sounds like a pretty intense situation to actually witness with (ex) family involved.
firemedic301
11-04-08, 15:01
I couldn't agree more about Tony he is a good friend of mine from way back. We also went to Medic School together back in the day. I was very glad to see his face on scene.
Final outcome was lost Spleen, Ovary, Bilateral chest tubes, Transected Colon, Liver lac, Coma for 3 weeks (2 of which was induced), brain bleed, L-4,5,6 fractures. She is doing a lot better these days.
desertmedic
11-05-08, 01:28
Stevie... Im glad things went relatively well for the little one. Now you guys just have to be there for her... But that goes without saying.
How well do ya know the cockaroach? How far do you guys go? lol He wasnt there at the VA remember? :eek:
desertmedic
11-05-08, 01:36
And as far as you go Red... Have fun in Sleepy Hollow.... ;)
firemedic301
11-05-08, 09:12
Stevie... Im glad things went relatively well for the little one. Now you guys just have to be there for her... But that goes without saying.
How well do ya know the cockaroach? How far do you guys go? lol He wasnt there at the VA remember? :eek:
He didn't need to be there, everybody around Barstow heard about that one. It was like the shot heard around the world:D
He didn't need to be there, everybody around Barstow heard about that one. It was like the shot heard around the world:D
I geuss I've been outta the loop/H.D. for too long... I din't hear the shot?.?.?. Maybe a private e-mail or something... ;)
firemedic301
11-06-08, 17:23
I geuss I've been outta the loop/H.D. for too long... I din't hear the shot?.?.?. Maybe a private e-mail or something... ;)
Ok Bill let me try to recall some fuzzy facts I can remember.
Desert Ambulance way back, working with John Becandova and DESERTMEDIC aka Kunkel, my very first shift, around 0200am, Barstow VA, CHF'r breathing 40x minute with slight ALOC, a gurney, a speed bump, I was on the feet end of gurney, thinking the gurney was falling over I grabbed real hard (the O2 bottle was at the end of the feet end hiding the gurney release trigger), as I grabbed the gurney hard I hit/grabbed the trigger, gurney went from the TOP floor to the BOTTOM floor in about half a second, bounced and immediately went left lateral where John was standing and 3" from the ground, Johnny caught the PT head:eek:, Barstow FD walking with us and watched the whole thing:mad:. Genuinely thought it was my FIRST and LAST day at Desert!!! John and Greg were awesome and played it with a stern talking too, I felt like an A$$ :( and my EMS career continued on!!! NEVER happened again.
One of the more memorable experiences in my career. Still owe DESERTMEDIC a beer for that one. END of story time
desertmedic
11-07-08, 23:09
Just 1 beer?!!?! :eek: It better be a freakin' Lobotomy Bock then!! ;) Man, Desert was a fun place back then.... Steve, did you know Johnny's an engineer for Rancho these days?
firemedic301
11-08-08, 10:05
I saw John at a CE class a couple years back he was with Rancho. Glad to see he is doing well. Desert was awesome as was Valley/Desert Valley/AMR was also awesome, I think my times on the Private Box was some of the funnest times I've had, I was almost always blessed to have GREAT partners and damn we had fun!!!!! AMR mentality (big corperate ambulance business) puts such a lid on the fun factor it is not even funny. I may be wrong but MANY MANY MANY of the crews that show up on scene just DO NOT look like they are having FUN or enjoying their job, it's a shame. Great idea for a new thread would be STATION PRANKS (fire and ambulance). I know I have a few good stories.
desertmedic
11-08-08, 13:56
Steve, It also helps that we had such a great working relationship with our fellow FD's whether it be Barstow, old CDF/County, Noodleberry... I mean Newberry, Yermo, etc.... Whoops, heaven forbid I forget Billy and the M C L Bizzle! ;)
GirlMedic03
11-09-08, 22:29
You boys from the desert sure do seem to have alot of fun. It seems like things are still hometown like and everyone knows everyone up there. That's cool.
desertmedic
11-09-08, 23:55
Actually Girl, it is a great place to work. Used to be better but we still have a blast. Up here in the north desert everyone knows one another. Which is either great or not so great depending on ones schmuck factor. ;)
It's definitly surreal being on the other end of the spectrum. In my experiance it can be equated to a feeling of helplessness. My prayers are with you and your family Firemedic.
firemedic301
11-10-08, 09:14
Hey ANYTIME04 your name is ironic that is where my niece was going when they got hit, ANYTIME Fitness at Apple Valley Rd. and Yucca Loma.
Girlmedic the Desert was a GREAT GREAT FUN place to work for sure!!!! When I worked here there was VERY little anomosity if any between Fire and Ambulance, WE were ONE team!!!! and almost everybody respected each other. Don't get me wrong there were quirks on every dept but as a whole Desertmedic Kunk hit the nail on the head, it was a small place and everybody knows almost everybody and WE all knew the GOOD guy's and the BAD. And there was A LOT of self POLICING (informal peer field criticing or SPOTTING) for sure, at the hospital, CE's, washing the rigs at Dispatch, or just stopping into somebodies station, so that is why the GOOD medics worked hard and studied their a$$es off and stayed super sharp was not to be thrown into the SHARK TANK, and the not-so-good ones just didn't get it as they still don't today (we ALL know who THEY are).
It was AMAZING how much WE backed EACH OTHER up on calls. When anything sounded sketchy or nasty a lot of us would "just start heading in that direction" or "haul A$$ let's get over there". Not dispatched but just because WE were a team/family, don't get me wrong we also dodged our share of "ill males at the local Con holmes" FOO SHOO.
I can say my days in the DEZ it seemed like 95% of the crews genuinely liked each other and the other 5% we didn't have to deal with too much because THEY were always going back and forth to the MOVIE STUDIOS as a "Movie Medic" or THEY were making the rounds with EVERY Amb. Company in the Dez after getting FIRED EVERY WHERE else and WE all know who those guy's were.
Also, PUBLIC SERVICE in general was a tight knit group. Every where I worked we go along GREAT with the local SO/PD. WE bent over backwards to help them and they in turn helpus out a bunch, as it should be. Unfortunitely down in the IE cities at least mine it has specks of this RESPECT but is a long ways off, hopefully it will get there.
Seems to me that back in the late 80's and 90's there were a lot of older/seasoned Medics in the private sector when Fire Salaries were not that great and most FD's weren't ALS so US brand new MEDICS/EMT's saw and worked with the bad A$$ medics hand in hand, and for your first 3-4 years was a proving ground for US new guy's and it kept MOST of us super super humble, now a days seems like private sector is the First day to maybe a year Medics (then they test and move to a FD $$$)or the 3-5 year Medics that are the crap, jealous, discruntled with bad attitude medic (thing that sucks is these are the ones that become FIELD SUPERVISORS and get on a power trip and smash moral even more). There are still some GREAT medics in the private sector they are just hard to find.
Just again my .03 cents on that.
Hey don't you mean "Fo Sho" medic301 and not FOO SHOO?
If you're gonna use the slang, at least get it right brother.
desertmedic
11-11-08, 23:36
Steve, its soo funny how you talk about cammaraderie and all. When I worked in LA county in the late 80's, early 90's the company I worked for transported for Compton Fire. There was another company, Adams, that transported in Paramount and Lynwood. Both our managements ABSOLUTELY forbid us from fratenizing with "the enemy." lol Every weekend we used to envite one another over and BBQ at each others station. Yeah, those Adams guys and gals were a good bunch of peeps.
AMRsmokesFire
05-05-09, 16:50
Your welcome from AMR
firemedic301
05-05-09, 20:08
Your welcome from AMR
Wasn't thanking YOU so DO NOT take credit, but I am enjoying your enthusiasm and passion.
AMRsmokesFire
05-05-09, 20:29
Sorry to burst your bubble 301 but you thanked AMR.....yes you did thank me....your welcome. People would not get top the hospital if it was not for us
I will take the time to thank you for that post. That was my crew on that call ( I was off sick). Thanks!
firemedic301
05-22-09, 01:05
I will take the time to thank you for that post. That was my crew on that call ( I was off sick). Thanks!
Welcome aboard 2112, Kenny Sanders was the only one I recognized from AVFPD, but my brain was obviously spinning a bit when it is your own family members.
2112 hang in there with this whole City Counsel deal, I was a part of the Hesperia take over deal so I can say I truely was in your shoes right now and it sucks!!!!!!!
We don't like to use the term "TAKE OVER" A more accurate statement would be that county is assuming fire services. Transition is what happens after the governing board votes to contract its services to a more cost effective organization that has different if not more services to offer. :D ;) Please lets limit the phrase "take over" that is such a hostile statement that puts everybody on edge.....lol
We don't like to use the term "TAKE OVER" A more accurate statement would be that county is assuming fire services. Transition is what happens after the governing board votes to contract its services to a more cost effective organization that has different if not more services to offer. :D ;) Please lets limit the phrase "take over" that is such a hostile statement that puts everybody on edge.....lol
You are correct. To say take-over would be to infer that county does this in a hostile manner. In every instance that I can recall county has always assumed fire protection AFTER being asked to do so. Sorry for the misuse of the word.
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