[NEWSLETTER #3] Government Jobs: LSEMS

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Solomon Cobb
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[NEWSLETTER #3] Government Jobs: LSEMS

Post by Solomon Cobb »

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to a new series of Newsletters by the San Andreas State Government titled "Government Jobs". These newsletters will alternate showcasing government agencies and freelance jobs to give the general public an idea about what these jobs entail as well as the processes and opportunities available. They are also a way for the State Government to get a more in-depth look at the experiences working in these government-funded jobs to ensure taxpayer money is being well spent!

We will be working closely with these agencies to highlight things never before seen by the public and get first-hand experience in conducting some of the required duties under the supervision of experts in the relevant field.

This first segment in the series is dedicated to Los Santos Emergency Medical Services (LSEMS), where I got unique permission from Chief Samantha Tenbe to shadow Master EMTs as well as read over their internal handbook which is normally reserved for trusted employees to get a closer insight than one would normally get from just asking employees or going on a ride-along.

I hope you all enjoy this new series and as always, any feedback you have is greatly appreciated. You can contact me on the details found at the bottom of this newsletter.
LOS SANTOS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (LSEMS)
LSEMS pride itself on its core values, a set of principles that every employee is expected to follow to ensure the highest level of care in their work. These core values are ingrained into every employee and are highlighted at the front of the department manual
  • Integrity - "We will strongly stand by being honest, respectful, and consistent in our beliefs and actions. We will hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of moral and noble conduct and aspire to be role models for our community."
  • Teamwork - "We will stand side by side as a team to save the people of San Andreas. We will work together as a team to assist the community of San Andreas."
  • Caring - "We will assist whoever is in need. We will assist the people of San Andreas regardless of age, race, or social status."
  • Courage - "We will always try to keep you safe whatever the situation, no matter your location."
  • Commitment - "We will always give our best to assist the people of San Andreas. If it is not our best, we will correct ourselves and try to be the best."
  • Service - "We are dedicated to improving the quality of life in our city through professional and quality services. We are committed and passionate to protect the life of others and providing a safe environment. We are constantly thriving on better and faster services that will help the community."
  • Virtue - "We are willing to present ourselves professionally and efficiently to the community. We are willing to show we can do what it takes to serve the community."
ARRIVAL

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Emilia Thalmer, Samantha Tenbe, Solomon Cobb, Johnny Bmore

In an initial meeting with the Chief of LSEMS, Samantha Tenbe, and 2 Master EMTs, Emilia Thalmer and Johnny Bmore, I was very warmly greeted and shown around Pillbox Medical Center and introduced to the group.

Samantha Tenbe is the Chief with the callsign ALPHA-1 and is of course the leader of Los Santos Emergency Medical Services at the appointment by the Commissioners and is accountable for the strategic command, financial, and operational performance of LSEMS. She has full oversight and the final say on all things within the department. Full thanks go to her for allowing me to temporarily join LSEMS to get these amazing insights to share with you all.

Emilia Thalmer is a Master EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with the callsign DELTA-2 who is not only a Field Training Instructor who is capable of doing all the things a Field Training Officer can do but also trains new FTO's and watches over them. She is also an Air and Rescue Pilot, part of the Mountain Rescue Team, a Firefighter but also the Head of Basic Life Support. You may have seen her in the public-facing section of the government website replying to people's BLS class applications and scheduling them. One more thing that you may have seen her from is her position as an application handler within the recruitment and employment division (RED), as she frequently processes applications and conducts interviews with new applicants.

Johnny Bmore is also a Master EMT with the callsign DELTA-5. He is an Air and Rescue Senior Pilot, as well as part of the Mountain Rescue Team, Lifeguard team, and most importantly the Assistant Head of Fire & Rescue. Johnny's Fire & Rescue knowledge extends to the Fire Safety division where he is a Fire Safety Officer. He also has a position within the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) as a first responder.

My hours at LSEMS will be spent following Master EMT Thalmer and Bmore through their many duties and responsibilities to showcase as many of the LSEMS divisions as possible and show the public what life as an employee may look like and the many opportunities available in a career path.
UNIFORM & EQUIPMENT

LSEMS have a range of uniforms at their disposal for a variety of uses. All are stored within their locker room, however, they may take some into their work vehicle if they are part of a specific division within the department. For example, the fire department keeps a set of clothes for fighting fires as well as a hazmat suit within their vehicles in case a call requires it. Check out some of the more unique outfits below:
Emergency Medical Responder
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Emergency Medical Responder

Emergency Medical Technician
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Emergency Medical Technician

Fire & Rescue EMT
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Fire & Rescue EMT

Fire & Rescue (full)
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Fire & Rescue (full)

Hazmat
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Hazmat

Lifeguard
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Lifeguard

A SHIFT WITH A TRAINEE (EMR)

Before becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) all new hires start off as an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). They have to go through a thorough training process to ensure they are up to the standards of the LSEMS. 100% of an EMRs time is focused on progressing through field training and learning everything they need in order to become an independent and skilled EMT. They are also not allowed to come on duty without first finding someone that they can do a ride-a-long or one of their phases with. Below you can find the processes which an EMR has to go through to complete their main training and become an EMT Basic:
  • Introduction - A 20-60 minute introduction that covers all of the basics such as hospitals, uniforms, callsigns, and general behavior.
  • 2-Hour Wait - This is to read the department manuals and training guides provided.
  • Phase I - This is a 1-2 hour session covering radio codes, radio callouts, unit management, and call responses.
  • Mandatory - A mandatory ride-along to gain experience.
  • Phase II - A 1.5-hour session that covers treatment, scene management, sidewalk patients, utilization of the breathalyzer, and selling methadone.
  • Mandatory
  • Phase III - A 1.5-hour session that covers driving, handling department radio, department calls, and handling JTAC
  • Mandatory
  • Pre-Certification - A 1.5-hour session making sure the EMR is able to perform all of the above. They do everything but are allowed to ask questions during it.
  • Fortification Week - A full week an EMR is allowed alone on shift if the conditions are met (EMT-I or higher present on shift OR paired with an EMT-B).
  • Certification - A 1.5-hour session where the EMR is supervised and the certifying supervisor must make sure the EMR is able to perform everything taught during the FTP.
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Deputy Chief Mpache with 2 budding new EMR's

One of the first shifts I got to shadow was with Master EMT Johnny Bmore who had EMR Kiana Adams request to do her Phase 3, which is doing everything they've learned during the first 2 phases and applying it where they have full control and are evaluated on the things they learned. The unit name became D-5Z as Z is reserved for training units. In the initial downtime, Johnny showed me the mountain rescue Kamacho.

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Myself, Master EMT Bmore and EMR Kiana Adams by the mountain rescue Kamacho.

The first call took us to catfish, where we took a Swift model helicopter as it was the fastest way to get there. The call was about gunshot wounds and would require more than a regular ambulance to get to. It was also said that it was in an awkward position that the mountain rescue Kamacho would not have been enough. Unfortunately, the man passed away before we arrived. Sometimes even the fastest response possible is not enough for serious wounds like GSW. Dealing with losses is always difficult as in EMS there are always internal thoughts of whether more could have been done, even when trying their best.

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Master EMT Bmore using his piloting skills to save lives.

The next call was through the department radio by LSPD for a man who shot at a police officer and then got shot down in the process from self-defense. When we got on the scene he wasn't causing any issues, however, and he was safely transported to Pillbox MD and then detained by LSPD and presumably taken to Bolingbroke Penitentiary where their on-site medical team can see to any after-care.

The next 3 calls were all road workers getting injured, the first was allegedly stabbed, the second fell from his vehicle, and the third was DOA. The coroner was called to retrieve the dead body. From my discussions with LSEMS employees, the road workers apparently are a source of a lot of calls, some are for the fire department for the incidents themselves but the majority are road workers either injuring themselves on the job or fighting and causing issues.

We were then called to the oil mining job site in the grand senora desert where an oil miner had a heart attack from what I can only assume was working too hard. He was stabilized on the scene as his situation had calmed down upon our arrival. He was transported to Paleto MD safely and urged to pop into pillbox in a few days for a checkup.

A man had fallen down a large hill near catfish view, we responded in the ambulance as we were not far away, however, the ambulance couldn't get to the location. I hopped out of the ambulance whilst Master EMT Bmore went to Sandy to retrieve a Kamacho. I located the man from the call and managed to give him basic BLS to calm him a bit whilst the actual medics went and got an offroad vehicle they could access him with. Master EMT Jay Paige rolled up shortly after in the Kamacho to give further treatment and then transport the man. This scenario really highlighted the teamwork aspect of the job at LSEMS as communication and delegating tasks effectively saved this man's life as he may not have made it if the units on shift did not communicate effectively.

The final call of the paramedic shift was with a man named Ray Davis who crashed his bike into a tree and suffered minor injuries that were treated on the scene. He was very happy with the fast response time and service!

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Ray Davis in the back of the ambulance, satisfied with his care.

EMR Adams' phase 3 was followed by some feedback from Johnny to Kiana, giving the good points and also the bits that need work. He then instructed her what the next steps would be for her, a Mandatory 1-hour ride along which is standard between phases. Once this is complete she can do the pre-certification. Once the pre-cert is done she has to do a fortification week where she acts alone, and then she does the certification to become an EMT-Basic.

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Ambulance bay and hangout spot for the down-time and socialising with coworkers.
A SHIFT WITH AMU

The Advanced Medical Unit (AMU) is a division within LSEMS that consist of the most elite medically trained practitioners within the field. They are responsible for providing advanced medical care for all civilians in the state of San Andreas. The staff is trained to handle everything from general health check-ups to emergency surgery.

I was in a very unique position where I was offered to sit in on a surgery that was happening at Pillbox Medical Center during my time with LSEMS. The patient was of course asked if they were comfortable with it and anything I may write about, however, I will still be anonymizing many aspects out of respect for their privacy due to the nature of the surgery. The surgery in question was gender transition surgery, specifically Female to male.

The doctors conducting this surgery were Chief Samantha Tenbe, Commander Nicole Crawford, and Master EMT Alex Mathers. Mathers is currently the head of the AMU division within LSEMS.

From what I am aware there was a lot of prep work for this for both the patient and the surgeons. The patient had to undergo meetings with the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) for check-ups on their mental health leading up to the surgery and the reasoning behind it. The patient also had to take hormone medication in preparation.

Most surgeries start before the operating room, with the doctors and surgeons who will be doing the operating having a conversation with the patient to lay out what their expectations currently are and making sure they are in line with what to actually expect.

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Surgeons discussing the procedure with the patient pre-op.

The conversation covered the mastectomy (breast removal) and then went on to cover penis construction. The latter was discussed because there are multiple ways of doing that surgery, the option they went for a metoidioplasty which is constructed using existing tissue. This also results in them being able to have the procedure reversed down the line should they wish to get pregnant.

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Sterelized surgery equipment

The doctors talked through both procedures with the patient first, informing them of all the potential risks and complications they may face during and after surgery. Nonetheless, the patient wished to go through with the surgery, put on the gown, and then went to lie down on the bed.

The surgeons "scrubbed up" with a deep cleanse of their hands and arms and an electrocardiogram (ECG) was attached to the patient to monitor their vitals during the procedure.

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Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring patient vitals

The patient was then put under general anesthesia which means they wouldn't be able to feel a thing and would be in a sleep-like state for the duration of the surgery. They used IV drugs for this as well as a mask.

I will spare a lot of the gory details in this release but if you wish to know more about the procedures feel free to reach out to LSEMS. The actual surgery was very graphic, too much to showcase here but it was an experience and a half to watch. Once the surgery had been complete, the medical wastage (removed excess skin and tissue as well as disposable tools) had been placed in a biohazard clinical waste container to be professionally taken care of.

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Biohazard clinical waste

Overall the surgery was something that's only for the strong-willed to watch but very educational and it's great to see what the skilled surgeons at LSEMS are capable of doing for their patients. The patient was taken to a private room to recover and ready to start the slow and steady healing process both physically and mentally, now hopefully being comfortable in their body as a male.

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Patient after-care
A SHIFT WITH FD

A part of LSEMS that some people never get to see is the Fire Department, I went on a ride-along with Master EMT Johnny Bmore once again but this time specifically to see how he handles his fire department work. The first call was for a pre-cert EMR that had call priority so our unit went 10-70 (as backup) to several of the calls to observe. A notable call was to a crime scene where LSPD was recovering an injured man for arrest, we weren't too involved in that specific call as other medics got there first and had priority.

During this time we looked at the LSEMS vehicle interiors and specifically, how they manage calls so effectively. I was shown the Mobile computer fitted into every LSEMS vehicle:

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The LSEMS Mobile Computer

We had an FD call come from an incident site where a freight train had fallen from a bridge and caused a large scene. The road workers were cleaning up the debris whilst FD was tasked with putting out the fires nearby. Luckily by the time we arrived, no road workers were injured so we put on the full fireperson outfit and I got some first-hand experience using the hose and assisting in putting out the relatively small fire under the lead of EMT Bmore.

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Fire engine

Road worker Benjamin was talking with me on the scene and he rated FD's response a 10/10 both in the response time and also the time it took to extinguish the fire to prevent any injuries.

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Incident site with worker Benjamin
CLOSING MESSAGE

During my short tenure at LSEMS conducting this exercise on behalf of the State Government, I got to have a chat with a more seasoned, but still relatively new member of the LSEMS staff, EMT-B Ally Quinn. I asked her what motivated her to join LSEMS and she said the following:
EMT-B Ally Quinn wrote: Chief Tenbe is actually a good reason why I joined. I had a case with a drunk man getting rather violent and the police handled it and Tenbe showed up also and handled the guy as a medic, it was inspiring. And the people here are very kind, just seemed the right path for me.
I think this quote sums up a lot of my experiences within LSEMS during this exercise, the people are extremely friendly and their main job is to care for people, and that not only comes through in their work duties but also through the way they present themselves to the public.

No matter what area of the LSEMS you join, you will become part of a talented, passionate team of people committed to providing the best care and treatment to patients as well as joining a larger family of colleagues that are very close and willing to help each other. There are many career paths to go for and it's absolutely worth just taking a trip to Pillbox Medical Center and talking to the employees if you are thinking about joining.


Here are some useful links on the government website for any further info for LSEMS: Finally, I'd once again like to thank Chief Tenbe for allowing me to work closely with her emergency services department to construct this unique newsletter as well as all other LSEMS employees that I interacted with in this short journey.

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      Solomon Cobb, Esq.
      Director | Public Relations Bureau
      San Andreas State Government

      [email protected]

      ☏ 335-2510

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