(Login melmax) Veteran Member Posted Jul 2, 2009 10:56 AM
Platt: "Full-time and part-time arrangements have both been tried."
Both have been tried, but the professionals have most often run into serious conflicts with the other staff members, (especially highly-paid management figures), who usually know little-to-nothing about related, well-established, hypothermic medical procedures. In my opinion, there's a reluctance to follow the advice of medical professionals, because it usually means buying and modifying existing medical equipment, which brings an end to certain ill-advised and costly design and fabrication projects, on which some people are making a whole lot of money.
Platt: "A team of 8 paramedics was retained under a consultancy contract with Alcor in 2002/2003, prior to the Larry Johnson conflict.
I believe Larry Johnson had much the same experience, as I, and that he witnessed a lot of unprofessional and unethical behavior. I think this has been true, for most medical professionals who have had a desire to work in cryonics. Does Luke know Larry Johnson and I were hired by the same person, and that after we "blew the whistle" that same person accused both of us of stealing non-disclosure forms we never signed, (and various other false transgressions)? After I threatened that person with a civil lawsuit, he had to publish a corrective statement.
Platt: "When SA was created by David Hayes and David Shumaker, one of its four fulltime staff was a paramedic. He participated in an SA case and was at the SA Open House three years ago, at which time he made it clear that his services were still available for cryonics cases. I don't know his current status."
Was this paramedic, who "made it clear his services were still available," three years ago, even called for the botched SA/CI-81 case, two years ago??? (In case Luke isn't aware, SA sent three people with no medical, or cryonics case, experience, whatsoever. I was criticized in the SA case report, for not being there, when I wasn't even called.)
Platt: "Between 7 and 10 paramedics (the number varied over time) were retained under a consultancy contract with Suspended Animation in, I think, 2004 and 2005."
Their SA contracts, foolishly, did not require any of the paramedics to show up for cases. Their management was paid $1,000 a month, to supply the names of ten people, and the paramedics, themselves, were paid at about four times the usual hourly rate of paramedics, to attend training sessions. The paramedics often complained that the SA staff didn't listen to their advice, and the SA staff complained that the paramedics "didn't do as they were told." There was no respect, in either direction, in that relationship, and I was not surprised when none of them showed up for the CI-81 case.
Platt: "The current team leader at Alcor (employed on a fulltime basis) is a paramedic. His fulltime predecessor at Alcor was a paramedic, and his fulltime predecessor at Alcor was a paramedic."
Are we talking about Bill Voice and Larry Johnson, as the predecessors? I don't believe either of those people had good working relationships at Alcor. I hope things are different for Mr. Drake, but this is still the "honeymoon period," for him.
Platt: "At least one fulltime SA employee is qualified as an EMT."
After my public criticisms of the SA staff members who were sent to the CI-81 case, this person, (who was one of the CI-81 team members), was sent to EMT-Basic school. EMT-B school usually lasts 12 weeks, and students are not even taught to insert IV's, as EMT-B's are not allowed to do invasive procedures. They are taught a lot of other irrelevant tasks, such as immobilizing the patient in case of neck/spinal injuries or broken limbs, and how to deliver babies, (vaginal deliveries, not C-section). It takes a lot of practice to gain IV access to a patient with LOW blood pressure. Someone who has had only EMT-B training is unlikely to be able to gain access, on a patient who has NO blood pressure. SA might as well have simply sent their staff members to BLS class, something I suggested they do when I was there. While the contract with the paramedics was flawed, in that it didn't require any of them to show up for cases, it did call for the training of SA staff members, but that was never taken advantage of. I believe the salary of the staff member Platt is referring to, is three times the average starting salary of an EMT, (and I don't believe that person's additional duties warrant such a salary).
Starting EMT Salaries - The average starting emergency medical technician salary is $19,000 to 24,000, nationally."http://www.techniciansalaries.com/profession/emt.html
Platt: "I believe that everything I have stated above has been made public at some time or other. You can learn a lot by reading archival materials on Alcor's web site. Since I am not as active in cryonics as I used to be, I may have missed some recent developments. If you want to know more, I suggest you contact the organizations yourself."
If Luke does contact the organizations, I hope he will post the information he receives. "Inquiring minds," like FD and I, want to know.