St John Ambulance - Get to know other cadets etc, show off your kit!

[Entonox]

Anyone got their hands on the new service uniform yet?

[theocd]

Nope, and no-ones going to for a bloody long time. Once again SJA has messed up on a Titanic scale.

The OC-D

[Entonox]

haha, typical SJA, we have all the new uniform at county HQ, But as the division I'm at is small, We're not going to see if for a while.

On another note, I've got a Cycle Responder Assessment on Sunday, If i pass, I'll be put onto the course, once passed, Will assist EMAS in responding to 999 calls in the city center

6km in under 45 mins i think it is

0.8km sprint followed by 8 mins CPR

Just hope I'm not the one needing CPR by the end

[theocd]

I'm at CHQ with one of largest divisions outside London and we've only just been given the catalogue of new uniform dated 2008, before being told that we're not allowed the shirt, which looked the only decent thing in it. We were told the reason we were moving from Black and White was to not look like Police. We've got Black Polo Shirts, what has Thames Valley Police taken up? Black Polo Shirts. Well done. As far as I can tell, this is from both my large division at CHQ and my LINKs Unit, nobody wants the new uniform, the abolishment of the rank structure, the removal of area specific badges or the reorganisation of role on duties; this is from everybody ranking from County Officers down to normal members. Its so stupid -.-

On a side note, anyone know where I can get Rank Slides? In prep for the new uniform SJA Supplies has stopped stocking them and the supplier doesn't have any -.-

Good luck with the CRU thing, I would try it, but I know I'm too unfit. I'm getting fitter this year so I'm gonna try the next time round

Its 10km in 45 mins, 1km in 3 mins followed by 8 of CPR IIRC.

The OC-D

[Entonox]

thanks, and the only place if supplies aren't offering them anyone would be ebay, I've seen a fair few of the old style there, although they do go for well over £25. The newer ones usually around £10.

Also, I don't get why you're not allowed the shirt, We've been allowed them, the entire uniform is in stock for us, Seems odd that with you being such a large division, You've not already got it.

I Also see the need to change from black and white, I've been called security or police officer too many times, and at some events, It's not always safe to be viewed as them

According to supplies, http://www.thetoyesh...-ambulance.html Sells them ** never mind, the site has everything but them.

[theocd]

I can get any rank apart from ordinary member for about a fiver, and all the others are £20+. By the newer ones you mean the rubberised ones? 'Cos I prefer them because they match the rest of my uniform

Strange doesn't enter into it, its so badly thought out. And the credit system is useless. 1 duty = 1 credit. I do 2 hours at the village fete = 1 credit/ My friend does 12 hours at the MK Bowl as a PTA = 1 credit. Alternatively buy the whole thing for ~£80, which is a rip-off.

But almost all events I do are Hi-Viz and mines got the medical green top. I still wish people would learn to read -.-

Exactly, gonna phone them later.

The OC-D

[Entonox]

i do mean the rubber ones, that have been banned in my country, As people have allergies with rubber.... very thought out. Anyways, I've got to say, I prefer the old style ones

Don't understand this credit system you have, Completely different here One big bank account for the entire east midlands, You need something, It's taken from that, Recently changed from divisional Bank accounts.

[theocd]

Yep, sounds pretty typical as well.

We have that for cash for Ambulance Supplies, FIT Kits etc. But Uniform we were told its off our own backs. They seem to move the goal posts every time I check so I wouldn't be surprised if you're more correct being as it seems to have reahed you there

The OC-D

[Entonox]

Uniforms shouldn't be off your own backs at all, you're a Volunteer, You're giving your time, To help them, and others, Uniforms are essential, Just as much as kits... Having members pay for their own uniforms is disgusting.

We've just gone through a county HQ move, as our building was sold off, So even more shocked that we've got this before you..

[theocd]

Guys at our division have been paying £25 for their uniforms for the last 2 years. I was one of the last at my division to get a free uniform when I joined. Its this sort of non-joined up thinking that makes me wonder whether we're one organisation at all.

The OC-D

[Entonox]

First time i've heard of people having to buy their own uniform... You should really get in contact with london HQ regarding it, As it's shocking, Members join, Then they're expected to pay for their basic uniform, I understand extra's, But not the main thing.

As uniforms aren't optional, It should be offered to every full member free of charge, When you get right down to it, You're out there, Working for free, Whilst the Event organiser hands over a fair amount of money to SJA to allow HQ to continue running.

There's more than one part to SJA, There's us, The Volunteers, The divisions, They're the Charity, Then there's the HQ side And It's the wrong people making some of the decisions

In East Midlands, Paramedics have now been banned from using drugs that stop seizures, So they're to just stand aside, instead of give the help they're trained to provide.

in 10 years time, I'll be surprised if SJA is still around, Some of the decisions are killing it, They've over complicated so much, There's forms to fill in a form that cover your to fill in the actual form... People have left the organisation due to poor decisions and management.

Back to the main subject though, You shouldn't be paying out a single penny on uniform.

[theocd]

Nope, I totally agree. Ane we have all different departments and now we're being regionalised, I won't be surprised if differences like this become more common. I'm not sure we have any Paramedics in our area, certainly not in our division, we're so bad at getting people trained people seem to reach PTA then we can't get trainers for them to become ETA or above. Strangely though, plenty of nurses. The HQ side, the paid side, make the poor choices, they see it as a job and having to save money whereas the volunteers know whats actually happening and what we need. We've been told we can't use our personal kit on duties. We never have enough PulseOximetres so people bought their own, not allowed any more. Also silly things like our division wanted a replacement carry chair, basic one £145. But no, they have to be interchangable with those on the Crusaders so we ended up spending £390 instead. Really good thinking.

God, don't get me started on the paperwork, like its getting to a point where its being stressed that the need to record the times of the shock and fill the form in correctly is greater than the need to actually Defib the dying person -.-

/rant

The OC-D

[Entonox]

Just been denied an order on SJAS purely because "I'm just a Volunteer member"

All i wanted was 2 SJA reflective badges, All they say is St John Ambulance. No roles, ranks nothing. Yet i have to order through divisional Officer > County supplies > SJA supplies, To have to wait for it to process, then for SJAS to send the item to county, Then county to our division, then back to me.

It's a joke, will just buy off the SJA Black market. Or print off a logo.

The SJAS website, What a joke, The "Create new user" page doesn't exist, The checkout page, where you are asked to provide your membership info, Page doesn't exist. It's a joke.

And paperwork... Don't mind the PRF's, But there's just so much that gets in the way, as the Member in charge of Cadets, There's so many forms just to fill in when it's half term break for them, If we want to do a certain thing, It's paperwork. I don't mind one form, but when that form turns into 7 forms per cadet, It's becomes a nightmare, Just for 1 thing, It's a joke! then County loose the forms...

Also, The training here is shocking, I contacted the CRU team last year, Regarding a course then, Got ignored.

There's no AFA courses, No PTA/ETA courses, No First Aid courses... and there's none until august NEXT YEAR.

Also, We have a hcp NHS paramedic that's in our division, really handy for training nights and gaining insight into the service, that's how i was able to work on a rapid responder, As i was working with him.

We also Have a Nurse, now turned Trainer, If it wasn't for them, Training wouldn't happen.

[theocd]

Wow, that sucks. I thought your profile was linked with a Division? I just ordered a Shirt and a pair of gloves, the Shirt's got SJA written on it, if I was that desperate to impersonate someone I'm already there. o.O There's enough Reflective Badges on ebay, some might have the old logo but some's better than none.

County ALWAYS lose things, its taken our division more than a year to get everyone ID Cards because they keep losing the photos. Mine came yesterday. I don't envy you, the only reason I didn't apply for a NCO position was the amount of paperwork involved.

The OC-D

[Entonox]

hahahahhaha!!! They lost my photo when i was getting my ID, Took a YEAR for them to finally deliver it

Looked on ebay, only bidding wars on 1 old design.

With the Cadets, I joined as a regular Adult member, then due to reasons I'm not going to go into, There was no one to take the cadets, So i volunteered, Since then, Had No official training, But for the past 2 years, successfully ran the Cadet division learning as i go. got to teach another Grand Prior award AND Membership awards and first aid... the paperwork is the worse part, But it's a very rewarding role.

before i took over, there was 4 cadets. that's how bad it was, Since then, we're at well over 20 (amazing for a small division) that attend every week.

I attempted to authenticate myself on SJAS, but it asked me to provide my membership details, when i clicked the option, there's no page it's linked to. so called them up, got told i can't order them, Have to have a county account. Which is all well and good when county can't even respond to their members when they have problems.

Our SJA emails were all reset to Webmail, Yet they forgot to send out everyones new passwords... took them 4 months to send a friend of mine his.

[theocd]

Our e-mails have been raped by the system too, at the exact moment we ordered a brand new laptop for the division and they've kind of screwed it, more money wasted -.-

Nicely done on the Cadets. With our division, I was the first new member to join in months, there were two divisions meeting and attendance was about 12 people a week. Since I came, in the last two years, we now have 60+ members on the books, regularly get 30 or more to a meeting and we've merged the two divisions together into one, something that doesn't happen very successfully and we're now one of the largest St John divisions in the area if not the country. Is it the advertising thats working...? o.O

The OC-D

[Entonox]

Very rare of a merge to go well We're unable to merge with any other unit, As we're too far away from anyone Like our small group anyways, going to have an argument with supplies tomorrow, regarding their out of date websites, Forms, resources and guidelines.

Also, they should have sold that Badge to me, As it's "St John Ambulance member *OR* county /division account holders.

just inherited the Badger unit too.... more paperwork.. yay

[theocd]

I know, units tend to split and then fall off the Radar rather than merging and merging well.

Enjoy your arguement, you should win being as you have more than two brain cells to rub together

I know, that's what I thought because that's how I got hold of mine.

NIcely done, good luck with that. How many Cadets and Badgers do you havr to do paper work for now?

The OC-D

[Entonox]

near on 30 now.

[theocd]

Good luck with that

The OC-D

[Entonox]

thanks

[Entonox]

done the Cycle Responder assessment, Will hear back later in the week about which course I've been accepted onto

[theocd]

Cool, good luck! Enjoy wearing those cycle shorts

The OC-D

[Entonox]

We have the black combat trousers that unzip around the knee.. So none of that skin tight stuff i'm afraid

[Entonox]

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