chicagoambo

Because we see the dark side pretty often, this job makes you appreciate your family and love ones!Death changes you like it or not!

It is a shame your not worth it, and just to show you what idiots there out there in city management! I guess the old saying money cannot buy everything!

R/r 911

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chicagoambo you are a muppet of the first order ...

odd how everyone else on the left side of the pond bemoans the money that Nurses make over and above Ambulance staff, even those who have sold their arses to the dripstands ...

odd how in all the other health jobs education = money and status

odd how most of the rest of civilised world has either Helath Professional in their own right Paramedics (UK, Eire, Canada, Australia... even the Germans ) or Paramedics as Advanced practice Nurses (netherlands, Scandinavian countires)

Don't ask a question ,if you can't handle an honest answer!You guys must have thin skin,would you feel better if I jump on your band wagon and lie?Over the years i've seen alot of guys burn out and leave EMS because of there own silly thoughts,if you want more education go get it! Its your choice!When I entered EMS (26 yrs ago)there was no PALS,ACLS,PHTLS.I took them on my own, now they are part of paramedic school.Nurses have always been jealous of the $$$ we make and time off,they run the hospitals which mandate con -ed.You guys sure sound like nurses who are frustrated!

Hey you rural guys are right, you got long transports!Why not have nursing part of your system criteria?

How much education is required to be a paramedic?Not a nurse,or doctor.A ambo grunt, i have to laugh at you supermedics who are impressed with your titles! Hey we're talking being a paramedic, next thing i'll here is lets do chest tubes in the field!

Having a title next to your name doesn't mean your a good paramedic,or experience in a low volume system!I see you guys are impressed with your credentials,love to see you perform under stressful situations!I find this new breed of supposedly educated paramedics don't do well when you have large scale triaging or large crowds in the ghetto threatening to kill you.They turn and run or just freeze and can't think straight, i guess you don't learn to read the streets in a book.But when the shit hits the fan, experience wins out!You're right i'm not much educated(associate 2 yr)!I've been in the ghetto foe 25 yrs by choice!

Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way!Yeah the educated medic is great for becoming a supervisor but as a grunt in the ghetto?Give me a blue collar( 9 month) paramedic as a partner any day, keep the know it all,cocky pretty boys for downtown!

My next stop is Texas or Florida,not the cold!

The worse part is i can relate to everyone of them on my ambo calls!

FDNY sounds like what Chicago was like in the 70's,fireman are threatened by EMS.They worry that they can't compete on tests against us andbelieve EMS is ruining there job! I hear it all the time , i know its BS but thats what the dinosaurs believe.Fireman don't understand, because most are block heads,that you need to justify your high salaries and benefits.Ems and hazmat are the two growth areas of the fire service,ems never has a problem proving to the public why we are necessary!

12 BLS rigs are manned by fireman only!We have 59 ALS ambo's with 2 paramedicsand ,24 Als egines with 1 emt 1 paramedic and 3 fireman.Ever since they started on the ambo's, life became better for medics because before this happened the fireman never ran 24 straight hours!

We are in the same union and pension,we get along ok.It has been getting better since new fire candidates ride the bls ambo's!When the city or union makes decisions our perspective is left out,if we fight and argue we are considered whiners!

Change in the fire service is only for one reason,to justify fire jobs!Ems will always be a step child and under the control of fire.They are always threatened of ems,they hate to compete on tests with ems and rather ems to work out the hospitals.But now we are in the fire houses and they have to have us or close fire houses!

Its crazy you guys allow this,in 2006?Time to get the media to support your dept.,no one should have to be at work without compensation!

This is a topic that I haven't been able to get a lot of help on, so I thought I'd throw it out here for some advice. I work in a hospital based EMS system. We provide primary 911 ALS response for a pretty good sized city. We also have a BLS unit based at the volunteer fire station in a town about 8 miles away. That is our only rig that works 24 hour shifts. (24 on, 48 off) Herein lies the rub. The crews out there are only paid for 16 hours. The shift starts at 8a and runs until 10p. "Sleep time" is from 10p-6a, then shift time starts again from 6a-8a.

If you get a call during "Sleep time", you are on the clock for the duration of the call. If the call comes between 1a-3a, you get paid for the full 24 hour shift because it interrupts 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep time. How fair is this? Actually, how legal is this? Our feeling is that since you are not permitted to clock out and go home during "Sleep time", and are required to be available for calls, follow the rules and regulations, get into uniform, etc.... you should be paid for the full 24 hour shift.

Does anyone have any ideas as to whether that violates any laws? The Fire station is unmanned, and even though there is a shower, the only kitchen amenities are a refrigerator and microwave.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Some of us are trying to find out if we can file file a claim for back pay.

You guys need to relax, who really cares what others think?Yeah remove your shirt if you can but so what?

Went to EMT school 1982 ,brings some great memories back!I wish these new 2 yr wonders out there would appreciate our experience and sit back and shut up and learn how to analyze,read whats going on with the patient and scene safety.I seem to see alot of know it all ,book smart medics with no common sense, come on! Admit you can learn ,even from those you disagree with.Wearing gloves took along time to get used to, how about these new angio's?Hey we even get to learn some new tricks!

I;ve spoke with EMT instructors , they are frustrated with the test scores and want the state to enlighten them on where students need

work.The state employs politicians not educators,time for change!

I like yourABC"S ,just don't get caught making them fatasses walk.Triage by the pound also helps the back!

21 yrs a paramedic and i still look forward to going to work everyday!We experience what others don't fathom,good and bad but I would not trade the life changing thoughts and experience we receive daily.

Talking with other medics is the best way to deal with what your going through, they've been there!Outsiders don't have a clue nor should they.

Get in the ambo or rig!If they're dogs , get in the taxi

You're right, we should have 100 ambo's instead of the 59 we have but that would be politically bad so we have Als engines!I agree it would be better to have more ambo's but reality in this city is justification of fire jobs and always will be since the paramedics are 10% of the union.To be selfish and worry about our own families is how our Als program was created, now its expanding faster than hell.Is that good ?No I know there are better solutions but not here!We are here originally to protect fireman and guess what , we still are but this time its with union dues and not advanced medical care!

we leave asystole behind, 2 rounds of drugs then adios.As for utilizing special paramedics to run only cardiac calls, how about urban traffic?What then?Thats why Als engines work,immediate service,not 10 minutes from now!How to fix the stats( cook the books)in these superior systems.Accurate saves? Definition of a save?