flucas82

AS An EMSA employee I am trying to come up with what I think would be the best system for OKC and Tulsa Areas I would like some input in what works best and what doesnt. First things First I would get rid of SSM it doesnt work sitting in a truck for 12 hours in sometimes the most dangerous parts of town doesnt get us to any emergency any faster than a station. We do have two 24hr stations at EMSA west in Yukon and Mustang, and my response times dont differ. So finding stations would be the #1 priorty, IE (hospitals, Fire stations). A recent study that the ocfd did showed 29 of its 34 stations have room for ambulances. Shifts- I would put 24 hr trucks in the outer slower parts of the area and 12 hour trucks in the busy areas. So you would work one 24 hr shift a week and two 12 hr shifts this would help in Burnout, and be able to put more ambulances in to service as of right now in the west we have anywhere between 12 to 20 trucks in service at a time and that is to cover OKC, Yukon, MUSTANG, EDMOND,Bethany THE Village, Nichols Hills, Warr accers, All paid FD plus vollie FD like DEER Creek, Piedmont, Richland. ADD all that up there has to be aleast 45 engines staffed with 4 people. With each Depts run volume being 80 % medical why have more engines than ambulances I dont know the math doesnt add up. So with that being said I think there should always be aleast 30 trucks covering the area 15 being 24 HR and 15 being 12 HR that would be a total of 45 people working on the ambulance a day. Next would be response there is no getting around it fire will be apart of are response. I think OCFD and mustang do a very good job with EMS calls. And I enjoy running calls with them. But I dont see a need in sending a big fire engine to a BS call. Mustang has a rescue that is equipped with not only medical equipment but they have rescue and SCBA and there bunker gear on board it seats two people and is on a F450 frame. They staff it with one ONE PMED and one Basic. The system works great. Out of all the FDs we run with this one works the best. So I would think it would be cheeper to in long run for depts like OCFD two have about 25 of these in different stations. Houston has FLY cars like these and it seems to work really well there. THe other part of response would have alot to do with dispatch. When the call is taken dispatch should as fast as they can put it in a response catagorery. For example Code 1- Full arrest, Trama, CVA, ETC would get fires fly car going lights and sirens, and an Ambulance going lights and sirens. Code 2 - SOB, Chest pain, etc would have FD Fly car running lights and sirens and ambulance started that way non lights and sirens. IF FD gets on scene and determines that it is life threating radio the ambulance and tell them to step it up Code 3 - Ambulance only response lights and sirens fall, broken bones, Code 4 Ambulance only non lights and sirens Toe pain, Bum who just wants a ride, ETC From What I understand Starting in 2010 We will be able to deny transport to non life threating calls for Service. This Step All depends on how well dispatch gets Info from the call taker Another Idea I had was putting BLS ambulance in the mix somewhere maybe for the code 4 response The thing Iam having the most problem with is funding should EMSA stay PUM or go under the city somehow. I know we deserve the same pay as nurses and the same pension as firefighers. I could see how going under fire would help there and I think they would cross train the people who would want to do fire and let the people who just wanted to work the ambulance work the ambulance I know OCFD will really be pushing for it in the next couple of years. IF SB357 passes this spring they will have a better shot of taking over service from smaller depts like bethany, Village, Mustang Etc Anyways this is just a rough draft any input would be helpful.

Thank you so much your input. I guess I leaning toward AMR or Denver Health I will be applying as a parmedic I have heard denver health pays about 18.50 hr and AMR About 16.50 hr First I was wondering whats going on with denver health I heard they are having alot of problems right now. and how far will 18. 50 an hr go in denver will you be living in poverty. 18 bucks an hour in okc is a great rate. every one is telling me it is real expensive to live in denver right now. Second which is better AMR in denver or in colorado springs? Does AMR in denver run 911 calls or just transports. thanks

I know there are many threads similar to this post ,but they didnt answer all my questions. So I was wondering if anyone knew of any more info on the following departments. I planning on moving to colorado between now and may. I just got my paramedic, I have three years exp.. 2 years being in a very busy ems system as an emt. I would really like to eventully get on a fire dept in colorado but I am aware that the process takes a long time. So I would like to move to colorado and get know the area plus its easier to test when you are in the same state. I was looking at apply for the following departments colorado springs - next test in 2009 ( this is my dream job) I was wondering how much would my paramedic help me in the process. I know they do the fireteam test. Denver I would love this job if they where ALS is there any news if they will be hiring paramedics soon. castle rock- I know they just had a hiring process not sure when they are hiring again I know they pay well and they are a growing department. DRCOG- Looks Like alot of great departments and alot on there that run there own ambulance. wont be able to test there till june so I was worried I wouldnt get on most department list in time for this years academys Cause it seems most departments start there process in early spring. Littleton- seems like a great department when are they hiring again. Parker , South Metro merger seems like they put there hiring on hold for 2009 North metro there web site sounds like they are a great dept and will be a new station soon. but it looks like all the departments on there would be great to work for. So I would like to work on the ambulance till I got hired on fire. But I still had alot questions about them Like what is the PAY, Shifts I prefer 24s, And how often they hire. and if they are out of stations or system status management Denver seems like the same system I am in but I do like the double paramedic truck. sounds like there pay is all right starting out at 19hr AMR in the springs I have only heard bad things about AMR but alot people say they are not that bad in the springs. Whats there pay Platt valley ? pay? Shifts Grand county EMS ?Pay Shifts? NorthGlen Pay? Shifts ? thompson valley Pay? Shifts ? estes park ems Pay? Shifts ? Summit County Pay? Shifts ? Eagle County Pay? Shifts ? Western Eagle County Pay? Shifts ? Pridemark Pudre Valley ambulance.. also was wondering about the cost of living in colorado. I am coming from okc which has some of the lowest cost of living in the country 18 bucks an hour would go along way here. paramedics here only make 12hr. I am a single guy and dont have many expenses and am willing to live in a small apartment. Thanks for any help