burntfromcommercial

I think allot of the reason most EMS providers have a hard time with the suicidal calls is because they have been there. I have found that there a far larger percentage of people with untreated mild mental illnesses in EMS than in the general pop. I am not sure why that is, but over the years I have noticed there are many. In our culture, there is a strong message of "suck up and deal with it". When allot of ppl come upon the psych pt, they feel the same way; that the person should deal with it, or kill themselves, but not bother us. I am not saying it is right, but it is the way it is allot of the time. I think once an ems provider has worked through their own problems, then we ge tthe compassionate response the pt desperately needs.

In my rural department I got 2 t-shirts when I started and have gotten 2 polo shirts in 6 years. They will reimberse you for 1 pair of pants. Anything extra the department orders every year or 2 and pays for 1/2. that includes jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies and job shirts. We have 2 sets of turnout jackets and helmets in each ambulance. In my urban commercial department we are issued name tags, jackets and knit hats once. Then we get 2 shirts and 2 pants twice a year.......ish.

this is definately a question that is hard to answer. It would depend on where you are taking the Paramedic course. I am a NYS EMT-B. I have been in the business long enough to see a lot of medics come and go. In my region, there has been allot of ppl going straight to paramedic without first experiencing the back of an ambulance, and they are terri\ble. But there is always the option of getting your paramedic and working 6 mos to a year depending on your call volume as a basic in an ambulance before you go online. I am not sure what type of system you live in. If you are sure EMS is what you want to do, and you have the time to keep up the cert, then pace yourself. Just because you have the medic cert. doesn't mean you have to work as a medic right away if you aren't comfortable. Don't rush yourself to get online.

Hi everybody, I have worked at a redonculously busy commercial ems agency for 8 years and counting, and a very dead rural agency for 6. I look foward to trading war stories and up to date info with what everyone is doing in ems around the country.