EMSFrog

I believe this idea is wrong on so many levels. First of all it appears to me that this is yet another attempt by bureacrats to bypass civil rights, and the constitution to gather evidence and prosecute lawbreakers of all types. Similar to the patriot act they will try to push it through the neccesary channels by marketing it as a tool to fight the dreaded teeerrroorriiissstts. However I am certain that like the patriot act this would be used to go after lawbreakers other than terrorists 98% of the time.I am 110% for doing everything in my power to stop terrorists and the enemies of this country. However I am not a police officer nor do I have any desire to be a police officer. I desire to provide compassionate service to the members of my community, I do not wish to have any part in the judicial process unless absolutely necessary.My second point is that if the public begins to perceive us as law enforcement or worse yet "snitches" EMS providers will be left in a very very dangerous position. The publics opinion of us would change! The publics not as dumb as some think and we would be left as unarmed ems providers going on scene against a certain demographic of the population that would HATE US. This idea would be beneficial to the LEO community, but would leave ems providers in great danger. Just my 2 cents

I live in the eastern part of Missouri. EMT-B's make around 11/hr if they work for one of the three private services that are in this area. The private services run about 80% transport however. The county EMS agencies in the rural areas pay around 8/hr, but they only hire EMT's part time and they prefer EMT's working toward their Paramedic cert, and from this pool of part timers they hire their full time paramedics.EMT-B's make around 11/hr as er techs in one of almost a dozen hospitals in the area.The casinos pay around 14/hr for EMT/Security Guards. Medics in this area start at around 50k/year working for the suburban county services.About 30/k in the rural counties.The private services pay medics around 14/hr. As far as a shortage of jobs most people say their is not especially if your willing to work for the private services or in an E.R. That sounds like a crappy situation in other parts of the country. I graduate EMT school next week and am tentatively starting paramedic school in the fall, but I sure hope I can find a job in the meantime i wont graduate medic school until fall of 07'

This is hopefully a fresh topic for the board. What is it that lead everyone to EMS and what were their lives like prior to arriving here.Did EMS make life more or less fulfilling? Personally during childhood I wanted to be a policemen(police explorer from age 14-17).Then I started working on racecars at age 17, because I was too young to fulfill that dream. After several years of rebellious drinking and partying, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in public service after all.Due to an accident I had been in and my seeming lack of desire to be a jack@$$ I decided that EMS was the best way to help people without occasionally having to act like a macho d*** being part of my job description, and i came to find that medicine was fascinating.