FD Launches In-House Paramedic Education Program

[MemphisE34a]

Bad choice. We should be PreHospital Medical Professionals providing emergency medical care from our mobil emergency rooms. If we keep the mentality that we are public safety we might as well forget ever advancing our profession. We might as well return to the day of throw the patient in the back then get up front and drive. We are there to provide medical care not to correct safety issues. Cops and ff deal with that. Heck we should remove lights and sirens from our mobile ER's and start taking care of our patients during safe comfortable rides rather than rushing and dumping.

This reminds me of my favorite quote from Mythbusters:

"I reject your reality and subsitutue it with my own."

[Dustdevil]

I agree, unfortunatley I beleive EMS is a "Public Saftey" agency, Police cars have lights, and sirens, Fire engines and trucks have lights, and sirens, and ambulances have lights and sirens. Police officers aren't lawyers they are just an extension and enforcer of the law and paramedics aren't Dr.'s they just deliever a little part of a huge health care system. So where EMS will fall into is uncertain.

Man, I just read another one of your posts in another thread and was so impressed. Now you go and blow it all in one short post.

Respect is a terrible thing to waste.

[spenac]

This reminds me of my favorite quote from Mythbusters:

"I reject your reality and subsitutue it with my own."

No more mister nice guy. You just proved you have no respect of EMS. Get out of my profession. Sorry admin had to be more blunt than you want me to be. But I still did it nicer than this .......................... deserves.

[MemphisE34a]

No more mister nice guy. You just proved you have no respect of EMS. Get out of my profession. Sorry admin had to be more blunt than you want me to be. But I still did it nicer than this .......................... deserves.

I think I just figured this out..........are you dating Ventmedic?

Once again you are wrong. Its not that I have no respect for EMS. I just don't buy into your Jr. Doctors running around in mobile emergency room theories. Hence the Mythbusters quote. You are actually a paramedic riding around in an ambulance. Not that there is anything wrong with that and it is not disrespectful, just a fact - which is why this ......................... is not being censored by the moderators.

[Ridryder 911]

Well, I have stayed out of this until now.

One could really describe firefighters job as "one that only places the wet stuff on the red stuff".... if one was ignorant on the understanding of Fire Science.

Seriously, as one that even has a formal degree in Fire Science & Safety Engineering and a former line officer, realizes and knows that the majority of Firefighters are primarily hired from the neck down and emphasis not placed what is in between the ears. Hence, why many have even boast that the candidates comes from; not the "highest scores" to be the best candidates.

Unfortunately, it is the educated Firefighters that is usually placed at the higher level of command and not in the line firefighting. Those that place persons for a profession or job placement recognizes those that enter that profession is usually better suited to be "trained" than to have to have a formal education. If you do not know or recognize the differences then there again that is part of the problem. The industry of Firefighting itself is a vocation rather than profession. There is very little requirement of complexity of objectives in the general role of a firefighter. It is again a vocational trade that is usually considered to be a "blue collar" profession and again the basic general role of a line firefighter is not complex. The system is supposed to be set up for those with experience and some training and maybe even those with a true education will be placed in command or supervisory roles. Similar to paramilitary that those in command should actually have the required knowledge and experience and monitor and direct those in the line that does not.

Hence the problem. EMS is not firefighting nor public safety. Unfortunately, somewhere there was confusion placed that because a few cities dumped the ambulance or EMS in the fire department that they are medical too. No where in the abbreviation of EMS is there the wording or similarity of extinguishment, rescue, etc. Emergency Medical Services; again even the wording medical and again where many firefighters and their employers fail to recognize it is medicine not safety, suppression or even rescue. No similarities ever should had been made nor should ever be made.

Here we go again. A self proclaimed expert. One that is not even a Paramedic attempting to inform us on how and all about the profession.

"Once again you are wrong. Its not that I have no respect for EMS. I just don't buy into your Jr. Doctors running around in mobile emergency room theories. Hence the Mythbusters quote. You are actually a paramedic riding around in an ambulance. Not that there is anything wrong with that and it is not disrespectful, just a fact - which is why this ......................... is not being censored by the moderators.

Unfortunately again, one that is speaking for our profession that is really NOT in the profession. Sir you are NOT in the health care field. So really you are speaking out of turn and in ignorance. Due to your education or lack of are NOT capable to give a informed opinion about anything in EMS. Again, not to be rude or callous but truthful. Pure fact. We would not take the opinion of a Law Enforcement Officer spouting off limericks and half true opinions because they have responded to structure fires as part of their duties or they took a basic firefighting course at one time to be credible within your profession. Why should I or anyone take a Firefighter seriously as well?

We that have been in this profession as well as those that have been in Fire Services more than twenty years know the real reason for the sudden interest in EMS. Alike other professions that has done a good job in their duties, as Fire Service has in fire prevention and code enforcement, the real reason for sudden interest is job security. Suppression numbers has been in the decline for decades, equipment and salaries has escalated and city funding has been increasingly tight. It is not surprising to attempt to justify existence other than for the sole reason of ISO ratings. Truthfully many cities realize that if it was not for such, many Fire Departments (even large ones) would and could be primarily a paid/volunteer type system. Would it be in the best interest of the public? No, neither is having EMS within Fire Services. Again, neither having any similarities.

The reason you do not understand what "my job" is; is not really your fault. Unfortunately having such an opinion just actually demonstrates and represents the majority of those that where either poorly or ill prepared for the EMS profession. Not receiving the proper education one could easily gather such an opinion again assuming they really do know about EMS. Just because one thinks they know, does not make one an expert. I use the analogy of ...."place the wet stuff on the red stuff".... as an example of ignorance of knowing about a profession, the same could be true about those that acclaim to know about the EMS profession.

I have been in EMS long enough to know and recognize Memphis reputation. It has always been known to be one of the most problem areas in public safety. Recruiting techniques have and are currently in place because of just such. I do doubt that they will be able to maintain the required accreditation level. It is not because it can't be done, rather the mind set of most Fire Services is aimed at training not educating, which the accreditation emphasize.

R/r 911

[MemphisE34a]

Unfortunately again, one that is speaking for our profession that is really NOT in the profession. Sir you are NOT in the health care field. So really you are speaking out of turn and in ignorance. Due to your education or lack of are NOT capable to give a informed opinion about anything in EMS. Again, not to be rude or callous but truthful. Pure fact. We would not take the opinion of a Law Enforcement Officer spouting off limericks and half true opinions because they have responded to structure fires as part of their duties or they took a basic firefighting course at one time to be credible within your profession. Why should I or anyone take a Firefighter seriously as well?

I respectfully degree. You exclude me from the EMS profession because you disagree with the manor in which it is implemented here, through the fire service. I have in fact been in the fire service for 20 years most of it as EMT and the last 3 or 4 as an EMT-IV - which I didn't have to get by the way, but because I wanted to be able to offer a higher level of service and be more able to help the paramedics I work with. I think I am entilted to an opinion even without this fact, you just don't agree with it so you would rather call it unimformed or ignorant. Every fire department I have been involved with a paid member or volunteer has also handled EMS emergency transport. This has ranged from a single station department to the one where I currently work now which has 57.

If the police officer is an EMT, you should consider his opinion. But again, he is not in "your profession" so you yourself proclaim you would blow him off and also consider him unimformed and ignorant.

And finally, I honestly don;t care how you feel of me, my department, or fire based EMS. If you review all of the posts, I only asked for the same in return. This entire thread and following conundrum is being debated mostly by people who have no idea and will never be affecteby anything the Memphis Fire Department does.

I would also ask this: Name a larger organization than the IAFF that has done more for EMS employees as it pertains to salary or benefits. It all boils down to this:

Hey man, no one is knocking that FF/PMD isn't a sweet job if you can get it. Man if I could join one of those services in the states that run ALS engines with no transport. No offload delay, no transfers, lots of hands on the engine to help but not as much lifting. Good pay, benefits, 2-days on 5-days off, work as a contractor on the side for more big bucks, bask in public respect and enjoy the fruits of more than a century of hard fought gains by the unions. Sounds like great work if you can get it.

[jbanagas]

Memphis you sound like a cool dude, I think these idiot's are just jelous that they can't work for a fire based agency and reap the rewards of a kick ass pension, 20 days off out of the month, and hot chicks.

[Mateo_1387]

I would also ask this: Name a larger organization than the IAFF that has done more for [s:63560d9611]EMS[/s:63560d9611] Fire Fighters employees as it pertains to [s:63560d9611]salary or benefits.[/s:63560d9611] taking money away from professional paramedics who ride ambulances and don't waste their time on a fire engine that does not focus solely on Medical Care.

Fixed that for you, ignorant fool. :wink:

[MemphisE34a]

Fixed that for you, ignorant fool. :wink:

We have 300 paramedics, most of which are members of the IAFF. You think that their salaries and benefits are not negotiated through our local? What about all the other fire based EMS employees? You think that as a general rule they are paid more and have better benefits just because?

As I have already stated, if sitting in ambulance at the local 7-11 waiting for your next call at $10 an hour is progression in the mobile emergency room pre-hospital based medical profession, some of you are much more delusional that I opriginally thought.

[JakeEMTP]

We have 300 paramedics, most of which are members of the IAFF. You think that their salaries and benefits are not negotiated through our local? What about all the other fire based EMS employees? You think that as a general rule they are paid more and have better benefits just because?

Are they strictly Paramedics or Firefighters first? There is a difference. If they are strictly paramedics and not involved in fire suppression at all other than rehab, which I doubt, then I say thanks IAFF. If however, which is more likely the case, they are firemen first paramedics second, then all the IAFF did was help the FF's, which is their agenda.