Volunteer EMT-B's

[Timmy]

It always amazes me how different parts of the world have such a vast variety of clinical levels available to there citizens. Some places staff there ambulances with emergency physicians who have 10 + years training to emergency nurses with 4 years training to paramedics with 3 year degrees and volunteers with 120 hours training. Go figure lol…

[Chief1C]

Honestly. How many anti-volunteer threads do we need in a week? Can't they all be lumped into one thread? In the past 24 hours, there have been two new Anti-Volunteer threads; and three others turned in that direction.

[Dustdevil]

Apparently, the message isn't getting out.

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. :wink:

[WolfmanHarris]

It always amazes me how different parts of the world have such a vast variety of clinical levels available to there citizens. Some places staff there ambulances with emergency physicians who have 10 + years training to emergency nurses with 4 years training to paramedics with 3 year degrees and volunteers with 120 hours training. Go figure lol…

From what I understand in France, which has been a big user of the Physicians on Ambulance model (SAMU) they've recently been forced to start training RN's to work on the ambulances due to a shortage and relying on their BLS services alot more. I'm not sure of the length of education they have, but I do know most are Fire-based.

[EMT City Administrator]

Anti-volunteer threads are not allowed. Productive discussion of the pros and cons of each is. Members should hit the report button if they feel a thread has turned into a volunteer bashing thread. I will delete/edit the offending posts if necessary.

Admin.

(and discussion to this post should be restricted to PM and not lead to a hijacking of this thread)

[Just Plain Ruff]

this has been the best thread of it's kind in months. Those who have posted have exceeded my skepticism.

[Don1977]

dkay72027 ,

Good luck some people on here make it ALS/BLS and paid/volly bashing all the time, they like that dead horse I guess.... It never ends.

You want to be a volly, thats your business, I like being a paid EMT and like you I dont want to be a medic, I am happy as an EMT.

Good luck!

[dkay72027]

Please excuse me if this post is a little disjointed. It is a work in progress.

I completely understand the one's who feel their pay is directly affected by volunteers and I would agree in urban communities. Mine is not, so I am feeling a mite hypocritical. But, when you suggest other ways of volunteering, is it not a case of "not in my back yard"? All volunteering has the potential of taking away from someone's pay, even adopting a highway.

That being said, I do not feel volunteering affects the pay of EMT's as much as other things. I feel it is the public's perception of the field for one.

I was asked by a young woman recently about becoming an EMT. She was under the impression that the job was fairly easy and paid well for our area. I explained the low pay, stress, etc. that you guys put up with. I am a volunteer, I realize that if it gets to me, I can lay off for a while. My family will not suffer.

Most people assume a EMT's pay is about the same as a nurses. They see that an EMT works 24 on, 48 off (in my area). They think "well, that's pretty cushy. I have to work 5 days to get 2 days off". They think an EMT is paid to sleep and when they are at meals. They do not realize that you can be woken or called from your food at any time.

They assume that like their job you get paid overtime after 8 hours and double time after a certain amount. They think 48 hours off is the same as two days off for them. They do not realize that if they get Sat/Sun off it is actually about 60 hours.

They see what a teacher does. They see what a doctor does. They have no idea what an EMT does, unless they or someone close needs one.

Public education of the field is necessary for pay to increase. Most people do not realize that the cashier at Wal-Mart makes as much as the person who will be there in an emergency. If they did, it would make it easier when asking for more money.

What is the answer? I don't know. Someone could write a book, there could be public meetings or ads in the papers. Increase the public's knowledge and you'll be more likely to increase pay. And volunteers would still be welcomed by the public and more accepted by paid services.

[spenac]

Again another well thought out post dkay72027.

As to you expecting volunteers to affect pay to only be in urban areas, sorry, that is wrong. I am from one of the most rural areas in the USA. It is 90 miles from the EMS station to the hospital and it takes more than an hour to even get to many patients which means many transports are over two hours. The volunteer service that affected my pay check was 75+ miles away. So even if you are volunteering a long way from me you are still hurting my family and my self. All actions carry a ripple effect.

You are right about the public having no clue what is involved in my profession. The ignorance that this is an easy, fun, exciting job is made worse when the public sees that people do it for free so it can't be like a real job. So again ripple effects. Public education is needed but the public will think yeah right if it were that difficulty, dangerous, etc, then why do people do it for free. More ripple effect.

[spenac]

this has been the best thread of it's kind in months. Those who have posted have exceeded my skepticism.

Yes it has. As one of the biggest anti-vollys on here the reason I even chose to respond is the OP took time to present their side in a well thought out way. Sadly most just quickly rush to the I volly so I'm more dedicated than you BS. So to OP thank you for a well presented discussion.