Is there a shortage of EMS workers in your area?

[itku2er]

Do you perceive a shortage of EMTs and/or Paramedics either nationally or in your local area? Is there a difference for rural or urban areas? Do you feel there is not enough COMPETENT EMS workers in your area, what can we do to change this? I was having a discussion the other night with a friend and he brought up these questions so I would like to know how you all feel about it.

[spenac]

Actually in my area there are a number of competent medics that will not work EMS because they make more money elsewhere. So the reason we have openings is low pay not shortage of medics that some claim.

[Chief1C]

We've been losing really good medics, to better paying jobs. They need to work at four or more services, to have a family. They can make that much, with one good factory job. We've also lost dispatchers, EMT's, etc. for the same reason.

Not really a big calling for EMT's. People would rather take a good job, than take the time to train to become an EMT or Paramedic, then work a low paying job. It may not be about the money, but our lives require cash flow to work out. We couldn't even get enough people to hold the yearly EMT course. So, we're just going to have a first responder class. They won't be able to get hired, but that will help amend the driver shortage.

[mobey]

There is a moderate shortage in my area of Ab.

There is a HUGE amount of incompetent EMT's in the rural setting, and the only way to change that is to fire them. Problem is... they were hired by thier friends in power, and there they shall stay till retirement.

[VentMedic]

No. However, there may be a shortage of those applying for private ambulance jobs if the FD has EMS.

One FD had over 6000 applicants recently. Since the Paramedic cert is required, almost all of those were Paramedics. Hard to believe, isn't it? We have close to 50 schools cranking out PDQ certs including the colleges that have streamlined their curriculum to resemble a medic mill.

The problem is when those applicants are only going for the FD job and have no interest in the medical aspect. Thus, many will continue to flip burgers at Burger King until they get hired by the FD. Then, they can be that first-rate Paramedic on an ALS engine.

Florida numbers for people holding a license although they may not be working as an EMT or Paramedic:

As of October 2008, Florida has 34,638 certified EMTs and 22,196 certified paramedics.

[Timmy]

Yes, very much so.

[Dustdevil]

Certainly no shortage of EMTs around here. Only one city in the two-county Metroplex even employs EMTs, and they have had a "no vacancy" sign out for EMTs for years now. Only paramedics need apply. Every EMT on every transfer truck in Dallas-Fort Worth (thousands of EMTs) would like to have one of those jobs. As for Paramedics, there are only two real EMS employers in the two counties that are not fire-based. Consequently, there are only two possible employers for the hundreds of Paramedics that graduate each year, unless they become a firemonkey or transfer jockey. The surrounding rural counties have no problems. All these unemployed medics in the city run out there looking for work, so those agencies are in a position to be choosey about who they hire, and certainly don't have any problem keeping their rosters full.

Is there a shortage of competent EMS personnel? Absolutely. Since most graduates here never get an EMS job, they never get enough field experience to achieve competence. They may apply to me with three years of "experience" on their resume, but it is nothing but nursing home transfers or rural vollywhacking, not EMS experience. Of the four paramedic schools in Dallas-Fort Worth, only one of them graduates a competent practitioner. The others cater to the fire departments by rushing people through with very little theoretical foundation and very little field experience. Of course, my definition of competence is vastly different from that of most around here too. The ability to hit 3 out of 4 IVs or tubes is not competence. Competence is not skills based. It is knowledge based. Unless, of course, you call the ability to quickly and accurately assess a patient and diagnose his condition, and formulate a plan of care without a cookbook a "skill".

[WolfmanHarris]

I wish there was a shortage around here, I need to find a job right out of school and that would make it easier. ;D

No there is no shortage of Paramedics in Ontario. We go through cycles of good job markets in this province and we're in a slump at the moment. There's always jobs working transfer, but you don't need any medical qualifications to work stable transfer.

[akroeze]

I wish there was a shortage around here, I need to find a job right out of school and that would make it easier. ;D

No there is no shortage of Paramedics in Ontario. We go through cycles of good job markets in this province and we're in a slump at the moment. There's always jobs working transfer, but you don't need any medical qualifications to work stable transfer.

Quoted for truth.

Even the ALS job market isn't huge huge right now. There are a couple services hiring but the majority that have ALS aren't even accepting resumes.

[firemed665]

Here in Northwest Indiana there is a huge shortage of Paramedics. EMT's are fairly bountiful. Because the area is growing rapidly the need for ALS service is increasing faster that we can get students out of Paramedic school and onto the street. We also have a problem with funding, so new and existing services are unable to expand to meet the demand. This includes Hospitals as well. Northwest Indiana is changing from a fairly rural area into modern suburban communities. The Chicagoland area just over the border has more medics than the entire state of Indiana. But, the financial constraints that the communities here are under make it hard to pay a wage comparable to the Chicago area. So drawing experienced medics from Illinois is easier said than done. Right now I make more money working in the ER on my side job than I do from the town I work for.

As for the competency of the workers it varies, but for the most part is high. The paramedics in the St. Anthony's EMS System are all pretty good. The EMS system holds its medics to a high standard of education and skill. The new medics that come out of school here are usually, for the most part, street ready. The Methodist EMS system is pretty good too. Both are very progressive and have very aggressive SOP's. Unfortunately, you always have the problem of what to do with the one or two companies that allow their medics or emts to become burnt out or just not care. But, that happens everywhere, the last ones to graduate school still need jobs too i guess. No offense intended.

Unfortunately, I believe that the number of EMS workers is only going to need to increase until there is a real solution to the health care crisis. Once everyone has decent access to health care I believe we will see a decrease in the amount of EMS workers needed too. Kind of a catch 22. On the other hand, if everyone has access to good health care I probably won't be getting up at 2am for the ill person with a cough and fever for a week.