Down time-Station or Home?

[Timmy]

lol I’m both agreeing with bushy n OZ on this one…

The medics in my town only attend on average 3 calls in a 24 hour period. My town is rural and you would get mighty bored staying at the station. The way they work is one medic takes home the Merc and the other takes the Ford Territory, they meet on scene. During the day they staff 2 Mercs with a 2nd car on call. If needed (at night) the on call medics can race to the station were there’s another vehicle.

[aussiephil]

As for needing twice as many vehicles, that may be the case but it is much cheaper that staffing a night shift! Vehicles are cheap compared to trained paramedics.

I work the same sort of roster as Oz, 8 days on, 6 days off & 7 nights on call. Family life suffers but we try to be as normal as possible.

As for vehicles, we have a 2 officer crewing policy in our service, no single officer jobs unless you are called off duty & there is no other available backup. The proposal has gone to the powers that be to provide "Rapid Response" type vehicles for 1 & an ambulance for the other. This would reduce the necessity & cost burden of having that many wagons out there.

They are a sedan with lights & sirens O2 Viva, drug kit & Defibrillator.

[Jinxie3119]

We have the same arrangement. Our paramedics staff a quick response that they take home after five pm and the emt's have 7 minutes to respond to station to get ambulance and go to the call.

[shira_emt]

I wish my volly department was anywhere close to you all's. It's strictly volunteer. We have no "on days or hours" it's whoever shows up, shows up. I only live about a block away so I'm usually the first one there. I sit and I wait and wait and wait. Hoping that another person will show up. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I have been known to go on runs in my PJ's.....I know how unprofessional. Hell the pt was just happy that we got a crew to get her out of her car that hit a tree and telephone pole. Note: thorn bushes really like flannel! Just in case you were ever wondering......... Until next time.....stay safe.

[iMac]

All but one service I worked for were/are rural ALS services. For all of them I would be able to respond from home or if I happend to work casual I would stay at the base. One service I worked for I worked in the ER during the day so I would be coming from the hospital.

[Niftymedi911]

Wow,

I feel out of place, so to speak. We have a 1 min 30 sec "out of chute" reguardless of time of shift. We are all full-time paid ALS providers, we have no privlage of staying at home. We are there for 24 hrs then go home for 48, and then come back. We are "on-call" when we sign up for OT. Then we have an hour to respond to the page to come in. We're stuck here at the stations no matter what. But we also answered 84,000 calls last year. We have 4 rural units and the rest (32) are urban. We are a 3rd service Government operated ALS transport. We have 4 fast response Expeditions which help around the central area with call volume.

[JakeEMTP]

Our shifts are somewhat the same as Niftymedics. 24 hr on 24 off, 24 on 24 off, 24 on 4 days off. I like it as it leaves some more time to precept and golf, ( when I have a few spare hours, which is rare ). We are stationed in the fire hall, but we are not fire. The station quarters are ok. The sleeping quarters are adequate with decent mattresses, however, we don't use them much. There is a full kitchen where the hose monkeys prepare all meals. Some of them can even cook. Showers are nice and clean. All the comforts of home. Big screen TV, cable, internet, nothing's too good for the fire dept. :roll:

[akroeze]

Our shifts are somewhat the same as Niftymedics. 24 hr on 24 off, 24 on 24 off, 24 on 4 days off. I like it as it leaves some more time to precept and golf, ( when I have a few spare hours, which is rare ). We are stationed in the fire hall, but we are not fire. The station quarters are ok. The sleeping quarters are adequate with decent mattresses, however, we don't use them much. There is a full kitchen where the hose monkeys prepare all meals. Some of them can even cook. Showers are nice and clean. All the comforts of home. Big screen TV, cable, internet, nothing's too good for the fire dept. :roll:

We have all those amenities at all of our bases (often private bedrooms) plus if you live close enough you get to go home for the 12hrs at night

[ginpole]

At our service we work a set schedule one week is 48 on one or two days off work a 24. The next week work 48, off for 5 days unless you pick up ot. My days are Tuesday and Wednesday and everyother Saturday. We have stations like houses each one has at least two bedrooms, kitchens, showers, dish tv and internet. Response times are 1 minute between 0700-1900, 2 minutes 1900-0700.

[ginpole]

Forgot if you live near the station and can make the response times you can go home. Other wise its stay with the unit.