Dissapointment

[CBEMT]

Townships, Boro's, etc find a way to pay for a Police Department, Trash Service, and Utilities right?

Because the taxpayers know that they will always generate trash (though around here most trash service is privatized). They know that they will always need water and sewer service. And crime, well that can happen any time anywhere.

But fires and medical emergencies- those happen to somebody else.

[Richard B the EMT]

Addemdum to my previous posting:

During the time mentioned, due to no particular reason, I came in an hour early. The lieutenant advised me I was already mandated. I questioned this, as, obviously, with only some of the tour 3 crews, on a citywide basis, having started their shifts, I knew he had not had a chance to publicize on the department intranet (not the internet, this is a departmental internal system), or the vehicle radio computer linkup via the Computer Assisted Dispatch system. He said, "Don't have to, conditions already exist for it".

Yup, I worked my tour, 1630 to 0030, and then the overtime through to 0630, as did my partner. They made us leave our regular ambulance for the regular tour one relief, and put us into a spare truck, too. (Our relief, I heard, also was mandated into the "daylight tour" of 0830 to 1630, although they just worked the mandated 6 hours, to 1430.)

[Blue Goose]

EMS isn’t a lofty goal yet to be achieved. It isn’t the pipe-dream of our merry band here. (Good, professional EMS is, and also is another topic.) It exists, and from what I have seen, it is deplorable. The crux of the matter is that I am anti-volunteer, and completely justified in it. I am not only an EMS provider, but a member of the profession; I do not simply provide medical care, but am paid for it as well. The profession of EMS is hurt by volunteer EMS. Volunteers hurt the profession in monetary and non-monetary ways. As a professional (member of the profession) MY salary is affected by the volunteers halfway across the country from me. Simply put, I am paid less because people provide the same services for free. And so it is right for me to complain about this. And it is justified for me to not want their existence continued. Respectively, those who want EMS to be all volunteer are hurt by my salary. Not meaning to advocate that, I feel the need to explain that this concept is not restricted to EMS, but any establishment consisting of both paid and volunteer services. If the local grocery had volunteers to sack, the paid ones would be angry about it. And I don’t think anyone has a good rebuttal to that.

This is not meant as an attack on AMESEMT, but seemed an appropriate place to post this thought. I regard your opinion as valuable and hope you stay while understanding that your situation is not the same as most volunteers.

[AMESEMT]

Blue Goose, no offense taken. That is fine you are anti-volunteer, but it is the way people treat volunteers on this site that disappoints me. Your example about grocery baggers is great, I work in a grocery store (since I am still a college student and going to paramedic school soon). I would not want someone doing the same job for free if they are bringing down my wages. Being a volunteer with a (PAID) ALS service, I feel will not affect anyone since they don't rely on me for working. I am basically an extra pair of hands. I am mainly there to learn as much as I can and put what I have learned to use. Thanks everyone for good posts!

AMESEMT

[AnthonyM83]

I'd like to add a PS to my last post. While we are harsh on certain topics here even though we mean well, I think we should be aware that it can still exclude a lot of newcomers who are perusing this site along with 'other' EMS sites.

If we want the site to grow (and ultimately allow the spread of ideas such as furthering EMS profession, etc) we have to have new people rolling in...preferably at a larger rate than people dropping off.

[Asysin2leads]

I think when I put my $.02, I'm just going to copy and paste Dustdevil's posts as they pretty much always say what I was going to say.

What I see the major problem as, is not that its a mean bunch of oldies beating up on others, but rather people who are in the profession, who know the profession, laying down the hard cold truth.

You can call us mean, but what I personally think is downright cruel is taking an enthusiastic young adult, giving them some base knowledge in CPR and first aid, then making them believe that they have the power over life and death and sending them into situations that can get them killed, injured, or on the wrong end of a liability suit. I wouldn't take a college student who's done some work at Habitat for Humanity and tell him he's ready to work a high steel job, and in that vein, I think taking the same sort of person and leaving a critically injured or ill person in their care is also really, really wrong.

So, yes, I think I get irritated with someone who refuses to listen to fact when they ask for advice. I get frustrated when actually I'm trying to do someone a service but they won't listen. Good professional EMS takes physical ability, emotional strength, dexterity, and intellectual gifts. There is no getting around that. If you don't have those, you're not going to do anybody any favors by pretending you do, and unfortunately, many times, that's exactly what these volunteer systems do.

[wynter]

Well, here is my 2 cents worth, eventhough it may not mean much. I am an NREMT-B. I do both Volunteer 911 and Private Full Time Ambulance. While I agree with most people that some people should not hold the title of EMT, I have noticed from my own experience as I work with Medics and RN's as my partners that..often times they forget what it was like as a Basic. Being at the bottom of the totem pole DOES suck, but, we do the best that we can (most of us). Granted some people are just there for the paycheck, and sad to say, some people are just there for the title. I have worked with a few of those myself. Anyways, my point is. I don't think that they are bashing the position, but, mostly the people that hold the position. I've seen some lousy Basics..but I've also seen some lousy Medics. So, I don't think that anyone is in the right or wrong..for those of us that are still at the bottom..for now, we don't know what it's like to be anything else. For the people higher up..I think some of them just need to stop and think once in awhile. As the saying goes; Paramedics save lives..EMT's save Paramedics. Hope I didn't piss anyone off.

[AnthonyM83]

As the saying goes; Paramedics save lives..EMT's save Paramedics. Hope I didn't piss anyone off.

I've seen WAY more paramedics save EMTs than the other way around. And a good paramedic should be able to save his paramedic partner. That saying isn't proper justification. Read up on the other threads.

[brentoli]

How does an EMT save a paramedic? I consider myself quite a bit more educated, than my EMT-B counterparts and I still don't I have anything to offer a paramedic. About the only good I am for him is freeing him from taking vital signs, and spiking his IV bag.

[brentoli]

Blue Goose, no offense taken. That is fine you are anti-volunteer, but it is the way people treat volunteers on this site that disappoints me. Your example about grocery baggers is great, I work in a grocery store (since I am still a college student and going to paramedic school soon). I would not want someone doing the same job for free if they are bringing down my wages. Being a volunteer with a (PAID) ALS service, I feel will not affect anyone since they don't rely on me for working. I am basically an extra pair of hands. I am mainly there to learn as much as I can and put what I have learned to use. Thanks everyone for good posts!

AMESEMT

Do you ever work on the ambulance alone? Cover overtime shifts? Give an extra hand for coverage?

You just lost someones wages right there.

If we had an 8 hour overtime shift in dispatch, and someone said "Hey, I'll come in and work for you guys for free, I know the job" Damn right I would be pissed off. Thats about 160 dollars that "good samaritan" lost me. No I'm not doing the job just for the money. Yes, I have to be able to pay bills and eat.