Sleeping arrangements

Ms.Medic

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What kind of sleeping arrangements does your station have. Just curious to know about some other departments. Do you think that the men and women should sleep in seperate quarters ?
 

AJ Hidell

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I don't think they should be sleeping on duty.

But if by "sleeping" you mean consensual sex, I don't have a problem with that.
 

curt

Forum Crew Member
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Eh, a catnap never hurt anyone. In fact, research points to short naps making you more effective and considerably less fatigued throughout the day or shift. Full on sleep is a definite no-no for heavier sleepers like myself, though.
 

marineman

Forum Asst. Chief
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We are allowed to sleep any time as long as our station duties get done at some point during the shift. All of our stations have 2 bedrooms with 1 bed in each room and 2 recliners in each station as well. Only 1 ambulance at each station.
 

AJ Hidell

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I'm against 24 and 48 hour shifts as a general rule, except in those remote, slow-paced, rural systems where long commutes are the norm and the run volume allows for plenty of rest. That's not something you see in metropolitan Texas. I question the managerial competence of any urban or suburban agency who does that kind of scheduling.

I have never worked any system where there were gender segregated quarters or facilities. And the problems that proposition presents are yet another reason why 24 hour shifts are a bad idea. I don't support segregated quarters. It seems a little hypocritical and counterintuitive to suggest that racial segregation is bad, but that gender segregation is good. This is the 21st century, so that line of thinking doesn't seem to be appropriate anymore.

As for sleeping in general, I'm not really against on-duty personnel catching a nap to stay fresh, so long as the time and place is appropriate. I'm just against extended shift schedules that necessitate sleeping as part of that schedule. There should be no reason to establish sleeping facilities for on-duty sleep.
 

Sapphyre

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What kind of sleeping arrangements does your station have. Just curious to know about some other departments. Do you think that the men and women should sleep in seperate quarters ?

Station? What station???? We use "System Status" aka, Rocking Random Parking Lots. We do not have sleeping quarters provided.
 

TransportJockey

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Station? What station???? We use "System Status" aka, Rocking Random Parking Lots. We do not have sleeping quarters provided.

That seems to be most common if not in a fire system
 

johnrsemt

Forum Deputy Chief
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When I was part time on a fire dept we worked 12-?? shifts. the dept was 24 on 48 off. we could sleep, as long as we could make the 90 second response times. With the fire bell, lights kicking on, and the PA going off with dispatch info: that wasn't a problem.

at the Private service I worked for we were not supposed to sleep, and were only supposed to work 16 hrs shifts at the longest. we slept, and we worked longer shifts.

Now we sit in ambulances and cover tests. we aren't supposed to sleep, but it is hard not to sit in fron seat, not moving and not go to sleep. we are on 10 1/2 hr shifts; but can work up to 36 hrs straight, then 5 off. for weeks at a time. so we sleep. (I also have a 85 mile commute), so when I have to drive to work, it is nice to get a nap here and there.
 

JAM-EMT

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Our stations usually have 2 bedrooms, cause they are all houses of some form. We can sleep whenever and whereever as long as everything is done. Other than that the cab of the truck works too.
 

imurphy

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My station has 3 crews on 24's, so there are 6 bunks provided. Same in all the stations in my company, enough beds for all staff that are on the 24's. Also 3 couches large enough to sleep on. Sometimes I do another shift the next day, and in the hours between my shift ending and my shift starting (usually 3-4 hours) I sleep in there too.

If a call comes in, we get a phone call, then out to the trucks that are ready and waiting, so we make our target.

As to the OP's question of seperate sleeping quaters, I think it'd be an unnecessary expence. Generally when we hit the racks, we sleep. Now seperate beds for everyone, i agree with!
 

Sasha

Forum Chief
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I'd hope people were adult enough not to need seperate sleeping quarters to prevent them from doing eachother like hormonal teenagers.

And when you think about it, will seperate sleeping quarters prevent sex? It's not like they sit in their respective rooms groaning "Oh no. There's a wall between us!"
 

nomofica

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It seems a little hypocritical and counterintuitive to suggest that racial segregation is bad, but that gender segregation is good. This is the 21st century, so that line of thinking doesn't seem to be appropriate anymore.


There's a difference between discriminative segregation and segregation for privacy.

Segregation based on colour is a "hate" thing. Segregating the sexes for things such as bathrooms, sleeping quarters, etc, are out of respect for privacy. There should never be a breach of said privacy in the civilized surroundings.
 
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lightsandsirens5

Forum Deputy Chief
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We have 4 seperate bedrooms. Two have one bed each, two have two beds. But if both beds are used the room would be shared be two guys or two girls. Bathrooms/Showers are sepreate also. (Obviously.:rolleyes:)

Rooms are real nice actually, twin bed, TV, internet, etc.........B) They even wash our sheets for us, just drop them in the bin when you check out of a room.:p
 

vquintessence

Forum Captain
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Clearly this struck a nerve..

Sleeping quarters shouldn't be segregated. I'm with AJ with his metaphor (or simile? Hell I don't remember) on racial and gender segregation.

Further, it would be utter BS, and I view it as complete manipulation, for any female to demand to have a gender based sleeping quarters. In my eyes, that's their way of twisting managements arm to get a more isolated room away from the other 6+ snoring/drooling/farting co-workers. Ironically, these people don't have a problem hearing/telling sex jokes or other inappropriate stuff, or even cuddling during the daytime, but when night hits, and they really want a quiet place to sleep... suddenly the co-ed situation becomes untenable.

However, that being said, everyone should always be sleeping in uniform, to keep problems from arising in co-ed bunk rooms. None of that short shorts/ no t-shirt / "I only sleep in socks" crap.

/end manifesto :sad:
 

BossyCow

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it would be utter BS, and I view it as complete manipulation, for any female to demand to have a gender based sleeping quarters. In my eyes, that's their way of twisting managements arm to get a more isolated room away from the other 6+ snoring/drooling/farting co-workers. Ironically, these people don't have a problem hearing/telling sex jokes or other inappropriate stuff, or even cuddling during the daytime, but when night hits, and they really want a quiet place to sleep... suddenly the co-ed situation becomes untenable.

Wow, quite a reaction! Someone was sitting in the back telling jokes during sensitivity training! To assume that its always the female 'demanding' to have seperate quarters or raising the issue of segregation is obviously coming from some nasty incident in your past. I'm sorry for your pain, get some therapy or just grow up. Today's workplace contains both genders. Not all women are whiney princesses who are intruding into the male workplace with all their girly demands and ultimatums. Most of us are just people, wanting to do our jobs, get along with our co-workers and get paid.

Management often is the one making the determination to provide privacy. Personally I grew up with too many brothers to have an issue over who shares my sleeping space. On a SAR, we generally are more concerned with who has the best shelter than who is what gender.
 

nomofica

Forum Asst. Chief
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We have 4 seperate bedrooms. Two have one bed each, two have two beds. But if both beds are used the room would be shared be two guys or two girls. Bathrooms/Showers are sepreate also. (Obviously.:rolleyes:)

Rooms are real nice actually, twin bed, TV, internet, etc.........B) They even wash our sheets for us, just drop them in the bin when you check out of a room.:p

Holy crap that's nice...
 

DrankTheKoolaid

Forum Deputy Chief
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re

We work 72 hour shifts here. We have 2 houses in each of our main duty areas. 1 house with 2bed 2bath the other is 2bed 1bath. 1 station which is a freakin HUGE 5 bedroom home also doubles as the main office for the clerical staff. We have a partition slider door that we can close to seperate them out from the crew areas. The other duty station/house, we are left to our own devices *snicker*

Corky
 

AJ Hidell

Forum Deputy Chief
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Wow, quite a reaction! Someone was sitting in the back telling jokes during political correctness indoctrination!
Fixed that for ya.

While I am completely with VQ on the first part of his post, I have to disagree with his final statement. If you are going to force me to sleep on the job, it is unreasonable for you to dictate how I do it. NOBODY should be sleeping in a uniform. It looks like crap when you crawl into a patient's house like that, hurting our professional image, and diminishing public support for EMS. Not to mention that some people simply can't sleep like that unless they are way beyond exhausted. My underwear reveals no more than my bathing suit does. If you have a problem with that, look the other way and stay away from the beach. If you don't want to show yours, that's your business, that's fine. I won't tell you how you should sleep. But don't tell me how to sleep.
 
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