# Paying for Pager



## MMiz (Aug 5, 2008)

In my area, I know that every private service requires employees to pay pager fees if they want an alphanumeric pager.  Because radio coverage can be poor at times, the pager is almost an essential tool, but we get charged $6 a month to use it.  

I always thought the fee was kind of ridiculous.  Anyone else have to pay?


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## JPINFV (Aug 5, 2008)

I only had to pay if I lost it, but never a monthly fee. If it's essentially required, then the company should be fitting the bill. If not, I guess it's too bad if the ambulance never gets the call. Whats next, requiring employees to provide their own response bag?


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## KEVD18 (Aug 5, 2008)

ive only worked for one company that used pagers and they issued them. not only were they at no cost to us, the company also allowed us to use them for personal use. 

i have a significant personal greivance with any employer that tells me something is required for me to use and then tells me i have to pay for it myself. if its required, you give it to me. if its optional and i want it, i understand getting stuck with the tab.


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## MMiz (Aug 5, 2008)

The company says that it's not required, but it's a pain not to have one.  The dispatch information required for calls is on them, but they said we could always look at the MDT to get that information.  It wasn't always easy to walk out to the rig, turn it on, wait for the computer to boot, and copy down the information.


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## mikie (Aug 5, 2008)

I do concur that it is kind of ridiculous to pay 'out of pocket'.  I could understand if it was a person who seldomly responded, as it would be almost a waste...but for active members, the department/service/company should provide the means of communications.

As for broken pagers (minitors), I've broken one and lost one, I felt I should have paid for them, but the dept replaced them (after a little heckling)!


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## Jon (Aug 5, 2008)

Where I've worked... if it is needed, it is issued.

At the vollie squad, we use voice alert pagers. We have crappy, beat up loaners in the supervisors office... this way, part-time employees and occasional volunteers have them.
The active volunteers and full-time staff are issued their own, less abused ones (with vibrating alert). This also means that we have pagers to know if we need to go get one of the back-line trucks out for a 4th or 5th call.

When I used to work transport, One place issued us a digital pager that they sent most of the CAD data to. One person on the crew had to have the pager at all times. This wasn't our pager... we just used it for a shift.


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## mikie (Aug 5, 2008)

Jon said:


> Where I've worked... if it is needed, it is issued.
> 
> At the vollie squad, we use voice alert pagers. We have crappy, beat up loaners in the supervisors office... this way, part-time employees and occasional volunteers have them.
> The active volunteers and full-time staff are issued their own, less abused ones (with vibrating alert).



Were you guys using the Motorola Minitors?


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## Jon (Aug 6, 2008)

mikie333 said:


> Were you guys using the Motorola Minitors?


Yep.
Loaners are III's, IV's and V's are issued.


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## TransportJockey (Aug 6, 2008)

Jon said:


> When I used to work transport, One place issued us a digital pager that they sent most of the CAD data to. One person on the crew had to have the pager at all times. This wasn't our pager... we just used it for a shift.



Thats what its like out here


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## daedalus (Aug 6, 2008)

I say baloney! EMTs already are used and abused by private transport companies. I would never consider working for one that made me pay monthly for the required issued equipment. In fact, I would tell the prospective employer to go f**ck himself.


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## mikeylikesit (Aug 6, 2008)

we don't get pagers so if were too far out of range we and our patients are SOL.


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## PNWMedic (Aug 13, 2008)

One thing that is nice about the Minitors is the Stored Voice SV Pagers, which auto record the call and can play it back.


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## EMTSteve (Aug 25, 2008)

I work for a Dirty Diaper Transport company... and we are given our pagers for free and are allowed to use them for personal use.


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