Standby/Event EMT Gear

[OhItzJimmy]

What items/gear should we bring/pack at an event?
Different Gear BLS & ALS should have?

I'm in LA County...

I have a few items... But what else should be included...
Trauma Shears
Tape
BP Cuff
Stethoscope
Penlight
4x4 Dressings
Triangular Bandages
Band Aids
Tweezers
Ice Packs/Cold Compress
Alcohol Wipes
Gloves
Roller Gauge

 

[Qulevrius]

CPR mask, OPA/NPA, glucose, saline, c-collars, cardboard splints. Maybe ASA and some antihistamine, but don't quote me saying that, I'm not 100% on how the county sees it in these scenarios.

 

[Handsome Robb]

The agency you work for should be providing your equipment...are they paying you for the supplies you use on top of your hourly? If not then they provide it or I'd tell them to get bent.


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[Qulevrius]

The agency you work for should be providing your equipment...are they paying you for the supplies you use on top of your hourly? If not then they provide it or I'd tell them to get bent.


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I think it's a per diem gig where you come with your own jump bag. It's pretty common in LACo.

 

[NysEms2117]

I think it's a per diem gig where you come with your own jump bag. It's pretty common in LACo.

I feel like you could lose money if thats the case... If you actually end up having to do something that is..

 

[Qulevrius]

I feel like you could lose money if thats the case... If you actually end up having to do something that is..

Last I heard, the pay was somewhere in the ballpark of $250-300 per event (which lasts anywhere from 2 to 6 hours). In the end of the day, it's not money lost but neither too much earned. All things being equal, it's slightly above minimum wage but the incentive is the freelance spirit.

 

[CALEMT]

The agency you work for should be providing your equipment...are they paying you for the supplies you use on top of your hourly? If not then they provide it or I'd tell them to get bent.


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This is what I was thinking. Regardless if its per diem or not your employer should provide supplies. If you're a ER tech you don't show up to the hospital with your own supplies, the hospital provides those for you.

I'm with Robb, I'd tell em to get bent.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I've seen several online adds from event medical companies looking for EMTs who state "EMTs supply their own equipment". No thanks

 

[Jim37F]

I worked a special event standby Monday night, I just used the company provided jump bag....

 

[NPO]

Many event medical companies operate with their EMTs as 1099 contractors to reduce operating costs. It's not uncommon, and not illegal (depending on how they do it.) It's often done this way because events are not daily, regular or predictable. So the company wants many EMTs available to work a few hours a month.

As a 1099 you're required to provide your own equipment. The benefit is, you can set your own pay rate. The person you work for won't tell you this, they will likely tell you "Pay is $10/hour." Thats fine, but if you're the only person who can work an event, you can tell them "Sorry, my rate today is $25/hr, and as an Independent Contractor I am within my rights to set my own rates."

The lady I worked for didn't like when I did that, but I always got paid

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[OhItzJimmy]

I've been trying to find an event/standby company to work for on my days off, I'm already a FT employee at an hospital, I just want to keep my skills intact. Most of the company I found in LA County is you have to provide your own equipment.

 

[Jn1232th]

I work for two event companies. one supplies everything to me and the other I have to bring my own gear.. for that I just went to dollar store and got the basics. gauze, tape, etc etc. I got opa kit for like $8 online. luckily the events that company covers are mostly small private parties and the such.

 

[Jn1232th]

I've been trying to find an event/standby company to work for on my days off, I'm already a FT employee at an hospital, I just want to keep my skills intact. Most of the company I found in LA County is you have to provide your own equipment.

You should try Medical and safety management inc. there based out of fountain valley but cover alot of LA events including long beach Convention center and Hollywood bowl. they supply all the gear needed also.

 

[akflightmedic]

The event company owners/managers are idiots.

If I owned the company, I would bulk purchase the basic supplies I would like for you to have and then I would sell them to you with slight mark up. Ensures all my staff representing me are buying what is needed, helps them get access to it and I make a small margin off it.

Idiots.

 

[Tigger]

Fanny packs are certainly essential.

 

[NPO]

The event company owners/managers are idiots.

If I owned the company, I would bulk purchase the basic supplies I would like for you to have and then I would sell them to you with slight mark up. Ensures all my staff representing me are buying what is needed, helps them get access to it and I make a small margin off it.

Idiots.

My boss did that.

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[OhItzJimmy]

You should try Medical and safety management inc. there based out of fountain valley but cover alot of LA events including long beach Convention center and Hollywood bowl. they supply all the gear needed also.

Thanks, I will look into them

 

[DrParasite]

As a 1099 you're required to provide your own equipment. The benefit is, you can set your own pay rate. The person you work for won't tell you this, they will likely tell you "Pay is $10/hour." Thats fine, but if you're the only person who can work an event, you can tell them "Sorry, my rate today is $25/hr, and as an Independent Contractor I am within my rights to set my own rates."

The lady I worked for didn't like when I did that, but I always got paid

Actually, any employee is within their rights to set their own hourly rate, regardless of if W-2 or 1099. It's up to the employer to decide if they want to pay it.

Now if you are the only person who can work an event, than the employer is stupid for not having a much larger pool of employees to chose from. If I were your boss, I would have told you to get bent, and worked it myself, and then worked on bringing on additional contracting staff.

As to the OP, I would add suction, oxygen and defib/AED to the list of equipment. If you are providing BLS coverage, you should actually have the equipment to treat to that standard of care. And once you calculate the cost of that equipment, you see why people are saying your employer should be providing you what you need.

Based on what you listed, it seems like all you were bringing was a basic first aid kid. Does your county have a list of required equipment for standby EMTs?

 

[OhItzJimmy]

Actually, any employee is within their rights to set their own hourly rate, regardless of if W-2 or 1099. It's up to the employer to decide if they want to pay it.

Now if you are the only person who can work an event, than the employer is stupid for not having a much larger pool of employees to chose from. If I were your boss, I would have told you to get bent, and worked it myself, and then worked on bringing on additional contracting staff.

As to the OP, I would add suction, oxygen and defib/AED to the list of equipment. If you are providing BLS coverage, you should actually have the equipment to treat to that standard of care. And once you calculate the cost of that equipment, you see why people are saying your employer should be providing you what you need.

Based on what you listed, it seems like all you were bringing was a basic first aid kid. Does your county have a list of required equipment for standby EMTs?

According to the company website that's all they listed, never metioned an AED, suction device, 02, C-Collars, they just listed the basics with some OTC medications.

 

[NPO]

Actually, any employee is within their rights to set their own hourly rate, regardless of if W-2 or 1099. It's up to the employer to decide if they want to pay it.

Now if you are the only person who can work an event, than the employer is stupid for not having a much larger pool of employees to chose from. If I were your boss, I would have told you to get bent, and worked it myself, and then worked on bringing on additional contracting staff.

As to the OP, I would add suction, oxygen and defib/AED to the list of equipment. If you are providing BLS coverage, you should actually have the equipment to treat to that standard of care. And once you calculate the cost of that equipment, you see why people are saying your employer should be providing you what you need.

Based on what you listed, it seems like all you were bringing was a basic first aid kid. Does your county have a list of required equipment for standby EMTs?

Pretty much everything you stated is wrong here.
Employees can't set their own wage day to day.
My boss couldn't work the event. She did not have an EMT certificate anymore.
Staff shortages occur in business. It just happens.
DO NOT get oxygen or an AED. Both items require a medical director order, and unless you're going to get your own medical director, it's illegal for you to provide them. The convention center i worked at most provided the oxygen and AEDs to us.

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