SoCal 911 contracts

[DrParasite]

The whole situations sounds like cronyism, corruption, back room dealings, monopolization, and a whole lot of *** kissing to the local FDs, who don't care about the ambulance at all, as long as someone shows up. Except for the *** kissing to the local FD, it sounds so much like my former home.

one thing I need to ask about:

Having such experience in 911 which I beleive in LAco to do 911 you have to have a minimum of 12 years as a 911 service in order to do 911.

so you need 12 years of experience as a 911 service in order to bid? anywhere? and what does that 911 experience gain you? the organization might have the experience, but the staff doesn't. And how do you gain that experience if no one will give you a contract?

For example, I have been a medic for 20 years, in a 911 system, and win the lottery. 20 million to spend anyway I want. I start an ambulance service in Socal, but I can't bid on the 911 contract because my agency has no experience. So what do I do until I get that offer? IFT only? maybe hospital discharges? but when I do get that contract, my staff still lacks 911 experience.

Even if R/M comes into the area, with 30 years of 911 experience, they are still going to hire the locals who have zero 911 experience to run 911 calls. The company might have a ton of experience in Arizona, but what they do know about the California EMS system?

 

[wtferick]

Also heard San Clemente was trying to have an ET Medic Unit provided by Care and was soon tossed out when OCFA heard about it.

And any idea if Care could legally monopolies all of OCFAs coverage zones? (Zone A remains)

 

[gonefishing]

The whole situations sounds like cronyism, corruption, back room dealings, monopolization, and a whole lot of *** kissing to the local FDs, who don't care about the ambulance at all, as long as someone shows up. Except for the *** kissing to the local FD, it sounds so much like my former home.

one thing I need to ask about:so you need 12 years of experience as a 911 service in order to bid? anywhere? and what does that 911 experience gain you? the organization might have the experience, but the staff doesn't. And how do you gain that experience if no one will give you a contract?

For example, I have been a medic for 20 years, in a 911 system, and win the lottery. 20 million to spend anyway I want. I start an ambulance service in Socal, but I can't bid on the 911 contract because my agency has no experience. So what do I do until I get that offer? IFT only? maybe hospital discharges? but when I do get that contract, my staff still lacks 911 experience.

Even if R/M comes into the area, with 30 years of 911 experience, they are still going to hire the locals who have zero 911 experience to run 911 calls. The company might have a ton of experience in Arizona, but what they do know about the California EMS system?

Exactly. It's *** backwards. The whole system is. Alot of back room dealing. Jems has had some coverage on it as well as the local papers all swept under the rug.

 

[gonefishing]

Also heard San Clemente was trying to have an ET Medic Unit provided by Care and was soon tossed out when OCFA heard about it.

And any idea if Care could legally monopolies all of OCFAs coverage zones? (Zone A remains)

They tried and went to court already over it and that was for LAco. They wanted all the zones. As for OC emergency couldn't stop them.

 

[Qulevrius]

Also heard San Clemente was trying to have an ET Medic Unit provided by Care and was soon tossed out when OCFA heard about it.

And any idea if Care could legally monopolies all of OCFAs coverage zones? (Zone A remains)

It makes no sense. They have ET 50 in S Clemente, why antagonize OCFA ? They’re already as prissy as at is.

 

[Jim37F]

ET medical unit? ET 50? What are those?

 

[Qulevrius]

ET medical unit? ET 50? What are those?

Emergency Transport (ET) 50 (OCFA firehouse #50). It’s an in-house rig manned by CARE.

What @wtferick was saying is that the rumour had it, that the city of St Clemente was trying to establish a dedicated ET unit with CARE medic, and that OCFA threw a fit. Which, to me, makes zero sense since there’s already ET50 in town.

 

[jgmedic]

Emergency Transport (ET) 50 (OCFA firehouse #50). It’s an in-house rig manned by CARE.

What @wtferick was saying is that the rumour had it, that the city of St Clemente was trying to establish a dedicated ET unit with CARE medic, and that OCFA threw a fit. Which, to me, makes zero sense since there’s already ET50 in town.

Because its a hell of a lot cheaper to staff a private medic than pay for an OCFA FFPM

 

[Qulevrius]

Because its a hell of a lot cheaper to staff a private medic than pay for an OCFA FFPM

Of course it is. But since the city already has a firehouse with an ET, why antagonize the ultra-sensitive County Fire ? Unless they can outsource the FD as well, it’s borderline feeble minded.

 

[VentMonkey]

Before they shut both Cerritos and Garden Grove down, AMR’s last remaining “911” contract was an ET with the City of Westminster. No one at that point gave two flocks about running “fire calls”, and they subsequently could not staff it.

 

[Qulevrius]

Nowadays there are 2 ETs in Westminster, 64 and 66. That is, 2 ETs for a city with 3 firehouses. Makes ET64 the 3rd busiest in-house shift, right after Fullerton and Anaheim.

 

[wtferick]

Nowadays there are 2 ETs in Westminster, 64 and 66. That is, 2 ETs for a city with 3 firehouses. Makes ET64 the 3rd busiest in-house shift, right after Fullerton and Anaheim.

Yeah Et64 got screwed ever since ET65 was removed (shoreline)

And the ET they have now in San Clemente was the rumored ET Medic unit.

 

[NPO]

The whole situations sounds like cronyism, corruption, back room dealings, monopolization, and a whole lot of *** kissing to the local FDs, who don't care about the ambulance at all, as long as someone shows up. Except for the *** kissing to the local FD, it sounds so much like my former home.

You're 100% right. The two big players, Care and McCormick are just in it for the money. They put on a good facade, but they just want to keep the FD happy to keep their contracts.

Care (in some places, so I'm told) requires some of their EMTs to have FF certs, or a FF academy, if they are to be using a fire station as quarters. I think this is only in OC. They preform no supression duties in the slightest. They also regularly post on social media to congratulate their employees (including administration and managers) when they quit for FD jobs. Makes me wonder how senior their administration is.

McCormick recently redid their entire fleet in colors that identically mimic that of the LACoFD, presumably so the public is less aware that McCormick is a private company and not the FD.
Colors don't really matter, it's how obvious the pandering is that bothers me. Let EMS be its own thing, and represent ourselves, not be a shill for the FD.

 

[Qulevrius]

Care (in some places, so I'm told) requires some of their EMTs to have FF certs, or a FF academy, if they are to be using a fire station as quarters. I think this is only in OC. They preform no supression duties in the slightest. They also regularly post on social media to congratulate their employees (including administration and managers) when they quit for FD jobs. Makes me wonder how senior their administration is.

I’m not 100% on the FF certs/academy for in-house shifts. Maybe (and that’s a big maybe) for Grove & La Habra, since these cannot be readily picked up, as opposed to the rest of the firehouse shifts. I’ve worked most of these and there were no special requirements (except for seniority, and not being a morbid cretin). Those who have the in-house shifts as their permanent, have nothing to do with fire suppression; they operate the ET and, depending on a given firehouse, are involved in the station routine to a certain degree. Places like FH64 consider the permanent CARE crews a part of the team (with a probie status), and there are also places like Anaheim 5 or Grove 2 that are perpetually open for a bid, because no one wants to work with the arseholes.

I’ll keep my opinion of CARE management to myself.

 

[wtferick]

I

I’m not 100% on the FF certs/academy for in-house shifts. Maybe (and that’s a big maybe) for Grove & La Habra, since these cannot be readily picked up, as opposed to the rest of the firehouse shifts. I’ve worked most of these and there were no special requirements (except for seniority, and not being a morbid cretin). Those who have the in-house shifts as their permanent, have nothing to do with fire suppression; they operate the ET and, depending on a given firehouse, are involved in the station routine to a certain degree. Places like FH64 consider the permanent CARE crews a part of the team (with a probie status), and there are also places like Anaheim 5 or Grove 2 that are perpetually open for a bid, because no one wants to work with the arseholes.

I’ll keep my opinion of CARE management to myself.

I would always prefer Grove than OCFA.

 

[wtferick]

Of course it is. But since the city already has a firehouse with an ET, why antagonize the ultra-sensitive County Fire ? Unless they can outsource the FD as well, it’s borderline feeble minded.

This was before they even used Care.

 

[Qulevrius]

I

I would always prefer Grove than OCFA.

It’s all the same. There are a few good crews everywhere. I’m not sure how it was when you still worked for CARE, but right now the general consensus is that GG is the 2nd worst after Anaheim. I’d put Mesa as 3rd worst. OCFA gets progressively worse down south, but SB/Westminster/Stanton aren’t too horrible.

 

[wtferick]

It’s all the same. There are a few good crews everywhere. I’m not sure how it was when you still worked for CARE, but right now the general consensus is that GG is the 2nd worst after Anaheim. I’d put Mesa as 3rd worst. OCFA gets progressively worse down south, but SB/Westminster/Stanton aren’t too horrible.

This I can agree on. Pure nightmares.

 

[Qulevrius]

This I can agree on. Pure nightmares.

I’m perfectly fine with my 5348. There are a few characters on both 44 and 48, but nothing non manageable. The 2’s are mostly useless, but at least they aren’t malicious. The 64’s and 66’s are on brofist level. But go further down south, and the passive-aggressive is too much to handle.

 

[wtferick]

I’m perfectly fine with my 5348. There are a few characters on both 44 and 48, but nothing non manageable. The 2’s are mostly useless, but at least they aren’t malicious. The 64’s and 66’s are on brofist level. But go further down south, and the passive-aggressive is too much to handle.

Nothing worst than 65's.
I always preferred running into Newport or Huntington Beach instead of Westminster. Those were some fun days..