Recent content by n00bmedic

Few and far between, and most can't do all 3 jobs well. But I'm right there with ya; I was a cop for 5 years and bailed for Fire/EMS. Well, EMS exclusively first until I got hired as a FF/Medic last year. Never been happier professionally. Nursing is a non-starter for me...way too different of...

Milwaukee County Zoo in Milwaukee, WI. While the medics aren't technically employed by the Zoo, they are employed by the Milwaukee County Office of EMS, and Milwaukee County owns the zoo. So, close enough for government work. Also, the zoo isn't the only thing OEMS medics do. Many special...

I don't use a personal stethoscope anymore. I was on my second one, which got stolen. From now on, I'll use the garbage ones on the truck. Said garbage scope resides in the bag, or, if I've used it and might need it again, hanging on the O2 bottle on the stretcher.

The ambulance, not the tow truck. Although it's nearly the same shade of green...

I can definitely vouch for this. I had some issues transferring my license from WI (WI DHS was dragging their feet, and then DSHS changed my EMT-P application to an EMT-B for some reason), and everyone I spoke to was super friendly and helpful. OP, just give them a call. I'm sure they can shed...

I agree with this 100%. Perhaps it is my background in law enforcement, but I write reports completely differently than every other provider I've ever met. I write them in the fashion you describe, and in my (admittedly short-ish) career, now going into year #6, I've never been called into...

We work a 2-2-3 12 hour rotating schedule. Staggered start times from 0430 - 1230, and we have a minimum of 13 trucks on the road during the day, dropping to 8 trucks for a 4 hour period overnight. This covers a rural/urban county that's a little over 900 square miles. Outlying counties (all...

For most of the rigs where I work, if we shut them off for any appreciable time, they won't start back up without a jump.

Where you're located has a HUGE bearing on whether you'll be employable... My current agency? A DUI will get one fired. Getting hired with a recent one (like within 5 years) is impossible. My last agency would hire someone who got a DUI the day before. However, you couldn't drive. That means...

Of course the municipality has the option of dictating what they will staff. At the same time, the company wanting the contract can also decline. Obviously, this doesn't mean the municipality will see the error of their ways: another company or provider will likely be happy to swoop in and take...

I can not agree with you more. The only way to change this kind of thing is for providers to vote with their feet. It happened at my last company. The place went from literally telling EMTs they were a dime a dozen and easily replaced, to raising wages by $2.50 across the board for basics and...

That's fine, but if a company (in my case, a hospital) entertains a contract with a municipality, would you disagree that they have a responsibility to tell said municipality how many units are needed? After all, the agency providing the ambulance is obviously the subject matter expert and is in...

Misery loves company?

Like I said in my reply above to luke_31, it is the agency's responsibility to staff an appropriate number of units for the call volume of their area. If they don't, I absolutely do not think it's unreasonable to demand a break or refuse a call. Fortunately, I've never been in that situation...

You've got me confused with the thread starter. I've been doing this job for a little over 5 years, so I certainly know what it's all about. Like I said, it's not unreasonable to expect to be treated like a human being. You're not special for running 26 hours straight without a break; nobody in...