Amenities at Call Stations

[bushinspector]

If you worked at a very low call volume station, what amenities would you want access to? Most of our days sit they around waiting for a call to come in. It must be very boring for them and looking at ideas on how to improve the station.

 

[akflightmedic]

High speed internet access would satisfy most anyone along with a decent cable channel line up. Throw in some basic gym equipment, a kitchen and a coffeemaker and that covers it all for me. Recliner optional...

 

[Mufasa556]

My station has really, really low call volume. We sit in a broom closet on a broken couch and have a TV with a DVD player. Thank the good lord we have WIFI, but I'd like to have basic cable. That way we could watch the local news or football games.


If money and room was no issue, I'd want the arcade version of Crazy Taxi or Emergency Call Ambulance. I could waste a ton of time with that and keep my skills up.

 

[TransportJockey]

I work at a low volume station, most weeks, and we have dish, tv. A full kitchen, private bunk room each, small gym setup, and comfy recliners

 

[bushinspector]

High speed internet access would satisfy most anyone along with a decent cable channel line up. Throw in some basic gym equipment, a kitchen and a coffeemaker and that covers it all for me. Recliner optional...

Basic gym equipment is on my radar list. We have two bedrooms, but have only outfitted one of them. We have TV, good cable, Internet, and two nice recliners in the common area. What gym equipment would be the best to buy??

 

[akflightmedic]

All you need is something simple enough to cover basic exercises. The time at the station should not be considered their end all, be all gym day...bench press which if is adjustable into an incline press is nice, assortment of dumbbells ranging from 10-50 pounds...if there are any heavy lifters they will eventually bring their own or just make do, jump rope, ball...For less than $2500 you can set up a comprehensive and impressive station gym.

Or you can take that money and buy a nice commercial grade treadmill or elliptical and just focus on cardio and leave the lifting and stretching stuff up to the individual.

If you keep up with these enticements...I may start to consider flying out and doing that 2 on 2 off I suggested just to reconnect with my past.

 

[bushinspector]

Before really going out and recruiting hard, it would be good to have most of these things in place. If........ we can get some good medics, sure darn well want to keep them..... We do have a local airport that is just a mile away from the station and 1/2 from the hospital, akflightmedic..

 

[EMT11KDL]

A decent working computer also for charting. That is something that we struggle with. Along with everything else that has been said.

 

[bushinspector]

Does a Toughbook pass the requirements of a decent computer?? What computer would you suggest? (Not crazy about the Toughbook due to the small keyboard but have not really came across better)

 

[EMT11KDL]

Does a Toughbook pass the requirements of a decent computer?? What computer would you suggest? (Not crazy about the Toughbook due to the small keyboard but have not really came across better)

More for charting use. one of the main issues that my department has is our computers are slow and it doesn't always save the information that we have already documented into our charting software.

Textbooks are always a good thing also.

ADDED: Do to the computer being slow, it disconnects from our charting software server.

 

[Tigger]

We pooled for a Xbox at the slow station.

Having a communal TV is a must, and if you can swing it, TVs in the bedrooms. Cuts down on workplace drama for sure.

 

[bushinspector]

I was wondering about TV in the bedrooms. One with and one without? Or is it better to have noise free zone? (Bedrooms are side by side)

 

[Tigger]

We have TVs in all of our bedrooms, and people are appreciative. I work at another rather slowish place that does not have them and there always seems to be an issue about what's going to be watched. Granted there's four fire guys and four EMS but still, sometimes people just want their alone time.

 

[EMT11KDL]

I agree with the TV, Small TV in the bedroom would be nice. I mostly use my laptop because I watch mostly netflix anyways. But having a TV with HDMI hook up so people can plug their laptops into the TV and stream Movies/TV Shows would be a great plus.

Also, right now I am going through an online CCP course, so my partner and I plug my laptop into the TV via the HDMI and we watch the lectures together. Unlike Tigger there is only two of us at the station.

 

[bushinspector]

Did not even think of the HDMI aspect. Will purchase them with the connection.. We are a separate from the fire guys, stand alone EMS with fire assist...Best of both worlds in my opinion.... Most at station is two people..

 

[TransportJockey]

I agree with the TV, Small TV in the bedroom would be nice. I mostly use my laptop because I watch mostly netflix anyways. But having a TV with HDMI hook up so people can plug their laptops into the TV and stream Movies/TV Shows would be a great plus.

Also, right now I am going through an online CCP course, so my partner and I plug my laptop into the TV via the HDMI and we watch the lectures together. Unlike Tigger there is only two of us at the station.

Me and an old partner did that. He was watching the Wingfield videos prior to taking his FP-C and I rewatched since im debating doing my CCP-C for kicks.

And I secons the individual tvs. Im with just one partner for a week at a time and there are times I just need alone time or I'll strangle him.

 

[EMT11KDL]

Most people don't, the only reason why I did was I had just plugged my laptop into the tv so it was fresh in my head lol

 

[okiemedic]

I was part of a new station in the h.e.b area of Dallas. The company didn't give us squat. So we took an ambulance and a wheelchair van and picked up some old furniture somebody put by the curb. We also bought WiFi and our neighbor shared their cable.

We never enjoyed it though. If we were caught aoc posted us 50 miles away when we were supposed to clear to the station...

 

[bushinspector]

Just as soon as the bathroom and kitchen gets remodeled, I am going looking for guys like yourself that is wanting to sit around a station, get paid for every hour that you work , have a full cable hook up with movie channels, wifi, new leather recliners, (Yes, real leather) new queen size bed, rig that is only one year old, that is full of devices, and the crew is just begging for some runs to come in. Oh yes, one other thing, you can bring your spouses.......No joke....

 

[DesertMedic66]

For a 24 hour shift there is not much I would need. At least one TV, a couch and recliner (maybe 2), a bed for each crew member, bathroom, full kitchen, and good WiFi.

And control of the thermostat. One of the crews on our 24 hour unit keeps the thing at 62 degrees year round.