AMR's Fate

VCEMT

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Places that have weak or no union contracts are seeing cuts in hours. People are seeing a 48 hour work week turned into 40 and some are losing way more. Read your contracts, don't get hosed.
 

Veneficus

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Exactly, when you get to the top of the hill there are a lot of people looking to knock you off. Never assume a company won't fail just because they're bigger than everyone else. Often it is a companies size that eventually causes their downfall. This happens all the time in the Airline industry and there are many parallels between the way airlines grow and the way AMR has grown.

Right on point.

Even hospital systems struggle with "too big to succeed."

You don't have to be in one very long to figure it out either.
 

Fish

Forum Deputy Chief
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Places that have weak or no union contracts are seeing cuts in hours. People are seeing a 48 hour work week turned into 40 and some are losing way more. Read your contracts, don't get hosed.

IMO, Unions are detrimental to the American workforce. It is an outdated organization that was good for workers when conditions were horrible like during the Industrial revolution, now they are one of the big reasons jobs get sent over seas. Americans Americans demand and feel like they deserve so much more than a. Worker in china, india, thailand and a company is forced to move for profit reasons. Strong Unions will put private EMS services out of Business that depend on profit and then what will happen? The Fire dept. Will take over EMS ....... Just my thoughts on Unions




Northern states are Union rich, yet they are seeing employers move to the south to states not so fond on Unions. Unions seems cool in the begining but they are a good way to eventually put yourself out of a job.
 

ambusaurus

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I've heard from a couple of LA city fire guys that AMR is negotiating with the city of LA about taking over the EMS system in Los Angeles. Apparently they are trying to show the city how much money would be saved if they made the switch to AMR. I've also heard that's why the upcoming UCLA-Daniel Freeman class was cancelled for this very reason while things get situated. This is all hearsay mind you. Any input or factual information would be greatly appreciated.

The City would be required to develop a competitive bidding process in order to make such a change. I'd assume if anyone would be taking over the "EMS system" in LA, it would more than likely be LA County Fire.

Cool rumor though!:)
 

mike1390

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The City would be required to develop a competitive bidding process in order to make such a change. I'd assume if anyone would be taking over the "EMS system" in LA, it would more than likely be LA County Fire.

Cool rumor though!:)

X2

Not to mention there is no way the FF union would ever allow it. And the city also just implemented a department devoted to collecting on EMS runs, and are kicking around the idea to start a paramedic subscription program like other city's who's FD provide ambulances. It was all in the new LAFD budget plan.
Also AMR does not have the best reputation with County EMS (losing contracts and all). Due to the city's size it would need to be broken up into zones like county is, if and this is a huge hypothetical if it were to happen.
 

Veneficus

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Never been there, but it seems like it would be a major money losing venture to provide EMS coverage to that location.

Not really a good idea for a private for profit company...
 
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These replies make sense. Thanks for the input fellas. Just wondering why fire ems would tell me about this rumor. I found nothing worthwhile about it online. The only thing that perplexes me is Daniel Freeman's May 2012 class getting the axe.
 

bstone

Forum Deputy Chief
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What's AMR's record when it comes to medicare billing and any criminal or civil issues?
 

terrible one

Always wandering
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These replies make sense. Thanks for the input fellas. Just wondering why fire ems would tell me about this rumor. I found nothing worthwhile about it online. The only thing that perplexes me is Daniel Freeman's May 2012 class getting the axe.

Because it cost the city several thousand if not closer to hundred of thousands of dollars to put one ff through paramedic school. Regular salary, OT pay to cover shifts, school costs, etc. and if you look in SoCal right now there isn't exactly a shortage of paramedics.
 

WhiskeySix5

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What's AMR's record when it comes to medicare billing and any criminal or civil issues?

Compared to what? The billing and criminal/civil actions of a municipality / city service, or another private service? Cities can hide much more than a private service can, especially if it is publicly traded as AMR was during the height of their medicare audit / fine.

I am not defending them per se, just stating that it is difficult to make a valid argument here as there are many companies that have been caught up in the medicare thing, and many services that have paid so much in civil fines and penalties.

The argument to me is that AMR, being as large as they are, can absorb much more than say a smaller company could, where the loss of a couple of contracts (or 1) could shut their doors. Most of us doing this awhile have probably seen this or been affected by this directly at one point or another. Is AMR too big to fail? Of course not, but they can rob from peter to pay paul till some new contracts come in.
 

atropine

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The LA city thing is just talk at this time, but the purposal is AMR would handle all the bls calls within the city limits and als would still be LAFD's responsibilty, there by eliminating the 800 series of ambulances.
 

mike1390

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The LA city thing is just talk at this time, but the purposal is AMR would handle all the bls calls within the city limits and als would still be LAFD's responsibilty, there by eliminating the 800 series of ambulances.

Again the city would have to open it up to a bid. So I doubt these "talks" are anymore than dinner table hear say.
Last year the rumor was that city was going to hire Single function EMTs again to staff the ambulances like Glendale is doing.... Again it's all rumors until a proposal is set and parties agree on it.
 
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traumaluv2011

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AMR is still going strong in New Haven. The local fire rescues are actually doing worse than AMR...
 

jgmedic

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Again the city would have to open it up to a bid. So I doubt these "talks" are anymore than dinner table hear say.
Last year the rumor was that city was going to hire Single function EMTs again to staff the ambulances like Glendale is doing.... Again it's all rumors until a proposal is set and parties agree on it.

The Glendale thing started 2 weeks ago, Pasadena is going that route too. We'll see how long it is til their medics turf something critical to the AO's and it blows up in their face.
 
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So what's going on in Glendale and Pasadena?
 

VCEMT

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The LA city thing is just talk at this time, but the purposal is AMR would handle all the bls calls within the city limits and als would still be LAFD's responsibilty, there by eliminating the 800 series of ambulances.


That sounds really... Waste of resources.
 
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