Austin Travis County EMS hiring Paramedics and paying them as Basics

[RocketMedic]

Yes, but another factor was the extremely generous and unsustainable retirements that those states had in certain municipalities. I see some Larger Texas cities starting to head this way, although our housing market has not crashed. Who knows what will happen in 20yrs. With the more the retirements grow, the harder they will be to sustain in hard times. And hard times WILL come, they always do.

Texas is a state that has historically weathered depressions by virtue of its energy and transportation sectors.
Resurgences in the national economy generally mean economic downturns in the Midwest.

 

[Shishkabob]

$86k base?
$75k (even if it is paid in Canadian donuts?!)



Man, I was happy with my base pay, especially considering my age, but now I hate you both. And your coworkers.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

:rofl:

$86k base?
$75k (even if it is paid in Canadian donuts?!)



Man, I was happy with my base pay, especially considering my age, but now I hate you both. And your coworkers.

 

[NomadicMedic]

$86k base?
$75k (even if it is paid in Canadian donuts?!)



Man, I was happy with my base pay, especially considering my age, but now I hate you both. And your coworkers.

I'd be stoked to get $75 in Canadian Tire money.

 

[Medic Tim]

Lol that's awesome

 

[medicsb]

You think that because Wilco is an all ALS system they are causing more harm than good with RSI and should not be performing it? Just want to be sure what harm over good you are referring to, I know that in the San Diego study the system showed a large amount of time without ventilation and left their patient's hypoxic for a lengthy time.

By harm, I mean anything that causes an increase in morbidity and/or mortality. The few studies that have shown good outcomes (PMIDs: 21107105 and 15824647) were performed in systems where paramedics are good at intubation, and those systems also have a relatively small number of paramedics (how else will medics intubate frequently without going to the OR). There have been studies showing that medics who intubate more often are more likely to be successful (PMID: 14585451), and another showed that medics who intubate more frequently have better outcomes versus those who do it infrequently (PMID: 20138400).

So, all-ALS is going to be associated with decreased ETI frequency, which is associated with poorer outcomes. I might go so far to say that without OR time every year, it might be impossible for "all ALS" system to become proficient enough at ETI for RSI to even be considered. I think an "all-ALS" system could circumvent the skill dilution by limiting who can do the procedure.

[FYI, if you put those PMIDs into the pubmed.com search, you can see the abstracts.]

 

[Fish]

By harm, I mean anything that causes an increase in morbidity and/or mortality. The few studies that have shown good outcomes (PMIDs: 21107105 and 15824647) were performed in systems where paramedics are good at intubation, and those systems also have a relatively small number of paramedics (how else will medics intubate frequently without going to the OR). There have been studies showing that medics who intubate more often are more likely to be successful (PMID: 14585451), and another showed that medics who intubate more frequently have better outcomes versus those who do it infrequently (PMID: 20138400).

So, all-ALS is going to be associated with decreased ETI frequency, which is associated with poorer outcomes. I might go so far to say that without OR time every year, it might be impossible for "all ALS" system to become proficient enough at ETI for RSI to even be considered. I think an "all-ALS" system could circumvent the skill dilution by limiting who can do the procedure.

[FYI, if you put those PMIDs into the pubmed.com search, you can see the abstracts.]

I will PM you as to not hijack this thread

 

[46Young]

In reply to the main financials:

23 years of service x 3% per year.

Employee contributes 8% per check mandatory pre tax

5 year drop @ 23 yrs

Buy back allowance is 5 yrs

Employee health premiums for employee paid by the city, add employee + family, around $240 per check.

Other random ?'s:

No one has ever been denied light duty due to injury or pregnancy

Multiple command positions, division chiefs, assistant chief, and chief.

At hospital autmatically granted 20 min to complete report before placed available. 30 min + granted to finish report for code 3 return to hospital (most don't even need the 20 min though).

Extremely rare but yes, you can go home in the middle of shift for ill

On call list made with every bid so you know your days 7 months in advance (aprroximately 5 "on call" days in 7 months)

We utilize the telestaff system of staffing so if you are familiar with that system then there is no need to explain how vacation, sick time, etc is requested. We allow 12 slots of vacation and find your own coverage per day.

The above sounds pretty good, definitely better than you'll do most other places.

69% @ 23 years with a 5 year DROP is great.

We have 30 leave slots for non-officers daily on telestaff, and 15 for officers. Liberal exchange of shift, but we cannot have someone work OT for us to get off.

 

[46Young]

Some of our tenured and captain medics make high $20 to low $30 per hour. So OT rate is $45/hr. Our pay is just a straight time and a half after 80 hrs in a pay period and a standard check is 96 hrs from either 4 twenty four hour shifts or 4 twelves and 2 twenty four hour shifts. So automatically with just working the 96 hrs in those two weeks we get 16 hrs of OT. A few checks ago I had a total 164 hours... 80 regular and 84 at overtime rate. Pretty simple math. I'm not saying that's the standard but even making 80k per year goes pretty far here in Austin.

We'll use $30/hr since virtually none of us are or will be officers in EMS. Our basic FF/EMT's top out at $81k, or $27.88/hr, plus the incentives for medics that I've mentioned previously. techs $85k @ $29.21/hr, Master techs $89k @ 30.67/hr, Lt $97k @ $33.60/hr, and Capt I $113k @ $38.81/hr. for each of these positions that are 56 hours and not 40 hour day work, add 1.5 hrs x 52 weeks (the 3 hours OT per FLSA). For example, the FF gets an extra $2,174, and the Capt I gets an additional $3,027.

So, you haven't mentioned any additional pay, only $30/hr (a happy medium between field medics and Capt's) for 40 hrs and 8 hours @ $45/hr . That's $82,920/yr, for a $57,214.80/yr pension, plus $286,074 in the five year DROP assuming no COLA's. Pretty stellar for EMS. That's pretty good for a fire department as well. Charleston County EMS had a paltry 1.8% multiplier @ 28 years with a three year TERI (DROP), which they're apparently doing away with, and their top-out pay is under $70k, for comparison's sake.

$30/hr was just shy of what I was making in hospital based NYC EMS in 2007 (403b), and that was considered decent, so $30/hr in Austin with eight hours/week built in OT should make you quite comfortable. I'm honestly a little suprised, since most Third Service EMS employers offer starting pay of only $30-$35k tops, with a final step being only $50k give or take. That's like $10 or $11/hr to start, maybe $16-$17/hr after many years OTJ.

Going on $30/hr, the tenured medic would have to do only 7.2 additional hours of OT beyond their regular schedule each week to hit $100k. a 24 once a month and an occasional 12 would do it.

Edit: to the base, add around $16k or more to each top salary if they're a medic. Average $2k/yr in night diff, $5k in ALS cert pay, $7k in hourly riding pay as an engine medic or if they ride the box, and the built in FLSA @ 3 hours/week, the equivalent of 1.5 hour's pay per week, from $2,100-$3,000/yr. So, the basic FF/m gets $97k, the Capt I/medic gets $130k.

 

[46Young]

$86k base?
$75k (even if it is paid in Canadian donuts?!)



Man, I was happy with my base pay, especially considering my age, but now I hate you both. And your coworkers.

I've been in the department for a minute. Brand new FF/medics get around $71k with all incentives, FLSA, night diff, etc. once they clear off of ALS internship.

A ff/medic that never promotes has a top-out of $81k, but with all differentials and ALS bonuses, is closer to $97k.

 

[marshmallow22]

Before the medic1 hiring process, our starting medic pay with no experience was mid $17/hr putting that around 44k per year. Wilco's starting pay is closer to 50k per year right now, but their schedule is 24 on 48 off. Comaparitively speaking due to a lower cost of living, ATCEMS and Wico are two of the higher paid 3rd services in the country where you do not have to be a firefighter. However, as far as ATCEMS goes their may be some big changes to come since we are now civil service, including the possibility of merging AFD and EMS.

 

[Veneficus]

However, as far as ATCEMS goes their may be some big changes to come since we are now civil service, including the possibility of merging AFD and EMS.

Sounds like doom is at hand.

After all look at how well mergers went every place else.

 

[Fish]

Before the medic1 hiring process, our starting medic pay with no experience was mid $17/hr putting that around 44k per year. Wilco's starting pay is closer to 50k per year right now, but their schedule is 24 on 48 off. Comaparitively speaking due to a lower cost of living, ATCEMS and Wico are two of the higher paid 3rd services in the country where you do not have to be a firefighter. However, as far as ATCEMS goes their may be some big changes to come since we are now civil service, including the possibility of merging AFD and EMS.

Wilco's starting is around 55k

Do you like your schedule at Austin? I have some friends who do, and some who don't. The ones who don't were used to a 24/48 at other services and enjoyed there 2days off after every shift. The ones who do, came from busy urban EMS services that ran 12s.

I really do hope there is not a merge for you guys, one only has to look a couple hundred miles in each direction of your city to see why fire based EMS would be a step in the wrong direction for you.

Recently, Kansas City, Cleveland, and many other large cities have merged with epic failures.

What would ATCEMS gain by merging?

I am not stating you are for a merge, most Medics in Austin are very against it.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

double post, sorry

 

[ExpatMedic0]

However, as far as ATCEMS goes their may be some big changes to come since we are now civil service, including the possibility of merging AFD and EMS.

Man.... To each there own I suppose.
However in my opinion as a 3rd party observer the fact ATCEMS is in a huge budget crises(public information in multiple news sources) considering a merger with the fire department, no longer paying for experience and hiring/paying all paramedics as EMT-B's for extended periods of time(not probation), and everything else that has been discussed, it looks like things aren't looking so good. If ACTSEMS continues down this road they will virtually eliminate all outside professionals in EMS with experience and higher education.

I use to think that sounded like a great agency in a great area. Lots of special teams and promotional opportunity's, 3rd party municipal EMS not affiliated with the fire or police,
but now it seems like only a place for 21 year old paramedics who want to work as EMT-B's, with no experience, no nothing of EMS, who can pass a round robin exam while being judged by "good ol boys" in the good ol boy system, which I am %100 confident will become exacerbated greatly if you merge with the fire department. That is one possibility anyway....
It is only a theory but I think its a pretty strong one, don't you?

 

[ExpatMedic0]

Sounds like doom is at hand.

After all look at how well mergers went every place else.

agreed. Many end up as a red headed step child.

 

[STXmedic]

Before the medic1 hiring process, our starting medic pay with no experience was mid $17/hr putting that around 44k per year. Wilco's starting pay is closer to 50k per year right now, but their schedule is 24 on 48 off. Comaparitively speaking due to a lower cost of living, ATCEMS and Wico are two of the higher paid...

LoL! Lower cost of living?! Compared to LA maybe I guess if you're willing to commute a little you can get a little better...

However, as far as ATCEMS goes their may be some big changes to come since we are now civil service, including the possibility of merging AFD and EMS.

So they're finally going to get their way, huh? Y'all have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent that for years.

 

[shfd739]

Man.... To each there own I suppose.
However in my opinion as a 3rd party observer the fact ATCEMS is in a huge budget crises(public information in multiple news sources) considering a merger with the fire department, no longer paying for experience and hiring/paying all paramedics as EMT-B's for extended periods of time(not probation), and everything else that has been discussed, it looks like things aren't looking so good. If ACTSEMS continues down this road they will virtually eliminate all outside professionals in EMS with experience and higher education.

I use to think that sounded like a great agency in a great area. Lots of special teams and promotional opportunity's, 3rd party municipal EMS not affiliated with the fire or police,
but now it seems like only a place for 21 year old paramedics who want to work as EMT-B's, with no experience, no nothing of EMS, who can pass a round robin exam while being judged by "good ol boys" in the good ol boy system, which I am %100 confident will become exacerbated greatly if you merge with the fire department. That is one possibility anyway....
It is only a theory but I think its a pretty strong one, don't you?

Nearly the same conversation my wife and I had yesterday.

At one point we both wanted to work there. Not anymore.

 

[RocketMedic]

That rather definitively crosses ATCEMS from a lot of people's radars.

 

[marshmallow22]

Man.... To each there own I suppose.
However in my opinion as a 3rd party observer the fact ATCEMS is in a huge budget crises(public information in multiple news sources) considering a merger with the fire department, no longer paying for experience and hiring/paying all paramedics as EMT-B's for extended periods of time(not probation), and everything else that has been discussed, it looks like things aren't looking so good. If ACTSEMS continues down this road they will virtually eliminate all outside professionals in EMS with experience and higher education.

I use to think that sounded like a great agency in a great area. Lots of special teams and promotional opportunity's, 3rd party municipal EMS not affiliated with the fire or police,
but now it seems like only a place for 21 year old paramedics who want to work as EMT-B's, with no experience, no nothing of EMS, who can pass a round robin exam while being judged by "good ol boys" in the good ol boy system, which I am %100 confident will become exacerbated greatly if you merge with the fire department. That is one possibility anyway....
It is only a theory but I think its a pretty strong one, don't you?

We're still a great department with many opportunites like Spec Ops, Tactical, bikes, Motorcycles, etc, and plenty of promotional opportunity. At this point though, new providers will just have to take 1 extra step due to the new hiring practices. Yes, there are and will always be budget concerns when it comes to public safety in ANY city since public safety is a large part of any large city's budget. However, as I stated before, we are in much better shape than many departments budget wise. We just had another stand alone state of the art EMS station built and are due to add 2 more trucks. We just received a fleet of brand new F450 extended cab trucks that recently went into service to replace some of our Internationals and Freightliners. As far as a merger goes, that could be good or bad, but in any case we are still a long way from that happening if it happens at all. On a side note you seem to display a degree of hostility on the subject of ATCEMS. What's your deal?