EMS Documentary Red Carpet Premiere California

transporting fire

I have many good friends in Berkeley Fire, Alameda Fire, Piedmont Fire, and Albany... that being said I respect their efforts and it is because of them and AMR that we have great medics...

Thaddeus
 
MedicSetla said:
I have many good friends in Berkeley Fire, Alameda Fire, Piedmont Fire, and Albany... that being said I respect their efforts and it is because of them and AMR that we have great medics...
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By the same token, you could also say that it is because of them that you have so many mediocre medics, who went to a medic mill for the quickest patch they could find, just to get a fire job, when they never really wanted to be a medic in the first place, could you not?
 
Of course, those cities are too stupid to even recognize what a non-sequitor that is. If they pay and regulate their FD as poorly as they do AMR, the results will be the same. There are plenty of FD based EMS systems out there regularly running in "overload" status like this. None of these problems are unique to private contractors. And it is incredibly naive for any city to think that handing it over to the FD will magically make those problems disappear.
 
AJ Hidell said:
Of course, those cities are too stupid to even recognize what a non-sequitor that is. If they pay and regulate their FD as poorly as they do AMR, the results will be the same. There are plenty of FD based EMS systems out there regularly running in "overload" status like this. None of these problems are unique to private contractors. And it is incredibly naive for any city to think that handing it over to the FD will magically make those problems disappear.
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But likewise, they could hand over EMS to AMR and not get much better. The City of Alameda and Berkeley do pretty well with their Fire based EMS.

It is also ironic that the premiere of the film is in Alameda (City) which is Fire. However, the FFs will still support the film because the proceeds go for a good cause.
 
AJ Hidell said:
By the same token, you could also say that it is because of them that you have so many mediocre medics, who went to a medic mill for the quickest patch they could find, just to get a fire job, when they never really wanted to be a medic in the first place, could you not?
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Unlike other parts of the country and California, this area does not require all of their FFs to be Paramedics. In fact it was Oakland FD that even dropped their EMT requirement which resulted in that hiring circus of over 10,000 applicants for 20 FF positions. Other than that, the Paramedics for both Fire and Private may go to the same medic mills. The state standard is still just over 1000 hours regardless of where or who you work for.
 
I like the conversation

My goal is to make a movie every year to premiere on the Eve of EMS Week. That will only survive if I include all aspects of EMS... Fire included! I am also a believer that every year that this should be a fundraiser so that there won't be the bickering that may happen between the systems. There is way to much positive energy in EMS to turn to the dark side! We have a chance here to capitalize on momentum from this event and I hope that is serves as a training tool for EMS agencies around the world that when we come together during EMS week we can impact in powerful ways!

May we all learn from each other on how to combine our talents and become more influential towards causes that we personally believe in...

Thaddeus
 
MedicSetla said:
If you have a local theater you would like to see it at, contact them and let them know about how we are looking to have an EMS night and show this movie and raise money for a good cause... If you get the owner of the theater's name send it to me and I will follow up with them to move forward with getting it out there!

Sincerely,

Thaddeus Setla
Director/ Producer/ Paramedic
www.setlafilms.com
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I would LOVE to see this at the local independent theater. I've sent an email with your information but the more who contact them the better I'm sure. Here is the link to their website, the theater in question is the Baxter Ave location which has a GREAT reputation for showing independent productions, charity productions and showings, documentaries, etc.


http://www.village8.com/index.htm
 
Yeah, I realize that difference between Norcal and SoCal, and thank goodness for it. And I remember the story from Oakland. But I also know that a lot of fireman wannabes still go the medic route trying to hedge their bets. That's what keeps the medic schools full.
 
Ok, so not all of this is live-action, with some of it being "acted" and recreated, so it is not strictly a documentary in the purest sense. I don't have a problem with that, really. But I do wonder what exactly your goal was with the film. From the way you talk, I get the feeling that you had more of a specific agenda than to simply show a "day in the life" kind of thing. Seems like you are making a concerted effort to be politically correct in some respects. So what exactly was your motivation and goal here?
 
AJ Hidell said:
Yeah, I realize that difference between Norcal and SoCal, and thank goodness for it. And I remember the story from Oakland. But I also know that a lot of fireman wannabes still go the medic route trying to hedge their bets. That's what keeps the medic schools full.
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But there are still some that do want to be just professional FFs regardless of what it takes to get in. It shouldn't be held against them if they have to get a Paramedic cert to get hired. Nor should it be held against them that getting a Paramedic cert is about as easy as getting an EMT-B card in some parts of the country.
 
No, I certainly don't hold it against them personally. I only resent the stagnating effect that it puts on the profession.

I hate the game, not the player. ;)
 
Goal of the Film

I did have an agenda... After watching so many films out there about fire or about EMS, they may have a good storyline, but it didn't appear to be real or tell our story at all. This was my chance to tell who we are and why we do this job...
 
MedicSetla said:
I did have an agenda... After watching so many films out there about fire or about EMS, they may have a good storyline, but it didn't appear to be real or tell our story at all. This was my chance to tell who we are and why we do this job...
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Your earlier quote:
MedicSetla said:
I am not trying to discriminate against firefighters, but this was my way of telling our story in the ambulance and what it is like to be out there.
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Last weekend at the Alameda Street Fair, the Alameda Theatre booth that was handing out the fliers for the premiere was almost directly in front of the FD which provides EMS for that city. Some in the general public that were purchasing tickets may also have thought they were supporting the home town guys as well as the families of the OPD's fallen officers.
 
Just watched it after someone linked me from GlockTalk. I'm impressed. Can't wait to see your next project
 
I appreciate the response. I do believe that there is a need in the EMS industry for us to create a positive image and let the general public know just how important we are to the whole system... Let's hope that I can find others who are willing to fund this next production!

Ted
 
Whoah...

AJ and Vent, this paramedic is wearing the hat of a film maker. From what I can tell, he created a documentary about EMS with a goal of showing us in a positive light. He is not solely responsible for the state of AMR or Alameda County EMS. It was probably most convenient cost wise to produce the film in his home system. Why the blame game?

Vent, I think it is high time you clarify your positions on EMS and Fire departments. You have made vague and sweeping statements about EMS providers through out my time here and they are mostly negative. I agree with almost all of your posts, and I say that regretfully with disappointment in my profession, however you have never offered your views on the way you would like things to work? Perhaps we can learn from you again if you enlightened us?

OP, I will be PMing you two local indie theater's email addresses. One in Westlake, CA and the other in Burbank, CA. These are both in the greater LA area. I would love to see your movie.
 
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Very Excited about the future

For the first time in my career I can see that while we have people that don't believe in helping improve the image, Johnny and Roy was a huge proponent for the industry and then video took a uturn... I may be a filmmaker now, but I started as a Paramedic and I want nothing more than for the viewing audience to see why we are important in the community. We are not all firefighters or police and the EMT's and Paramedics that transport deserve respect, now more than ever! AMR or not I have worked for multiple agencies and I see how getting the wrong people to run the company has been the case for so many years, but we have Mike Taigman taking charge in ALCO and I actually have hope...

My goal is to team up with the people in the EMS industry to positively impact our image and reputation!

Alright enough here, but you get the picture!

Ted
 
daedalus said:
Vent, I think it is high time you clarify your positions on EMS and Fire departments. You have made vague and sweeping statements about EMS providers through out my time here and they are mostly negative. I agree with almost all of your posts, and I say that regretfully with disappointment in my profession, however you have never offered your views on the way you would like things to work? Perhaps we can learn from you again if you enlightened us?
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I grew up in Fire-Based EMS. I have my opinions both good and bad about it. I have expressed my views on many other lengthy threads as AJ and Rid have. My position is not so much with what agency provides the service as it is about the education of the providers.

I just happen to have a home in Alameda county as well as Florida and have been following the battle of the EMS agencies in the area as they scramble for contracts.
 
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