Fire Department EMS

Maya, don't let anyone discourage you from aspiring to be a firemedic. Each and every person I've spoken to here who previously came from EMS only agencies have all said that they could never go back to EMS only after seeing what things are like on this side.

Most of our stations have gyms, and we're required to PT daily. The whole station will go to the track, rec center, or obstacle course on occasion. We have a full time occupational health center for any issues, and we receive yearly physicals including stress tests and bloodwork. It's great to be able to sit down and eat dinner with the group.

When I first began working here, I thought the additional hands onscene were superfluous, but it's nice to have help for BLS, carrying bags, pt removal, etc(I do carry my own bags and move pts, but It's nice to have help). Working conditions are sweet here. It can be for you as well.
 
Where I am almost all departments are seperate. One very large metro dept is combined and in talking to alot of the paramedics there the biggest problem is that most of them were forced to go to paramedic school. Some found that they love it more than fire and others not so much. The biggest gripe for the ones that don't want to be medics is that they didn't join the Fire dept to be on an ambulance and the ones who joined knowing the paramedic requirement usually don't want to be firefighters. I am one of the ones that would love to join (great pay and benefits) but I don't want to be a friefighter. I have the greatest respect for the guys but its not my thing. I guess its different everywhere though because for us we have 911 services (no IFT, city based), Private transfer companies (no 911, privately owned), and Fire depts. I like the seperation because when a FF/Medic joins our 911 crew they want to be there and not because they have to be there.
 
Thanks for all the info, RidRider and 46Young. I was starting to think I was missing something, because whenever I say I want to be a paramedic, people look at me like I have a screw loose.

I like your attitude, 46Young, and I think that's the outlook I'm gonna have to have. You can't really change how other people think, but you can set higher standards for yourself. :D
 
Medic744 said:
Where I am almost all departments are seperate. One very large metro dept is combined and in talking to alot of the paramedics there the biggest problem is that most of them were forced to go to paramedic school. Some found that they love it more than fire and others not so much. The biggest gripe for the ones that don't want to be medics is that they didn't join the Fire dept to be on an ambulance and the ones who joined knowing the paramedic requirement usually don't want to be firefighters. I am one of the ones that would love to join (great pay and benefits) but I don't want to be a friefighter. I have the greatest respect for the guys but its not my thing. I guess its different everywhere though because for us we have 911 services (no IFT, city based), Private transfer companies (no 911, privately owned), and Fire depts. I like the seperation because when a FF/Medic joins our 911 crew they want to be there and not because they have to be there.
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Sounds like a good deal. I fell there should be options for those who want to do EMS for a career, but have no desire to do fire. Forcing FF's to become medics as a condition of continued employment is fundamentally wrong on several levels. Your setup sounds a lot like what it its in North Carolina, but with much better pay.
 
I have mixed opinons on this one. I'm currently debating whether to take some fire courses, and I think it'll all depend on where I wind up working in a few years. Some places, I'd stay far away from the fire department. Others, it'd be pretty nice.

In one area, I don't think there's enough funding, infrastructure, or call volume to support separate fire and EMS agencies. So career people get to become firemedics, and volunteers get to choose, although they can choose to do both. It works pretty well.

In another area, we're up to our ears in both fire and EMS. It's not at all uncommon to have two ambulances and three engines show up for one patient, from various fire stations and ambulance companies. It strikes me as pretty wasteful for everything but the most major incidents. Extra hands are nice, but not when you have so many that half the responders can't fit into the room. I guess it's good to have fire trained in emergency medicine, but I don't see why so many need to show up for everything. And it's not like the government there has any sort of budget surplus.

In another local department... well, it's famous for being a terrible place to be a medic. Funds that should go towards having adequately stocked ambulances always seem to go towards getting new fire gear, there's a serious pecking order, and it's generally poorly managed. "Local EMS horribly screws up because it has no money" is a common news headline...
 
46Young said:
Sounds like a good deal. I fell there should be options for those who want to do EMS for a career, but have no desire to do fire. Forcing FF's to become medics as a condition of continued employment is fundamentally wrong on several levels. Your setup sounds a lot like what it its in North Carolina, but with much better pay.
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Better set up in that everyone is doing what they want and not what they have to, but I would argue the better pay....lol
 
Some places FD run EMS well, and others not so well. I personally would like to see a 3rd party system handle EMS.
You have to remember the reason for anything in our country boils down to one thing, money. Its the reason things are the way they are as regards to EMS and FD
 
terrible one said:
Some places FD run EMS well, and others not so well. I personally would like to see a 3rd party system handle EMS.
You have to remember the reason for anything in our country boils down to one thing, money. Its the reason things are the way they are as regards to EMS and FD
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I assume having a 3rd party take over the EMS would be cheaper am I correct? That way the city doesn't have to supply any equipment or regulations its already done they just send a monthly check?

Where I live (average upper middle class suburban) the fire department runs the EMS and it works out great. About a month ago there was a loud party (almost a riot with kids screaming and yelling) coming from someones house and the police department arrived and I guess there was a fight and someone got hit in the head with an object and was bleeding. They called the fire department which arrived with a truck and an ambulance at the same time. They checked him out, gave him something on his head and said go to the hospital to get it checked out.

I think it worked great since both departments worked closely and they all did their job just fine. I don't see the need for a 3rd party EMS if the above situation is how most calls are handled. I can't speak for the fireman that don't want to get involved in EMS however, that's their decision.
 
minneola, you're mistaking 3rd service for Private.

Private, a company such as AMR runs EMS, and the city usually sends them a check every once in a while for service, but majority of the money comes from billing pts.


3rd service is just like having a police department or fire department. They are their own entity, paid through taxes.
 
Linuss said:
minneola, you're mistaking 3rd service for Private.

Private, a company such as AMR runs EMS, and the city usually sends them a check every once in a while for service, but majority of the money comes from billing pts.


3rd service is just like having a police department or fire department. They are their own entity, paid through taxes.
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Yeah sorry, that is what I meant the private company's.
 
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