Hats off to volunteers

[daedalus]

Volunteer squads are not my favorite, as stated many times before here:

Paid EMS staff is going to be paid very poorly as long as there are people willing to do it for free.

+2

Its stated plenty of times, only because its so true

 

[wxduff]

I don't get the Paid EMS is threatened by Volunteer argument. In my hometown, the nearest ambulance is 15-25 minutes away. So the paid guys don't feel there is a need to be so far out of the city. That's fine, but then don't :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: when the volunteer fire department adds an ambulance. If you really think that they are taking away your wages, then prove it and open a garage relatively close to where I live.

Doubt any paid EMS service will.

Volunteers are there to provide the services needed by my town's residents faster then any paid service. And volunteer EMT-B's have to pass the same course as Paid EMT-B's. The same...

Now if you have a Paid EMS department and a Volunteer service in the same city, then that's fine. They're taking customers. But please don't diss volunteer service in general, because they play an important part in many communities.

 

[daedalus]

I don't get the Paid EMS is threatened by Volunteer argument. In my hometown, the nearest ambulance is 15-25 minutes away. So the paid guys don't feel there is a need to be so far out of the city. That's fine, but then don't :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: when the volunteer fire department adds an ambulance. If you really think that they are taking away your wages, then prove it and open a garage relatively close to where I live.

Doubt any paid EMS service will.

Volunteers are there to provide the services needed by my town's residents faster then any paid service. And volunteer EMT-B's have to pass the same course as Paid EMT-B's. The same...

Now if you have a Paid EMS department and a Volunteer service in the same city, then that's fine. They're taking customers. But please don't diss volunteer service in general, because they play an important part in many communities.

I can tell your young in age and in this field. I welcome you warmly, but I also would like to take a minute to ask you to examine a few things.

Are you planning on becoming a EMS field provider?
Are you planning on advancing your education in EMS?
Are you passionate enough for it to stay in EMS for more than a few years?

You may ask what does this have to do with not "dissing" volunteer squads. Think about it, it will come. By the way, the nature of medicine and science in general is to question and "diss" everything until we find a better way. And than we keep doing it and find an even better way.

 

[sixmaybemore]

Honestly, I cannot understand why anyone gives their services away for free. If you are proficient at what you do and have pride in your work, why not earn some money doing it???

I've been doing car seat education for over seven years. I am strictly volunteer. I have right about 100 hours of training. I do it for the love of it. I go out of my way to learn more. I ask questions whenever I can. I've been paid exactly twice for all my hours of volunteer work. And that's okay with me.

And so it will be with EMS - for now. Our family circumstances won't allow me to work full time. That doesn't mean I should continue putting off my education, and not work towards the certifications I want to have. I'll continue to ask questions, take classes, build my knowledge base. If I can get a paid position that fits with our family's needs, great. If not, then it's the volunteer line for me. And I'm okay with that.

I think there are a lot of reasons people volunteer. Some of us just love it because we love it, and end up volunteering for any number of reasons.

 

[daedalus]

Do you really think that you are doing your patients any good with 100 hours of training?

 

[sixmaybemore]

Do you really think that you are doing your patients any good with 100 hours of training?

Please re-read. That 100 hours is for child passenger safety, not for EMS work. The current cirr. to train child passenger safety techs is 32 hours. I've taken every update class when it's available. So yeah, I'm doing the parents a lot of good with the training that I have.

Do I want more training? Yep, I sure do. When more training becomes available, I'll take it.

 

[Flight-LP]

Hey...I feel left out. 1500 legal residents covering 240 sq. miles, and an hour to a McDonalds or a hospital in any direction. Nearest ALS is 30 minutes away if we're driving towards each other, and medevac is 35 minutes. Do I qualify?

If you have to drive an hour just for a Big Mac, then yea I'll cut you some slack.

I'm trying to keep it simple so the rebuttals don't start. It's hard enough to argue the basic point, much less when you have variables....................

 

[mdtaylor]

Honestly, I cannot understand why anyone gives their services away for free. If you are proficient at what you do and have pride in your work, why not earn some money doing it???

Because some of us are past our prime in this business and do it to keep our skills proficient and to give something back to the community in which we live. And because of our age or health status we do not want to sacrifice patient care by pushing ourselves beyond our limits. For the past few years I have limited myself to 12 hour day shifts only. I'm retired and don't want a job.

 

[Sasha]

I don't get the Paid EMS is threatened by Volunteer argument.

EMS around here is 9/hour for EMT, 12/hr for Medic. People working at McDonalds make more than EMTs. Why do we do it? Because we love the job, BUT because people are willing to do it for free we dont have much of an angle for demanding higher wages.

I love EMS, I think it is the most amazing thing ever, but my EMT license was too expensive, and my Medic license will be 10 times worse than that, to give away services for free. I need to pay back the gigantic student loans somehow.

 

[TheAfterAffect]

EMS around here is 9/hour for EMT, 12/hr for Medic. People working at McDonalds make more than EMTs. Why do we do it? Because we love the job, BUT because people are willing to do it for free we dont have much of an angle for demanding higher wages.

I love EMS, I think it is the most amazing thing ever, but my EMT license was too expensive, and my Medic license will be 10 times worse than that, to give away services for free. I need to pay back the gigantic student loans somehow.

Go get your MICN then, Im sorry, But your argument still doesn't do it for me. I am both a Vollie and a Paid EMT, EMT Pay around my area is about 13 and Medic Around 24. We dont have Volunteer Medics in the state, All we have are Vollie EMT-B's. And most, if not all of the Vollie Corps do only 911. Any and all Paid companies will cover a towns EMS needs for the Day Shift when the Vollies are usually working for the paid company or at their other job. But thats only a select few towns that actually dont have the Man Power to run Vollie EMS 24/7.

My town is a huge town, Im not one of those guys that is 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. I have 3 hospitals all within 10 minutes MAX. Nor is ALS that far out, they are based out of one of the three hospitals that is 5 min away. But still Volunteers trump the Paid companies because all the hospitals agree, even the ones i go to with my paid companies, that the Vollies just seem to act more professional. It seems that the paid companies are just hiring joe random off the street because he is an EMT. Does he act professional in the Rig? Look It? Talk it? Not at all, They hire whomever because they want to make the money. They get lucky here and there with a few guys, but thats it. Thats why the Paid companies are getting looked down on in my area, Because the Vollies act professional to make up for the slack that the Paid companies put onto them and EMS.

 

[EMTWintz]

I am part of a vollie squad. In our county there is 16 small rural towns, one central paramedic squad. It takes a while for them to get to any of those towns. So yeah If someone is in full cardiac, can they wait 15-20min for help to arrive? Of those 16 towns my town (vollie squad of only 6) is top ranking according to the paramedics. Fastes response time and best basic care. So yes I am going to defend the other vollies!!!! And maybe not all vollies are doing it for the right reason, but I can assure you that there are plenty who are!!!! BTW we don't do it for free. It is minimal pay $5 in town $7 out of town paid by the city. But we do not do it for the pay or the glory. We do it because the people in our community mean something to each and every one of us and they deserve decent help PDQ

 

[EMTWintz]

Volunteer squads are not my favorite, as stated many times before here:

Paid EMS staff is going to be paid very poorly as long as there are people willing to do it for free.

And I feel that this comment is full of crap!!!!!! but thats JMO

 

[reaper]

As momma used to say, "Truth hurts, don't it"!

 

[PRP Firefighter]

I have been a Volunteer for 20 plus years. I stay at the firehouse 2 times a week. I can do the job as well as the man that draws a pay check. If your looking for big money this is not the place to be. Quit *****ing and find a better paying job.

 

[Sasha]

Go get your MICN then, Im sorry, But your argument still doesn't do it for me. I am both a Vollie and a Paid EMT, EMT Pay around my area is about 13 and Medic Around 24. We dont have Volunteer Medics in the state, All we have are Vollie EMT-B's. And most, if not all of the Vollie Corps do only 911. Any and all Paid companies will cover a towns EMS needs for the Day Shift when the Vollies are usually working for the paid company or at their other job. But thats only a select few towns that actually dont have the Man Power to run Vollie EMS 24/7.

My town is a huge town, Im not one of those guys that is 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. I have 3 hospitals all within 10 minutes MAX. Nor is ALS that far out, they are based out of one of the three hospitals that is 5 min away. But still Volunteers trump the Paid companies because all the hospitals agree, even the ones i go to with my paid companies, that the Vollies just seem to act more professional. It seems that the paid companies are just hiring joe random off the street because he is an EMT. Does he act professional in the Rig? Look It? Talk it? Not at all, They hire whomever because they want to make the money. They get lucky here and there with a few guys, but thats it. Thats why the Paid companies are getting looked down on in my area, Because the Vollies act professional to make up for the slack that the Paid companies put onto them and EMS.

Actually, I plan to get a nursing degree a year or so after Im done with medic.

And you and your city must be the rarity, because anytime Ive been out of my state and seen a volunteer agency they were made up of hicks in street clothes playing medic boy. They responded in their POVs decked to the top with needless and surplus lights and sirens, stumbled out looking disheveled in wrinkled t-shirts and baggy jeans and had zero professionalism whatso ever, because they dont have to answer to a QA. Ive seen vollies curse at patients, argue with patients, etc. All from just visiting friends in different states.

 

[Sasha]

BTW we don't do it for free. It is minimal pay $5 in town $7 out of town paid by the city.

Hate to break it to you, but if you are getting paid $5-$7 that makes you a PAID service, not a volunteer service.

 

[Flight-LP]

And I feel that this comment is full of crap!!!!!! but thats JMO

You think so? Do this, next time you fly on a regional airline, ask the two knuckleheaded drivers up front how much they make. Especially the on sitting on the right. You may be surprised to hear their answer. Some Paramedics make more than both of them combined. Why is their pay so low? Because someone is always willing to do it cheaper. Some new pilots even PAY for the privledge to sit in that seat. Its the same with EMS.

If an area can get away with free labor, then there is little incentive to raise that bar financially.

So full of crap it is not, that has already been proven.......................

I have been a Volunteer for 20 plus years. I stay at the firehouse 2 times a week. I can do the job as well as the man that draws a pay check. If your looking for big money this is not the place to be. Quit *****ing and find a better paying job.

Its not about the "big money". It has to do with allowing a decent earning for hard working professionals. When Paramedics (or EMT's for that matter) get paid crap wages because rescue ranger Ricky wants to play EMT at night, us professionals get a little steamed. Yes, there are dedicated and proficient people who volunteer their time, but they are few and far between. The majority are NOT in this industry for the right reasons. And should EMS hopefully continue the pull away from the fire service, the traditionalistic attitude many have from their personal history will continue to dissipate. Sorry, but the times are changing and EMS needs to change with it...................

And for the record, if it wasn't for my Paramedic experience, I wouldn't be earning the big money I do now!

 

[TransportJockey]

+2

Its stated plenty of times, only because its so true

+3! We were flat out told by some higher ups in the state EMS bureau that until there are no Vollies, pay will most likely stay where it's at

 

[EMTWintz]

Hate to break it to you, but if you are getting paid $5-$7 that makes you a PAID service, not a volunteer service.

Maybe I didn't make it clear enough for you!! I was not saying that MY squad was one of the unpaid. I was mearly defending the fact that NOT ALL vollie squads are slack jawed, chew-spitin' rednecks!!!!!! Most of us could care less if we were paid our lil' pissant 5 or 7 bucks. We would still do it because it is about the patient, most of whom I personally have known all my life.

IMO If you wanted to make the big money maybe an MD behind your name would be more suited.

 

[reaper]

IMO if you cared about the people around you, you would be fighting to get higher care. This means doing away with the Vol. services.