Interesting petition

[firetender]

For inclusion of ALL EMS personnel into the Public Safety Officer Benefit program

http://www.change.org/petitions/the...-in-the-public-safety-officer-benefit-program

 

[CritterNurse]

The problem with internet petitions, is there is no way to verify the 'signatures' so they are essentially useless.

My aunt signed some petitions on that site and apparently it sent spammy messages to her facebook friends without her permission. I've been the recipient of many of those spam messages, and she swears she did not send them to me.

 

[firetender]

The problem with internet petitions, is there is no way to verify the 'signatures' so they are essentially useless.

My aunt signed some petitions on that site and apparently it sent spammy messages to her facebook friends without her permission. I've been the recipient of many of those spam messages, and she swears she did not send them to me.

In which case, those who care enough will use the information there to personally contact their appropriate Govt. representative. If there's a movement afoot, then why not fan the flames?

 

[94H]

I got an email with a form letter to send my rep about that. Ill dig it up and post it later tonight with the instructions on how to contact your reps for those interested

 

[EpiEMS]

I'd thought that volunteers were already included?

 

[SliceOfLife]

...

As defined by Congress in Public Law 90-351 (Sec. 1217), a public safety officer is an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew. In October 2000, Public Law 106-390 (Sec. 305) designated employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as public safety officers under the PSOB Act if they were performing official, hazardous duties related to a declared major disaster or emergency. The legislation also indicated that state, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency employees working in cooperation with FEMA are, under the same circumstances, considered public safety officers under the PSOB Act. Retroactive to September 11, 2001, chaplains also are included in the PSOB Act definition of a public safety officer.

 

[DrParasite]

I don't know if I would agree with this petition.

Do I think all 911 EMS services should be included? absolutely 100%.

Do I think IFT services should be included? not really.

Do I think CCT services should be included? not really.

This is where the divide between public safety and healthcare comes into play.

 

[Sasha]

I don't know if I would agree with this petition.

Do I think all 911 EMS services should be included? absolutely 100%.

Do I think IFT services should be included? not really.

Do I think CCT services should be included? not really.

This is where the divide between public safety and healthcare comes into play.

It's still public safety. We still stop at witnessed accidents and have to play bandaid box if we witness someone get hurt or someone wanders up to us with a complaint.

Also public safety when we are safely taking someone of the public from the little general to the cath lab.

 

[SliceOfLife]

What about a private service that does 911 back up coverage or one that is contracted full time 911 for a specific town?

 

[jjesusfreak01]

I don't know if I would agree with this petition.

Do I think all 911 EMS services should be included? absolutely 100%.

Do I think IFT services should be included? not really.

Do I think CCT services should be included? not really.

This is where the divide between public safety and healthcare comes into play.

From Slice's excerpt of the law, it would seem only public agency employees are included by the letter. As other posters mention, however, even IFT and CCT services can provide standby/backup emergency care, or vital transports of emergent patients between facilities.

 

[DrParasite]

It's still public safety. We still stop at witnessed accidents and have to play bandaid box if we witness someone get hurt or someone wanders up to us with a complaint.

I've stopped in my POV after I witnessed accidents and played bandaid box until someone showed up. doesn't mean I would consider myself public safety, or worth of a PSOB program because of it. Esp if I die doing something unrelated, like driving a cab around town.

Also public safety when we are safely taking someone of the public from the little general to the cath lab.

No, that's healthcare, and has absolutely nothing to do with public safety. Transferring someone from one facility to another isn't public safety, it's a function of the healthcare system.

What about a private service that does 911 back up coverage or one that is contracted full time 911 for a specific town?

I guess than the question would be what function they were performing when they died, were they on a 911 call or a dialysis run?

From Slice's excerpt of the law, it would seem only public agency employees are included by the letter. As other posters mention, however, even IFT and CCT services can provide standby/backup emergency care, or vital transports of emergent patients between facilities.

CCT is a healthcare function, it isn't a part of public safety. It is important, and can save lives, but it's 100% healthcare, and not public safely. Ditto Medivac people; if you crash while doing an on scene request, than you are doing a public safety thing, but if you crash during an interfacility, it's a healthcare crash.

If you are answering calls for a 911 system, than you are functioning as a PSO, and should be entitled to PSOB should you die in the line of duty.

If you are doing anything else, than you are functioning in healthcare, and should not be entitled to PSOB.

Disagree if you want, but we shouldn't be cheaping PSOB for people who aren't working in public safety. That's my $0.02, and I won't be changing my opinion. and I think you will find most 911 providers agree with me, and most IFT people will make excuses to disagree with me.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I do have to agree with Dr.

I get to do both 911 and IFTs. I view 911 as public safety and IFT as Heathcare.