The paramedics on the street (myself included) are becoming increasingly frustrated when it seems like fire shows up on scene (usually first due to 38 fire houses in the city and only 23 ambulances at peak times), is there for a couple minutes and maybe get a quick history and some borderline trusted vital signs before handing off their note (often times no demographic information written down, the medications are usually written as “see list” but of course they get the paramedics name and ambulance number for their “documentation”) and then they take off.
Sounds like you need more ambulances...... after all, if most of the FD's calls are medical in nature, yet they have 15 more trucks than you do, and they need that 38 to answer all the calls quickly, than logic would dictate that you need at least as many to handle all the calls, including being unavailable for calls as you are transporting the patient.
also sounds like you have never had to enter a NFIRS run report.... let me educate you a little bit about the process: if the FD is first, they have to fill out an EMS run, which requires much of the demographic information. so they might wait until you get it for their paperwork. and second, if I have a sick patient, I want their history and vitals, along with medications (see list is only acceptable if they actually have a list), because their basic demographics don't really affect how I treat the patient (maybe the age, but that's about it).
In almost every system I have been been in, once EMS shows up, the FD backs off, and lets them do their job. If you have a combative patient, and they ask you if they can leave, did you follow it up with your supervisor, and their battalion chief? And if you say no, they should help, but you, as the paramedic, need to tell them exactly what you want them to do (because they don't want to stop on your toes, now that your in charge of the patient). While you might not appreciate the comment of "it's there problem lets go," at the end of the day, it is YOUR problem, they are only first responders until EMS gets there. it's their problem until you show up, than it's YOUR problem.
Are you a little jealous that they are making 80k a year as a professional first responder, while you are making half of that? Maybe instead of saying how they should make less, maybe you should be making more? or even better, get hired by the FD so you can make 80k after 3 years and be just a first responder?
But I will agree with you, very few systems hold first responders accountable for the quality of care they provide, and very often it is very basic. In fact, our medical director has narrowed the scope of FD EMTs compared to EMS EMTs. It's actually quite frustrating at time, when according to the state protocols you can do certain interventions, while the county medical director won't let you do them to help the patient.
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