billydunwood
Forum Crew Member
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Well, most of them were paramedics prior to applying. Others have the opportunity to have the city pay for their paramedic school, and most of them are excited about that. Second, the ambulances are ALS so the medic is on it regardless of the call. However, if it is a BLS call and an ALS call comes in, the ambulance will most of the time divert to the ALS call while an engine stands by with the BLS patient awaiting a private BLS ambulance. Again, most of them were paramedics prior to joining.I'm not criticizing Culver City Fire in particular, nor am I trying to be funny. Honestly, I'm not even questioning the fire fighters who did what they had to do to become career FFs in your area. What I've seen in systems just like what you describe is having fire-medics (Fire first, medic a distant second) serve as apathetic providers who attended paramedic school only because their department mandated it. Age or time of experience wasn't really the point of my initial post. When people want to do one job and are forced to do another as they wait for what they've really wanted all along their "temporary" job performance suffers.
Having a paramedic on every call "just in case" only ensures this medic goes on too many "IV Monitor" BLS transfers and sees too few acute calls. You also take away the ability of the EMT to recognize the need for ALS and provide basic transport services on their own.