New York's Poorest

[CFRBryan347768]

FDNY EMS has a shortage of EMTs and medics. Need to solve this problem. Its great that you want to raise the educational standards but this is not going to solve the immediate problems. May be in the future, the educational requirements can be fixed. Until than, a raise will fix the short term problems.

I'd like to say I agree, but what happens when you start attracting the wrong people to the job who will only take the job for the $$ and benefits? If you raise the education you will just turn those idiots mentioned above in italics away. Everybody wants EMS respected, how can you respect it if its a bunch of uneducated people off the street who went through the EMS academy and now slack off after their ride outs just to pick up a nice pay check?? FDNY EMS is suffering, and it's going to keep suffering until some special person dies.

 

[firecoins]

I'd like to say I agree, but what happens when you start attracting the wrong people to the job who will only take the job for the $$ and benefits? If you raise the education you will just turn those idiots mentioned above in italics away. Everybody wants EMS respected, how can you respect it if its a bunch of uneducated people off the street who went through the EMS academy and now slack off after their ride outs just to pick up a nice pay check?? FDNY EMS is suffering, and it's going to keep suffering until some special person dies.

How much respect does EMS get when response time is up to 1 hour long? I ask because this is happaning right now for ALS units.

If your relying on associates degree to keep the idiots out, you will be disappointed. Anyone can get into a community college and and get an associate's degree. No one is rejected from a CC. I have no problem requiring it down the road. But it isn't a viable option right now.

 

[Ridryder911]

How much respect does EMS get when response time is up to 1 hour long? I ask because this is happaning right now for ALS units.

If your relying on associates degree to keep the idiots out, you will be disappointed. Anyone can get into a community college and and get an associate's degree. No one is rejected from a CC. I have no problem requiring it down the road. But it isn't a viable option right now.

Less than the idiots we have right now that cannot read or write or spell.. (hint read some of the posts). If your CC is not being discriminative then there is a problem. All have to take placement tests of some kind as well as have English, formal Science and at least read above the 10'th grade level, which is apparently not happening.. otherwise our textbooks would be written at that level. Just think how embarrassing it is that the Basic EMT is written at a grade school level...

R/r 911

 

[CFRBryan347768]

Okay, lets say they do up the pay and they hire x amount of emt's, and in 7 years they decided to update the EMT curriculum and all current EMT's are required to take the new class and pass. FDNY just hired a bunch of illiterate people because the pay and benefits are good, then what they all lose their jobs and were back in the same situation...

 

[Outbac1]

Hire now, fire later? There is no time like now to change things. Hiring more quickie EMT's at higher pay,(not great pay just higher than current pay), is only a short term solution at best. Now is the time to train and hire the appropriate people to a higher standard and then pay them accordingly.

In the mean time its gonna suck to be a sick NewYorker. But its a better solution in the long term.

If those currently working don't want to upgrade their education to a new standard, show them the door and hire someone else. We did it here and got a better system from it. I'm sure there are a lot of reasonably educated, unemployed people there who would love to train for a good well paying career job.

 

[Nycxice13]

As an FDNY-EMS EMT-B...(whom btw HAS a college degree) They need to increase our salary...The training alone when compared to most 911 systems is far more involved, as is the hiring process. When you consider the fact that our civilian counterparts start off at $18 per hour...But then again, we have a more secure job...Take the good with the bad I guess..

 

[firecoins]

I'd like to say I agree, but what happens when you start attracting the wrong people to the job who will only take the job for the $$ and benefits?

RIght now you had people who only want to be firefighters joining.

 

[firecoins]

Less than the idiots we have right now that cannot read or write or spell.. (hint read some of the posts). If your CC is not being discriminative then there is a problem. All have to take placement tests of some kind as well as have English, formal Science and at least read above the 10'th grade level, which is apparently not happening.. otherwise our textbooks would be written at that level. Just think how embarrassing it is that the Basic EMT is written at a grade school level...

R/r 911

No community college is discriminative. In fact, they exist for the community as a whole. The purpose is to make education widely available to the public. Sure you are required to take tests and than you get put in classes in the "weak" areas. You could get a GED at a community college if you need one. NYS and NYC have made these school open to the public. Of course paramedic programs are closed to those with an EMT-B which we all know is very hard to get.

Spell check has made even very educated people weak spellers.

 

[VentMedic]

No community college is discriminative. In fact, they exist for the community as a whole. The purpose is to make education widely available to the public. Sure you are required to take tests and than you get put in classes in the "weak" areas. You could get a GED at a community college if you need one. NYS and NYC have made these school open to the public. Of course paramedic programs are closed to those with an EMT-B which we all know is very hard to get.

Spell check has made even very educated people weak spellers.

A GED is part of the non-credit adult learning section for education. It is not a college class. It is a requirement to take college classes if you did not graduate from high school.

Colleges give preference to their residents but still require placement testing. NYC is no exception. You may still gain entrance to the college but will have to take remedial classes until the college administrators believe you can handle college level classes. If your GPA or abilities is not up to par, you can still be denied entrance into many degree programs.

 

[firecoins]

A friend who is a FDNY EMT-B informed that NYC EMTs and Medics got a raise. Furthermore shifts might be changing from 8hrs to 12hrs.

I have not seen this posted anywhere yet but if find a link ill post it.

 

[Zephyr]

A friend who is a FDNY EMT-B informed that NYC EMTs and Medics got a raise. Furthermore shifts might be changing from 8hrs to 12hrs.

I have not seen this posted anywhere yet but if find a link ill post it.

Thanks for sharing. If true, this is good news. I wonder how much of a raise... Good timing too-- I just called FDNY yesterday to give them my NY EMT number and other info. The lady with whom I spoke said to expect a letter within 4-6 weeks.

 

[firecoins]

NYPD got a raise.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE PATROLMEN'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION

By End of 4-Year Deal, Top Pay Will Be $91,823 Before Overtime

Agreement for Police Officers Provides Over 20% Increases in Compensation, Including Almost 17% in Salary

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Patrick J. Lynch, President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), announced that a tentative contract settlement has been reached with the PBA on a collective bargaining agreement covering the period from August 1, 2006 through July 31, 2010. The agreement, which is subject to ratification, covers over 23,000 police officers. This settlement marks the first time an agreement has been reached across the bargaining table with the PBA since 1994.

“We have the 23,000 police officers of the NYPD, as much as anyone, to thank for the low crime and heightened quality of life we enjoy in this City,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The most important aspect of the contract is that it will raise the starting salary for rookie cops from $36,000, to over 40,000, and that will be retroactive to 2006. I have always believed that the best contract agreements are those that are reached at the bargaining table, and this is a good example of that.”

“Officers in the New York City Police Department shoulder responsibilities that exceed those of other officers across the country,” said Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. “They have helped drive crime down to record lows. They more than deserve the increased compensation reflected in this new agreement.”

“This negotiated contract, the first for the PBA in almost 15 years, continues to move us toward a market rate of pay that our police officers have earned and so rightly deserve,” said PBA President Lynch said. “It brings a police officer’s top salary at contract’s end to $76,488 and our total monetary compensation package to over $94,000. The agreement also includes, for the first time, an historic escalator clause that links longevity pay and health and welfare benefits contributions to the percentage change of wage increases, ensuring that those substantial benefits automatically rise in the same proportion as salary. That link will serve to magnify each future increase in an officer’s earnings while insuring the long-term stability of our health and welfare funds for both active and retired officers. Additionally, major changes to work rules, including ones that allow police officers to mutually exchange tours and to better utilize existing sick leave will vastly improve the quality of life for our members. We are pleased that a dramatic change in the negotiating atmosphere has allowed for a real exchange of ideas and has resulted in a contract that deserves police officer’s support.”

The principal features of the settlement are:

• 4%, compounded, effective August 1, 2006
• 4%, compounded, effective August 1, 2007
• 4%, compounded, effective August 1, 2008
• 4%, compounded, effective August 1, 2009

At the end of this contract, a police officer’s basic maximum salary will be $76,488, compared to the current amount of $65,382. With longevity pay, holiday pay, night shift differential and other additions, total compensation will be approximately $91,823, plus overtime. The total increase in compensation is 20.05 percent, including a compounded wage increase of 16.99 percent.

New Hires

The salary schedule for police officers hired on/after January 1, 2006, will be as follows:




Effective August 1, 2009

Appointment Rate


$41,975

After 1.5 Years


$43,644

After 2.5 Years


$48,779

After 3.5 Years


$53,270

After 4.5 Years


$56,609

Basic Maximum after 5.5 years


$76,488

Longevity Schedule

Effective July 31, 2008, the longevity schedule will be increased by $313 at each step. Also, effective July 31, 2008, these steps will be increased by any future general wage increases. In addition, effective July 31, 2010, the longevity schedule will be increased by $1,230 at each step.

Welfare Funds

Effective July 31, 2008, the City will contribute a $400 one-time lump sum payment per retiree to the Retiree Health and Welfare Funds and effective July 31, 2010, an additional $100 one-time lump sum payment per retiree shall be paid to the Retiree Health and Welfare Funds. In addition, effective July 31, 2008, the annual rate of contributions to the Active and Retiree Welfare Funds shall be increased by any future general wage increases.

Vacations

Effective July 31, 2010, employees hired on or after July 1, 2008, shall be entitled to thirteen (13) annual vacation days during their third, fourth and fifth years of service. In the recent PERB award, the number of vacation days was reduced for new hires in the first five years of service from 20 days to 10 days. The PBA has bought back three vacation days as part of this agreement.

Other Provisions

Effective July 1, 2008, the parties have agreed that the officers will qualify at the shooting range on a regular work day and will not surrender a vacation day or any other time or leave. Employees who have already utilized a vacation day shall have that day restored. A pilot program shall be established that will provide that eligible employees, who request sick leave for an injury or illness, shall no longer be subject to home visitation and confinement, outside the hours of the employee’s regularly scheduled tour of duty, provided the sick leave utilization remains at acceptable levels as negotiated by the parties.

Effective February 20, 2010, police officers assigned to Detective track commands as so-called “White Shield Detectives” shall work the same length of tour and number of appearances as currently worked by Detectives in the respective units to which they are assigned.

The procedures for mutual exchange of tours currently found in the Administrative Guide shall be incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement and in the Patrol Guide.

The Mayor thanked Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, PBA President Patrick J. Lynch and his committee, Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley and First Deputy Commissioner Margaret M. Connor and their team, and Budget Director Mark Page and his staff for their efforts in reaching this agreement.

 

[fortsmithman]

If education is the directly proportionate gauge for setting salary, then why do NYC's garbage collectors make more than EMTs? Which city employees complete more training and get paid less than $27K in New York City? If I'm an ER physician making $54K, I'm going to seek employment elsewhere to pay back my student loads, or go back into the military, where I was making more money.

I agree with you on the OT. I would want my EMTs to get enough rest so I know that they're not treating patients while exhausted.

The reason garbage collectors make more is maybe they have a better trade union. If on wants to make more is EMS get more education. Because more education = more money. I got in the EMS field late in life (I'm 41 and a rookie with my agency). I do plan on taking the EMT course then taking the paramedic program. I have todo that because The licensing body my agency uses (the Alberta College of Paramedics) requires before a person can be a EMT they have to be a EMR (equivalent to a US EMT Basic). To be a Paramedic ACoP requires one be a EMT.

 

[fortsmithman]

accidental double post oops.