Permanent Partners

ZombieEMT

ZombieEMT

Chief Medical Zombie
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I was just curious as to how many people have permanent partners? What do you like or dislike about them? Do you prefer permanent or changing?

Background about me, is that I work for two companies. One company does primary EMS (only non-emergent is mental health transfers from ED). Here, I have a different partner every shift and shifts vary. At my second, they do EMS/IFT and I have a permenant partner on a rotating schedule.

I definitely like having a permenant partner because I always know what to expect when I come in to work. We learn the way each other work and our likes/dislikes. Even if I had a partner that I did not like, I know what to look foward to and how to get along on shift. At the same time, it is nice to not have permanent partners because it can give me a break from certain coworks. I happened to get lucky and land a partner that I get along very well with.
 
I think that pretty much sums it up. It's nice to have a set partner because you know how you both work and can work better as a team, but getting a break from certain people is always nice.

But if you find a partner that you really like working with, (and they like working with you too) that is truly a gem. I had a good partnership like that once, but it ended all too soon.
 
My partner is as permanent as you can get -- I married her :-)
 
Nah, never in 10 years and multiple agencies have I had the same partner longer than a few months. There has been times I have wanted to keep the same one, kind of sucks sometimes
 
My system usually moves one medic on a unit to a new station every six months. So, the most permanent partner you'll get is 6 months. However, they do make exceptions if they can.

My current partner is great, he is one of my favorite people to work with. I also am at my first choice of stations, so life is pretty good.
 
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I had a permanent partner, a good one. That was nice--we had a good routine going, we knew how the other worked on calls, and more importantly, we had a good TV watching plan.

But every so often mixing it up was nice. And if I'd had a :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty partner I imagine it would have been pretty awful, especially given how hard it would be to switch shifts there.
 
I've had the same partner for three years. Makes a busy station way more bearable. We bicker like siblings sometimes but we've built a great trust and get along extremely well.

The way my service works (County 3rd Service) is that trucks have a permanent crew that bids into the spot and has it until the choose to bid out. Some people find a good fit and stay for a long time others rotate more regularly. About 20% of staff on each platoon are swing shift and aren't assigned a truck/station only a district. They are permanent full time but rotate through trucks to fill in for vacancies. If they're not needed to fill in then they are assigned to the Swing truck and upstaff that district. So even when my partner is off I usually get one of a half dozen swing medics in my district. We also have a small casual pool that works up to right shifts a month.
 
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Full time Perm partners all the way. I don't care if I can't stand the person, at least if they can do the job, you know when you walk in the door.

I've played the game of roulette where you don't know who your partner is until you walk in the door, it gets old after a while. Esp if you are with every newbie who you need to get used to, who doesn't know how you work, and you need to watch to make sure they are doing the right thing.

I do enough OT and switches with coworkers to deal with different people; but I definitely prefer having my own truck, my own partner, and my own primary coverage area that I know all the ins and outs of
 
I get rotating partners. I'm on a fixed modified Kelly (24-on/24-off for three shifts, and then 4 days off) but my partners are all on 12 hour shifts
 
Permanent partners are fine but only if they are by choice. I know people who sign up for the same shift for years because they work well together and like each other. But if you force people to be together who don't get along well, then you'll have trouble.

I do think that if there is a chance you won't be working with the same person, that you should rotate through once in a while. Our full-time day crew pretty much all work with the same people day in and day out, but us volunteers who staff at night and take runs from home might not always get to work with the same person. (If i'm not staffing the truck and an additional run comes in, I get whomever shows up at the station!) It's good for all of the in-charges to know the others and vice-versa so you have a sense of how people like to function.
 
I have a permanent partner right now though I may be switching over to a 48 hr shift (I work 12s) just to get more 911 exposure (our shift does transfers and 911). But I like having a permanent partner because you get used to how they work and what they like and get to build a friendship. I think it makes for better emergency medicine. My favorites are the work husbands/wives. After awhile they really do sound like an old couple.
 
I love my partner. Never a dull moment with him. We take care of each other. He is my permanent partner. Only way we would be split is if one of us chooses to go to another shift.
 
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