schedules

Flight-LP said:
12-18 hour shift, 7 days per week...................
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24 on 24 off.....all 911


:P :P :) :)

(No hat, no lanyard, no HIR)


Sorry couldn't resist mate!
 
3 days on (2000-0800)
4 days off
4 days on (2000-0800)
3 days off

Rinse. Repeat.

I've also had M/W/F with every other Saturday (0800-2000).
 
akflightmedic said:
24 on 24 off.....all 911


:P :P :) :)

(No hat, no lanyard, no HIR)


Sorry couldn't resist mate!
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No HIR, fortunately that's above my pay grade!

You forgot the reflective belt.............Which btw I never wear.

The other two I succumb to unfortunately. That's the price I pay for being the HQ Medic.....

You still lovin' it down there??
 
Ridryder911 said:
24 hours on (0700-0700) off 24 for three tours, then four days off. Total of ten days a month.

R/r 911
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Same as my schedule now for a large private EMS except we are 0800-0800. Starting January, we go to 48 on, 4 days off - also a total of ten days per month. There are all the overtime shifts you could want, but personally this is enough time for me.
 
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I work 2 full time jobs, so i work 2, 24 on 48 off shifts, so actually i work 48 on, 24 off. I work B shift starting at 0700 till 0700 then drive to C shift and work 0800 to 0800 then off till 0700.
 
Does anyone else notice that majority of EMS personnel is working the double hours of what the "normal" person is. Does anyone else see a problem with this? Such as still receiving poor pay even though we are working numerous hours, multiple jobs, and basically no life off work?

I admit I chose and still prefer my 24 hour shift over any 12 hour in ER or ICU as a RN but would really like to see us be at least compensated for it.


R/r 911
 
You have a point Rid.

However I cant complain about the pay but I had to go far, far away to earn it...LOL

But for stateside EMS, yes you have a valid point.
 
430p-430a, rotating schedule
1st week I work Mon/Tues, off Wed/Thur, work Fri/Sat/Sun
2nd week I'm off Mon/Tues, work Wed/Thur, off Fri/Sat/Sun
 
Ridryder911 said:
Does anyone else notice that majority of EMS personnel is working the double hours of what the "normal" person is. Does anyone else see a problem with this? Such as still receiving poor pay even though we are working numerous hours, multiple jobs, and basically no life off work?

I admit I chose and still prefer my 24 hour shift over any 12 hour in ER or ICU as a RN but would really like to see us be at least compensated for it.


R/r 911
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I think the low pay rate is directly linked to the low requirements for getting into the profession. Raise the education bar, weed out the whackers and the pay rates will rise. It's supply and demand. The present situation sucks for anyone that wants to make EMS a career. For me personally, this is my retirement job. I like the fact that when I am not on a call my time is my own. I am at the station but I don't have productivity people dogging me at least as long as I get my station duties done. With 24 hour shifts, I have 1/3 the commuting that my day job pals have and I love 20 days a month just for my own thing. Do I wish the pay was more? Yes, for the reasons mentioned earlier. It works for me but I am in a rare and enviable position.
 
It's 4 days on, 4 days off for us. It works perfectly with my EMT-A course, which is also 4 days on, 4 days off. My boss is pretty desperate for people, so he accomodated their schedule to exactly match my school schedule, which is awesome.

Even though my service has a very low call volume (we average about a call every other day), it's still wearing me out, though, mostly because my station is in a very small town 3 hours away from where I live. So while I mostly just relax while I'm there, I can't see my friends, order good takeout, pick up a magazine at the convenience store, or enjoy the other little benefits of the big city.
 
Kaisu said:
I think the low pay rate is directly linked to the low requirements for getting into the profession. Raise the education bar, weed out the whackers and the pay rates will rise. It's supply and demand. The present situation sucks for anyone that wants to make EMS a career. For me personally, this is my retirement job. I like the fact that when I am not on a call my time is my own. I am at the station but I don't have productivity people dogging me at least as long as I get my station duties done. With 24 hour shifts, I have 1/3 the commuting that my day job pals have and I love 20 days a month just for my own thing. Do I wish the pay was more? Yes, for the reasons mentioned earlier. It works for me but I am in a rare and enviable position.
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x2.

I remember I used to work at this managerial job, which required a bachelor's degree (which I have). I was hired as a PT person to replace someone who had worked full-time. I did ALL of the work in under 20 hours a week, saving my company $20,000/yr in salary, and it STILL wasn't enough. Now I work as an EMT-B, which required me to take a 2-week accelerated course, where the only educational pre-requisite was a high school diploma. I do nothing 90% of the time and I get paid more than I ever have been at any other job, even those that required a university degree, like the one above. I really can't complain. I've heard that the situation in the US is worse - for example, a friend of mine was a supervisor in a major US city and made under 50K, while another friend was a supervisor in Toronto and made about 120K - but I think here medics are paid exceptionally well for the amount of education required.
 
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Rotation Hell, and why long hours?

USAF fire dispatch (A1C grade): two days, three swings, four mids, three off. Four swings, three mids, two off. I lasted the longest (ten months) without a psych discharge, then went back to 24/24 with Tuesday Kelly Day (for my EMT class, then I moonlighted eight hour civlian ambulance dayshifts on the off days).

Shifts over eight hours long tend to produce higher error rates in nursing. Single parents have trouble finding child care for longer shifts. I suspect this works the same for others as well.
 
Heres the schedules we have:

0630-1830 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)
0700-1900 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)
0730-1930 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)

1830-0630 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)
1900-0700 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)
1930-0730 ~ 4 on, 4 off (ALS)

0800-2000 ~ 4 on, 4 off (BLS)
2000-0800 ~ 4 on, 4 off (BLS)

0800-1600 ~ M-F (ALS)
1600-0000 ~ M-F (ALS)

1100-1900 ~ 7 days a week, with every other Wed. and Sat. off (ALS)

0800-0000 ~ Wkends (ALS)

Now, I think we have enough variety to go around haha
 
The 12 hr bases work mostly 4 days on and 4 days off in a 2 day shift and 2 night shift pattern. There are various start times around the province. Currently my base has a:
6am - 6pm & 6pm - 6am unit
6am - 4pm & 4pm - 6am unit
8am - 8pm & 8pm - 8am unit

This avgs out to 42 hrs week over an 8 week schedule.

The other bases do 24 hrs on and 72 off, which also avgs 42 hrs a week.

There are also several "day" trucks that have various hours averaging 42 hrs a week. Ours runs 7am - 3pm mon,thur, fri, and 7am - 4pm on tue and wed.
 
3 to 4 to 5 '24 hour' shifts in a row...off one or two days....and back on...we're currently looking to hire a medic...until we do my days(shifts) at work are going to be extra long ones...lucky me :)!
 
Well, my schedule is changing. I will now be doing 4 ten hour (0700-1700) shifts, with every Friday, Saturday and Sunday off (and Holidays).

Yep, leaving the old crew and line field. Received a promotion (or so I was told :D) to Clinical Operations Manager. Part of me is sad, I work with a great group of guys, but excited about it too. My new job will be basically overseeing the medical portion for management and also be the education coordinator, recruiter and many other administrative (dirty tasks).... I will still will get to be on the truck occasionally or Supv. Unit to review and over see for education and FTO type situations.

R/r 911
 
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Congrats on the promo Rid. I am sure you will do an awesome job. Don't forget about us tho.. we can use your voice of experience...
 
Ridryder911 said:
Well, my schedule is changing. I will now be doing 4 ten hour (0700-1700) shifts, with every Friday, Saturday and Sunday off (and Holidays).

Yep, leaving the old crew and line field. Received a promotion (or so I was told :D) to Clinical Operations Manager. Part of me is sad, I work with a great group of guys, but excited about it too. My new job will be basically overseeing the medical portion for management and also be the education coordinator, recruiter and many other administrative (dirty tasks).... I will still will get to be on the truck occasionally or Supv. Unit to review and over see for education and FTO type situations.

R/r 911
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It is too bad for those that might have been your patients in the future to not have had your expertise personally. However, I think your education and experience would be of more benefit to many more people in the new position as you describe it.
 
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