Shift questions

[nemm]

Been searching around the forum and still can't really find the answer im looking for. Currently going into the interview process and its going good for my first EMT job and the company does ABC shifts

Anyways how do ABC shifts work?

Knowing that they are 24hr shifts, am i paid for all 24 hours or are there a certain amount of lunches/breaks that need to be taken that are clocked out?

Thanks alot.

 

[FF894]

Break? Whats break? I am willing to bet there is no break. Depending on the area and the company you are lucky if you even make it back to base during a shift. There are certainly some areas of country and certain companies that spread it out so the work load is even but if you live near LA I would assume that can only mean busy. Pack a lunch, a second lunch, dinner, and supper. Be prepared for fast food and not having enough time to eat it anyways.

Then again, there are companies that a truck may only see 3-4 calls in a 24 hour shift. Since its your first job be sure to ask a lot of questions. Go in there with a list. Read all the posts on this website regarding being a new EMT.

Good Luck!

 

[Sapphyre]

like FF said, ask if they're system status posting, or if you're always at station if not on a call. Some companies call any place they have a room a station, so, clarify. ABC shifting is more common in fire departments, so, you can try that as part of you're search criteria, but, it's basically works something like, A-B-C-B-C-A-B. Never made much sense to me, they should have a calendar. There are no breaks usually, but you still may not get paid the full 24. These really are all things to ask at your interview.

 

[Sasha]

or are there a certain amount of lunches/breaks that need to be taken that are clocked out?

Bwahaha! I nearly choked on my mountain dew. You're in EMS now, darlin' There are no breaks, and there are days you'll buy food and then be so slammed that you listen to the bag slide around the floor board for five more hours before you can even think about eating it! It's kind of masochistic.

My company runs 24 hour shifts, they get less calls during the day but are busier at night, and they bop around in the station after a call. Our "stations" (If you're not stationed at the main station.) are studio apartments in the area that they shift covers. And my company also pays for the entire 24 your normal wage, AND they work on the one on, two off, rotating shift. But that's my comapny. And we're in Florida

 

[Sasha]

Oh, and in contrast to Sapph's 24 hour shifts, ours are ABCABCABC. Sooo it's different wherever you work, you may wanna contact future employers to inquire!

 

[Code 3]

Anyways how do ABC shifts work?

Knowing that they are 24hr shifts, am i paid for all 24 hours or are there a certain amount of lunches/breaks that need to be taken that are clocked out?

Thanks alot.

Call the HR department, they will know the exact answer.

 

[BossyCow]

You can have a break when there are no patients!

You will learn to love cold, congealed dinner because its food dammit! You will learn not to put ice in pop, iced tea or other drinks because by the time you get to drink it, it has all melted. You will know that any food left out in the breakroom at the ER is up for grabs even if you don't know what it is or how long its been there.

The more time you spend preparing a meal, the higher the likelihood that the tones will go off before you get the first forkfull. Sugar is a God!!!

Depending on the staffing at your agency, there may be backup for you during meal times, but that just means the patients will have to double up calls on you until they pull you from that supposed break. Generally there is no 'clocking out'. If your call volume is low and your staffing is high, you may experience less of the situations everyone has described, but it will still be there.

There may also be long periods of downtime when you are praying for a call because all the housekeeping chores are done, stock is inventoried, rigs are washed and your co-workers are starting to get that evil twinkle in their eye that means practical jokes are being planned.

 

[nemm]

Alright I get the idea on how the shifts end up working haha, thanks a lot for everyone's response.

 

[tydek07]

Been searching around the forum and still can't really find the answer im looking for. Currently going into the interview process and its going good for my first EMT job and the company does ABC shifts

Anyways how do ABC shifts work?

Knowing that they are 24hr shifts, am i paid for all 24 hours or are there a certain amount of lunches/breaks that need to be taken that are clocked out?

Thanks alot.

I am with a bunch of the other posters... just give the company a call and ask ^_^

 

[marineman]

For the shifts like was said the company can give you the best answer since they work in several ways. Again the company can give you the best answer but most companies pay you standard wage for the entire 24 hour shift. However since there's an exception to every rule there is at least one company in my area that only pays you when you're on a call and you get nothing for sitting around the station. That said they don't operate as a typical 911 response company so their entire setup is different but it is possible that other companies have similar policies.

 

[FFMedic1911]

Call the HR department, they will know the exact answer.

Yeah what they said.

 

[NomadicMedic]

At least around here (Western Washington) many of the Ambulance companies work what's called a "Modified Detroit" schedule. This is; 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 3 days off.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Also, due to barganing units determining the wage, hourly pay is very different depending on the shift. For instance, if you work a part time 8 hour shift, you make more per hour than the guy on the 24 hour truck.

However, it all works out to the same "yearly salary" in the end.

Or at least that's the theory. YMMV.

 

[dslprod]

wait a minute so theres no specific "code" to use when EMT's/Medics clock out for lunch? u just eat whenever u can?

when i worked for the p.d it was code 7 on our CAD when we went for a lunch break.

 

[BossyCow]

wait a minute so theres no specific "code" to use when EMT's/Medics clock out for lunch? u just eat whenever u can?

when i worked for the p.d it was code 7 on our CAD when we went for a lunch break.

ROFL.... yeah... code means a whole different thing when you get out of Law Enforcement and into EMS.

 

[dslprod]

ROFL.... yeah... code means a whole different thing when you get out of Law Enforcement and into EMS.

LoL thanks for the update bossy cow

 

[Sasha]

wait a minute so theres no specific "code" to use when EMT's/Medics clock out for lunch? u just eat whenever u can?

when i worked for the p.d it was code 7 on our CAD when we went for a lunch break.

Nope! When my partner and I get cleared to hold around our lunch time we haul bum to the nearest fast food restauraunt and hope we get a chance to take a bite before we get another call! Remember always order "To Go" even if you plan on sitting in the dining room and eating if possible

 

[fma08]

"Medic 1 to dispatch, in the area of post for 101" B)

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Bwahaha! I nearly choked on my mountain dew. You're in EMS now, darlin' There are no breaks, and there are days you'll buy food and then be so slammed that you listen to the bag slide around the floor board for five more hours before you can even think about eating it! It's kind of masochistic.

My company runs 24 hour shifts, they get less calls during the day but are busier at night, and they bop around in the station after a call. Our "stations" (If you're not stationed at the main station.) are studio apartments in the area that they shift covers. And my company also pays for the entire 24 your normal wage, AND they work on the one on, two off, rotating shift. But that's my comapny. And we're in Florida

Amen!

We are slaves to the god motorola who demands the sacrifice of at least one hot meal per shift!

One shift, I didn't get to eat my dinner untill 0300.

 

[Sapphyre]

wait a minute so theres no specific "code" to use when EMT's/Medics clock out for lunch? u just eat whenever u can?

when i worked for the p.d it was code 7 on our CAD when we went for a lunch break.

Yeah, we get Code 7 for meal break, but, we can still get a call. They just won't make us move posts. It's half an hour, and dispatch tells us when we get it, in the area of post. But, well, we rarely eat during that time!

 

[KEVD18]

ive had more meals ruined by this job than i can count. i stopped counting on being able to sit and enjoy a meal my first week on the job.

everything thats been said before is quite true, but it can go either way. i had shifts where we saw the station once a day for shift change and maybe another time if we need supplies. ive also had shifts where you could put two run sheets in the truck in the morning and have one left over the next day. but even on the slowest truck ive worked, ive had many a meal destroyed.

the worst is when theres pre planning involved. we used to grill dinner at one house i worked from. nothing like grilling up a nice steak dinner and getting a call right as you sit donw to eat.