This is how crazy salaries are...

[John E]

I just read an ad on the Los Angeles area Craigslist for an private company ambulance DISPATCHER, no EMT experience required, starting pay is $11.00 per hour with a whopping $1.00 per call bonus.

That is higher pay than a Paramedic makes according to several sources here on this forum. Higher pay than the EMT's that they're going to be sending out to face traffic accidents, contagious diseases, possible assaults from unhinged pts. etc.

If that doesn't sum up the problems inherent in the EMT line of work, I don't know what does.

John E.

P.S. I fully and completely understand the necessity of dispatchers, I worked as a police dispatcher for a short period of time a number of years ago. They are a vital and necessary part of the EMS equation, at the same time, they shouldn't be making more money than those that they dispatch. If EMT's are undereducated, and I think that they are, where does that leave someone with ZERO professional training other than that offered by the employer? Nobody's taking any dispatcher classes anywhere that I know of.

 

[firemedic7982]

Craigslist... Complete B.S.

11.00 in California??? Thats gonna get you what?

aLthough would be interesting to see what others are making.

 

[John E]

Not sure what you mean by...

"complete B.S." as it pertains to Craigslist. It has become the defacto source for classified ads in most parts of the country.

The jobs listed in Medical/Health Care are pretty much straight up from what I can see. The overwhelming majority of them, in least in the L.A. edition are posted by institutions and companies, as opposed to a lot of other postings done by individuals.

John E.

 

[BossyCow]

I'm guessing that this is on Craigslist in an attempt to place a free ad to find someone to work a job noone else will take because it pays crap!

 

[John E]

Hmmm...

that's what I used to think about the ads on Craigslist too, then I started actually getting work thru some of them.

The free ads are only free cause they charge for some of the others.

The ad I referred to was in the Medical/Health Care section, don't know if it's part of the free portion or not.

The thing is that regardless of the ad cost, the company in question is offering a starting pay rate for a dispatcher that's higher than not only the starting rate for an EMT but it's also better than what some folks with experience are getting for working as am EMT. That's the crazy part that I was referring to.

The reality of the classified ad business today is that Craigslist pretty much owns it in every city that they have a presence in. Don't believe me? Look at the classifieds in your local newspaper, if it's still being published, and compare the numbers.

John E.

 

[Flight-LP]

Most agencies pay their communicators higher than an EMT-B. More responsibility and usually a higher work / stress load. Not to mention less supply and higher demand for quality dispatch types. EMT-B's are a dime a dozen, nothing special there. Having an EMD certified communications specialist who actually knows what they are doing is more rare and therfore offered more of an incentive...............................

 

[Code 3]

EMT-B's are a dime a dozen, nothing special there.

Bingo.

During the end of Fall and Spring school semesters there's hundreds of people who will gladly do your job for the same pay or less.

 

[beachemt]

at least you guys get paid Virginia Beach has one of the largest volunteer rescue squads in the country. So the 80+ hours a months I run around on that ambulance is all for free.

 

[BossyCow]

at least you guys get paid Virginia Beach has one of the largest volunteer rescue squads in the country. So the 80+ hours a months I run around on that ambulance is all for free.

Okay, I'm confused.. and I work with a volly rural agency so don't jump on me about being against vollies or against BLS agencies.. but in a community like Virginia Beach.. why is it volunteer? With all the Navy money there has to be funds available for paid EMS coverage there.

Why would anyone work 80+ hours a month for free? I'm guessing you are getting something or you wouldn't be doing it at all. What is it?

In my case, we have the vollies or nothing. There not only aren't options because of the median income of the locals, the sparse population rate and the timber/fishing industries being in the toilet. We've lost two major employers in our area in the last few years and nothing had come along to replace them.

So, I volunteer to help my neigbors because they are going to help me when I need it. When the powers out, the roads washed out, the water has stopped pumping and the temp is in the 20s.

But why, in an urban area, with industry, tax base and I'm guessing more than one hospital.......... why is it a vollie department? This makes absolutely no sense to me at all. So I must be missing a part of the equation... please enlighten me.

 

[TheMowingMonk]

$11.00 bucks isnt unresonable for a dispatchers. At my old if company dispatchers started at $11.00 an hour. The company i work for now starts dispatchers at $19.00. at least that in my area, im originally from the LA area and there is also cost of living to considered. LA area isnt super expensive, but its not cheap ether so those wages seem reasonable to me.

 

[marineman]

99% of the time wages come down to supply and demand. Like was said earlier there are hundreds of EMT's at the end of every college semester looking for work. How many people do you know that have gone through an EMD course? Nobody wants to work as a dispatcher, everyone wants the glory of saving the day on the ambulance (yeah they don't know how it really works yet) so the supply and demand equation gives dispatchers more pay.

The company I ride with is actually working on a new policy that all of their dispatchers must be paramedics. Don't ask me why as our dispatch doesn't field 911 calls direct. For us pay is determined by how much you can help the company, an EMT that also works in dispatch gets paid more than a regular EMT same for a paramedic dispatcher. At the end of the day it's all about getting qualified people to fill the positions and what makes the company money, to the people at the top of the ladder this is a business and it's run like one.

 

[beachemt]

Okay, I'm confused.. and I work with a volly rural agency so don't jump on me about being against vollies or against BLS agencies.. but in a community like Virginia Beach.. why is it volunteer? With all the Navy money there has to be funds available for paid EMS coverage there.

Why would anyone work 80+ hours a month for free? I'm guessing you are getting something or you wouldn't be doing it at all. What is it?

In my case, we have the vollies or nothing. There not only aren't options because of the median income of the locals, the sparse population rate and the timber/fishing industries being in the toilet. We've lost two major employers in our area in the last few years and nothing had come along to replace them.

So, I volunteer to help my neigbors because they are going to help me when I need it. When the powers out, the roads washed out, the water has stopped pumping and the temp is in the 20s.

But why, in an urban area, with industry, tax base and I'm guessing more than one hospital.......... why is it a vollie department? This makes absolutely no sense to me at all. So I must be missing a part of the equation... please enlighten me.

I know its hard to believe that there are altruistic people out there but we really do exist. we do not receive any funding from the military. Every rescue squad is independently funded and supported by private means. I dont get anything out of running 80+ hours. As a vbems member you only need to run 48 hours a month, I personally just love being on the ambulance so between working two other jobs and volunteering i stay busy.

Also the rescue squad stays free if we dont get paid. We dont charge for any of our services and as you might expect the community appreciates it.
so just be thankful you guys can get paid.

 

[reaper]

You could be paid too. If you stopped volunteering your time!

 

[BossyCow]

I know its hard to believe that there are altruistic people out there but we really do exist.

Did you miss the part in my post where I stated that I am a volunteer in a rescue organization? My post was not questioning your motives, but simply asking for more information about why the community which obviously has some infrastructure is providing an essential service on the free labor of the altruistic. If altruism was so valued, why aren't their civil administrators also volunteer?

we do not receive any funding from the military. Every rescue squad is independently funded and supported by private means. I dont get anything out of running 80+ hours. As a vbems member you only need to run 48 hours a month, I personally just love being on the ambulance so between working two other jobs and volunteering i stay busy.

Again, you stated that you have one of the largest systems in the country but your government who is getting funding from the military, whether they choose to share it with your squad or not, apparently doesn't need to fund the agency.

Also the rescue squad stays free if we dont get paid. We dont charge for any of our services and as you might expect the community appreciates it.
so just be thankful you guys can get paid.

Again, also not appliciable. In our closest city, the medics are paid, but the service is free to the citizens. You can still opt to not bill and provide a service, much as the fire department does, without billing.

 

[EMT60]

It has alot to do with where you work and what kind of dispatching. At a private BLS company they have less stress and easy job load. With 911 dispatching there is alot of stress and dealing with people who need real help. Most BLS companies are around $11 but 911 are around $19.

 

[medic417]

Texas basics $15 Intermediates $17 Paramedic $20 all + overtime and good benefits.

Cost of living cheap compared to many areas.

 

[abriggs]

I'm moving to TX!!! :lol:

 

[EMT-P633]

I know its hard to believe that there are altruistic people out there but we really do exist. we do not receive any funding from the military. Every rescue squad is independently funded and supported by private means. I dont get anything out of running 80+ hours. As a vbems member you only need to run 48 hours a month, I personally just love being on the ambulance so between working two other jobs and volunteering i stay busy.

Also the rescue squad stays free if we dont get paid. We dont charge for any of our services and as you might expect the community appreciates it.
so just be thankful you guys can get paid.

If all the rescue squads, and EMS is privately funded, how you stock your units? who bought the tools for the rescue trucks? I know the U.S. gov pays a considerable amount in impact fees to the local / state gov for the naval base there, I think you guys should rally the troops so to speak and see if you could become a paid department.

 

[suziquzi99]

The pay for Greenville County is not what it should be. EMT-B (11) EMT-I (13)
EMT-I in para. sch. (14) and Paramedic (15). It goes up with Degrees. But like so many have said, you can't be in for the pay. I would keep my job if it were about money. A few less meals out wouldn't hurt my pocketbook!

 

[reaper]

You went on the high side on those!