WuLabsWuTecH
Forum Deputy Chief
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I have been reading a lot of threads lately about people buying equipment for use while at work. Do you use personal equipment while at work?
The only things I use are pens from home as I prefer the feel of my own pen over the cheap ballpoint from the supply room.
One of my partners and I were in disagreement about what to do when we need to make a cell call. Company policy states that the Nextel is not to be used for making phone calls, only use the PTT service and for contacting the dispatch landline if they are backed up with PTT calls or if dispatch is to busy to route a call and directs us to call ourselves. Also, we can use the phone feature to contact hospital ERs for Code 2s and Code 3s.
If I need access to a gate at a facility, I PTT dispatch and the call the facility for us, no biggie. But dispatch sometimes asks us to call them via phone. Its usually when we're in the more luxurious facilities where we land our lucrative contracts and they want to keep the beeping and noise to a minimum so when it comes time to renew the contract we can point out that good customer service is key. Also if we're at a receiving facility that is not ready for us and we're delayed, they prefer that question of why we are running late not to be broadcasted to the entire waiting room and staff.
Anyway, when they ask me to do so, I simply call using the nextel. When questioned by a supervisor once as to why I didn't call using a cell phone, I simply stated that I had not been issued a company cell phone (the EMS supervisors are issues cell phones) so since I was requested to call dispatch, it did not violate company policy to make the call. He agreed with me. My partner however, thinks that the right decision is whenever transmitting more sensitive information is to call in to dispatch using a personal cell phone so people around us won't hear (because dispatch didn't request us to use the phone it WOULD be a violation of company policy to call in on the NEXTEL.) I disagreed saying that the NEXTEL was a secure line as as long as the rules of using a normal radio are followed, even if the transmission was intercepted, no PHI is transmitted and that it is perfectly acceptable since that's what FDs do on a daily basis when they contact ERs/Dispatch.
What are your views on using personal equipment/cell phones?
I thought I had posed this question before but a quick search turned up nothing so I thought I would post it as a separate thread this time instead of hijacking!
The only things I use are pens from home as I prefer the feel of my own pen over the cheap ballpoint from the supply room.
One of my partners and I were in disagreement about what to do when we need to make a cell call. Company policy states that the Nextel is not to be used for making phone calls, only use the PTT service and for contacting the dispatch landline if they are backed up with PTT calls or if dispatch is to busy to route a call and directs us to call ourselves. Also, we can use the phone feature to contact hospital ERs for Code 2s and Code 3s.
If I need access to a gate at a facility, I PTT dispatch and the call the facility for us, no biggie. But dispatch sometimes asks us to call them via phone. Its usually when we're in the more luxurious facilities where we land our lucrative contracts and they want to keep the beeping and noise to a minimum so when it comes time to renew the contract we can point out that good customer service is key. Also if we're at a receiving facility that is not ready for us and we're delayed, they prefer that question of why we are running late not to be broadcasted to the entire waiting room and staff.
Anyway, when they ask me to do so, I simply call using the nextel. When questioned by a supervisor once as to why I didn't call using a cell phone, I simply stated that I had not been issued a company cell phone (the EMS supervisors are issues cell phones) so since I was requested to call dispatch, it did not violate company policy to make the call. He agreed with me. My partner however, thinks that the right decision is whenever transmitting more sensitive information is to call in to dispatch using a personal cell phone so people around us won't hear (because dispatch didn't request us to use the phone it WOULD be a violation of company policy to call in on the NEXTEL.) I disagreed saying that the NEXTEL was a secure line as as long as the rules of using a normal radio are followed, even if the transmission was intercepted, no PHI is transmitted and that it is perfectly acceptable since that's what FDs do on a daily basis when they contact ERs/Dispatch.
What are your views on using personal equipment/cell phones?
I thought I had posed this question before but a quick search turned up nothing so I thought I would post it as a separate thread this time instead of hijacking!
And my soon to be pink cell phone. (Come on black Friday!)
