Volunteer Agency Recruitment

[BossyCow]

I really think you need to go look deeply into the city/county financial records and you will find there is plenty of money to fund a properly staffed professional department. Do whats right for the patients that we are here to help.

I have researched this in my area.. we not only cannot afford it in our rural community, but due to tax law reform in our state our current levy amount is down from .56 per $1000 of evaluation to .37 and drops every year. We attempted to correct this with a levy in the last election and it failed.

We run under 200 calls a year. Trying to keep skills up and justify paid staff at that volume is next to impossible. There are economic realities that cannot be addressed with uneducated assumptions based on urban experience. So, we do what we can, the best we can within the limitations of our community.

 

[medic417]

Plenty of money, Yes. But we are not in charge of that money. We do what's right for the patients, convincing the town council that we don't need to spend thousands of dollars to cut down trees, but instead need to invest more money into the ems is another story.
So in a perfect world that would work.
Slightly offended that you may find our dept any less professional because we are not properly staffed.

News is your friend. Get the news from even surrounding areas involved and mention that well if the city/county dropped the christmas lights and parade this year we could fund a full time paramedic. Then mention a few other luxurys and real quick the citizens will demand that the politicians put lives ahead of other items. Emphasize that the delays in getting volunteers etc are putting the community at risk. Tell them we the volunteers are trying but there is just so much that we can do we are at a critical stage and it is time now that we must beg for help moving forward for the good of all of our familys.

 

[EMTWintz]

The short story is there is a lack of compassion. Humanity sucks anymore. You get the people that complain about the response time but at the same time don't want to vol. because they don't want someone elses life in their hands. Since our chief has been down (he shattered his ankle) there have been at least 15 calls unanswered in the last 2 months. Do people :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:? Most definately, do they offer to vol? Heck no. We do what we can. After all we aren't superhero's

 

[BossyCow]

News is your friend. Get the news from even surrounding areas involved and mention that well if the city/county dropped the christmas lights and parade this year we could fund a full time paramedic. Then mention a few other luxurys and real quick the citizens will demand that the politicians put lives ahead of other items. Emphasize that the delays in getting volunteers etc are putting the community at risk. Tell them we the volunteers are trying but there is just so much that we can do we are at a critical stage and it is time now that we must beg for help moving forward for the good of all of our familys.

I understand you are new here, but spouting pat answers to complex problems isn't going to serve any of us well. What makes you think that there is a news media available? There isn't one in my area.. the closest newspaper is not interested in what happens in our community

 

[medic417]

I have researched this in my area.. we not only cannot afford it in our rural community, but due to tax law reform in our state our current levy amount is down from .56 per $1000 of evaluation to .37 and drops every year. We attempted to correct this with a levy in the last election and it failed.

We run under 200 calls a year. Trying to keep skills up and justify paid staff at that volume is next to impossible. There are economic realities that cannot be addressed with uneducated assumptions based on urban experience. So, we do what we can, the best we can within the limitations of our community.

I am in an extremely remote area with some of the highest poverty levels in the nation. We are paid. Yes some things had to change. Skills can be maintained by requiring occasional hospital and surgical rotations. Look at even adding a voluntary monthly fee of $5 to water or trash or other. It adds up.

I also work at other small communitys and they have all found ways to do whats right for their people.

The service I am at today has less than 100 calls a year and pays extremely well. The leaders and the community found ways to fund EMS. There are volunteers that are available to staff a second ambulance for wrecks or if its just one of those days.

It can be done. It is not easy. It is becoming necessary. Sorry but the days of the volunteer are going away. We must advance for the good of our communitys.

 

[csly27]

ok I may be wrong, but I thought that volunteer meant just that volunteer, if you are getting paid for it then it is not really volunteer work is it? granted with the economy there is not alot of people that can volunteer and the one that can do not have the skills in witch to do it effectivlly.

Someone had mentioned a open house w/ bbq. I think that would be a great way to get people from the community to come and see what it is all about. I am still a student final next week. I have 4 kids 3 are in school one still at home but I still find the time to volunteer with my local cert team, Granted it is not ems per se, but it is still time that is givin because it is wanted to be givin.

I just think that if you pay voluenteers it takes the meaning away from what it really means. And if you cant afford to be a volli then dont do it. I think incentives are ok like get togethers and things like that to show that they are appreciated. someone else had mentioned stay at home moms with school aged kids, I think that is great as long as they are trained properly.

People would say that they cant afford to pay instructors well, then mabey they could volunteer their time, That way they can get the training they need. and mabey they would actually get people that actually do it because they want to not because they have to.

 

[medic417]

I understand you are new here, but spouting pat answers to complex problems isn't going to serve any of us well. What makes you think that there is a news media available? There isn't one in my area.. the closest newspaper is not interested in what happens in our community

You would be surprised. We had TV travel 4 hours to our community. It scared the leaders into rethinking pet projects. The news loves those types of storys. They can really dramatize the situation.

Umm I'm not new here.

 

[BossyCow]

t can be done. It is not easy. It is becoming necessary. Sorry but the days of the volunteer are going away. We must advance for the good of our communitys.

Why don't you research some of the threads on this topic.. then we can talk. I'm not about to repost information that's already here.

Its very nice for you that your community was able to do this.. mine has not.. I have watched two different neighboring districts lose their ALS and have to lower their services. We have tried levies, news releases, visited grange meetings, Lions Clubs, Kiwanis etc.. we did door to door and are still in danger of losing the little financial support we have.. so Please.. put your arrogance aside and do not assume that this is due to a lack of effort or a lack of professionalism.

 

[EMTWintz]

there is that fine line, what is considered true volly. I am not going to get into which is better cuz it has been fought over to such an extreme extent. But is my squad considered volly? Yes. We are not paid per hour nor is it written anywhere that states we get paid X amount for the runs we go on. Do we get compensation, yes. In the form of a xmas thank you. this money is given to us as a thank you at the end of the year out of what is left in the towns bank account.

 

[EMTWintz]

It is a sad fact that there ARE places that are financially unable to fund a fully staffed squad. Its not fair but its life. Adapt and overcome. Do what you can when you can. At least its something more than nothing

 

[Veneficus]

I am not very fond of the idea of volunteer EMS services. But in the US today it is a reality. I can't think of one politician who isn't more interested in getting (re)elected than doing what is right.

EMS is also not looked upon as a public issue, but a private one. If the local community does not value EMS enough to fund it, then me complaining how it should not be volly doesn't mean anything.

The post asked for help in recruiting members.

 

[medic417]

Congrats on the attempts to move EMS forward. Yes we always start out asking big. Then maybe settle for first some funds for each call shift. Maybe a full time paid paramedic that is director. Then next year get a small raise. Do not give up. It can work I am not saying anything happens overnight, well actually sometimes it basically does, but most times it will require asking for a bunch knowing you will only get a little, hopefully the little is more than expected. Then after a few years you have a paid department and the leaders did not even catch it. All the while your community is getting proper coverage because people can afford to at least cover expenses.

 

[EMTWintz]

I am not very fond of the idea of volunteer EMS services. But in the US today it is a reality. I can't think of one politician who isn't more interested in getting (re)elected than doing what is right.

EMS is also not looked upon as a public issue, but a private one. If the local community does not value EMS enough to fund it, then me complaining how it should not be volly doesn't mean anything.

The post asked for help in recruiting members.

got a little off the topic didn't we?

 

[Hal9000]

I work both

On a paid and a "volunteer service." The paid is a large service with many thousands of calls, whereas the volunteer service gets around 27-31 calls per month, sometimes more and sometimes less.

The volunteer service was running in to problems with volunteers, especially when some transfers were taking 8+ hours where members were missing job time and not getting paid. Our service now offers paid training, $500+ to go to any training you want per year, provided that it is approved by the BOD. We also now do a set pay/call of $25 local and $75 LDT, as calls were beginning to take up a long time, as noted above.

However, we also have higher standards for training and such than in the past, and we're much, much tougher on whackers. Of the last class of 14, we only have two currently accepted for membership and on call. We had a concurrent class of 15, and one got membership from that class, netting us +3.

To be on the service, you have to sign up for a certain amount of shifts per month and attend trainings, which tend to be 6-7 hours minimum per month.

From what I have seen, our BLS stuff is better than my larger services similar items, but, as we have no ALS, we're still completely outclassed.

If there was no pay, I would not be volunteering much, if at all. I imagine that the hospital would then have to start a service.

 

[Hal9000]

Oh, and...

The service will of course pay for your training to become an EMT-B, take all the tests, etc, and buy your books as long as you sign up for a certain amount of time volunteering...and if you don't pass, you don't have to pay or anything. Thankfully, the classes have a very high pass rate and the instructors are very demanding for a -B course. :blush:

 

[rchristi]

One group to look at is people who work schedules other than 9-5. For instance shift workers and those who work 12 hr shifts. These people sometimes are looking for ways to connect with the community since their schedules put them out of sync with so much of the community.

 

[EMTWintz]

This is one of the things that our squad has started doing. If a person is interested in joining we offer them a pager. They show up help pack-mule equiptment, or just stand back and observe. After a few calls if it is something that they are really wanting to do, Great. We will pay for your B class, if not then NBD. I currently have 2 people who roll with me when I go. One is very interested. I am looking forward to her starting class next go around. By doing this we are able to show those people what we really do, that way its not a big secret or shock. They will know what they are getting into.