What Happened to Durham County EMS (North Carolina)?

While on the topic of Duke EMS, t
DrParasite said:
In NC (more than other places I have seen), all EMS agencies, or agencies that respond to 911 calls within the EMS system, must do so with the blessing of the county medical director. This includes fire departments and anyone else who is acting as a medical provider.

If you don't have this blessing, you can be accused of practicing medicine without a license.

So can Durham County EMS prevent Duke EMS from responding to calls? probably not. Nothing is stopping Duke PD from calling for Duke EMS, and having EMS drive the truck to the scene. Can they prevent them from performing any medical intervention from EMR to paramedic? apparently so.
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So Duke EMS was picked up by Duke Life Flight who has apparently agreed to do their training and support them as an agency! Way to go Life Flight! At least some agency believes "the children are our future" or at least our future medical directors.
 
I also heard from one of the captains that left that there was an EEOC complaint for sexism that was "founded" and now they are in discussion for a settlement. If this is the case I believe or hope that Underhill will be fired for a major policy violation. I have heard from some previous employees who were fired that they "were not allowed to discuss any details concerning their separation from DCEMS" if that doesn't sound like a confidentiality agreement/gag order, I don't know what does.
 
I have been at DCoEMS for over 20 years, and now I am being forced out. I have no recourse.
 
Plenty of other agencies around durham that would love to hire a competent 20 year veteran. And as long as you get hired by a county agency, your pension time, sick and vacation time should all carry over.

So while it might suck now, it's not like you don't have other options.
 
DrParasite said:
Plenty of other agencies around durham that would love to hire a competent 20 year veteran. And as long as you get hired by a county agency, your pension time, sick and vacation time should all carry over.

So while it might suck now, it's not like you don't have other options.
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Thats the problem though. I have been told that all of the administrators talk to each other if you are from a neighboring county.
 
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NCknitting said:
Thats the problem though. I have been told that all of the administrators talk to each other if you are from a neighboring county.
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If you're a competent paramedic and it wasn't anything too egregious I don't see any reason why you couldn't be hired by one of the other counties.
 
NCknitting said:
Thats the problem though. I have been told that all of the administrators talk to each other if you are from a neighboring county.
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I'm sure that's true to a point; EMS is a small world, and everyone knows everyone. But plenty of people have been fired from Durham and ended up at Person, or orange, or franklin, or wake, as well as been fired from Wake and ended up elsewhere.

It also depends on why you were let go. Some reasons are more forgiving that others. To be honest, they would be negligent in their position if they didn't reach out, either by official or unofficial channels, to see what happened. But if you have good references at durham, especially a supervisor who will say, unofficially, that you got a raw deal, and would be an asset to another agency, than often they will have no problems giving you a shot.

But if you don't fill out the application, and jump through the hoops like everyone else has to, your chances of getting hired are exactly 0
 
While its true that i talk to all the agency heads around me, i also know which agencys are well run and which are dumpster fires. If an employee is leaving one of those agencies and coming to mine, im pretty lenient about why they left or under what circumstances. I dont blame anyone for jumping off a sinking ship
 
Sylvestermedic said:
The fall of Durham County EMS started when Skip Kirkwood was hired. He had no idea how Durham worked . He wanted all the old gaurd as he put it out. He took away a work schedule that most of us liked because he did not like it. He bashed the former management in open forums. He belittled the employees. He was arrogant and the service had done nothing right before he came there. Which not true at all DCEMS was a respected agency until his arrival. The call volume jump was his play on the numbers they were cooked. If he is so great why has not stayed anywhere long? A lot of very good paramedics and EMTs were lost while he was there pushed out or terminated under questionable circumstances. Which resulted in payouts I might add after lawyers were involved. So for everyone who thinks Skip Kirkwood is so great the truth is he sucks and is not worth a s..t and was there way to long glad he is gone never to return . I am happy I am out of there
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As a former employee who lied on by a medic that had terrible skills. Even after I expressed intergrity a proved I was wrong and they lied Underhill and Kirkwood who lied openly were aloud to keep there job. I’ve been in this county for years what was built over years took Underhill, Kirkwood months to destroy. So for anyone who thought they were great please wake up. Durham County EMS isn’t respected by anyone there joke of all counties.
 
The truth hurts said:
As a former employee who lied on by a medic that had terrible skills. Even after I expressed intergrity a proved I was wrong and they lied Underhill and Kirkwood who lied openly were aloud to keep there job. I’ve been in this county for years what was built over years took Underhill, Kirkwood months to destroy. So for anyone who thought they were great please wake up. Durham County EMS isn’t respected by anyone there joke of all counties.
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I tried to read this, but there were too many spelling (incorrectly spelled words that were corrected to the wrong word) and grammar issues to make it make sense. But I am going to try to translate.

What I think you are saying is you had a medic who had terrible skills. you expressed integrity and was proven wrong (which makes me think that you weren't as right as you thought you were). Someone lied and they were able to keep their jobs. You had been with the county for years (as an EMT), and were let go.

Durham County EMS is not a great place to work; it's a joke that isn't respected by any of the neighboring counties.

Did I get that right?
 
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