Let me start off by giving some history. I ran a training program for a private ambulance company for two years before going into Fire. During this time the training program grew and flourished with addition of PALS, ACLS, and monthly CEU classes for the company and community FR's. I had to perform the duties of the training coordinator while on duty and had days that I worked a back-up rig that I could teach classes. After I left full time employment with this private co. the program was taken over by a close friend who continued the growth. He left within a year and the program fell apart with no one at the helm and CEU's have not been provided for two years now.
While I was still employed full time the State EMSA gave us notice that CEU providers needed to have a Course Director who had formal training in education. I approached the Operations Manager and let him know of the new requirements. I asked to be sent to an upcoming class that the local EMS Region was putting on. He told me that it was not necessary and the company was not going to worry about it. I left full time employment and started my Fire Career about 6 months later.
Well a year went by and sure enough the State imposed the new rule. Since I still live in the small community that this private company serves, and my friend was running the training program I stepped up and completed the new application. I had completed the required adult education training (on my own time and at my own expense) for my new job as a Firefighter.
After my friend left I saw the program falling apart and was getting regular phone calls asking for CEU's. I approached the Ops Manager asking if I could resurrect the program on a part time basis. He wanted me to check with the other full time employees and if there was no interest write a proposal to be the Training Coordinator again. I did this and emailed the proposal to him with a follow up phone message that was never returned. The proposal was for a flat rate of $500/month for a job that takes 40-50 hours a month to pull off. Yes that's right $10/hour. I didn't hear from him for 3 months and was getting more and more phone calls so I emailed him again. Still no reply, I gave up and started telling people they would have to go elsewhere for their training as I wasn't going to take the responsibility on for free.
Two weeks ago this all came to a head when I was asked by 4 of the employees to put on a PALS and ACLS class as they were expiring soon. I told them I could do it for $130/person for both classes. The Operations Manager said that he wanted to pay me my part time rate of $13/hr to teach the class and I then told him I could not teach the class. He became upset staying that they had paid for me to become an ACLS and PALS instructor (5 years ago) and that I had to teach the classes. I saw the opportunity to finally get an answer about my proposal so I asked about it. The Manager then told me that he felt that I was asking too much money to run the training program. I replied that if it was too much money then why not at least let me know and we could have talked. He felt that I didn't really want to do it and if I was going to do it then the company was going to have to pay big. I tried to explain to him that I had still been maintaining the CEU provider # by going out and getting the education and dealing with the Region. He then had enough nerve to tell me this was the first time he had ever heard of the education requirement and that I had been maintaining the program even though I have all the emails from him telling me not to worry about it and also the emails about keeping the CEU provider # up to date. AMAZING...I pointed this out to him and the discussion ended with him telling me he was going to have someone else go to the classes and take over the CEU provider program, but wanted me to maintain the provider # until then. I told him I would think about it and the call ended on that note.
So after all that what do you guys think...I am ready to just call the region and pull my name off of the CEU provider application and let this Ops Manager deal with it. I also feel like I should just give him the $100 he spent on my ACLS and PALS instructor class and wash my hands of the company. God knows that I am not going to be scheduled for any shifts now. Because this place doesn't fire you when you make them mad they just don't schedule you any more.
Let me here it, if you think I am off base tell me, perhaps I am over reacting to the whole issue.
Thanks for reading my rant....
While I was still employed full time the State EMSA gave us notice that CEU providers needed to have a Course Director who had formal training in education. I approached the Operations Manager and let him know of the new requirements. I asked to be sent to an upcoming class that the local EMS Region was putting on. He told me that it was not necessary and the company was not going to worry about it. I left full time employment and started my Fire Career about 6 months later.
Well a year went by and sure enough the State imposed the new rule. Since I still live in the small community that this private company serves, and my friend was running the training program I stepped up and completed the new application. I had completed the required adult education training (on my own time and at my own expense) for my new job as a Firefighter.
After my friend left I saw the program falling apart and was getting regular phone calls asking for CEU's. I approached the Ops Manager asking if I could resurrect the program on a part time basis. He wanted me to check with the other full time employees and if there was no interest write a proposal to be the Training Coordinator again. I did this and emailed the proposal to him with a follow up phone message that was never returned. The proposal was for a flat rate of $500/month for a job that takes 40-50 hours a month to pull off. Yes that's right $10/hour. I didn't hear from him for 3 months and was getting more and more phone calls so I emailed him again. Still no reply, I gave up and started telling people they would have to go elsewhere for their training as I wasn't going to take the responsibility on for free.
Two weeks ago this all came to a head when I was asked by 4 of the employees to put on a PALS and ACLS class as they were expiring soon. I told them I could do it for $130/person for both classes. The Operations Manager said that he wanted to pay me my part time rate of $13/hr to teach the class and I then told him I could not teach the class. He became upset staying that they had paid for me to become an ACLS and PALS instructor (5 years ago) and that I had to teach the classes. I saw the opportunity to finally get an answer about my proposal so I asked about it. The Manager then told me that he felt that I was asking too much money to run the training program. I replied that if it was too much money then why not at least let me know and we could have talked. He felt that I didn't really want to do it and if I was going to do it then the company was going to have to pay big. I tried to explain to him that I had still been maintaining the CEU provider # by going out and getting the education and dealing with the Region. He then had enough nerve to tell me this was the first time he had ever heard of the education requirement and that I had been maintaining the program even though I have all the emails from him telling me not to worry about it and also the emails about keeping the CEU provider # up to date. AMAZING...I pointed this out to him and the discussion ended with him telling me he was going to have someone else go to the classes and take over the CEU provider program, but wanted me to maintain the provider # until then. I told him I would think about it and the call ended on that note.
So after all that what do you guys think...I am ready to just call the region and pull my name off of the CEU provider application and let this Ops Manager deal with it. I also feel like I should just give him the $100 he spent on my ACLS and PALS instructor class and wash my hands of the company. God knows that I am not going to be scheduled for any shifts now. Because this place doesn't fire you when you make them mad they just don't schedule you any more.
Let me here it, if you think I am off base tell me, perhaps I am over reacting to the whole issue.
Thanks for reading my rant....
