chicagoambo

Because we see the dark side pretty often, this job makes you appreciate your family and love ones!Death changes you like it or not!

RN CCRN, CEN, CCEMT/P, NREMT/P CONTENT REMOVED - ADMIN

Sorry but here we are paid alot of $$$$ and nurses make alot less! we are probably paid in the top 3%

Don't ask a question ,if you can't handle an honest answer!You guys must have thin skin,would you feel better if I jump on your band wagon and lie?Over the years i've seen alot of guys burn out and leave EMS because of there own silly thoughts,if you want more education go get it! Its your choice!When I entered EMS (26 yrs ago)there was no PALS,ACLS,PHTLS.I took them on my own, now they are part of paramedic school.Nurses have always been jealous of the $$$ we make and time off,they run the hospitals which mandate con -ed.You guys sure sound like nurses who are frustrated!

Hey you rural guys are right, you got long transports!Why not have nursing part of your system criteria?

How much education is required to be a paramedic?Not a nurse,or doctor.A ambo grunt, i have to laugh at you supermedics who are impressed with your titles! Hey we're talking being a paramedic, next thing i'll here is lets do chest tubes in the field!

Having a title next to your name doesn't mean your a good paramedic,or experience in a low volume system!I see you guys are impressed with your credentials,love to see you perform under stressful situations!I find this new breed of supposedly educated paramedics don't do well when you have large scale triaging or large crowds in the ghetto threatening to kill you.They turn and run or just freeze and can't think straight, i guess you don't learn to read the streets in a book.But when the shit hits the fan, experience wins out!You're right i'm not much educated(associate 2 yr)!I've been in the ghetto foe 25 yrs by choice!

Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way!Yeah the educated medic is great for becoming a supervisor but as a grunt in the ghetto?Give me a blue collar( 9 month) paramedic as a partner any day, keep the know it all,cocky pretty boys for downtown!

My next stop is Texas or Florida,not the cold!

The worse part is i can relate to everyone of them on my ambo calls!

FDNY sounds like what Chicago was like in the 70's,fireman are threatened by EMS.They worry that they can't compete on tests against us andbelieve EMS is ruining there job! I hear it all the time , i know its BS but thats what the dinosaurs believe.Fireman don't understand, because most are block heads,that you need to justify your high salaries and benefits.Ems and hazmat are the two growth areas of the fire service,ems never has a problem proving to the public why we are necessary!

12 BLS rigs are manned by fireman only!We have 59 ALS ambo's with 2 paramedicsand ,24 Als egines with 1 emt 1 paramedic and 3 fireman.Ever since they started on the ambo's, life became better for medics because before this happened the fireman never ran 24 straight hours!

We are in the same union and pension,we get along ok.It has been getting better since new fire candidates ride the bls ambo's!When the city or union makes decisions our perspective is left out,if we fight and argue we are considered whiners!

Change in the fire service is only for one reason,to justify fire jobs!Ems will always be a step child and under the control of fire.They are always threatened of ems,they hate to compete on tests with ems and rather ems to work out the hospitals.But now we are in the fire houses and they have to have us or close fire houses!

Its crazy you guys allow this,in 2006?Time to get the media to support your dept.,no one should have to be at work without compensation!