NYC_EMT326

I would like to apologize to everyone for my naive actions. I really thought TransCare really did care about their employees but I found out the real ugly truth. All I have to say for myself is they just lost a very experienced Tech. Oh well, I have some options on the table. Whether its moving to Las Vegas or staying and going to to FDNY. Plus I still have the Firefighter exam to fall back on. Well like I said, I am sorry for what I said I was naive to think different.

To answer your question about the buses now, they are much better because our company doesnt want to lose their contracts. Though I have had problem with FDNY EMT's not knowing where there equipment was on their own bus. We got a job for a peds seizure in the bronx, FDNY gets there has the pt in the back of their rig. Pt stops breathing...so I am looking for a peds BVM, the EMT hands me a f---ing Adult BVM and tells me he doesnt know where his is, so we grab ours out of kit. Pt starts breathing again we are now looking for a peds nrb which we cant find so we had to take one out of the ALS kit. I searched that rig up and down for a mask and bag and couldnt find either one. Thank god conditions wasn't there and no didnt turn him..but made sure that he had a stocked bus and knew where it was. As for my comment about 2nd rate citizens...I didnt mean you guys really were 2nd rate, because I don't believe that. I feel you do get treated like 2nd rate citizens compared to the firefighters. The whole money thing? Is me trying to make a means for living in the city. I believe in universal health care and billing a pt is the last thing on my mind when I am on a job. I have been doing my job since I was 16 as a CFR...when I was 18 I took my EMT course...i am 21 now. This has been my life's work. I understand that my position in Transcare is expendible...but I make sure I do my job so I am not expendible, you guys are lucky enough to have a union to back you up. I wish it was a universal union for anyone that gets into an ambulance and does their job. I know it wont be that way. For the radio shit, thats not me. I understand there are morons both FDNY and Vollies. I make sure I am 89 when i am suppose to. As for conditions, most of them respect me because I give them respect. They can come and put my bus out of service if they something wrong with it such as not being stocked, lightbar not working, ect but I dont have those issues. I make sure my bus is stocked overstocked cleaned and perfect before I go out on the road. I respect you guys for what you do and what you deal with. I have to know my protocols like the back of my hand before I was cleared for 911. My choice in my employer was because of my friends Uncle..who is a A/C in FDNY. My plans arent to say with EMS, I plan on becoming a firefighter in FDNY because thats what I started out as upstate. I just wish there was the same brotherhood there was for EMS in the city like there is with the Firefighters and Cops because we all deal with the same shit and go the same jobs. We back you guys up and you back us up. Thats why when you see somebody with an EMT or medic patch on their uniform dont give us the cold shoulder because we are all brothers in this job. Thats why I brought this up in the first place.

Unfortantly yeah thats true. FDNY EMS is second rate citizens in a first class system with 3rd world pay. Privates will start you off from 25 to 30 depending on your experience. I could have 20 years experience as a medic and go to FDNY and only get 19/hr forget that.

Tskstorm, sorry if I confused you. I didn't mean volunteer at all. Haha

There are voluntary Fire Departments in NYC. They have them in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. What I have noticed is if we werent there...who else would fill buses on the weekends, when FDNY cant fill those spots. We always have buses staffed.

I work for a private company, TransCare/MetroCare who has contracts through a lot of voluntary 911 hospitals such as BI south Mount Sinai North Gen Bronx Leb Monti St Barn and several others. Lets do the math. To answer your question were I got my information is this the pension is half of your pay? So after 5 years they make 39,000 and that would 19,500...okay so was a little off the numbers and didn't figure in overtime thats why i said minium and I know FDNY is trying to raise that but it wont be much because lets face it...Firefighters could care less about EMS and the turnover rate is extremely high. EMTs start out making 27,295 a year so that is what 13.12/hr. Paramedics make around 19.00/hr. I started out making 17.00 an hour because of my Firefighting Experience and EMS experience back home upstate. I do my job the same as the FDNY EMTs I don't care what my uniform is. I am just saying we are all a brotherhood. FDNY firefighters except all firefighters vollie or not as firefighters and apart of the brotherhood but yet there is a diversity through EMS...Privates are looked down apon. How many runs did you do when you were in NYC on a FDNY bus did a private ambulance come and back you up wether it was ALS or BLS?

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying they are terrible people because that's not the case. Most of the FDNY EMTs & Medics I do know are the nicest people around. There a few that have straight up given me the cold shoulder or shit because I am employed by a private company. I am just wondering why the hatred towards us? Personally I don't want to work for FDNY for several reasons, number one reason is the pay and the pension, I just don't see how working for 25 years only to retire with a minimum of 18,000 a year sounds like a great benefit, but thats just me. I am just wondering why any private 911 or voluntary 911 company is looked down on?