Dustdevil

I don't understand your point. It seems as if you are saying that, if they had gone to a 6 month school instead of a 2 year school, they would have common sense. That's sort of a non-sequitor. You can't teach common sense. Not in 6 months. Not in 2 years. Not in 4 years. Losers are losers, regardless of their sheepskin.

Doesn't always work that way. I have had serious extravasational complications from D50 without the vein every "blowing" in grand fashion. In fact, the IV remained patent the whole time. I have heard of the aspiration technique somewhere along the line before. Probably in nursing clinicals. But I admit to not utilising it regularly. It is certainly a good idea though. Just one more check in the process to potentially save you from harming your patient. Used in conjunction with slow administration (too many excited medics try to slam D50) and frequent flushing, I think it can go a long way towards lessening the side effects of D50 administration.

Well, we use needle injection ports. But most of our pre-fill meds come in needle-less syringes, so we have to put needles on them to give the drug. I prefer needle injection ports, but I'm old skool like that.

I am definitely not an employer. I'm just a guy who has been fighting this fight for thirty years, and have heard all the arguments and all the excuses. I wish you success, and that is why I am just making sure you realise that you're not going to be able to just lob up a few statistics and impress them. They too have been fighting this fight for a long time, and they already know every argument you are going to present. It's not enough to plan the presentation. You must plan the response to their counter-presentation. You've done well here, my friend. You are indeed thinking ahead. Good luck!

I have to say that certain classes of people should have the Taser used on them daily, just for good measure.

Hehehehehe.... She said "sperm."

I'm afraid you are wrong. They are two different jobs. The fact that they both have an associates degree is irrelevant. That is no more valid than comparing what a paramedic makes to the average person with an Associates in Art History. The businessmen you will be negotiating with will know the answer to this question from day 1 of business school. Supply and demand. If you don't fully understand the concept of supply and demand, you will be on uneven footing in your negotiations, because that, my friend, is the very foundation of their business. Just remember that these businessmen also understand that there are three types of lies. There are lies. There are damned lies. And there are statistics.

If you're going to compare apples to oranges, you had best be prepared for the employer to utilise the same dishonest tactic. Consequently, you need to arm yourself with not only EMS wage stats, but cost of living stats for the areas you are comparing to. You can bet they will. And you'll look stupid if you aren't prepared to counter that. You might also explore other statistics, like the difference in educational standards between your area and others. As well, you should break down those wages by type of service. In other words, just know that they are going to call you a fraud if you try and sell them municipal firefighter-paramedic wages for a straight EMS, private service EMT. Credibility is a terrible thing to waste. Especially on your first trip to the table. Have all your ducks in a row. Don't go off half cocked. And all other applicable metaphors. Good luck!

Rent it? I made it! :twisted:

Exactly! Very same concept. An outside agency with a stake in quality control sets up voluntary standards and those who meet those standards are rewarded. Nobody is forced to comply. But those who do not comply suffer greviously, and their reputation is crap to the general public and the industry as a whole. No longer would it be acceptable to simply have ambulances or paramedics. Quantification gives way to qualification, and the profession and industry grows.

LOL! I heard a news story a few weeks ago about some mom who rented a Disney movie, put it in the player for her three young daughters (between like 2 and 6), then left the room. She returned about fifteen minutes later to find all three girls totally engrossed in watching hardcore lesbian porn, lmao! You only THINK they closed down the porno shoppes! [Ten points to anybody who can find a link to that story online. I struck out on Google]

Get the insurance industry involved. You know why fire protection standards are so high? The insurance companies. You know why insurance rates are astronomical in towns with crap/volunteer fire departments? The insurance companies. If you're a firemonkey, you know what the "Key Rate" is. If we could create such a concept in EMS, it would go a long ways towards upping the educational ante. Right now, a city like Dallas can boast about its all-ALS, all-paramedic EMS system and it sounds great to the average person, no matter that their medics are, for the most part, horrible products of a 90-day wonder school. If an organisation like the insurance industry set up nationwide levels of standards to be met, suddenly Dallas doesn't look so good anymore when their homeowner, auto, and health insurance rates go up (not that Dallas auto insurance rates could go much higher!). Anyhow, simple concept. Communities that step up and provide 21st century level, professional EMS are rewarded. Communities that think that parks and libraries are more important than health and safety bite the big one. Thus, the bar is raised and communities voluntarily rise to meet it without federal mandate.

If by chance you got a misdemeanour record out of your escapades, you might still have a chance. Hell, I've seen more than a few cops get hired with drug and DWI records. Depends on the department and how much you bring to the table aside from your record. If your record is clean, but you partied hard, be honest about it on the polygraph because you aren't going to beat it. And honesty is what they are looking for. You may have a tougher road that others, but you're still in the game. Although, I have to say that you should probably make a choice right now whether you really want to be a firemonk..., I mean firefighter, or if you're doing that just to be a medic. If you want to be a medic, put ALL of your attention into doing that and cross the fire bridge if and when you have to.

Boy, am I glad my Great Grandparents immigrated! :shock:

No shirt = discount No pants = free

Minus five for posting in the wrong forum. Minus 20 if you did it intentionally.

Of course it does! Kansas is obviously serious enough about solving their shortage that they decided to address the problem with a long-term solution instead of a short-term Band-Aid on the proverbial neck bleed. Can you honestly not see how turning a job into a profession, with professional status and professional money, helps to both attract more people to the field, and to keep them there? And can you not see how that helps solve the shortage? There are two problems; first, not enough people want to do this crap job for crap wages. Second, not enough people who choose to do it are stupid enough to stay with it for a career. The result is a shortage. Kansas just solved their problem. It will take years for it to come to full fruition, but when it does, it will be one of the only states who have solved it.

Sweet. I've encountered more politics in county and hospital based services than in any other types of services. It seems that County Commissioners and Hospital Administrators are cut from the same bureaucratic cloth. Bastards. But both of those types of services typically seem to offer a better service than other types too. I think it will be great experience for you. Keep us posted! :thumbright:

Well, you're not winning any friends in EMS with that attitude. Except for guys. :laughing6: Next I suppose you'll want us to quit smoking and driving drunk too?

That happens because the EMT in supply doesn't know the difference between a nasal cannula and oxygen tubing, so everytime you order oxygen tubing, they send you more nasal cannulas.

Wait... the governor can close private hospitals with the stroke of a pen, yet they can't even close down porn shops in Times Square? What a farked up state. :roll:

Good point. Can't argue with that.

The funny thing is, when a firefighter collapses or gets run over less than five miles from a trauma centre, you can't get a word in on the radio because all the other monkeys are screaming for a helicopter for him. And do you think any of those firefighters in the story would have cancelled a helicopter and put THEIR kid in a Rural-Metro ambulance for an hour? Ha!

Ooooh! Great topic idea! :thumbright: If you don't get your mind out of the gutter, we may have to make you an honorary Canadian.

Again, an invalid analogy. The bottom line is, I don't continue to sit in front of the arcade game for half an hour after the screen flashes "Game Over." You mean you disagree, because I said there was no difference. Given a valid analogy, and all things being equal, I wouldn't transport either of them. Here's a valid analogy for ya: If I don't transport SIDS (which I usually don't), why would I transport the 80 year old?