Dustdevil

Fixed. Hopefully the joke will be on them in the unemployment office. Losers.

What's your hurry? Ain't got time for none of that fancy edumacation?

Anyone who thinks all AEDs are idiot proof, and "no training necessary", obviously have not used all of them. They are very definitely not all idiot proof. What kind is being used at this location? That said, I agree with others that this seems to be a misinterpretation of the warning label. Before you go accusing people of posting idiotic policies, you should simply and innocently ask for clarification of that policy.

If your employer cannot tell you where to obtain the required uniform, then your employer sucks. If you are not employed, then you don't need a uniform.

Hopefully you read the preceding pages and saw that it's not so much a case of people feeling you're a "shitbag", or not a nice guy. Again, it is a case of displaying poor, immature, impulsive judgement. In EMS, you are practising medicine. You're taking human lives into your head and hands. It is natural that people will be uncomfortable if you outwardly show signs of poor judgement when you are coming at them with needles. That doesn't mean they think you're a bad guy. It just means they don't trust your judgement, and since you admit you now regret it, you can't argue that they have a legitimate reason to feel that way. No offence, but if it actually took being rejected by more than one potential employer for you to figure out that it might be a good idea to wear long sleeves, then your judgement indeed still has a ways to go to reach maturity.

Agreed with chbare and paramedicmike. 1. Go to nursing school. 2. If you don't go to nursing school, still take all the same courses you would take for nursing school admission BEFORE you take EMT or paramedic classes. Anything else is back-asswards and counterproductive. Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 (8 hours) Microbiology (4 hours) General Algebra (3 or 4 hours, or take Statistics if you're already in advanced math) English Composition (3 hours) Intro Psychology (3 hours) Developmental Psychology (3 hours) Intro Sociology (3 hours) Weight Training or Intro to Physical Training (2 or 3 hours) Pharmacology and Pathophysiology are generally specific to a particular professional programme, like nursing or respiratory therapy, or paramedic degree programmes in the US. You can't take them unless you are specifically enrolled into that programme. And even if you could take them, you shouldn't until you have all of the above courses completed. Physics is very helpful, however I would agree that it is not essential as a prerequisite. Until you have all of those behind you, you shouldn't even be looking at EMT or paramedic courses. You said it yourself. It's hard to work and go to school at the same time. So the chances that you can go back and do this after becoming an EMT are greatly diminished. That means your progression to Paramedic is seriously delayed, and your ability to be a competent EMT is forever diminished.

I'd like to hear from TxKat too. Her and I had some discussion afterwards, but not through to completion. I learned after this thread, and discussed it somewhere else on the forum, that I was mistaken in my original post. I confused Hill College with Navarro College, which are in the same area. Navarro College is the one that sucked. Hill College -- which runs TrainingDivision -- is from all reports a pretty good programme. My apologies for the mistake. I still maintain that any external programme has a lesser chance of giving you a complete education all around. However, as emphasised earlier, so long as you go in with a mature commitment to excellence, and not just fulfilling the basic requirements for graduation, then you have a decent shot at competency.

I have no problem with that. None at all. So long as those providing the care are competently specialised in emergency care, I believe it is the best possible solution. I just don't think this country would ever pay for that because, unlike Europeans, we like to keep at least half of the wages we make, rather than paying them in taxes.

I've never seen so much misplaced narcissism in a single post. Just how do you figure that someone not wanting you to drive their ambulance translates to envy? You probably don't want me driving your fire truck. Should I assume that means you envy me?

pwnt

So hospitals shouldn't be run like businesses? All medical practitioners should donate their services for free? You don't see too many large fire departments or police departments that are not run like businesses. Those that don't, get a new chief pretty soon.

Speaking of movies, I recommend lifting any "pr0n in the stations" prohibitions. It does wonders for morale.

ROFL! Good luck with that! When you double the charge, you more than half the number of patients who will pay the bill at all. Consequently, they're going to actually lose money with this move. Hey, if you firemonkeys can't handle it, there are plenty of entities that can. Let Monkey County take over!

I dunno. I've actually had a few female partners that were scarier than any [other] dog.

Apparently so. Actually, the plan set forth by the department sounds solid. I have no problem with the concept. But FFS, where does this money pit we call DHS end?

The lack of a budget limits your options, but it doesn't eliminate them all. You can be the best reward your employees receive. You can improve their morale and attitude simply by leading from the front (not from the top). Stay in uniform. Stay in the field. Heap praise both in the field and in the office, but reserve criticism for face-to-face, positive, constructive counselling, not faceless memos or field lashings. More tangible rewards including shift and partner choices, day-off choices, and more praise. Words go a very long way to determine your employees' attitudes and morale. Remember, they knew they were making squat when they took the job. And they know the financial rewards will always be limited. Unless you have the political strength and will to fight for better wages, your options there are limited, and they know it. They're not going to hold it against you that their wages are not what they'd like. But they WILL hold you responsible for poor working conditions and a lack of recognition. Those things you control.

As an aside, one of the funniest things I ever saw was a dipshit cop who decided he was going to pull the keys out of a van left running in front of a store, and take them to the owner to write a ticket. The German Shepherd in the van didn't care for that idea.

I'm no mathmagician, but I'm not seeing how dressing the same as the cops saves any money. I am absolutely positive that there are a lot of cheaper options besides what the cops wear, if money is the primary factor. Hell, just losing the badges and nametags and patches would save nearly $100 bucks per person. And it wouldn't cost a dime to simply change colours, even if you don't change the actual styles of shirt and trousers. What is your board seeing that I am not?

Exactly. However, I would not have EMRs under the same regulatory body as Paramedics. One is a profession, and the other is not. Nurses Aides are not regulated by the Board of Nursing. And essentially, anything less than a Paramedic is simply an aide. Let the Red Cross handle them, or create a national registry of whackers. JP, I agree with you about the pilot analogy in the sense that a Commercial Pilot is a profession, and a Private Pilot is a hobby. That is directly analogous to EMRs/EMTs and Paramedics.

Well yes... posting this thread in the wrong forum was a "bad idea". Already being discussed here: http://www.emtcity.com/index.php/topic/17605-news-feed-montgomery-county-sheriff%25e2%2580%2599s-department-starts-paramedic-unit-jemscom/

FAIL! Door locks FTW. It's not complicated. Fire them! Oh, that's right... you can't fire volunteers. Too bad this wasn't Mt. Horeb's big black monstrosity.

Not relevant. There is only one licence title. The rest are specialisations of the same licence. That is exactly what we should be doing, and quit trying to be "different". Even less relevant is what firemonkeys and pilots do.

Why would we need more than one title?

You cannot possibly really believe that, can you?

LOL! More DHS fail.