toysoldier

We have them in about a third of our trucks. They really help on the back, but the battery doesn't last long. Usually have to change battery once or twice during a 12 hr shift. They're also much heavier to lift manually when you have no power.

On the subject of uniforms, do EMS providers really need badges? I'd like to see a uniform scheme that doesn't use a badge since I can't really think of any good purpose for it. We wear them as part of our uniforms, and often times get mistaken as cops. Any thoughts on this?

Windsong... You are right that an EMS unit cannot always be on scene in 3 to 4 minutes. What I really mean to say is that more often than not, there is either a fire rescue squad or an ALS ambulance on scene in that amount of time. (The goal they strive for here in Vegas is to have a unit on scene in under 7:59). Because they always dispatch both fire and ambulance to all calls, one or the other usually arrive quick enough that they don't particularly want or need an off-duty EMT with a scanner radio trying to 'beat' the ambulance to the scene. This guy I mentioned actually kind of got his butt in a sling with the police the other day for speeding to an amergency in his POV.

Oh, no need to worry about that. I have better things to do with my time than to run around trying to beat ambulances to emergencies. Besides...the on-duty EMS units can get to any call in a matter of 3 or 4 minutes anyway. They dispatch a fire rescue squad and an ALS ambulance to every medical call. Sometimes even an engine too. That means there'll be a minimum of 4 paramedics responding, so what help would they possibly need or want from an off-duty basic??? Have a nice Labor Day weekend everyone

Thanks for all the great replies. It looks like the trick is going to be to avoid (as much as possible) the bitter, burnt out types and cling to the ones that haven't let the profession get the better of them. I'd also like to throw this out for discussion. It seems like maybe people who come into EMS really gung-ho are more likely to burnout in a hurry, as opposed to the ones that come in and realize this is something they're going to do for the rest of their lives and sort of conserve their energy. :?: Right now, there's this new guy at the station that's really gung-ho and they're saying he won't last long. This guy can't get enough. Works 7 days a week...takes any extra shift he can get (if he cannot get extra shifts, he'll ride 3rd on his days off). Has a bunch of radios and equipment in his POV so 'if he's in the area' he can try to beat the ambulance to a call when he's off duty. If red lights and siren were legal for POV's in Nevada, he'd probably have those too. Literally eats, drinks and sleeps EMS (and about 100 energy drinks a day). Kind of scares me a little. :shock: Oddly enough, the company thinks this guy's the best thing to come along since the defibrillator. But I have to wonder how long someone can last without proper balance in life? I would think the person who makes time for family, friends, hobbies, sports, etc. would do much better in the business than someone who's racing like a meteor to earth. I guess I ought to fit in just fine

Would anyone say there's a difference between working on a fire department rescue squad and working on an ambulance (aside from the pay issue)? I'd have to say I haven't run across too many unhappy fire medics, but it seems like so many ambulance medics I've talked to just want to get off the road and instruct or find another line of work altogether. Is the burnout rate higher in the ambulance business? BTW...does this discussion need to be moved off this meet and greet thread? I know this section is probably not for continuing discussions like this. Where could it be moved to? Thank you all

Hi flight... Nothing whatsoever wrong wth aviation. Infact, I love it. I fly either a helicopter or a Cessna airplane for radio news/traffic reporting. I initially enrolled in the EMT basic course just because it's something I've always wanted to do. I wanted to be able to do something more than stand there with my thumb up my rear when someone's having a heart attack, not breathing or bleeding badly (and believe it or not I seem to come across this kind of stuff all the time). Now, I'm considering if EMS is something I might want to do as a career. I'll never stop being a pilot, but lately there's just something nagging inside of me to do this. I've always been in awe of EMS to begin with, and now that I've had a little taste of it...well you get the idea. Who knows, maybe I end up working Mercy Air someday. Love to hear more about your plans

Thanks guys for all the advice and words of encouragement. It's nice to know there are people who do love the work and that it's not all as bad as what I hear around the ambulance station. Guess I'll just have to find a way to tune a lot of this negativity out and stay focussed on learning as much as I can. And Resq... thanks for the advice on working BLS for a while. It makes perfect sense. I'll have to look around to see what opportunities there are since they don't really use BLS in the Las Vegas system. Maybe hospital-to-hospital transport or something like that??? What do you guys think about the intermediate EMT level? Is it worth going after, or is it better to go from basic to paramedic after some experience working as a basic? Thanks [/font:ccde92392c]

Hi Everyone, Sorry my first post here at EMT City is a question, but I'm really troubled about a couple of things and would like to know the group's thoughts. I'm currently about halfway through my basic course, which I'm taking at a local ambulance company. When I enrolled, I only intended to get the basic and use it to help injured people I run across often in my job. Then as I got further into the course, I began to consider training to the Paramedic level and maybe changing careers. Here's where it starts to get a little odd. It seems like most people I've ran across at this ambulance company are unhappy for one reason or another. Many I've talked to want to get out the profession altogether. I hear stuff like, "this is all BS"....etc. Needless to say, I'm not too sure I want to jump on the happy boat with this bunch! In all seriousness, these are not bad folks, they just seem to be miserable and unhappy much of the time. My question here is...well, is this kind of how it is everywhere? Is morale in the EMS community generally this low? If so, why? I do understand the stress and all, but it just seems like there's more to it than that. My other concern is that once I finish the basic, I'm told I'd have to wait 3 to 5 years to get into a Paramedic program. Is this par for the course, or are there places where it's possible to get into EMT-P faster? I can't see sitting idle for that long. If I'm going to change careers, then I need to do it sooner rather than later. Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you! Toy [/font:c1708098fa]