Private ems paying fire depts to ride in

[a918emt]

I agree with Dust, unfortunately your management did not have the mentality or gonads to stand up and stop it.

I do wonder if upper city management is aware they are "double dipping" while on duty? It would appear they are getting paid double for their primary job. I am sure the public would not appreciate them receiving double pay. A little anonymous phone call to a city reporter might get the ball rolling..

Good luck..

R/r 911

It is per say public knowledge but the key is the public doesn't know, or care - if that makes sense. One city (not the one I work in) we actually pay to have their FF medics ride in the back with an emt driver from us, we stay in their fire stations, supply them with rescues and then pay them rent. Needless to say when their FF medics started to ride in the ambo with the pts the bs transports are almost nill and they rarely go beyond closest hospital. Yet when we had our medics on the rides the question was never, do you want to go to the hospital - it was what hospital do you want to go to. Which encourages those I threw up twice perfectly healthy 20 something year olds that want the magic make me better pill people to keep tying up emergency vehicles. (standing 24's are common in my area). Which sometimes end up in 40 mile transports. As most of us cringe when they say that - my medic always mumbles "we? you got a mouse in your pocket because I sure in f**k know you aren't going to ride in" ](*,)

I know I need to start looking at a new area/city/state. Right now it's not do-able for me but in the future who knows. My medic has 18 years in the field, has worked in cal, tx, and a few other states and daily goes on a tirade about the way things are run here. He is moving back to texas this fall and states daily how backwards our system is. He still does his job, does it well.

One city did go to city run ambo's but we hear now they are looking to get out of it and go back to the private system. And the ones that want to go to city run ambos are going to find the people they spoiled for years for non emergency transports (I'm just not feeling right so I want you to take me in but my 10 family members standing here with the 8 cars out front that 4 of which will follow you) I ran out of my pain meds, etc are going to run them into the ground.