MA mall asked to help pay for ambulance service...

[Dustdevil]

^ Longest. Sentence. Ever.

I'm sure glad I don't have to review your charts.

[Just Plain Ruff]

see the plot thickens. maybe the news media over exaggerated the request from the county.

One question I have from those who know the area, were the calls generated from the mall on the very same day that that standby was done. Get someone with ultra high blood pressure and offer to transport the patient to the hospital for evaluation. Or what about a high blood sugar - transport the pt to the hospital for eval.

Once you check the sugar and it's high aren't you obligated to get a transport or a refusal since you had patient contact?

And for the two who worked at AMR before they pulled out, I feel for you and I too was at AMR and I look back on it as one of the best time for getting experience and also as the worst of times in terms of treatment of me as an employee. I give AMR 1 star out of 9 to work for.

[medicstudent1256]

Yes ask Doug I can be very long winded..lol and to answer the question all of these things are still in the works i don't believe the "stand-bys" have started yet all of this is just talk. And as far as AMR goes they did me a favor.....I worked for them for 6 yrs absolutely dedicated employee they forced me to leave and I couldn't be happier...County Ambulance is a wonderful place to work and I am very happy and lucky to be there(I think Doug agrees with me).

[tinman694]

But Dust wants all EMS to be full time paid....so why call them idiots? They are only looking out for the 'BEST' interest of the citizens of the town---I mean really---TWO EMT Basics?

[spenac]

60 calls a year more than equals a paid 24 hours/365 days paramedic ambulance. I work stations that have less calls per year. Any community can afford anything they want. There is no excuse that is valid to say no to paid EMS.

[Doug]

60 calls a year for FT 24/7 365? ok, minimum staffing would be 5 (crew of 2 day and night, plus one to cover sick time, PTO, and rotateing shifts) at 30,000/year salery you'd have to charge all 60 calls $2500 AND get 100% billage paid. Now that doesn't include SS contribution, workmans comp insurance, any health benefit plan etc. So you're really talking closer to $300,000 (average costs to employ someone usually runs double the "seen" pay.) So each run needs to go about $5000. Unless you have some sort of subcontract or sub-station deal with a larger service that provides coverage in addition to it's regular service area, which would also aleviate the worry of low call volume leading to lower skill usage.

[spenac]

60 calls a year for FT 24/7 365? ok, minimum staffing would be 5 (crew of 2 day and night, plus one to cover sick time, PTO, and rotateing shifts) at 30,000/year salery you'd have to charge all 60 calls $2500 AND get 100% billage paid. Now that doesn't include SS contribution, workmans comp insurance, any health benefit plan etc. So you're really talking closer to $300,000 (average costs to employ someone usually runs double the "seen" pay.) So each run needs to go about $5000. Unless you have some sort of subcontract or sub-station deal with a larger service that provides coverage in addition to it's regular service area, which would also aleviate the worry of low call volume leading to lower skill usage.

911 EMS is not a money maker, never has been, never will be. Only money in EMS is for transfer taxis. Citys and countys must fund it from other sources. If it is a priority they can find the means. Perhaps let the mayor and county officials do w/o new trucks every year. Perhaps do away with funding town celebrations for every holiday. I could go on and on about government waste of money. Again I say there is no excuse not to have paid EMS. We have one station only gets 17 calls a year yet has a paramedic every shift. The way things were changed was combining forces with all the small towns and the county. Now we are highest paid service in the area. What is funny is this county used to only have 4 ambulances 3 staffed by volunteers. Now we have 5 always staffed, 4 with a paramedic, 5th with at least an EMT-I but often with a paramedic, and all paid. It can be done, just have to force the issue.

[Dustdevil]

With just the money the government spends on printing documents in Spanish every year, they could fund state-of-the-art, dual medic EMS in every community, plus some. The "no money" argument is shyte.

[mrmeaner]

^ Longest. Sentence. Ever.

I'm sure glad I don't have to review your charts.

Sorry, Dust. "I do." is the longest sentence. Ever.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Mr. Meaner "Marriage is a fine institution, depending on what kind of institution you are willing to live in"