this comes from the news section on the page

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ok, I got this from the news section on the front page of the forum.

I'm really perplexed at the statement about 100K salaries. If this is true, I'm gonna drop my medic cert and go all out to get a job in this jurisdiction. Is the author an idiot or just uninformed?

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jul/28/let...head-injury-vi/

Here's the story.

Assembling some of the information from the News leads me to the opinion that EMT service in our county can be provided at significantly lower cost.

Example: On July 3, a woman goes down in the Jensen Beach Winn Dixie. EMT responds (the rapidity and quality of response is beyond question). The response includes one fire truck and two firefighters/EMTs; one rescue EMT truck and two firefighter/EMTs; and one 4-wheel SUV with a firefighter/EMT supervisor. Three vehicles and five EMTs.

The patient was a diminutive woman — a senior citizen — who sustained a head injury. I learned later that she was treated at the hospital and released. She certainly needed EMT rapid response. But five men and three trucks? This level of response might be needed for a 350-pound casualty, but for a 120-pound woman at the initial call? Too much!

I connect (in my mind) this response pattern with the reported number of $100,000-plus EMT salaries in the county. Too much.

Reviewing and revising the response patterns — and, therefore, the needed staff patterns — can be an area for productive change.

Donald Johnson

Jensen Beach

[akflightmedic]

Jensen Beach is in Martin County on the east coast of FL. Three counties, Martin, Palm Beach and Broward are very active counties with a lot of growth and a lot of money. They also pay well. They tend to set their wages high which forces smaller, adjoining counties to raise their wages to be competetive. The IAFF has this tactic locked down and are superior players in the game at contract time.

Here is the current wage setup for their openings in effect now.

Job Title Department Hiring Range Max Posted Close

FIRE RESCUE CHIEF EMERGENCY SERVICES $68,351 $102,550 $136,749 07/28/08 08/07/08

FIREFIGHTER EMT EMERGENCY SERVICES $41,065 $55,650 $70,234 07/09/08 08/04/08

If you notice, EMT/FFs start around 41K a year. Fire medics can typically add 6K on to that figure and that is their starting wage.

Considering the cost of living in these counties, these wages are no different than someone making 26K a year in rural Alabama. Most medics still work second jobs and/or massive overtime.

With a department as large as this one, OT is always available.

The 100K figure which the letter writer tossed out is a figure he came up with based on stories he has heard in regards to overtime OR he is adding the total cost of the employee.

A lot of people do that during contract time and a lot of people forget the total cost of their actual position. When you factor in insurance, disability, workmans comp, taxes, etc...the total salary of any one employee is typically 20-40K more on paper than what the employee actually signs up to earn.

I also know this letter writer likes to stir the pot and has done so many times over the years past.

Also, he kept sayng EMTs, when almost every apparatus within these counties has at least one MEDIC on board.

Sorry Ruff, I do not think being a FireMedic in this system is in your future...

[Just Plain Ruff]

oh darn, I guess I'll keep my day job as a consultant. I make more than they do anyway, and I'll bet my next paycheck that I make more than mr. Stir the pot writer too.

[Canadian Caesar]

and I'll bet my next paycheck that I make more than mr. Stir the pot writer too.

And if you were one of those 100k a year EMT's , that bet would be much, much more exciting... :wink:

[Just Plain Ruff]

i can assure you my paycheck is more than what those 100K emt's bring home and I work less hours.

[Richard B the EMT]

Mr. Johnson doesn't quite understand that some agencies "roll the world", with the first arriving unit giving a report to the others, and canceling them if possible. They operate on a popular theory that, it is always easier to stop a response than to start them out in the first place.