Tired of crappy EMT-B EMSA wages

[Breck]

I am going to start PMED school in January. Its hard to make it as an emt-b. Getting a fire job is harder than I thought just being a basic.

[p3medic]

:roll: That sucks, you shouldn't have to be a medic to get a job as a firefighter. They will probably make you ride the box for a couple of years too.....Kind of like pergatory.

[Ridryder 911]

Two of our guys got on with the OKC FD recruitment round and took a major cut in pay. It will be nearly five years before they make up the difference in Paramedic pay. Yes, rice benefits and longevity pan but other than that don' t see the benefits. I guess if you want to be public servant.

R/r911

[firedoc5]

Over worked and underpaid seems to be the norm. Just stick with it. Your pay scale will eventually improve.

[akroeze]

Two of our guys got on with the OKC FD recruitment round and took a major cut in pay. It will be nearly five years before they make up the difference in Paramedic pay. Yes, rice benefits and longevity pan but other than that don' t see the benefits. I guess if you want to be public servant.

R/r911

Hi there,

Is it safe to assume from your location that you work for EMSA?

I'm looking at going to the states to work for a while to get some varied experiences and was wondering if I could get an inside person's perspective. I would be working at the Paramedic level and honestly at this point EMSA is pretty much at the top of my list.

I hear that it is busy, but do you feel over worked at the same time? Are you basically in the truck your entire shift non-stop? What is the pay like (starting wage and how does it scale up)? Is there a copy of your protocols somewhere that I could look at? Is management responsive to employees and their needs/problems/issues?

Anything you can say would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex

[Ridryder 911]

No, I don't work at EMSA but I have trained and worked with many of their medics and serve with many on board positions. I have yet not seen anyone they would not initially hire. Yes, it is a large service as they have a EMSA East (Tulsa) and Central or West (OKC). As far as large services go, I would say they are in the middle. They do have some very good outstanding Paramedics that work there and alike every EMS have some that are not very sharp too.

They have a new Medical Director, so we will see how the protocols develop but I can say they did perform several new procedures and toys. Unfortunately, they are strictly protocol driven service with a protocol book that could be used as weight training device. As well as plan on going through a formal academy for a few weeks before hitting an orientation round.

In regards to the pay, it is not bad nor good for the area. One has to remember, the costs of living in this area is much lower so the pay equals out to that. The normal salary ranges between $35,000 to 38,000 for Paramedics. It may vary with overtime and etc time. As well, they are operated as a Public Trust as one of Jack Stouts brain image. Most do post and sit in a truck for the 12 hours. The employees themselves however; are not employees of EMSA rather a fim in Texas. They do have e-PCR (Medusa), Vents, CPAP, LP 12 , moderate protocols (NO RSI, NO critical care transports on normal trucks) and and over all work well with the medical community.

I foresee major problems with EMSA in the future. There always have been rumors of the Fire Department take over, and I usually dismissed them. As in the past the talk had always been there as well as prohibiting costs to prevent it. Now, I have witnessed that the majority of the new recruits were Paramedics (as they were given priority) and EMSA as well as many other services lost experienced and seasoned Paramedics to them this fall. I have insight with some of the administration of both and realize it is a very good possibility of it occurring within the next 2-5 years. I heard that this was the goal of the FD as they gear up and prepare for it. Most Engine and Squads, now have a Paramedic(s) on it and the protocols and even the Medical Director are the same. So switching would not be that difficult, as I see the FD being the emergency responding and EMSA as the transporting unit and routine calls (nursing homes, etc).

Something to investigate and think of...

R/r 911

[akroeze]

That is definitely a concern.... from what I have read would Tulsa be an option for avoiding the whole FD thing?

[akroeze]

Also, their website states The average EMSA Paramedic makes $43,000 per year.... sounds like they are maybe referring to with OT

[towheadedmule]

/Rant on

We have 16 hours of overtime every pay period.

We work on a truck for 12 hours, not all of it is sitting on post. I have run as many as 21 calls in a 13 hour period.

No we do not have RSI. With a average 12 minute scene to ED time it is not really needed. Would I like to have it. Sometimes. But it is not needed.

We have a complicated system, it takes time to learn. When we placed medics out on the streets without training we had a higher turnover. The academy helps our retention. It also gives us time to bring new paramedics up to speed educationally. It gives us time to get the basic to understand their role in the team. We often end up retraining some the paramedics. Everyone on leaving the academy is set on their refresher at their lever, BLS, ACLS, PEPP, PHTLS, AMLS, EVOC, NIMS 700, Hazmat awareness, and have received classes on Acute reperfusion therapy, capnography and learned that "weighty protocol book''. They are then tested on all of those.

The new Medical Director is actually shortening the verbiage in the protocol book. Some have not been updated in quite a while. That is not the fault of EMSA. That is more on the OMD, Office of the Medical Director. It is a busy post. With over 800 EMT-P, EMT-I and EMT-B's working under his license spread out over the 2 largest cities in the state that are 100 miles apart, consists of EMSA east and west, OFD, TFD and numerous other fire departments, writing new protocols has been a challenge. Part of why the Old Medical Director is still on the job.

As for the FD's taking over. Who knows. I think both cities would be worse off with uncaring hosemonkeys, looking for a fire fix, whose chiefs want to have a legacy, by getting rid of EMSA. IF the 522 districts are approved, it will be a moot point.

Rant off/

[Dustdevil]

No we do not have RSI. With a average 12 minute scene to ED time it is not really needed. Would I like to have it. Sometimes. But it is not needed.

So a lot of your patients are able to hold their breath for twelve minutes without dying?

Sounds like a really healthy population. They probably don't need EMS at all.