Worried? Will Your City, County, Private, EMS Job Survive?

[spenac]

Not sure where you get your information from. I am the Deputy Director of a five county EMS Region that has 9 ambulance service providers, only one of which is fire service based. By my rather small sample population, only about 10 percent are fire service based.

Another factor to consider is state funding for augmentation of EMS services. In this state, our augmentation has been cut 10% this year with a potential for more cuts in the near future. Add to this, the current augmentation has not been increased for over 10 years, and EMS Regions in this state (and by extension services provided to manage EMS Systems) is working on about 21 cents to the dollar.

That brings another question how many states actually fund EMS at all. In Texas there are grants but no actual here let us chip in money to help EMS. Thinking about it EMS needs to demand state and federal money since so many accidents occur on state or federal highways.

[p3medic]

Considering that I say it so often, I must have forgotten to mention that EMS in NYC is not a "Third Service", and never was, even before we were forced into the merger with the FDNY.

You didn't consider the old NYC*EMS a "third service"?

[Richard B the EMT]

We wanted to be. We still are not.

We didn't answer to a commissioner, who answered to the mayor. Our top chief answered to a mid level vice president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, hence, we were not "Third Service"

Now, following the March 17, 1996 merger, we are FDNY EMS Command, and our top chief answers to the FDNY top chiefs, who answer to the commissioner, who answers to the mayor. While not cross trained as Fire Fighters, we are a part of the FDNY.

[JaxSage]

If a city or a state could go broke, I think it should show that no one's job is immune from cuts, no matter how essential it is to the citizens.

So avoid the trouble: start your own business and make your own dang money and grow your own food

[spenac]

If a city or a state could go broke, I think it should show that no one's job is immune from cuts, no matter how essential it is to the citizens.

So how many would keep working if the state/county/city said there is no money to pay you but we will reimburse as soon as we correct the problem in hopefully a month? Would you take the chance and keep showing up? Would you be able to survive or would you have to jump ship and find another job?

[JakeEMTP]

So how many would keep working if the state/county/city said there is no money to pay you but we will reimburse as soon as we correct the problem in hopefully a month? Would you take the chance and keep showing up? Would you be able to survive or would you have to jump ship and find another job?

Personally, I could, probably would, hang in there for a month. I have something I enjoy here and they have been only honest and upfront with me from the beginning. If they inform me this is temporary setback, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I feel some loyalty to my employer since they worked around my classes with regards to scheduling. They allowed me to do my clinical time here and offered me full-time employment prior to me completing my degree. Due to show previous investments and business ventures, I could hang for a month and be OK.

[Christopher.Collins]

Im ganna play devils advocate for a moment. Would it be bad thing to say that I hope the state of the economy greatly effects EMS in a negative way?

Ok before you all start jumping me... I mean that with the fullest respect to us. Of course I would never actually want any of you to lose your jobs, thus hurting yourselves and personal/family lives. And of course I would never want to see an increase in death tolls and serious irreversable effects on patients due to lack of manpower and such. I love my peers and I love my patients.

But long run I could only see posative things come from such a tradgety. Think of all thoes people who curse and spit at us untill we are needed then they praise us untill they die. If the economy essentially shuts down EMS then the world will see how much they need us.

~~~~

I recall a couple years in my hometown where the refferendums wouldnt pass. It once took an entire fiscal year to pass a refferendum... of course by the time it was agreed on it was time to vote for the next fiscal year. There were significant cuts in emergency services... to the point where there would at times be only one police officer on duty for the whole (BIG) town, including a stretch of I-95 and Route 1. For thoes of you not on the east coast... I-95 and Route 1 are major arteries here.

There was semi-serious but mostly joking talk amongst us in the volunteer fire station of shutting it down. Most of our equipment was old and not suck it up and deal with what you have old, but dangerous and insufficient old. Our light rescue had holes rotting through the floor boards, our boat had electrical problems up the wazoo, the boom on our ladder truck didnt function properly if at all and its hydraulics leaked. We needed new equipment and it was to the point that it could put us at more danger than do good. Our ambulances were non-profit therefore town budget problems didnt effect us in that aspect. Anyways we never did shut down. It would have been easy being all volunteer, and we know it would have made a point, but ethically we could never do it as it would have caused bigger problems.

~~~~

But theres a difference in just walking away and being part of the problem versus being shut down because of finances. Yes many of us would be hurt emotionally and possibly physically. I dont see it as a worthy sacrafice but regardless of what some plotical official thinks in saying we are non-essential... I garuntee they will whistle a different tune when they have to drive their dying a$$ to the hospital themself.

[Christopher.Collins]

So how many would keep working if the state/county/city said there is no money to pay you but we will reimburse as soon as we correct the problem in hopefully a month? Would you take the chance and keep showing up? Would you be able to survive or would you have to jump ship and find another job?

Paid wise if I were given the option to cut my losses and find something better or keep my job... Id probably try to request to stay part time. I love what I do, through the good and the bad its not about the money to me.

Volunteer wise... I would stick to it. Untill equipment starts to put us in danger and/or people start getting hurt because of funding, Id keep going. Even if it got to a dangerous point Id like to think Id stick around. Someone will have to be there to bail things out, and best to be someone who knows whats going on rather than some newbie who knows nothing of the department.

[crazyemt5150]

I really don't think that our lovely ems system will suffer from whats going on its a thing called MEDICAL and MEDICARE

[Christopher.Collins]

I really don't think that our lovely ems system will suffer from whats going on its a thing called MEDICAL and MEDICARE

Well... sure maybe. But I see more and more people saying they dont want to go to the hospital because they cant afford it. Or drive themselves to at least avoid one bill. Hell, just yesterday I picked up an elderly man with abdominal pain. We were in the midst of a snow storm that made driving an act of insanity... and they still tried to drive themselves. Finally his wife pulled over and called 9-1-1. Bear in mind also that not everyone has insurance... and not all insurance is accepted. Dont forget to sign off on your paperwork why the patient NEEDED an ambulance. Medicare often wont pay up if your patient walked to the stretcher... but also, if you didnt document that your patient walked to the stretcher then it didnt happen, so howd they get there?

Not all our money comes from one place. Funds from transports may in some companies go back into medical supplies and pay roll... where as funds for new equipment and vehicles may come from fund raisers, taxes... etc.

Sure... I dont think that the EMS system as a whole will suffer from the decline in the economy but surley alot of companies will.