The problem with Rural EMS

[Arctickat]

SirDuke, here is the vast difference between our services. You did 4100 calls last year with two ambulances. My company did 330 in 2008 116 were 911 responses, also, with two ambulances. In your case, I can understand the requirement to be staying at the base during your duty shift, but in my case, we did 6 calls in October of 2007, 11 calls in January of 2008. Can that really be economically feasible to have someone posted at the base 24/7 when there is a great likelihood they will not get a call for days? Honestly, you do over 12 times the number of calls we do, I couldn't fathom that in my area.

JakeEMTP, apologies if I misunderstood. Although your comments may have been directed toward the volunteer, the criteria you put forth also described my situation to a "T". I am a career paramedic, this is all I do, but as with the volunteer, I don't have to stay at the base while on call. Your comments led me to believe you feel that anyone who does not stay at the ambulance base while on shift is a substandard paramedic and not professional.

[CTXMEDIC]

our agency did around 112,000 calls in fiscal '08. we work a 12, 12, 24 then 3 off.

[BushyFromOz]

our agency did around 112,000 calls in fiscal '08. we work a 12, 12, 24 then 3 off.

Damn...... by "agency" you mean more than one station though??

[CTXMEDIC]

Damn...... by "agency" you mean more than one station though??

Oh yeah, system wide.

[EMTChris]

I would like to thank a few of you for proving my point on being condescending. I don't need any more evidence of "professional" EMTs or medics puffing their chests out. It's exactly the reason why you aren't welcome in our communities, and I field several complaints about you when you do need to come to our district for mutual aid.

I had a "professional paramedic" come out of nowhere, and pull a victim of an MVA out of an overturned vechile by her ankles while we were attempting to backboard. No imminent danger, no orders by anyone on scene to do so...she just assumed she was in charge because she gets paid. I'll link the article to the local paper when she loses her ass in court.

For the poster that provided the "youtube" vid, should I scour the internet for the countless number of videos and newspaper articles of "professional" members of EMS who do the same exact thing? Like the "professional" Medic who shocked his fellow crew member.....ultimately killing her?

"Professional" only means that you get paid to do it...not that you're any better (like one poster pointed out). I have, and will continue to stack our volunteer personnel against the paid....and we will continue to do a better job.

Maybe your friends are impressed by your stories of "having slept on the couch all night at the station". I'm not. I bust my ass day in and day out to be damn certain our members are current and up to date. The only reason why we lag behind is because our smaller communities do not have the budget to equip us with all the new toys. We need to PROVE it for a few years.

I'll stack our squad against any in the country. Paid or not.

[sirduke]

I for one never said a damn thing about volunteers being unprofessional, so I refuse to take offense at your diatribe. But Jesus man, must be hard to work with that big ass CHIP on your shoulder.

Are you angry for a reason, or are you defensive because you feel inferior? WTF?

I work for a small service, we get sniped at and crapped on by the local trauma center and the "big" city EMS where it is all the time, but you know what? We keep on doing our job day in and day out and let our record stand for itself. They got really pissy when we won Service of the Year for our region, but who gives a rats ass.

If you are doing your job, if you are providing quality patient care, then hold your head up, and walk proud.

But seriously, coming in here and ranting and raving like a 13 year old girl ain't the way to prove you are professional.

I know for a fact that there are paid EMS personnel that are as sorry as hell, same goes I'm sure for some volunteers, but the opposite is true as well.

Ease up dude, we aren't the enemy. And by the way, if you could be paid, would you be interested? Just asking, no real reason.

[Mateo_1387]

SirDuke, here is the vast difference between our services. You did 4100 calls last year with two ambulances. My company did 330 in 2008 116 were 911 responses, also, with two ambulances.

My current station is located in a very small town, maybe a total of 15 roads. We ran a total of approx 375 calls. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there is a crew on duty, always consisting of one paramedic. I sit at the station for a 24 hour shift. It is not that bad. In fact, we have only had 2 calls within 5 workdays. The last call ran by this station was about 4 days ago. We have three shifts, so a total of six persons to "sit" at the station.

Can that really be economically feasible to have someone posted at the base 24/7 when there is a great likelihood they will not get a call for days?

I always thought EMS' goal was to be prepared to answer calls, not plan to do nothing. To me, that means having a full time crew ready to respond to time sensitive emergencies.

[Arctickat]

Indeed, Chris, it is not the fact that you're a volunteer that is troubling. It is your attitude. Your immature rants do nothing but justify the feelings that most people have regarding "vollies". You are helping no one with your diatribes and are only hurting your reputation in the end.

Mateo, thanks for your input. It is very interesting information. Out here there are 113 ambulance services, only 11 of them have staff at the base 24/7. The smallest of these does 1200 calls a month. Any organisation must balance economic viability with efficiency. If we had a budget triple what we currently function at, we might be able to have staff at the base 24/7. Besides, I have yet to see a medical emergency in which the extra few minutes required for us to acquire the ambulance and respond would have made the difference between life and death or morbidity.

I am curious though...One person works 24/72 another 24/48. I am assuming that you are paid full time hours for this. If I were to work these shifts I would make an annual salary of $54,750 and $73,200 respectively. Is this in the ball park of where you are at?

[sirduke]

Don't I wish, we get paid full time pay for all hours there, and we get time and half for everything over 80 hrs in the pay period, however, in south Georgia, the pay scale is much lower. The cost of living is lower as well, but you won't get rich here.

By the way, I am assuming you are in Alaska or somewhere else north, cold and remote?

Need any help there??? Or does the cost of living offset the money you make. I could be persuaded to leave this misquito infested, high humidity, backassward paradise and relocate.

[Arctickat]

Cost of living here isn't too bad, gas prices are higher...about 4 bucks a gallon. Housing prices are okay, a decent place for about $200,000. All I can say is that I'm doing okay with what I make. BTW, I'm n Saskatchewan, Canada. Easy to draw, hard to spell, and there is a shortage of ALS providers here.