Ambulance service STARTS medics at $54k/year !!!!!

[WolfmanHarris]

For the sake of comparison here's a link to a spreadsheet with the hourly wages for PCP's (BLS) and ACP's (ALS) in Ontario. Afraid I don't have a link to the files directly but if you scroll down on the Professional Paramedics Association of Ottawa site to "Union and Benefits" you'll find spreadsheets.

And for a comparison on schedules here's the 2009 Toronto EMS shift rotations. Most of the services I know of in Ontario follow a similar schedule of 12 hour shifts except the more remote LOW volume areas.

[spenac]

what is free standby ??????????

Several types are employed by small 911 services and even many private transfer services. It is a way of skirting labor laws to have more ambulances available w/o overhead of labor unless they roll. The services claim you are free to do what you want till called, but require usually 5 minute response time so really you have no freedom during your "free" time.

Here are 2 examples:

Scheduled 24 hours. Only paid first 16 hours. Then the final 8 hours you are only paid for actual time on the ambulance. So if no runs no pay for the final 8.

Scheduled 48 hours. First 24 hours paid. Second 24 hours only paid actual time on the ambulance. No runs no pay so your hourly wage was cut in half.

[Arctickat]

Then there is mine, paid $21.61/hr for 8 hour days $2.19/hr for 16 hours standby, any calls taking place in that 16 hours is paid at $32.46/hr

[spenac]

Then there is mine, paid $21.61/hr for 8 hour days $2.19/hr for 16 hours standby, any calls taking place in that 16 hours is paid at $32.46/hr

So on a a slow day pay sucks. If you ran the whole 24 your rich. But if they have that style they probably realize you will not run much.

[crotchitymedic1986]

wow, why would you guys agree to that --- if i am at work, i am at work and expect to be paid. Now if I can sit at my house at watch tv, i would have no problem with on-call pay. What you need is for someone to slip and fall at work, while on standby, and then file a worker's comp suit. I imagine a court would rule that you were on-duty, thus ending that BS. I have always said, if you could get every EMT/Medic to stop working overtime or a second job for just one month (of course it would need to be during the same month -- say July 2009), pay and benefits would be much better ---- but as long as we say "thank you sir, may I have another", they will keep screwing us.

[Arctickat]

Actually, we are only required to report for duty at 0930 every morning to ensure the ambulances are properly equipped and cleaned. Typically, we sit around and drink coffee for a couple of hours, maybe do some con-ed. By noon we are all at home waiting for a call to come in until 0930 the next morning. Do you get paid full time hours to go home and sit around? Maybe even work a second part-time job that permits you to leave for a call? We're still required to be on air within 7 minutes of being dispatched, but in a town of 1000 people, it's a short drive back to the office.

To be able to have a unit staffed with people at the base 24 hours a day would cost about triple the current gross annual income of the company and be a waste of money. As things stand now, I make about $85,000 per year, the basics are making over $62,000.

[crotchitymedic1986]

If they can afford to pay you and all of your cohorts about 125-150% of normal pay, why cant they afford to pay just a handful 100% of usual pay ? But I do understand that situation, i worked a parttime job in a county like that, where a busy day was 3 calls. As long as you are happy with it, I guess its cool.

[Arctickat]

If they can afford to pay you and all of your cohorts about 125-150% of normal pay, why cant they afford to pay just a handful 100% of usual pay ? But I do understand that situation, i worked a parttime job in a county like that, where a busy day was 3 calls. As long as you are happy with it, I guess its cool.

Because to properly staff the ambulances they would need to pay 300% and that kind of money just isn't realistic unless user fees are also tripled. then no one would call the ambulance, call volume would drop off, and the service would be shut down because of a lack of calls. Your part time job sounds pretty much exactly what we deal with. 350 - 400 calls a year. Roughly half of which are transfers to a tertiary centre lasting anywhere from 7 - 10 hours on average depending which centre we go to.

[spenac]

wow, why would you guys agree to that --- if i am at work, i am at work and expect to be paid. Now if I can sit at my house at watch tv, i would have no problem with on-call pay. What you need is for someone to slip and fall at work, while on standby, and then file a worker's comp suit. I imagine a court would rule that you were on-duty, thus ending that BS. I have always said, if you could get every EMT/Medic to stop working overtime or a second job for just one month (of course it would need to be during the same month -- say July 2009), pay and benefits would be much better ---- but as long as we say "thank you sir, may I have another", they will keep screwing us.

Workers comp does pay when your on call and get hurt at your home. Happened here at my part time to one of our medics, broke his ankle at home, was paid all medical and 70% of his average pay per week. We stay the whole 24 at our own houses then drive to the station if 911 comes in.

[Arizonaffcep]

Because to properly staff the ambulances they would need to pay 300% and that kind of money just isn't realistic unless user fees are also tripled. then no one would call the ambulance, call volume would drop off, and the service would be shut down because of a lack of calls. Your part time job sounds pretty much exactly what we deal with. 350 - 400 calls a year. Roughly half of which are transfers to a tertiary centre lasting anywhere from 7 - 10 hours on average depending which centre we go to.

I don't buy that for a second. I have been through SEVERAL departments that have had to increase the base rate plus milage rate that is charged to a patient, with the first one actually being an almost 300% increase! No dip in calls...in fact, because the area was growing, the calls have done nothing but increase in frequency.