Mandatory down time

[jwraider]

Anyone work for a private company with a mandatory downtime policy that is not staffed by union employees?

Recently I pulled into a facility to take part in a CCT call and an AMR crew was there getting ready to sleep in their rig. We talked to them and they said they were taking mandatory downtime after having worked the past 16 hours (so the call rolled to us). That's great and all but my crew had been working for 23 of the past 25 hours. We then continued to work about 43 hours of the 48 hour shift. The 5 hours time off was used doing station chores and eating with 2-3 30 min to 45 min naps.

I'm trying to find some examples and resources to approach my company with. I don't want to create a fight so I'm hoping there are some positive examples out there. Our problem is a new 48 hour shift has been created and management is slow to realize it was a bad idea and come up with ways to alleviate the stress placed on the unit. I'm the only paramedic working it and the rest of the time the car is straight BLS with EMT's who don't have much to stand on seeing as the local JC put's out 50 brand new EMT"s every semester.

Thanks for your time!

here are a few articles I found:

EMS responder article on fatigue

Fatigue Management

Patients put at risk due to paramedic fatigue

Long Hours - near bottom

[akroeze]

I don't know what to say other than that is scary! I just got off a 12 hour shift where we were run non-stop and I can't imagine that being considered only 1/4 of the way done.

[WolfmanHarris]

I consider 24's unsafe in all but the slowest areas, 48's I can't even imagine. Actually I don't think that would be legal under the ESA.

Anyways, I'd suggest not trying to fix unfixable shift. 48's are a mistake. Push for 12's or at least 24's first before someone dies falling asleep behind the wheel. Come on, even MD interns are getting away from the 36 hour shifts.

[Christina Bedgood]

When I did work for a private service, the largest in the nation, Acadian Ambulance, the mandatory down time policy was clear. Granted, this was in 1997 and this company is now employee-owned. But, back in the day, on a 24, if you got slammed and requested to dispatch that you needed down time, they had to give you 4 hours of uninterrupted time. The dispatcher could not question you at all. However, the dispatch supervisor would investigate every call you had that shift, your time on a call, your time at the hospital, and the time at the station ( that according to them, you should have been sleeping and not doing chores). If for any reason, that supervisor felt that you you didn't utilize any time that you could have been sleeping, he would then put you on shift report. If it was very obvious that you could have slept and you inconvenienced another or several crews, not to mention the whole delay in the chain of E.M.S., you were suspended for at least a 24. In 5 years, I only called down time twice. I put me and my partner first. We all have to get home in one piece.