What good are VFD's

[Chief1C]

EMS is not typically their passion

Speaking as having served in both career, in the beginning, and then mostly voluntary, I've never met anyone either working in or volunteering in EMS, that didn't have a passion for it. Sure, some are a little more into doing their personal best, but they all had a strong passion for it. As far as education, EMT's and First Responders. The highest being EMT, even when I was paid, the training is the same. Either way, you're the taking the same class, the same Con-Ed. However, I had more time with the patient, as a volunteer, because my primary function as a career EMT, was to drive.

As far as who to thank for EMS as we know it. It could be a lot worse. Funeral Directors and Private Services, Fire Departments, Resuscitator Squads, Volunteers, Corpsmen and Combat Medics, Military Doctors and Nurses on battlefields all around the world, Rotary, Lions, KoC, Boy Scouts, all sorts of tiny organizations and big clubs in small towns and the suburbs of America; General Store owners at cross roads in the Canadian Wilderness and the American West alike... all could be thanked for EMS Developing to what we now know.

Yeah, it's all behind. I've been so frustrated with it sometimes. I wish every officer in charge of an EMS organization, had an education is management of a business.

Wow.. I had more to say, but my allergy pills have me feeling like I'm hanging upside down... So... anyhoo.

[Asclepius]

Speaking as having served in both career, in the beginning, and then mostly voluntary, I've never met anyone either working in or volunteering in EMS, that didn't have a passion for it. Sure, some are a little more into doing their personal best, but they all had a strong passion for it. As far as education, EMT's and First Responders. The highest being EMT, even when I was paid, the training is the same. Either way, you're the taking the same class, the same Con-Ed. However, I had more time with the patient, as a volunteer, because my primary function as a career EMT, was to drive.

I know many people who volunteer mostly because there is a need in their community. And while you're correct, the initial training is the same, many volunteer's do not do as frequent as training or get some of the additional certifications that working for a paid service would provide. I think that if you were to do a comparative study on the certifications paid staff have compared to the certifications volunteers have, you'd see the point I'm trying to make. I'm not saying anything to disparage the volunteers, I just think paid services tend to invest more into the education of their staff than volunteer services can afford to.

Wow.. I had more to say, but my allergy pills have me feeling like I'm hanging upside down... So... anyhoo.

I hope you feel better soon.

[Richard B the EMT]

There was a time some decades ago, juvenile delinquents were offered a choice by the courts: Jail Time, or forced enlistment into the US Army. From what I have read, those who went into the army got some discipline they otherwise never would have gotten, and indeed did turn their lives around.

Then, there was boxer Rocky Gratziano (spelling?), who joined the army that way, deserted after assaulting a commissioned officer, and while on the run, became a champion boxer. He didn't get away with running away, ironically, he was caught when he was booked into a match with an Army Golden Gloves contender, and found himself fighting in front of a bunch of members of his unit (as depicted in the bio-pic "Somebody Up There Likes Me").

[ambodriver]

Never understood volunteers, or why a community would not shell out cash to pay for medical professionals. It's quite sad really. I don't hear much about volunteer RNs and MD's...or volunteer hospitals for that matter.

In my city volunteer fire/ems is unheard of.....This is a pro career, and we earn the money to prove it.

[Chief1C]

Shelling out cash, esp in rural areas, means taxing us all to death. It all depends on the population, the local economy, etc.. Then again, not every town needs an ambulance. I feel that every little dot on a map having one, is over kill. The answer isn't always consolidation, there is no answer in my opinion. There is always room for failure, whether because of a lack of planning, or running out of plans. If it were up to the municipality, there would be an ambulance somewhere, but they wouldn't be paying for it. In most US states, a municipal governing body is responsible to make sure every citizen has access to two things. Fire and Police. A contract for fire and police, they don't have to have a fire truck and a cop, they just need to have one on hand, somewhere. Ambulances, are not considered essential services. That may be one of the reasons, you don't see more paid services, in rural areas.

[Happiness]

Well I guess the whole idea of a good story really got lost yet again. Please dont post crap about volly or paid that isnt what this was suppose to be about.

[emtannie]

Well I guess the whole idea of a good story really got lost yet again. Please dont post crap about volly or paid that isnt what this was suppose to be about.

Happi, your first post was excellent, and proves that there are good volly services out there. Your community is blessed to have a group of people so willing to take on both the challenge of being there for the community as an emergency service, but also taking on the challenge of working with some teens that need extra help and direction to get their lives on track. Kudos to them!

I hope, that someday, those teens that were positively affected by their experience, give something back to their community as well.

A medic who I work with once said to me "When I decided to become a medic, 4 people had to take me on as a student (here, you have 4 practicums in your journey from EMR (EMT-B for those in the US) to EMT to medic) so I feel it is my responsibilty to take on at least 4 students to give back to my profession."

Your volunteer fire department is going above and beyond to give to the community and to the fire service, and by their actions, they show that they are indeed people who are good examples to youth. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Kiwiology]

What a nice story

Mm lookey here, the minimum age to join the Canadian Forces is 17 ....