Tolerance

[tniuqs]

The funny thing about my hometown fire and EMS departments is that they are 100% volunteer and in my town you cannot be a part of one and a member of the other you have to choose.

And this is for all of you:

Since you all have given me the idea that fire based EMS is the worse thing that anyone could have ever come up with for the profession I have a discussion topic myself.

If fire based EMS services' leadership and management really stepped up and started encouraging more and more education, patient care, respect, and straight-forward professionalism from their employees do you think that it would change ya'lls opinion of fire/EMS systems? Or is that train too far gone to be be boarded again?

FireEMT2009

(This is only as a firefighter/EMT trying to understand from more experienced providers)

[BushyFromOz]

If fire based EMS services' leadership and management really stepped up and started encouraging more and more education, patient care, respect, and straight-forward professionalism from their employees do you think that it would change ya'lls opinion of fire/EMS systems? Or is that train too far gone to be be boarded again?

No it wouldn't change my opinion of fire based EMS.

If they truly want EMS to suceed they need to understand that it is a stand alone health discipline, one of many in the allied health services, it needs it own budget, education system, peak professional body with supporting legislation giving it authority over its constituents and it needs to have mandatory registration and minimum and recognised and enforced standards of those constituents

What other parts of the health discipline do you smokeys think you can takeover as well? the answer is none, because even naturopaths have all that "nonsense" i listed above.

the only way you can make it grow is leave it alone, it might not be pretty at the moment, but its got no hope with the fire services

[Richard B the EMT]

There will always be differences of opinions regarding Fire-based EMS. Using the FDNY as one example, EMS, against the wishes of both EMSers and Fire Fighters, were made by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani, into "one big happy" family, as EMS was removed from NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation management, and placed under FDNY's management. FDNY's own literature calls becoming a Fire Fighter, from being a department EMT or Paramedic, a "promotion". On some FDNY "rant boards", they objected to FDNY Paramedics Carlos Lillo and (Phostumously promoted to Lieutenant)Ricardo Quinn being included in the "343" from the World Trade Center disaster.

It is also my understanding that in other jurisdictions where EMS is run by the FD, a Fire Fighter going to EMT or Paramedic is considered the promotion, with higher pay and more benefits. I kind of wish FDNY had done this.

There are also some FDs that routinely rotate personnel, as in one week, a crewman or crewwoman is on the Truck, the next week on an Engine, and the next week on the Ambulance. All are trained to at least EMT, with a few trained to Paramedic.

Sadly, there are still "combined" departments, where EMS is used as the disciplinning area. "You messed up, Joe, so you're going to the EMS for the next week". I view these departments as being the knuckledraggers of the "combined" departments.

Whichever of these combined FDs, I can only hope that in whatever capacity the personnel are used, they perform to the best of their training and abilities in all areas the departmet is responsible for.