Well it's official

[island emt]

and much better benefits for the family

[Just Plain Ruff]

and much better benefits for the family

You know, the Health insurance benefits alone outweigh the benefits of working in EMS alone.

Along with only having to be at work from 8 to 5 and having every single weekend off (with rare exceptions) and every holiday, I would say that I'm happier than I was working EMS.

[island emt]

the older we get the smarter we get !!!

Well most of the time.

What is a lot of fun & excitement when young becomes old and boring by the time you get to your 30's.

By the time you get to your 40's and have a family::: it's time to think about home nights and weekends, benefits and a slightly slower pace.

By the time you get into your 50's and are still doing EMS you look at the offspring of your peers that are now the young bucks in the industry and shake your head at all that energy being wasted running in circles.'

as you get towards your 60's , you start thinking that these kids are going to be the ones taking care of me soon

[Just Plain Ruff]

as you get towards your 60's , you start thinking that these kids are going to be the ones taking care of me soon

And that should scare the HELL and bejeebers out of you in all honesty.( on some of them at least)

[History Nut]

Congratulations on your retirement! When I retired in 2003, I didn't look back. I am proud of my years of service but am glad I don't do it anymore. On one of my last shifts, someone asked me if I would miss "IT". I told them that I wouldn't miss anything about the job except for the people I worked with and around. I had the honor to be associated with some of the finest people in the world and am humbled to have been afforded the privilage to do what I did for around 28 years. Let the bad times go if you can(it's hard) and remember the good times.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Actually, my wife is very very uneasy about my license lapsing, so I have decided to go ahead and get the required number of CEU's completed (150 hours in missouri), ACLS, PALS, ITLS, and CPR and turn those in.

The state of missouri has a grace period of 2 years before I have to go ahead and retake multiple courses.

She wants me to have a fall back in case something were to happen and I were to need to get back into EMS. Not sure what that "something is" but I'm going to appease her and get those hours over the next couple of months. My employer (University of Maryland - Medical system) will pay for my ACLS, PALS, ITLS and CPR classes

I'm still retired from EMS but my spousal unit wants me to get the license back.

Until I move back to missouri from Maryland, I'm not planning on working in EMS.

[medic366]

Congrats Ruff,

Have a fun time at your "card burning party".

I think that I will probably be doing the same in another year or two. Building a woodshop as a past time.

Will probably sit back and watch a few prime time shows from my early years in EMS staring Jim Davis and Lang Jeffries.

[Just Plain Ruff]

yeah, I'm in the process of getting this stupid card back but I am pretty darned sure that I'm not going to practice anymore unless something drastic happens, like my losing my current high paying, low hour, medium prestige job.

[scubanurse]

I know a few decent volunteer departments around you... easy commitment usually with some of the fun still mixed in.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I know a few decent volunteer departments around you... easy commitment usually with some of the fun still mixed in.

That's a great idea, but and this is a huge but, I have to get nationally registered to play medic in maryland and I'm not nationally registered and do not plan on it.