Should EMS get hazard pay?

[emt2359]

I have seen this idea being brought up on social media.   What are your thoughts?

[yakc130]

If you get into this line of work without understanding what you can get exposed to, you should get another line of work. 

I've probably been exposed to so much sh*t that my pts never told me about over the last 30+ years that it would make me have nightmares. 

[emt2359]

Hi @yakc130,

Interesting point.   I am not sure if new EMTs really understand what they are getting into.   With most courses under 200 hours only a small fraction is spend on infectious diseases  with emphasis on washing your hands.  Could this be another reason why EMS should have a degree requirement so there is a greater understanding of what can happen?

[jwiley40]

It would be nice to get hazard pay, but many services, especially those that are tax based, would lose money and have to cut services. Corporate services could afford it, but would prefer not to pay it and would cut hours first. But, in answer to your question, it truly depends on where the heck you're working. NYC EMS, Chicago, LA, St Louis and other hard hit cities deserve it. Pay them!! 

Washing your hands would help curb the spread but so does the social distancing and the stay at home orders (which many in my town seem to think does not apply to them!). 

When I started EMS in 2003, I understood what I was getting myself into. I was raised in a medical family. Mom and Grandma washed their hands incessantly and so did I until I joined the Army. Hard to wash your hands all the time. And hand sanitizer does not travel well in a rucksack. Just saying. As I progressed in this profession, I understood how much could be spread by your hands and that keeping them clean was important. It's a point I stressed to my students when I was precepting them. I made sure they all understood that an epidemic (or pandemic) could easily start. Wash your hands after every patient.