Should Volunteer Squads Be Eliminated ?

[VFD*EMT-B*]

wow...reading back in the pages this thread has gone absolutely no where lol

[Dustdevil]

wow...reading back in the pages this thread has gone absolutely no where lol

And that is the result of people coming along and jumping into conversations that they weren't interested enough in to read first.

Read the entire topic before you reply. Chances are, somebody has already said the same thing you are about to say. If so, your input is probably no longer needed.

[cdemt5710]

Dust......I commend you for choosing a community which meets your EMS standards. That's plain smart and I hope you don't travel much..... not in the rural U Sof A anyway.... (or some remote parts of Canada.... like that would be anywhere off the Trans Canada Highway....) hmmm..... reminds of this one time I was in an MVA in BC (my youngest daughter suffered life threatening injuries).... 45 min. response time by both paid amb. services responding, we just happened to be mid way between the two cities..... another 45 min before we got to the ER..... etc. etc. etc. I thought the passerby with the cell phone was a GOD..... I was that grateful for ANY help at 11:30 at night on a relatively deserted highway. S... happens and it often doesn't happen where and when we want it to... (its habitually unpredictable)...... it is not a perfect world... EMS or otherwise.

A lone volunteer firefighter showed up and provided scene lighting, radio contact with the ambulances... etc... I joined my fire department to pay that kindness forward.... and I would still like to get paid for the EMS work I do.

Maybe, with enough effort on everyone's parts, volunteer and paid EMS alike, communities will move toward paying their EMS personnel (within a reasonable time) and pay rates will be equitable so an EMT can earn a decent wage no matter where they live ( ain't no one around here making $60,000.00/yr as a medic and only working 42 hrs/week that I know of.... not even FF/EMT-Ps). So, if I understand y'all correctly, your wish is that all communities within the US and Canada and Australia and .... all countries not mentioned yet... etc...... provide reliable and professional EMS service and do so by compensating EMS personnel with an amount of money reflecting their education and ability. If this is correct, then I have to say I support your endeavors. I don't agree with everything that has been said but essentially agree with the goals.

I maintain the perspective that this will occur more readily if everyone works together to acheive the same goals ( kind of like the heart....... works much better when its not in V-Fib....)

You've heard that saying....

tell me you have....

you can see it coming......

Aw c'mon. you know the one I mean

okay.... United we stand blah blah blah

Have a good week.... stay safe,

[weasel 108]

(vfd *emtb* said)- Actually we do transport to the hospital (if its a BLS call or a paramedic on board)and the patient does get charged for our services so we arent technically free. And also ems is trying to put paid employees into our station due to the volunteer shortage, and if it was in the budget im sure it would be all paid but right now the counties EMS budget cant allow for that to happen. I think it would be wonderful to have that happen to our station though.

[VillageEMT]

If there is this volunteer shortage in your area,then you must have times that you do not have an ambulance in service to respond? That tells me your service is putting the public's lives at risk,just for you to be a volunteer.

WHAT?? :shock: !! "That tells me your service is putting the public's lives at risk,just for you to be a volunteer." I don't know where you come from but this is an incredibly ignorant and demeaning statement to all of the people in this country who put in many hours of volunteer time and work a full time job as well. I am a Sr. Engineer and work full time. Tonight I will spend three hours at the station in one of our monthly classes. There have been more than a few nights where I have been on one call after another from 6 PM until 5 AM and then had to go into work. Do I have to be a volunteer EMT? No, but if not me who will do it? There are volunteers because there is no money to pay a paid staff. Maybe your area can afford a paid dept, good for you. But in many parts of this country volunteers are the only Fire and EMS personnel. It has only been the last few years that the village has managed to pay for two Paras for weekday daytime duty. Their drivers are still volunteers as are all of the night and weekend crews. The system works well but it can be a strain at times, particularly in the face of such ignorance as yours.

[EmtFF99]

Volunteers will always be a major threat to the paid sector of both Fire & Ems. [/font:261c6ca282]

[nsmedic393]

WHAT?? :shock: !! "That tells me your service is putting the public's lives at risk,just for you to be a volunteer." I don't know where you come from but this is an incredibly ignorant and demeaning statement to all of the people in this country who put in many hours of volunteer time and work a full time job as well. I am a Sr. Engineer and work full time. Tonight I will spend three hours at the station in one of our monthly classes. There have been more than a few nights where I have been on one call after another from 6 PM until 5 AM and then had to go into work.

If you would read what he said, IF you don't have the manpower to respond to calls than you are indeed placing peoples lives at risk and a new system should be implemented. That statement is 100% accurate.

Do I have to be a volunteer EMT? No, but if not me who will do it?

Easy, if not you than your town, village, or hovel will find the money to pay someone to do it.

You listed your call volume and population below your post. You can't honestly tell me that 520 calls a year and serving some 29000 people cannot sustain a single ambulance.

[nsmedic393]

Volunteers will always be a major threat to the paid sector of both Fire & Ems. [/font:08500fa8a2]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Nobody in their right mind would replace a paid service with volunteers, perhaps what you meant was that volunteer EMS agencys will always be a major threat to their patients.

[weasel 108]

village emt. You did not read the first part of my comments.

Take care and be safe.

[hfdff422]

Boy this thread is old, and considering it's age and how many points of view were discussed in the first 10 pages, there is little reason for anyone to get worked up over it anymore.

It really is as simple as if you are willing to stick with the status quo, you are part of the problem. There is no reason that every career and volunteer provider shouldn't work together to provide at least the primary ambulance response be a paid crew and a paid ALS chase truck, or even better (depending on your location and needs) two paid ALS ambulances. If you are satisfied with the "I hope someone responds" feeling that all worthwhile volunteers have felt, then that signifies a problem. As much as I love being able to make the first due, I love knowing that the people who dial 911 are getting an effective response. My volunteer department is trying desperately to work towards 24/7 ambulance and ALS coverage. There are a small group (approximately 6) that are opposing the merger we are trying to acheive so we can consolidate budgets and fund this (we have to because the trustee will not approve a territory that we were pushing for). Their response to the idea that this will improve services is "this is the way it has always been" or "we will lose our identity". :!: :x :x These are pride issues that seem to run rampant throughout the volunteer services. While many of the people on these boards are willing to be progressive and work hard on training and push for progressive solutions to problems, far too many in the volunteer community are not willing to do these things.

Pride in volunteerism is as dangerous as it is important, since without it no one would volunteer but with it we are not willing to give ground to allow the best service possible. Volunteers will remain an important part of fire and EMS, but should be used as secondary or fill in responses. If you are interested in helping your community, then further your training and education and work to find a way to get paid coverage.

cdemt5710- I agree with your statements that it will require a concerted effort from all involved to get paid and improved EMS systems in place. The only problem is the old crusts in the volunteer side will do everything they can to kill all of our best efforts- I have seen this first hand.