Volunteers – Your Job?

[emschick78]

I am a volly with a paid ALS department. My "paid" job is a Developer for a major business. I help produce/create materials to train sales employees. I would LOVE for EMS to be my full-time job, but unfortunately the pay, even if I work up to paramedic, is no where near what I'm making.

[SSG G-man]

I am hoping to go paid part time with my county EMS in the near future. I am also going to work toward my paramedic to have EMS as my second career when I retire from the military.

[ginpole]

when i worked for the local county fire 18years worth it was pcf for fires, mvc and psa's and standbys, and nonpaid for medicalaids. my full time paid job was retail lumber sales. now full time local ems.

[dahlio]

Apart from being a student, and also wanting eventually go in to an EMS career, I work at the local library (as sad as that is) for some spare change. I also work at a Park's and Recreation Dept. where I'll help with the camp they run, and all that. On top of that, I vol. at my first aid squad, and would like to continue the rest of my life vol. there, along with any job in EMS.

[Chief1C]

museum curator. I collect rare 19th Century ambrotypes, and newspaper archive books. I currently own about six hundred archive books. An archive book holds every page of every issue of a newspaper for six months for daily's, and one year for weekly's. The average weight is 45lbs.

[pyroknight]

I oversee training and certification for ambulance personnel as a state administrator (a.k.a. "office weenie").

My part-time job is as an emergency department nurse.

In my SPARE time, I volunteer with the fire/rescue department. I can't just quit operations after two decades in volunteer and paid fire departments!

[katbemeEMT-B]

I am a volunteer with our local service. I work a minimum of three shifts a week. I have recently applied and trained with a paid service. I need to pass a lift test which I will be taking this Wednesday before they make it official. It is only a casual on-call position but it's a foot in the door. I have always had a second job even before I got into the EMS field. In the same aspect I have always made sure I am here for my kids especially after school. My family is very supportive and understand that sometimes the cash flow is pretty slow. They are awesome!

[nyemt07]

As well as volunteering with a fire dept and first aid squad which is combined I am also a department manager with Wal*Mart. The pay is good and they actually support me with my volunteer work, by giving me time off for functions, and drills. Also, they let me leave if the pagers go off for a call.

[FormerEMSLT297]

Well in light of all the volunteer threads on this forum I though it might be interesting to find out what volunteers do for paid employment?

Personally, apart from going to school I work as a sports trainer with a football club and do some occasional paid event first aid work and massage. Volunteer wise I’m with a big first aid squad doing event coverage, I’ve just started as a fire-fighter and do some work in a local hospital.

I’ve never had the desire to work for McDonalds or for the local supermarket. I thought well I have an interest in medical stuff and want to be a paramedic when I leave school so I might as well see if I could get paid to do it. Oh and the other good thing is I’ve never had to pay to do any of my courses!

There seems to be this stereotype of volunteers draining the welfare system, lack of personal hygiene, whackers ect… But in the 7 years I’ve been volunteering I’ve only came across these undesirable types a few times, we have some people that are a bit strange but that’s all. I’ve volunteer along side a heap of amazing people.

What’s your job?

So, Timmy, I'm a little confused. You are 17, and have been volunteering for 7 years.. So, you started when you were 10.?????

I'm just tryin to do the math,,, but it seems a bit young... ??????????????????

[Timmy]

Haha yeah, when I look back it was young… I started when I was 10 learning the ropes and basic first aid, when you reach 11 you become operational, do some courses and attend some standbys then you gradually build up from there. You’re always under strict adult supervision of course