Oilfield company warning- Red Star E.M.T

[Relish]

Please be aware of a company called Red Star Emergency Medical Treatment, they operate out of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta doing Oilfield work. They are only in the business for the money and really don't care about their employees. Pay checks are hard to come by, accommodations are poor for employees, there is no training, no safety measures are taken for the workers themselves and the owner is never available.

With so many job opportunities available to EMS, there are many options available where you are looked at and treated as a member of the team, not just a work horse. If you choose to work with them, don't say you haven't been warned!

Work Happy!

[MedicNorth]

Sounds like you have a personal involvement in this one! I'm looking for a new outfit to work for, but I guess I'll stay clear.

Thanks for the heads up!

[albemt]

One of the biggest problems is that alot of people have started there own business trying to cash in on the Oil Field. All I can suggest is talk to a few industrial companies and see what they can offer you to go work for them.

-Days on Days off

-Pay scale- day rate, over time, travel expenses, hours working, meal sub

-Do they guarantee your time out point

-Units/equipment

-Medical director

-Do you have contact with someone to answer questions and how soon will they answer these questions/messages

-Camp jobs/in and out jobs

-Protocols/SOP's

These are just a few of things that come to mind at this time of night

All these questions above should be able to be answered right away in my opinion

[WendyT]

I would love CTV to do an interview and get to the bottom of this, and whatever happened to the BBB?

[Relish]

That's exactly it, everyone is just trying to cash in and get a piece of the pie, which is what this was. We thought that we had checked it fairly thoroughly before hand, but it wasn't what they had set it up to be. Luckily we wasted no more than 24 hours there before we had caught wind of what the true story was - watching one girl quit and the other get fired for leaving her truck dirty (it had been pouring all day, the house was 30 mins on the dirt roads...she figured she was saving them a few bucks, but she got canned for it).

BBB, yah exactly, that and labour board!

[albemt]

Ya the only really good way to figure out what its like is to talk to past and present employees. The problem is the company isn't gonna let you talk to someone that is mad at them no matter who the company is. Plus the other problem is that if they don't work there anymore then that means they probably don't have anything good about the company. So once again research research research, but as you found out in this case sometimes you just have to end up going out and seeing if its the company for you.

The problem with the labour board is that you are still listed as new employee or probationary, which usually means they don't need a reason to fire you.

As for the BBB they probably have no record of the company cause of the amount that are coming about because of the Oil Field. So if no complaints from an past employees then the BBB wouldn't have it on there radar.

As for me I can't comment on Redstar cause I've never worked for them, but I have worked for other Industrial companies and know what some of them do to their employees, both good and bad.

Well I hope you have better luck on the next company you choose.

But my next question is why have you decided to work industrial and not work on ambulance? I personally found that I can't handle sitting in a truck all day watching people working.

[Relish]

Why oilfield? Some quick cash, and it was close to home...no other reason....

[a_shane2_go]

Well i know most companies out there are like that, or at least in the oilpatch. Everyone needs employee's and they come and go in industrial. I've been there done that when i was in school. I dont agree with privitization either of ambulance companies but ultimatley i'm in it for the patients.

[Relish]

To further my point- over a month after leaving Red Star Emergency, we're STILL fighting to get the money that's owed to us! They have ads on the ACP website and on the Alberta Health and Safety Training Institute site....warn your friends to steer clear!

[Secret_77]

Nice to know I wasn't the only one who got screwed by them... Sorry it happened to other people but you know what they say about misery. I've worked for 3 different companies over the past 5 years and they were the only ones who screwed me. I have to agree with the vein of the previous posts and ad some points of my own:

Crappy Equipment - poorly stocked MTCs, phone's which didn't work to, child sized O2 masks (In the oilfield???)

Zero field support - No PR, no follow up with employees, jut a "deal with it" attitude

Terrible HR - I got sent out after doing a three week tour on nights, got told to take a week off and then call them. Called them after one week, no response. Called them after two weeks, no response. Gave up after three weeks,realized i must have

been fired. I don't have a problem with being let go if it's for a good reason, but to can me and not tell me is a low blow

Dispatching - got dispatched by them to go from Lethbridge, AB to Rocky Mountain House, AB to pick up my unit and then from there to a jobsite outside of Grande Cache, AB up a logging road to find a rig I'd never been to with only 1 hour notice. Total driving distance, OVER 1200 KM IN ONE NIGHT!!! That should have been my third indicator something wasn't right. The first should have been the bright yellow truck and MTC with stars on it. The first should have been the trailer it was towing with a live zebra in it (No joke, a real live zebra... but I was a rookie, what did I know).

Fun fact too, did you know Janice went to an EMT school which is now defunct? Maybe that should have been my fourth indicator that something was -really- wrong with that outfit