Ambulance Vol Packing Up His Gear

[cv-eh?]

The funny thing is, this guy really thinks he was helping somebody!

It's things like this, that remind me why I strongly dislike you.

[Eydawn]

I don't think that Dust was implying that the man's performance as a medical provider was deleterious to patient welfare... rather, that the entire Jolly Volley system keeps many individuals from having access to ALS care from providers who have been well monitored.

The whole argument is that the presence of volunteer EMS is a stopgap measure, making people feel safe when really they should be asking for paid EMS in their area. Dust is inferring that this guy, by continuing to support the Jolly Volley mindset, is not helping people get adequate paid coverage.

Also, the argument is that the Jolly Volley folk make it very difficult to change our system; if they work for free, and administrators/cities see that, how do we convince our own powers that be that we're worthy of better pay? Do engineers work for free for the city? How about plumbers? Doctors? No? One might ask why that is, and why volunteerism is seen mostly in combination Fire/EMS departments....

It's definitely a hairy argument. How do you convince a township that has one stoplight in the center of town and no budget for road repair to staff an ambulance with a full time, paid EMS professional? Isn't the volunteer EMS enough? Don't people in rural areas kind of accept that they're going to be further from advanced medical care?

All issues that go along with this...

Dust is passionate about his views and very blunt. He prefers the sledgehammer tactic. I prefer not to simply say something's stupid... but that's me. There are many issues to be considered with this... but recognize that Dust's input is valuable, even if you disagree with it, as I do in many instances.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Dustdevil]

I don't think that Dust was implying that the man's performance as a medical provider was deleterious to patient welfare... rather, that the entire Jolly Volley system keeps many individuals from having access to ALS care from providers who have been well monitored.

Exactly. Thanks for that clarification, although I think she knew that.

[spenac]

It's definitely a hairy argument. How do you convince a township that has one stoplight in the center of town and no budget for road repair to staff an ambulance with a full time, paid EMS professional? Isn't the volunteer EMS enough? Don't people in rural areas kind of accept that they're going to be further from advanced medical care?

Wendy

CO EMT-B

A stop light. 3 of the paid services I work with do not have a stop light. No matter how small there is money to pay for our services.

No people in rural areas do not accept that they are further from advanced medical care. Based on my many years rural experience, they do not think about it till they have an emergency. The few thoughts they have had they quieted by saying if anything happens the ambulance will take care of me. I picked up a gentleman that had had at least 2 heart attacks before he moved to my area. When I, when still a basic, picked him up having another heart attack. Did basic vitals. I put him in the ambulance on O2, gave aspirin and nitro. He asked about why I did no 12 lead, no IV, no meds beside nitro, etc? This guy knew what an ALS ambulance would do to ensure he survived. I explained that with me as the highest level on the ambulance I could not do more than done. He became very anxious( a bad thing in his condition ) and said he thought all ambulances were the same. It was a long 2 hour ride for him and me to the hospital. It turned out to be his next to last ride. Perhaps that big difference from his previous ambulances was the deciding factor.

After that call I decided whatever the costs if I was staying in EMS I was going to get my education, but thats another thread.

[triemal04]

Yippie-skippy. A fully trained and experienced whacker comes to Oregon. Maybe he can show us how they do it in the big city. Why can't he just move to Florida like everyone else?

[NCORHI]

I help people just fine with a steady income dropping into my bank account every two weeks. I don't think accepting a paycheck for EMS work is a bad thing- afterall, we have spent countless hours and ungodly amounts of money to get where we are. It is a profession, I don't know of many other PROFESSIONS that people donate their valuable time to do the same job that others get paid for. I'm not anti-volunteers, I was one when I started too. IMHO, we are the most severely underpaid professions out there, alongside teachers.

[Dustdevil]

Why can't he just move to Florida like everyone else?

ROFL!!

Funny though, I don't know any teachers living in poverty. They do pretty darn well, considering they only work 9 months out of the year.

[NCORHI]

Funny though, I don't know any teachers living in poverty. They do pretty darn well, considering they only work 9 months out of the year.

In this city, they are severely understaffed, severely underpaid, and do 12 month schooling. Hmmm maybe this is why we are consistently ranked in the bottom two of the nation for education! It's awful.

[Dustdevil]

In this city, they are severely understaffed, severely underpaid, and do 12 month schooling. Hmmm maybe this is why we are consistently ranked in the bottom two of the nation for education! It's awful.

So, what are you suggesting? Are you saying that, if these teachers were paid better, they would provide better education?

Or are you saying that teachers who suck -- as the current ones apparently do -- is all we can get for these low wages?

Either way, you're certainly not doing the teachers any favours.

[AnthonyM83]

Oooh, I have an opinion on this one.

Paying good teacher a lot of money will lead to better teaching. Paying all teachers more probably will not. The school district where I worked for a year paid pretty darn good for teachers, but those teachers were (mostly) stellar and deserved every buck. You had 5th grade teachers stay later to 7PM almost everyday planning activities and ways to fit lecture to each of their kids, etc etc. But with low pay, even good teachers can get burnt out and not do their best.

Edit: I totally just saw the correlation to EMS workers...I wasn't thinking about that when I wrote it.