families

[medic993]

how does this profession effect our families

[laxwixjenn]

This profession has to be one the most difficult on family life; interrupted meals, family time, kids bath time, etc. I'm thankful for a very supportive husband; however, to be honest, I don't know that I would be as supportive if the roles were reversed!

[spenac]

Oh another double standard. Shame on you.

[itku2er]

You have to have support from your family or else you are in a world of trouble. EMS people understand EMS people better than anyone. Some times when your family isnt in EMS the dont understand what it means to you and why you do it. But family support is a must in EMS cause we all know its not a job that just anyone can do it takes someone special to do it, and the people we love have to be special too.

[Dustdevil]

This profession has to be one the most difficult on family life; interrupted meals, family time, kids bath time, etc. I'm thankful for a very supportive husband; however, to be honest, I don't know that I would be as supportive if the roles were reversed!

I'm not sure what you are talking about. How does your profession affect any of that? Do you take your kids to work with you? :?

[Asysin2leads]

Take your daughter to work day, maybe?

"Okay honey, do you want to defibrillate the junkie?"

[laxwixjenn]

Along with a full time job as a special education teaching assistant, I am a volunteer EMT in a rural area. Along with pulling a volunteer duty night every 6th night, we also take interfacility transports, sometimes several a day, along with covering for each other as we have very few full time emts. We also often times have 2nd and third calls unable to be covered by one duty crew of an emt and a driver. So therefore, that makes for many interrupted family times, and I have actually left work at times to repsond when there is a shortage of manpower!

[rock_shoes]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. How does your profession affect any of that? Do you take your kids to work with you? :?

I take it you haven't spent much time working the equivalent of a BCAS kilo shift. $2 an hour to be strapped to a pager and have to be at the station within a certain response time. I agree this shouldn't be an issue for full-time staff, but the way BCAS is structured everyone spends time working Kilo and Fox (same as kilo but $10 an hour and you stay right at the station) before going full-time. For most it's a good 5 years before making it into full time.

[Dustdevil]

Along with a full time job as a special education teaching assistant, I am a volunteer EMT in a rural area. <snip> So therefore, that makes for many interrupted family times, and I have actually left work at times to repsond when there is a shortage of manpower!

Ah, I understand now.

However, that is not your "profession" interfering with your family time. It is just your hobby that is interfering with your family time. And I agree with you; if my spouse were neglecting our family in favour of her hobby, I would not be at all understanding. I'd leave her and take the kids.

Check your priorities.

[brentoli]

I take it you haven't spent much time working the equivalent of a BCAS kilo shift. $2 an hour to be strapped to a pager and have to be at the station within a certain response time. I agree this shouldn't be an issue for full-time staff, but the way BCAS is structured everyone spends time working Kilo and Fox (same as kilo but $10 an hour and you stay right at the station) before going full-time. For most it's a good 5 years before making it into full time.

That seriously doesn't make sense.

The more experience I get, the more I realize how much reform EMS needs. And this just isn't Dust working on me. The only services that are worth their weight first of all, is full time paid, or transitioning into paid.

Secondly, this job shouldn't interfere with your normal life. If you are working overtime, its your own fault, if your company is allowed to mandatory overtime you as much as they want, its your own fault.

Third, the only time you should be getting called in off duty is in a disaster. EMS is your job, not your life.

If it is causing problems at home, you really need to step back into a reality check.