Just wondering?

[sailorgirl92]

I am new (ok, brand spanking new) to this forum. I am a Basic-EMT student and am also taking Comp II. I am doing my synthesis about if EMS should be a stand alone system. I firmly believe it should be.
I am not only in Basic-EMT school, I am also married to a Paramedic. We have lived on as little as minimum wage when my husband was a Basic. The last place he worked he earned $12/hr as a 911 rescue paramedic.
Unfortunately, the management team at this company (a private, hospital-based company run by nurses who don't know what EMS really is) is CORRUPT and they began terminating good paramedics for what they deemed "Policy Violations". There were four guys fired on the day he was fired and not one of them was fired for a good reason. Not one of these guys' skills were ever questioned. This company also made up things, twisted truths and seems to be getting away with it. That is a whole other post.
Anyway, getting to my reason for posting, are there some websites out there that will support these issues? I haven't been able to find any but I really want to do this synthesis. This is an issue that is swept under the rug all over the country and no one does anything to change it.
I know my little synthesis for a Comp II class at a community college won't change the world or the system, but it is something I believe in strongly. If I can make one person so disgusted they want to help change things, then maybe one person can turn into two and so on.
If anyone knows of any websites please email me or post them on the forum.

Thanks!!

[RyanEMVFD]

Since each operation is different and where one system works in one area, it might not work in another. Any website would probably state only opinion, I believe. Good luck in finding what you are searching for.

[lexfd5]

By stand alone do you mean just a sole EMS agency? Would that agency be private or public? By private I mean owned by a company or hospital. Many here believe that hospital based is different than say a Rural Metro or AMR, but it is still a corperation, be it for profit or not for profit.

What I know you will find is that EMS does not pay. Everything comes down to the "Benjamins." Check out the required SEC paperwork on Rural Metro and AMR. Check out their stock prices, amount traded, look at their prospectus and see what the "experts" in the market think of them as a company. There is no money in 911 runs. The payment rate is low. This link might help a bit: http://www.emsmagazine.com/issues/article0004.html .

Good luck on the paper.

[spfdtruckman]

Worked for a private and now work for a fire department based system. No compairison. Fire based has quicker response times and quality of care seems better, less turnover of medics. But, as *RyanEMVFD* said, not every system will work everywhere. Based on my experiences, I choose Fire Department Based EMS delivery. Good Luck on your paper and look around, lots of options out there.

[MikeWard]

http://www.acadian.com/
Contact: W. Keith Simon, VP, PR & Marketing, 1-800-259-3333

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, May 31, 2006

Acadian Ambulance Service officials said today the company is launching a strong new recruiting program for emergency medical technicians. Richard Zuschlag, chairman and CEO, said the concerted effort to bring new people into the emergency medical field is a response to substantial depletion in Acadian's ranks as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is also a continuing effort to cope with a long-standing shortage of medics in Louisiana and nationwide.

Zuschlag said Acadian has a yearly need for as many as 400 new medics and conducts vigorous recruiting year-round, seeking to hire employees in its Louisiana-Mississippi coverage area while also conducting strong recruiting programs in other states.

New members of the EMS staff, joining up during the current campaign, will receive a recruiting bonus, and are assured of rapid advancement if they are onboard by the second week in June, when EMT-Basic classes begin at the National EMS Academy in Lafayette. The Academy, a unique distance learning school for students pursuing a career as emergency medical technicians, was formed by Acadian Ambulance Service in partnership with South Louisiana Community College. Zuschlag says it is designed to offer a rewarding career path for students while addressing the large and constant shortage of emergency medical technicians.

New recruits enrolling in the Basic program will complete course requirements in nine weeks.

Acadian Ambulance Service Medical Director Dr. Ross Judice says Acadian currently has openings for 50 paramedics and 34 EMT-Basics. After those jobs are filled, he said, there will still be good job opportunities in virtually every state in the nation.

Judice explained that the 2005 hurricanes directly affected many staff members who have since relocated to other states. These include employees who suffered severe damage to their homes and other property. “Many of them have relocated to states where their spouses have found employment since the hurricanes,” he said.

Several other factors have affected the availability of EMS personnel, Judice said. A highly active offshore oil and gas industry is offering not only an increased number of jobs for medics, but also higher-paying jobs. “At the same time,” he said, “wage pressures at retail stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot have created positions that can now compete with jobs in health care.”

The shortage of nurses is affecting the availability of EMS personnel and medical staff in Louisiana, Judice said. “Hospitals and doctors' offices are hiring medics for positions formerly held by nurses.

Judice said another factor is the loss of EMS professionals to other professional schools such as nursing and medical schools. “This is a good thing for Louisiana,” he said, but we're left with the major, ongoing task of trying to replenish the ranks. We are, in fact, still trying to catch up with a situation created by more than 20 years of under-production of EMS professionals.

Still, he said, working as a medic remains a good-paying job with excellent opportunities for advancement, “and helping people in time of need remains a profoundly noble cause.” Judice said. “EMS professionals can take pride in knowing that they have made a difference in people's lives.”

Judice said completing the education requirements to become an EMT is hard work, and the job itself is very demanding. “It takes a special person with a sharp mind and caring soul to be successful,” he said.

For information on the classes offered, one can call 1-866-459-3500 or visit the website http://www.nationalemsacademy.com

[NYCCEMTP]

Unfortunately, the management team at this company (a private, hospital-based company run by nurses who don't know what EMS really is) is CORRUPT.

Anyway, getting to my reason for posting, are there some websites out there that will support these issues?

If anyone knows of any websites please email me or post them on the forum.

Outside of blogs and forums such as the one you're on right now, there aren't any websites that look specifically at your problem. EMS in my region is fairly messed up as well. While there aren't random firings at my agency, I have worked for a large private company that has questionable activities similar to your own. However, being a large company, they can usually cook something up if there is an employee issue and get away with pretty much anything. i.e. - use lies to cover up lies. standard corporate operation, right?

If the nurse-run hospital system is truly screwed up, you might want to consider bringing in the media. That is, if you can prove that the nurses are as screwed up as you say they are [believe me, I have no love for nurses either]. Otherwise, get ready for a crap-storm. The nurse union and lobby is very powerful [look at how much an idiot newbie nurse makes compared to what a seasoned, experienced paramedic makes].

good luck to you.