My Opinion

December 5, 2001

I am pretty new to EMS. I obtained my certification as an EMT in

the state of Texas nine months ago. I am also quite young. However, I

spent the past five years working for a multi-national not-for-profit

corporation, so I'm not entirely new to the workforce. I must admit

that I had no idea what I was getting into when I started working in

this field.

In no way am I trying to insult anybody that has been in this field

for a long period of time, but I am blown away that so many people

accept working 60+ hours a week simply to make ends meet. How in the

world was that allowed to start, not to mention continue for so many

years? We are not unskilled laborers. We all, in theory at least,

possess skills that most people do not. We cannot simply be replaced

by anyone at any time. Only other people with the same skills can

replace anybody in EMS, and the number of people possessing such

skills is extremely limited. This isn't like working in retail where

any mindless person can be taught how to run a cash register in a day

or two. But somehow, those mindless people make more money an hour

than myself, a skilled laborer.

I am not unhappy with my employer. I have no problems with any of

the supervisors or owners of the private company in Houston. So, no,

I am not a disgruntled worker. I am, however, a person that has found

myself trapped in a dead-end job. The reason I consider this a dead-

end job is because the only way to move up the food chain is to

obtain a higher level of certification. I would love to do so. BUT I

cannot, because I am unable to find an institution offering the

courses necessary to challenge the state exam. Sure, there are

several community colleges in the Houston area that supposedly offer

the necessary courses, and even offer Associate Degrees in EMS. But

when you look into all those programs, very few courses are actually

offered each semester. Even when a community college offers a few

courses necessary to complete their certificate or degree program,

they still adhere to the typical college schedule with classes

meeting up to three times a week.

I am currently working a 24-hour shift on a nine-day rotation. It

is impossible for me to attend a regularly scheduled college course

while working on this rotation. If I decided to ask for a move to a

day truck, the number of hours I work per week would be reduced, thus

making it impossible for me to keep up with my bills each month.

I've met many people in this field that believe everyone should be

happy to simply have a job. I do not agree with that at all. What

other field of work staffed by skilled laborers tells their employees

to be happy they have a job, and not expect anything more than a

paycheck to stay happy? Sure, it is nice to have a paycheck every two

weeks, but the company can only write out those paychecks because

myself an others like me work our butts off earning them money.

Currently, I am paid a whopping $7 an hour. I haven't worked for such

a low baseline rate of pay since I was 17 year old. I could make more

per hour if I were to work for another private company, but then I

would be sacrificing other things that are more important to me. I

will not work for a construction worker that ILLEGALY holds employees

paychecks when their run reports aren't filled out properly (to make

him the most money). I will not work for a company that has a history

of rubber paychecks. I will not work for a company that thrives on

their dialysis patients...nearly all of whom they picked up by paying

off social workers in dialysis centers. So I stick with the more

reputable company and work my butt off just to live month to month.

I am in no way referring to anybody on this list, but I have

noticed that, even though I have not yet finished my degree (I

dropped out of college one semester from graduation to start a career

in EMS), I am a definite minority in this field. I have some

education to speak of. Perhaps that is why the practice of working so

many hours of overtime every single week has continued for so long.

However, most companies I have looked into do not even recognize

education as a basis for higher rates of pay. I would love to find

out that more than a handful of providers in this state offer a large

difference in pay to licensed paramedics than certified paramedics.

Like it or not, a licensed paramedic has a higher level of education

that a certified paramedic. There is no other field of work that I am

aware of where a college degree is not seen as a major advantage over

lack of education. Yes, experience counts…but not as much as a

good

education. Now all of you that were just infuriated by that last

comment, stop and think. If you were to use that line of reasoning on

a 16 year old that wants to drop out of high school because he or she

doesn't think they have anything else to learn, how asinine would you

look? Obviously, it is better to have more education than less. No,

the degree I was pursuing had absolutely nothing to do with EMS or

anything related to health or medicine or even anything related to

any field of science. But I have noticed a definite difference in

those with some education versus those with little education.

Critical thinking skills are definitely lacking in many individuals

whose paths I have crossed since I became an EMT.

I have also noticed that there seems to be little more required of

a person than showing up with their current certifications. There are

countless people working on ambulances throughout this city that seem

to take very little pride in their appearance. They walk in and out

of facilities looking rather disheveled, with their wrinkled uniform

shirts half untucked and faded pants partially tucked into their

boots due to sheer laziness.

I have also noticed an abundance of physically unfit people in this

field. How can so many people work in a health-related field and be

the perfect pictures of MI's waiting to happen? Of course it would be

difficult to be the picture of health when the only thing you usually

have time to eat is from a fast food restaurant, but it is not

impossible.

I joke with my friends that have nothing to do with EMS and tell

them they should take an EMT course. But it is only a joke because

there are very few people that would actually want to do this type of

work. In my nine short months in this field, I have been puked on,

spit at, yelled at, cursed at, punched, treated like complete crap by

dispatchers that think they have some sort of power over the people

actually running the calls, and forced to spend 24 hours at a time

with people that I absolutely despise. And that is just a sample of

my wonderful experiences thus far.

Believe it or not, I love my job, and I don't want to give it up.

But I'm looking for something better. Why stay where you're not

appreciated? Why work yourself to the bone just to turn around and do

it again the next week and never really come out on top? Someone,

anyone, please enlighten me. I really want to know.

December 5, 2001

Well I would like to know what kind of service that you work for that

half way through or on the back side of a 24 that you would look all

nice and neat. I had the privilege to run 911 in the Houston area and

if you trully know about running your butt off you would understand

why some don't look all nice, neat, and pretty like you want to see.

And I personally don't see a problem with pants being half tucked in

boots. When I come walking in the ER, theres a high probability that

i'll be one of those people you'll meet or have seen. Also I don't

see how being in and out of a truck all day that you can keep a class

A nicely pressed cause I sure couldn't. I don't belive that EMS is a

dead-end job if you apply yourself, alot of people work the 60+ hour

to make ends meet but alot of people I know like myself stay in the

field cause I like what I do.

Now cert. vs LP, Everyone on the list has heard the same old

argument. Education helps I'll agree, but like I said, if you apply

yourself its all for the most part equal. Now if you ran a service

which would you want in-charge on your unit. a seasoned medic or a

book-smart medic, I think some would agree (I could be wrong) that a

seasond medic would be the medic of choice given that the book-smart

medic in just recently graduated.

This is how I see it and what I think, If I get flamed then oh well

Jeff

> I am pretty new to EMS. I obtained my certification as an EMT in

> the state of Texas nine months ago. I am also quite young. However,

I

> spent the past five years working for a multi-national not-for-

profit

> corporation, so I'm not entirely new to the workforce. I must admit

> that I had no idea what I was getting into when I started working

in

> this field.

> In no way am I trying to insult anybody that has been in this

field

> for a long period of time, but I am blown away that so many people

> accept working 60+ hours a week simply to make ends meet. How in

the

> world was that allowed to start, not to mention continue for so

many

> years? We are not unskilled laborers. We all, in theory at least,

> possess skills that most people do not. We cannot simply be

replaced

> by anyone at any time. Only other people with the same skills can

> replace anybody in EMS, and the number of people possessing such

> skills is extremely limited. This isn't like working in retail

where

> any mindless person can be taught how to run a cash register in a

day

> or two. But somehow, those mindless people make more money an hour

> than myself, a skilled laborer.

> I am not unhappy with my employer. I have no problems with any of

> the supervisors or owners of the private company in Houston. So,

no,

> I am not a disgruntled worker. I am, however, a person that has

found

> myself trapped in a dead-end job. The reason I consider this a dead-

> end job is because the only way to move up the food chain is to

> obtain a higher level of certification. I would love to do so. BUT

I

> cannot, because I am unable to find an institution offering the

> courses necessary to challenge the state exam. Sure, there are

> several community colleges in the Houston area that supposedly

offer

> the necessary courses, and even offer Associate Degrees in EMS. But

> when you look into all those programs, very few courses are

actually

> offered each semester. Even when a community college offers a few

> courses necessary to complete their certificate or degree program,

> they still adhere to the typical college schedule with classes

> meeting up to three times a week.

> I am currently working a 24-hour shift on a nine-day rotation. It

> is impossible for me to attend a regularly scheduled college course

> while working on this rotation. If I decided to ask for a move to a

> day truck, the number of hours I work per week would be reduced,

thus

> making it impossible for me to keep up with my bills each month.

> I've met many people in this field that believe everyone should

be

> happy to simply have a job. I do not agree with that at all. What

> other field of work staffed by skilled laborers tells their

employees

> to be happy they have a job, and not expect anything more than a

> paycheck to stay happy? Sure, it is nice to have a paycheck every

two

> weeks, but the company can only write out those paychecks because

> myself an others like me work our butts off earning them money.

> Currently, I am paid a whopping $7 an hour. I haven't worked for

such

> a low baseline rate of pay since I was 17 year old. I could make

more

> per hour if I were to work for another private company, but then I

> would be sacrificing other things that are more important to me. I

> will not work for a construction worker that ILLEGALY holds

employees

> paychecks when their run reports aren't filled out properly (to

make

> him the most money). I will not work for a company that has a

history

> of rubber paychecks. I will not work for a company that thrives on

> their dialysis patients...nearly all of whom they picked up by

paying

> off social workers in dialysis centers. So I stick with the more

> reputable company and work my butt off just to live month to month.

> I am in no way referring to anybody on this list, but I have

> noticed that, even though I have not yet finished my degree (I

> dropped out of college one semester from graduation to start a

career

> in EMS), I am a definite minority in this field. I have some

> education to speak of. Perhaps that is why the practice of working

so

> many hours of overtime every single week has continued for so long.

> However, most companies I have looked into do not even recognize

> education as a basis for higher rates of pay. I would love to find

> out that more than a handful of providers in this state offer a

large

> difference in pay to licensed paramedics than certified paramedics.

> Like it or not, a licensed paramedic has a higher level of

education

> that a certified paramedic. There is no other field of work that I

am

> aware of where a college degree is not seen as a major advantage

over

> lack of education. Yes, experience counts…but not as much as a

> good

> education. Now all of you that were just infuriated by that last

> comment, stop and think. If you were to use that line of reasoning

on

> a 16 year old that wants to drop out of high school because he or

she

> doesn't think they have anything else to learn, how asinine would

you

> look? Obviously, it is better to have more education than less. No,

> the degree I was pursuing had absolutely nothing to do with EMS or

> anything related to health or medicine or even anything related to

> any field of science. But I have noticed a definite difference in

> those with some education versus those with little education.

> Critical thinking skills are definitely lacking in many individuals

> whose paths I have crossed since I became an EMT.

> I have also noticed that there seems to be little more required

of

> a person than showing up with their current certifications. There

are

> countless people working on ambulances throughout this city that

seem

> to take very little pride in their appearance. They walk in and out

> of facilities looking rather disheveled, with their wrinkled

uniform

> shirts half untucked and faded pants partially tucked into their

> boots due to sheer laziness.

> I have also noticed an abundance of physically unfit people in

this

> field. How can so many people work in a health-related field and be

> the perfect pictures of MI's waiting to happen? Of course it would

be

> difficult to be the picture of health when the only thing you

usually

> have time to eat is from a fast food restaurant, but it is not

> impossible.

> I joke with my friends that have nothing to do with EMS and tell

> them they should take an EMT course. But it is only a joke because

> there are very few people that would actually want to do this type

of

> work. In my nine short months in this field, I have been puked on,

> spit at, yelled at, cursed at, punched, treated like complete crap

by

> dispatchers that think they have some sort of power over the people

> actually running the calls, and forced to spend 24 hours at a time

> with people that I absolutely despise. And that is just a sample of

> my wonderful experiences thus far.

> Believe it or not, I love my job, and I don't want to give it up.

> But I'm looking for something better. Why stay where you're not

> appreciated? Why work yourself to the bone just to turn around and

do

> it again the next week and never really come out on top? Someone,

> anyone, please enlighten me. I really want to know.

December 5, 2001

Congratulations! It only took you 9 months to

discover what has taken me 8 years to notice.

You bring up some very valid points. I have friends

that dedicated 20+ years of their blood, sweat and

tears to a system, only to find themselves starting

over from scratch when the system goes to FD. I have

friends that work 96 hour weeks regularly, just to

make ends meet. (Literally to pay the rent.) Some are

certified, and some are licsensed. And people accept

this as normal.

I have some of my own ideas why things are the way

they are. I also learned a long time ago that it's

not worth the aggravation to bring them up. Someone

summed it all up in an earlier post about education,

the EMS is as unstable as it was 20 years ago. This

breaks my heart, but it is so very true. I love EMS

and being a medic. But, just because you love

something, doesn't make it healthy for you. I am

friends with a young lady, who used to be an Explorer

where I worked. She has always wanted to be a

paramedic, and would have been a damn good one. But,

once she really saw the inner workings of systems

(granted, not all of them), and got past the " helping

people is my life " rhetoric, there is no way she'll do

this. And that is a terrible loss to all of us.

In an attempt to stifle the diatribe that I feel

myself heading into, I'm gonna share one more thing

that happened to me the other day, then hit send. I

was talking with a non-EMS frind of mine, and I told

him that I figured I was burning out. He busted out

laughing and said, " You're not burning out, you're

just finally seeing that this is nuts! " Yeah, real

funny, eh?

I feel for you. Good luck.

Connie

--- newemtb wrote:

> I am pretty new to EMS. I obtained my

> certification as an EMT in

> the state of Texas nine months ago. I am also quite

> young. However, I

> spent the past five years working for a

> multi-national not-for-profit

> corporation, so I'm not entirely new to the

> workforce. I must admit

> that I had no idea what I was getting into when I

> started working in

> this field.

> In no way am I trying to insult anybody that has

> been in this field

> for a long period of time, but I am blown away that

> so many people

> accept working 60+ hours a week simply to make ends

> meet. How in the

> world was that allowed to start, not to mention

> continue for so many

> years? We are not unskilled laborers. We all, in

> theory at least,

> possess skills that most people do not. We cannot

> simply be replaced

> by anyone at any time. Only other people with the

> same skills can

> replace anybody in EMS, and the number of people

> possessing such

> skills is extremely limited. This isn't like working

> in retail where

> any mindless person can be taught how to run a cash

> register in a day

> or two. But somehow, those mindless people make more

> money an hour

> than myself, a skilled laborer.

> I am not unhappy with my employer. I have no

> problems with any of

> the supervisors or owners of the private company in

> Houston. So, no,

> I am not a disgruntled worker. I am, however, a

> person that has found

> myself trapped in a dead-end job. The reason I

> consider this a dead-

> end job is because the only way to move up the food

> chain is to

> obtain a higher level of certification. I would love

> to do so. BUT I

> cannot, because I am unable to find an institution

> offering the

> courses necessary to challenge the state exam. Sure,

> there are

> several community colleges in the Houston area that

> supposedly offer

> the necessary courses, and even offer Associate

> Degrees in EMS. But

> when you look into all those programs, very few

> courses are actually

> offered each semester. Even when a community college

> offers a few

> courses necessary to complete their certificate or

> degree program,

> they still adhere to the typical college schedule

> with classes

> meeting up to three times a week.

> I am currently working a 24-hour shift on a

> nine-day rotation. It

> is impossible for me to attend a regularly scheduled

> college course

> while working on this rotation. If I decided to ask

> for a move to a

> day truck, the number of hours I work per week would

> be reduced, thus

> making it impossible for me to keep up with my bills

> each month.

> I've met many people in this field that believe

> everyone should be

> happy to simply have a job. I do not agree with that

> at all. What

> other field of work staffed by skilled laborers

> tells their employees

> to be happy they have a job, and not expect anything

> more than a

> paycheck to stay happy? Sure, it is nice to have a

> paycheck every two

> weeks, but the company can only write out those

> paychecks because

> myself an others like me work our butts off earning

> them money.

> Currently, I am paid a whopping $7 an hour. I

> haven't worked for such

> a low baseline rate of pay since I was 17 year old.

> I could make more

> per hour if I were to work for another private

> company, but then I

> would be sacrificing other things that are more

> important to me. I

> will not work for a construction worker that

> ILLEGALY holds employees

> paychecks when their run reports aren't filled out

> properly (to make

> him the most money). I will not work for a company

> that has a history

> of rubber paychecks. I will not work for a company

> that thrives on

> their dialysis patients...nearly all of whom they

> picked up by paying

> off social workers in dialysis centers. So I stick

> with the more

> reputable company and work my butt off just to live

> month to month.

> I am in no way referring to anybody on this list,

> but I have

> noticed that, even though I have not yet finished my

> degree (I

> dropped out of college one semester from graduation

> to start a career

> in EMS), I am a definite minority in this field. I

> have some

> education to speak of. Perhaps that is why the

> practice of working so

> many hours of overtime every single week has

> continued for so long.

> However, most companies I have looked into do not

> even recognize

> education as a basis for higher rates of pay. I

> would love to find

> out that more than a handful of providers in this

> state offer a large

> difference in pay to licensed paramedics than

> certified paramedics.

> Like it or not, a licensed paramedic has a higher

> level of education

> that a certified paramedic. There is no other field

> of work that I am

> aware of where a college degree is not seen as a

> major advantage over

> lack of education. Yes, experience counts…but not as

> much as a

> good

> education. Now all of you that were just infuriated

> by that last

> comment, stop and think. If you were to use that

> line of reasoning on

> a 16 year old that wants to drop out of high school

> because he or she

> doesn't think they have anything else to learn, how

> asinine would you

> look? Obviously, it is better to have more education

> than less. No,

> the degree I was pursuing had absolutely nothing to

> do with EMS or

> anything related to health or medicine or even

> anything related to

> any field of science. But I have noticed a definite

> difference in

> those with some education versus those with little

> education.

> Critical thinking skills are definitely lacking in

> many individuals

> whose paths I have crossed since I became an EMT.

> I have also noticed that there seems to be little

> more required of

> a person than showing up with their current

> certifications. There are

> countless people working on ambulances throughout

> this city that seem

> to take very little pride in their appearance. They

> walk in and out

> of facilities looking rather disheveled, with their

> wrinkled uniform

> shirts half untucked and faded pants partially

> tucked into their

> boots due to sheer laziness.

> I have also noticed an abundance of physically

> unfit people in this

> field. How can so many people work in a

> health-related field and be

> the perfect pictures of MI's waiting to happen? Of

> course it would be

> difficult to be the picture of health when the only

> thing you usually

> have time to eat is from a fast food restaurant, but

> it is not

> impossible.

> I joke with my friends that have nothing to do

> with EMS and tell

> them they should take an EMT course. But it is only

> a joke because

> there are very few people that would actually want

> to do this type of

> work. In my nine short months in this field, I have

> been puked on,

> spit at, yelled at, cursed at, punched, treated like

> complete crap by

> dispatchers that think they have some sort of power

> over the people

> actually running the calls, and forced to spend 24

> hours at a time

> with people that I absolutely despise. And that is

> just a sample of

> my wonderful experiences thus far.

> Believe it or not, I love my job, and I don't want

> to

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

December 5, 2001

Unfortunately the posts in this thread are all too true, however, the

reasons are more depressing than those implied in the previous posts.

If you look at EMS from an economic point of view, and in reality everything

should be viewed in this manner, then you can see the sad truth about EMS.

EMS pay is low because EMS reimbursement is low, EMS reimbursement is low

because people value EMS less than they value other products in this

economy. People may say how important EMS is and they may say that EMS is

worth the cost but in reality, what people say does not matter, it is what

people spend their money on that really says what they value. Therefore,

when people complain about a $500 ambulance bill that came after they rolled

their car in a ditch but they have no problem spending $200+ for tickets to

a game, they are telling us something about their idea of the value of EMS.

When a city refuses to pay more for EMS because they claim to not have

enough money but yet, will pay exorbitant amounts of money for stadiums and

arenas for professional athletic teams. Why, because the consumer values

the product created by the stadium more than the services given by EMS.

(Yes this is over simplified but remember, when you spend money you are

choosing between different products or services, you will spend your money

on the products and services you value and not on those that you do not

value.)

What we need to do is raise the level of awareness of the consumer, the one

that spends the dollar on the service they value the most because right now,

that service is not EMS! I believe you will find that in the communities

were the EMS is properly funded and very successful, there is a large amount

of public awareness of EMS and its' mission. A good example is on

County and TCEMS. I am certain that they have made concerted efforts to

increase the awareness of the communities concerning EMS and are being

justly rewarded for their efforts.

For services that rely on interfacility transports and nursing home

business, the challenge is even greater. You have to convince hospitals,

nursing homes, patients and elected officials that the service you provide

is worth the cost of providing it. That is no easy task and is the biggest

challenge for non-emergent EMS systems. Especially when you have, within

the EMS community itself, disdain for interfacility transports (I am sure

most of you out there have heard of the disgusting term " tote " in reference

to a patient on a non-emergency transport). So if we think the provision of

interfacility transport is unworthy of our time and effort, then why do we

expect our elected officials and our hospitals, nursing homes and patients

to think the transport is worth their money!

Though EMS has changed little in 20 years, with regards to stability, it has

improved dramatically in quality (i.e. " Mother, Jugs, and Speed " !). All we

need to do now is convince the consumer (whomever that be) that the service

is worth their money! Of course, that is not an easy tasks, especially when

we do not value the service ourselves!!! (interfacility transports)

Flame away,

Steve Dralle, EMT-P EMSC

San , TX

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions or policies of

my employers.

December 5, 2001

And what was your name again? You seem to have forgotten to sign your post.