I love my state. We’re Number 1…alphabetically.

As a fire-medic, I continued to work for ground and air transport agencies, part-time, because I loved the patient contact – and my job.  I thought all my colleagues wanted to be excellent care providers and had a natural love for helping people.  Yet somehow, I just didn’t fit.

Now, back in private EMS working for a transport ambulance corporation, I see things more clearly.  First, I’m saddened to see the care provided by my former firefighter paramedics.  I know they don’t have the support of their agencies or their union brothers and sisters, but it is really sad to watch sometimes.  Second, private ambulance services, for the most part, are just a stepping stone to a “real” job – but that has more to do with pay, benefits, and working conditions.  There are some really good medics working for the private agencies.

Finally, it is sad to see that fire-based agencies are holding back EMS because what we have is good enough; and private agencies are holding it back because of costs.  We are still stuck in the 1980s, and it’s time to move forward.  We need a new model – and Wake County (as are others), may be paving the way for us.

I was actually not told I *needed* my medic. I was told that I would have about a 150% better shot if I had my medic. I have family up there in the public services (Brother is a police officer for Elgin, Father worked for Aurora PD for 10+ years).

I took my medic because I wanted to be a medic. I am applying for fire because I want to be a medic, and run 911 calls (in Arizona, where I currently live, private ambo companies, like PMT and Southwest only do transport, fire does 911 calls)

I think (speaking from my very very limited experience) that it all comes down to money. Honestly, if a house gets 100 calls a year for fire, if they dont do SOMETHING else, how can they justify a raise? Or better yet, if they run 100 calls a year, and their response time averages 3-3.5 minutes, and another station down the road runs 100 calls a year, and averages 4-4.5 minute response times to the same calls, why not get rid of one of the departments? I mean its only 1 minute right (easy to say, unless your the one in trouble)?

So, and again I reiterate that my opinion is of limited experience in the field, I would say fire based EMS is really saving fire's *ss, as far as keeping houses open, and keeping firemen employed.

my e-mail is s@maricopa.edu. If you still check this post for comments, I'd like to hear more about this from you.

I was actually not told I *needed* my medic. I was told that I would have about a 150% better shot if I had my medic. I have family up there in the public services (Brother is a police officer for Elgin, Father worked for Aurora PD for 10+ years).

I took my medic because I wanted to be a medic. I am applying for fire because I want to be a medic, and run 911 calls (in Arizona, where I currently live, private ambo companies, like PMT and Southwest only do transport, fire does 911 calls)

I think (speaking from my very very limited experience) that it all comes down to money. Honestly, if a house gets 100 calls a year for fire, if they dont do SOMETHING else, how can they justify a raise? Or better yet, if they run 100 calls a year, and their response time averages 3-3.5 minutes, and another station down the road runs 100 calls a year, and averages 4-4.5 minute response times to the same calls, why not get rid of one of the departments? I mean its only 1 minute right (easy to say, unless your the one in trouble)?

So, and again I reiterate that my opinion is of limited experience in the field, I would say fire based EMS is really saving fire's *ss, as far as keeping houses open, and keeping firemen employed.

my e-mail is s@maricopa.edu. If you still check this post for comments, I'd like to hear more about this from you.