Pride or just complaining?

[grind time medic]

I don't know if i am just being a stick in the mud on this topic, but i personally get a little frustrated seeing the fire part of EMS is more or less consuming the EMT/ Paramedic side.

While i am still in class and do know every aspect of things and know that fire almost always accompanies medics to scenes. I feel like there could possibly be a day were unless your willing to go into a burning building your not gonna be allowed to treat patients unless working under a "for profit agency."

I understand that because of enacted standards that fire men have to take at least EMT-B to get a job; but all through class these fire men could careless about the medical stuff and struggled to pass the class just so they could get there job as a fire man. Then do to (unintended or not) advertising that emphasize they are medics/paramedics as well there more or less to me putting out the statement "we can do everything they can and i will take care of fires as well so...... you really don't need them"

NOW!!! before i get flamed for being unappreciative, let me go on public record saying this "fire men are able to accomplish one feet that i personally have no intentions of ever trying which is, going in burning buildings!" Fire men are some of the bravest people i know to be able to go inside a building that every fiber of there body is telling them no!

with that said..... let me know your thoughts about this, would love to hear what you all have to say.

 

[Connor]

To me, fire and EMS are two distinct services. Where I live, most firefighters have their EMR, but it isn't mandatory. It's unfortunate that where you live, EMT-B is required, but at the same time I can understand that knowledge of life saving interventions could be valuable on scene - medics could be tied up or unavailable for whatever other reason. The firefighter can care for the pt. until a medic is available to transport.

The same is true for the police. I know a lot of cops who have EMR, some even have EMT-P. Just because they are trained and willing to run into a gunfight doesn't make your job as a medic redundant.

I can understand why you're frustrated about the fact that some of the firefighters in your area don't give a :censored::censored::censored::censored: about their EMT class, but there's nothing you can do about it. It would piss me off too, but it's not my problem. Just focus on what you find important and don't worry about them.

Yes, it's more complicated than that, but it's what I think.

 

[Wheel]

I don't know if i am just being a stick in the mud on this topic, but i personally get a little frustrated seeing the fire part of EMS is more or less consuming the EMT/ Paramedic side.

While i am still in class and do know every aspect of things and know that fire almost always accompanies medics to scenes. I feel like there could possibly be a day were unless your willing to go into a burning building your not gonna be allowed to treat patients unless working under a "for profit agency."

I understand that because of enacted standards that fire men have to take at least EMT-B to get a job; but all through class these fire men could careless about the medical stuff and struggled to pass the class just so they could get there job as a fire man. Then do to (unintended or not) advertising that emphasize they are medics/paramedics as well there more or less to me putting out the statement "we can do everything they can and i will take care of fires as well so...... you really don't need them"

NOW!!! before i get flamed for being unappreciative, let me go on public record saying this "fire men are able to accomplish one feet that i personally have no intentions of ever trying which is, going in burning buildings!" Fire men are some of the bravest people i know to be able to go inside a building that every fiber of there body is telling them no!

with that said..... let me know your thoughts about this, would love to hear what you all have to say.

What part of Arkansas are you in? There are a couple of decent places to work there, and if you're willing to move there are many government or nonprofit services operation around the country that aren't fire based. You just have to look around.

 

[unleashedfury]

Theres many jobs where to be a career firefighter EMT-B is a requirement some require EMT-P so they can rotate them from teh engine to a box. as needed. Do I agree with it no I don't

As far as I'm concerned theres few of us that love both I am a firefighter and a EMT just as long. while I do career EMS and finishing paramedic school I am also a keeping my skills up as a firefighter as one day I might decide to crossover if I get a chance. Lets face it paid firefighters get paid probably double in some places vs. paramedics.

My opinion is there are firefighter are very good at being a firefighter thats what they love to do. Let them do it. There is also EMT's and Paramedics that are just that EMT's or Paramedics and they love what they do have no interest in running into burning buildings or doing high angle rescue. they love the patient care and medicine aspect of their jobs. Let them do that.

There are many I know that look at the EMT or paramedic as just a merit badge to get on the job and want nothing to do with the medical aspect of it. There also comes into play the whole "funding gig" where I know for a fact that some agencies get more "funding based on call volume" so medical assists and things of the nature pad the call volume to get the extras.

The reality of it all is its a double edged sword. the more with less plays into the factors of If I got a 6 person platoon of firefighter paramedics and everyone can do everyones job. I got more to work with vs. having 4 firefighters and 2 paramedics. if someone calls off. I got a body to fill those shoes. even vacations and personal time its still easier to fill a spot if everyone can do everything even if its done poorly its still filling the spot as needed.

 

[grind time medic]

thank you for the response's guys they have been very interesting to read! and i get the feeling that we all have about the same feelings on the subject.

@connor thats pretty much all i can do.... shake my head and move on lol.

@wheel i live in the NWA.... what are the name of some national gov. services i could get on with that are near my area.... moving i am not to worried about personally its just talking to the wife about things.

@unleashedfury i can see that point as well, were the medical team has been intergrated into the fire house and there is not a seperate agency. But the only issue i have with that is in order for a person to be a medic in that situation is they have to become a fire men.... which i personally feel is not fair. But the world is not fair and nothing breaks 50 50..... thanks for the opinion

 

[Wheel]

thank you for the response's guys they have been very interesting to read! and i get the feeling that we all have about the same feelings on the subject.

@connor thats pretty much all i can do.... shake my head and move on lol.

@wheel i live in the NWA.... what are the name of some national gov. services i could get on with that are near my area.... moving i am not to worried about personally its just talking to the wife about things.

@unleashedfury i can see that point as well, were the medical team has been intergrated into the fire house and there is not a seperate agency. But the only issue i have with that is in order for a person to be a medic in that situation is they have to become a fire men.... which i personally feel is not fair. But the world is not fair and nothing breaks 50 50..... thanks for the opinion

I'm not sure about NWA. I actually worked in Central Arkansas for a private non profit service that was pretty good. I know of no national government agencies where you can do EMS in the traditional sense, but many places have county based services.

 

[grind time medic]

where in central arkansas? if you dont mind me asking how are things in arkansas compared to other places you have worked? @wheel

 

[Wheel]

where in central arkansas? if you dont mind me asking how are things in arkansas compared to other places you have worked? @wheel

PM sent

 

[grind time medic]

seen your message sent you one back

 

[terrible one]

Come to CA you won't have to worry about apathetic medical providers on a shiny red engine.

 

[bill williams]

Up here you can't even apply to an FD unless you have your EMT-P card.

 

[Christopher]

I don't know if i am just being a stick in the mud on this topic, but i personally get a little frustrated seeing the fire part of EMS is more or less consuming the EMT/ Paramedic side.

While i am still in class and do know every aspect of things and know that fire almost always accompanies medics to scenes. I feel like there could possibly be a day were unless your willing to go into a burning building your not gonna be allowed to treat patients unless working under a "for profit agency."

I understand that because of enacted standards that fire men have to take at least EMT-B to get a job; but all through class these fire men could careless about the medical stuff and struggled to pass the class just so they could get there job as a fire man. Then do to (unintended or not) advertising that emphasize they are medics/paramedics as well there more or less to me putting out the statement "we can do everything they can and i will take care of fires as well so...... you really don't need them"

NOW!!! before i get flamed for being unappreciative, let me go on public record saying this "fire men are able to accomplish one feet that i personally have no intentions of ever trying which is, going in burning buildings!" Fire men are some of the bravest people i know to be able to go inside a building that every fiber of there body is telling them no!

with that said..... let me know your thoughts about this, would love to hear what you all have to say.

An EMT certification is the minimum standard in our area for career firefighters (at the larger city/county departments). Initially we had a lot of problems as folks who had been on the job 20 years were now forced into taking an EMT class. Now, the recruits go through it as part of their academy and we have much less problems.

At the fire department I work for (smaller combination department), our minimum standard is paramedic but we take providers of all levels initially. Do we suffer the sort of problems you discuss? Nope.

Why? Because we're not doing EMS as some merit badge for additional public funding (we get beans, almost literally, to provide EMS). If you get a job with us and do not take EMS as seriously as you take suppression, you'll find yourself without a job.

If your area FD's do not have the mindset that their job description includes EMS and they should take the same pride in it as they do suppression, then yeah you're going to have problems.

 

[FiremanMike]

In my area, fire based EMS is the norm. There are a few single role county EMS agencies, but they are in the significant minority. There are certainly those who were forced to go to medic school and do a crappy job at it, but I would say the majority (at least >50%) actually enjoy doing both and do a good job in either role. My department is similar to those described by others. We're all firefighter paramedics and rotate between the fire truck and the medic..