ems discounts on food and stuff

reaper

Working Bum
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We have many gas stations that give free coffee and drinks to EMS,FD and LEO. As some have said, new people don't always know this and may not do it. I have seen people get a drink and walk out the door, just expecting it.

Anytime I go in, I always go to counter to pay for it. If it's free, great. If I pay for it, oh well. I never expect it, but nice when it happens. If a partner says something about it or walks out, i will pay for it and then chew their ***!

Almost every restaurant chain in town gives discounts and it helps. I also always make sure I thank them, very loudly!
 

TransportJockey

Forum Chief
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Oh I forgot. Cold Stone Creamery give 50% off while on duty. Great for when you accidently hit a curb :p
 

exodus

Forum Deputy Chief
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Chipotles gives half off to LEO occasional EMS, same with IN n Out.
 

TransportJockey

Forum Chief
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That might make me want to become a wacker and get some EMS t-shirts.

I might do that AND drive to AZ just to get some In N Out
 

Aidey

Community Leader Emeritus
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There are a few places that do discounts, but it does really depend. The hospital cafeterias are the most consistent, with anyone in uniform getting a discount. There are also several places that give us free drinks with our food and stuff like that.

I personally am a regular at a coffee shop and sandwich shop which I stop at on the way to work (so I'm in uniform). I've had someone pay for my coffee randomly, and I've also received extra toppings or an extra punch on my card from the sandwich place. They've also given me coupons to bring back to our main station, and I know people use them. So for that place they probably figure it is a mutually beneficial situation. If I stay a regular, they get other people from my company in.

We do have an official discount at the auto parts store the company uses. If we show our ID we get a 20% discount. It's basically a high volume discount since the company spends so much there.
 

CAOX3

Forum Deputy Chief
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I dont think anything in our area has a discount program but some give us more or an extra donut(like I need that:)).

The most memorable was, in line at a drive thru fast food joint at about midnight and the lady in front of us paid for our meal, she told the window person that if we were eating at midnight it must have been a rough night.

Very nice.
 

mycrofft

Still crazy but elsewhere
11,322
48
48
Discounts for LEO are illegal.

They are called "gratuities". I'd do it if I was a business owner, jsut no favors in return.
Two of my coworkers got their meal free when they Heimliched another diner. I did it and they cleared my plate to be washed. Go figure.
Walgreen's Drugstores in Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska used to extend a 10% professional discount to RN's and MD's, no idea if it still exists or extends to techs.
 
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Dominion

Forum Asst. Chief
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Aside from the normal discounts, how many of you have gotten something like this before. Quiet day, my partner and I decided to go sit down and grab a bite to eat. We had a gift card and wanted to go. We sat down, had a couple glasses of tea, food gets there, first bite we get toned out. While my partner is getting the run info I hunt down our waiter real fast, give him my card and tell him I'll be back for it when we're done with our run and to just hang on to it.

We finish the run, go back. I run inside to grab my card and my waiter says to me "Hangon, gotta go get something, be right back."
He disappears into the back and comes out with two fresh orders of what we bought and the manager in tow. Manager says foods half off and fresh. Waiter got about a 60% tip. Was just a VERY pleasant suprise, especially after earlier in the week we bought fast food, no discount, got a run before it was done. Came back and were told we needed to order an entire new meal and pay for the new meal also.
 

JPINFV

Gadfly
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I was never brave enough to actually go to a sit down restaurant when working. Everything was fast food or quick casual and "to go."
 

Mountain Res-Q

Forum Deputy Chief
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Sonics gave us 50% off (great in 100 degree summer when a fresh fruit freeze hits the spot)
Hospital Cafeterias gave us 50% off (not that it was eatable)
Cingular Cellular gave EMS and Fire something like 40% off and the company I am with now (better coverage for me) only gives a 10% off to LE, which I get for being a volunteer with the Sheriff's Office
A local Outdoor Adventure Retail Company gives 10% off for SAR
Black Diamond (another Outdoor Retail Company) gives ~45% off for SAR

There were/are a few other places that don’t have a standard policy for discounts on food and other stuff but would sometime give us things for free if in uniform. It is nice of a company/business to do so, but it is not expected… just a nice acknowledgement that is really undeserved…
 

CAOX3

Forum Deputy Chief
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Our call volume tends to be low enough that we get away with it fairly often.


Lucky, I cant even sniff the inside of a resturaunt. I dont know how many meals I have paid for and never had a chance to eat.

Oh well.
 

VFFforpeople

Forum Captain
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The dennys in my city give discounts (lucky it is the good one..not the bad one lol). Also, allstate gives me a discount. I just have to show my fire ID and it is posted in the door (at dennys), so I didnt demand it. The local steak house gives a discount as well, and last summer we got a free meal for being on a strike team.
 
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FLEMTP

Forum Captain
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I did have, on one occassion, a day that we were extremely busy, and tried to eat dinner, and tried to eat dinner, and FINALLY got to sit down, and enjoy a nice dinner. We were stuffed and very happy with the service, especially the speed of service. We were preparing to leave, and asked the waitress for the bill, and she tells us that our bill has been taken care of by one of the folks in the restaurant. We had our suspicions it was the waitress, but in any case we were VERY appreciative, and still left a sizable tip for our waitress. We insisted that our bill did not need to be taken care of, but we asked that she relay our appreciation to the mystery patron.

First and only time ive had that happen, really makes all the thankless times seem so trivial!
 

PrincessAnika

Forum Crew Member
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1
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we have a few locally owned places cafes/delis/etc that give significant discounts (50% mostly) and a couple gas stations that give free fountain drinks/hot drinks- coffee cappuccino etc. to on duty personnel. the one subway that was next to one of the volly ambos would give that service 50% off, on duty.
we also have a couple ff places that if we get a call and come back later they will remake the food fresh.
 

TripsTer

Forum Crew Member
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Lenny's, a sandwich shop comparable to Subway was the last place that gave us discounts in our still alarm. It closed down about a month ago. Rumored because the other shifts constantly abused it, going there breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It wasn't us because we usually cook. Whether they shut down due to that remains a mystery...

Now the other shifts complain because no one else gives them discounts. On the rare occurances we do get food at an outside venue, I never expect a discount, and we rarely get one.
 

phideux

Forum Captain
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I work part-time at a gun shop/shooting range. We give a discount to any military, police, fire, or ems/rescue people. On duty or off. Most of the people that work there are fire, police, ems/rescue, or military. Or were at one time. :p:p:p
 

TransportJockey

Forum Chief
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I work part-time at a gun shop/shooting range. We give a discount to any military, police, fire, or ems/rescue people. On duty or off. Most of the people that work there are fire, police, ems/rescue, or military. Or were at one time. :p:p:p

On that topic, the Glock Homeland Security Discount jumps to mind. I don't know how I forgot that one. I bought my first pistol, a G19, using that program.
 
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