Houston Fire

[TechMedic]

Hey guys, Im a soon to be EMT-B thats just finishing up my clinicals. I just did my rotation at the Houston Fire Department and it was awesome.

Are there many HFD medics here?

 

[STXmedic]

Mmm... HFD... Nothing like stupid firefighting, terrible EMS, and horrible pay to start off a career

 

[Joe]

Mmm... HFD... Nothing like stupid firefighting, terrible EMS, and horrible pay to start off a career

LOL! atleast its a start hahaha

 

[TechMedic]

Mmm... HFD... Nothing like stupid firefighting, terrible EMS, and horrible pay to start off a career

Thanks for the warm welcome...

 

[Handsome Robb]

Thanks for the warm welcome...

It's nothing against you. It tends to be the general consensus. Odd dispatch practices that some will argue caused the death of a 4 year old but thats another can of worms that I don't want to get into. Paramedics who have been sent through a 3 month paramedic "patch factory" school. I can't comment on the firefighting side of it, I don't fight fire.

 

[Napkins]

You sound very bitter towards fire. It's important to remember that we are all on the same team...

 

[Handsome Robb]

You sound very bitter towards fire. It's important to remember that we are all on the same team...

I don't have any problem with firefighters or the fire department, I just pointed out why some people frown on HFD, there's plenty of posts around here that say similar things. .

You should tell the fire departments where I work the same thing about being on the same team.

 

[STXmedic]

You sound very bitter towards fire. It's important to remember that we are all on the same team...

I am a firefighter. That just further enforces my opinion of HFD. I also have a ton of friends that either currently or previously worked there (including the guy laying in the bunk next to me right now) who all share the same opinion. But take it as such, an opinion. A very widely accepted opinion...

 

[TechMedic]

Whats bad about HFD? I guess Im not paying close enough attention.

 

[STXmedic]

Firefighting: Overly aggressive to the point that it's stupid and dangerous. (going in to buildings that are obviously a loss and not conducive to life of victims, just to see who can go in furthest). There's a reason HFD accounts for so many of the LODDs in the fire service. And I wish I had a number to show injuries as well. Stupid firefighting.

EMS: Patch factory medics that are very much the stereotype firefighters that are forced to do EMS. And now, apparently they screwed up their dispatch in such a way that they are potentially putting patient's lives in danger before they even get on scene.

Considering the high call volume, high number of actual fires they get, and being from a major city, their pay is laughable. I'm making, as just a lowly firefighter here working little-to-no OT, the same pay as a CAPTAIN in Houston. Benefits are just as bad.

 

[TechMedic]

I'd like to think I was trained pretty well, but whats a good city to go into EMS?

 

[STXmedic]

I'd like to think I was trained pretty well, but whats a good city to go into EMS?

Hope you were, there's always a need for competent prehospital providers

Major cities in Tx: Austin and Fort Worth.
There are many major counties and smaller cities that are great to work for, too. I can't think of the ones around east Tx, but know there's a few.

 

[Sublime]

Hope you were, there's always a need for competent prehospital providers

Major cities in Tx: Austin and Fort Worth.
There are many major counties and smaller cities that are great to work for, too. I can't think of the ones around east Tx, but know there's a few.

ETMC (East Texas Medical Center) runs the ambulance service for most of east texas.