Report Finds that Privatizing Houston EMS would Save Money

[46Young]

There are a few privates around Houston that would be plenty capable of handling their EMS. And they all pay well, have nice equipment and have retirement plans

By "retirement plans," I'll assume you mean a pension (defined benefit) instead of a 401k (defined contribution). I've seen more and more privates and non-profits go to hybrid systems, or to DC plans altogether, and if you're lucky, you can be grandfathered in. If you're not so lucky, you just get a lump sum dumped into your 401k instead.

I'm even seeing some municipal and state employers look into DC plans, although I don't see how that would work, since most who work municipal instead of private trade a lower salary for the pension and job security.

No pension is safe with private employers.

 

[Fish]

Privatizing Houston screams Acadian, Paramedics Plus or AMR, does it not?

I would think so, I do not know who else is big enough for it. I know Acadian is large, but I wonder if they are large "enough" they have zero operations that are near this size, maybe Bexar County? AMR and Paramedics plus are a been there done tha for large County and City services and could easily move in, one thing to point out is that ETMC (Paramedics Plus's mothership) runs EMS for Pasadena, Tx. Which is the city next door to Houston.

 

[Veneficus]

I would think so, I do not know who else is big enough for it. I know Acadian is large, but I wonder if they are large "enough" they have zero operations that are near this size, maybe Bexar County? AMR and Paramedics plus are a been there done tha for large County and City services and could easily move in, one thing to point out is that ETMC (Paramedics Plus's mothership) runs EMS for Pasadena, Tx. Which is the city next door to Houston.

I am sure Acadian could do it without a whole lot of effort.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

[Fish]

I am sure Acadian could do it without a whole lot of effort.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea either.

One thing is for sure, they pay the most.

 

[Veneficus]

One thing is for sure, they pay the most.

Acadian is a very respectable company.

I have never seen any private organization nor many public ones that can match their quality in just about every aspect of their business.

(I am no longer employed by them and I don't get paid to endorse them, but I give credit where credit is due.)

 

[shfd739]

I am sure Acadian could do it without a whole lot of effort.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea either.

It would be a lot of effort lol. But we could handle it.

ETMC is in Pasadena and would be another one that could do a good job with Houston.

 

[shfd739]

Acadian is a very respectable company.

I have never seen any private organization nor many public ones that can match their quality in just about every aspect of their business.

(I am no longer employed by them and I don't get paid to endorse them, but I give credit where credit is due.)

What area did you work in?

 

[Fish]

Acadian is a very respectable company.

I have never seen any private organization nor many public ones that can match their quality in just about every aspect of their business.

(I am no longer employed by them and I don't get paid to endorse them, but I give credit where credit is due.)

Did you work for them as a Medic? and where at?

 

[Veneficus]

It would be a lot of effort lol. But we could handle it.

Coming from the company that had a more realistic bid for gulf coast disaster response than both the IAFF proposal and AMR?

Do I detect some modesty in the big green monster?

 

[Veneficus]

Did you work for them as a Medic? and where at?

Many years ago south of Baton Rogue.

I have only good things to say about the company, but I am too Yankee for the deep south.

 

[triemal04]

In life safety situations 2 in 2 out doesn't apply. You cant do 2 in 2 out with a four man crew as your 2 out cant be engaged in other activities (incident commander and engineer)You can maintain 2 in 2 out with 6 people, but you can't mount a full interior attack. Which may keep people from thinking with their balls and having roofs fall on their head.

Being wrong on semantics is still being wrong. So...wrong and wrong. Leave the discussions about firefighting to people who know about it. Preferably not on a forum about EMS. I will say though, that the NFPA 2/2 guideline could be written better, and, as practiced by far to many departments, needs a lot of work.

Yep, most privates refuse to accept 10 weeks of paramedic school.

Sorry...had to stop laughing before I could start typing. Most privates, and most hospital-based, and most municipal...hell, most EMS agencies will accept someone who holds the appropriate certification regardless of where they went to school. Don't try and delude yourself or others into thinking otherwise.

No pension is safe with private employers.

To be fair though, no pension is safe with public employers either. There have been enough lawsuits and revisions to the system here in the last few years to make me very happy I also have a personal retirement account.

A public retirement plan might be harder to change, but that doesn't mean that it isn't possible to still be screwed when it's your turn to go. I can see the benefit to employee of having a pension based of a 401(k) or deferred comp account with an employer match program in that they know what they have when they retire, and there isn't a possibility of their benefits being...altered...a few years later.

 

[Fish]

Many years ago south of Baton Rogue.

I have only good things to say about the company, but I am too Yankee for the deep south.

I for some reason thought you lived in England

 

[Fish]

Coming from the company that had a more realistic bid for gulf coast disaster response than both the IAFF proposal and AMR?

Do I detect some modesty in the big green monster?

The IAFF? What was their proposal

 

[Fish]

Sorry...had to stop laughing before I could start typing. Most privates, and most hospital-based, and most municipal...hell, most EMS agencies will accept someone who holds the appropriate certification regardless of where they went to school. Don't try and delude yourself or others into thinking otherwise

Most EMS agencies? Absolutely not....... Do Fire services USUALLY look for the fastest and cheapest Paramedic school around? Absolutely yes..... Infact most Fire Deptartments do not even have a Medical component to their hiring process, so make fun of private EMS services for the hire anyone with a pulse mentality all you want. But, Fire Departments do not do much better when it comes to screening for Medical knowledge and ability.

No I do not work a private service(before you try to take that approach in your rebutle)

 

[triemal04]

Most EMS agencies? Absolutely not....... Do Fire services USUALLY look for the fastest and cheapest Paramedic school around? Absolutely yes..... Infact most Fire Deptartments do not even have a Medical component to their hiring process, so make fun of private EMS services for the hire anyone with a pulse mentality all you want. But, Fire Departments do not do much better when it comes to screening for Medical knowledge and ability.

No I do not work a private service(before you try to take that approach in your rebutle)

I'm not talking about sending people to paramedic school; I know HFD does that, and lousy as NCTI may be I'd still rather work with someone from there versus a quick patch factory like TEEX.

I'm not talking about the hiring and testing process for getting a job either; I agree that, generally speaking fire department's do a poor job of testing for medical knowledge, even for paramedics. (yes, there absolutely are ones that do very good, but, admittedly, in general not that great)

I'm specifically referring to the comment that a private ambulance service wouldn't accept someone from a 10-week paramedic program. That is such a load of bull:censored::censored::censored::censored: it shouldn't even have been mentioned. While I have no doubt that some services will ask for where someone was taught, overall...in every type of service...it doesn't happen. An applicant's knowledge may, and should, be tested, but as long as they meet the agencies standard and have the appropriate certifications...where they were taught is rarely an issue.

 

[Fish]

I'm not talking about sending people to paramedic school; I know HFD does that, and lousy as NCTI may be I'd still rather work with someone from there versus a quick patch factory like TEEX.

I'm not talking about the hiring and testing process for getting a job either; I agree that, generally speaking fire department's do a poor job of testing for medical knowledge, even for paramedics. (yes, there absolutely are ones that do very good, but, admittedly, in general not that great)

I'm specifically referring to the comment that a private ambulance service wouldn't accept someone from a 10-week paramedic program. That is such a load of bull:censored::censored::censored::censored: it shouldn't even have been mentioned. While I have no doubt that some services will ask for where someone was taught, overall...in every type of service...it doesn't happen. An applicant's knowledge may, and should, be tested, but as long as they meet the agencies standard and have the appropriate certifications...where they were taught is rarely an issue.

Copy....... and agreed

 

[RocketMedic]

I think the real question is whether or not HFD provides quality care. I don't know, never worked there, never been, and I've never really cared. So do they, or can Houston do better (and cheaper, apparently.)?

 

[Fish]

Yes.

How is it there?

 

[46Young]

How is it there?

Besides going from running only ALS job types back home (NY) to now running everything and getting real patients once in a blue, things are great here. I'm making more than the supervisors back home, and also more than what was offered as the hiring range for the Assistant Director for Charleston County EMS (used to work there too, back in '07-'08). If I stayed single role EMS only, I'd probably have moved on to another career due to burnout, and maybe stayed per diem at the most. I'd be a ten year person, and I don't see myself doing field EMS and nothing but for that long, let alone for 25-30 years. It's too much like Groundhog Day. Here, there's so many different directions to go in the department. It keeps you fresh.

What do you want to know in particular?

 

[Fish]

Besides going from running only ALS job types back home (NY) to now running everything and getting real patients once in a blue, things are great here. I'm making more than the supervisors back home, and also more than what was offered as the hiring range for the Assistant Director for Charleston County EMS (used to work there too, back in '07-'08). If I stayed single role EMS only, I'd probably have moved on to another career due to burnout, and maybe stayed per diem at the most. I'd be a ten year person, and I don't see myself doing field EMS and nothing but for that long, let alone for 25-30 years. It's too much like Groundhog Day. Here, there's so many different directions to go in the department. It keeps you fresh.

What do you want to know in particular?

How did you like Charelston County EMS? You got offered the Assistant Director spot? What did that pay?

Where in NY did you work?