NYMedic828
Forum Deputy Chief
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Personally, I feel this is one of the biggest factors holding EMS back, especially on an educational and professional level.
For starters, few people will take your work seriously when you tell them you are an EMT and their response is "o that's great my nephew is a volunteer at ____."
How can you be looked at as a professional when half of the certified group is willing to do it
For free as a hobby.
Secondly, it is much easier to advance a group that is mandated by an employer than it is to do so with one that really has no necessary requirements. I can't force you to come to my "training" at the volunteer house, but If you work for me and want to keep your job you damn well better come. Everything is always justified with "what do you expect, we're just volunteers."
MANY, not all, volunteer providers also more inexperienced than those who do it on a daily basis. You can't expect someone who does 2 assessments a month to ever gain competence in any realistic timeframe.
There are obviously other factors but these are just my main thoughts. Keep in mind, I am a volunteer when I am not at work and nothing I see on a regular basis gives me any reason to want to keep volunteer EMS in existence.
For starters, few people will take your work seriously when you tell them you are an EMT and their response is "o that's great my nephew is a volunteer at ____."
How can you be looked at as a professional when half of the certified group is willing to do it
For free as a hobby.
Secondly, it is much easier to advance a group that is mandated by an employer than it is to do so with one that really has no necessary requirements. I can't force you to come to my "training" at the volunteer house, but If you work for me and want to keep your job you damn well better come. Everything is always justified with "what do you expect, we're just volunteers."
MANY, not all, volunteer providers also more inexperienced than those who do it on a daily basis. You can't expect someone who does 2 assessments a month to ever gain competence in any realistic timeframe.
There are obviously other factors but these are just my main thoughts. Keep in mind, I am a volunteer when I am not at work and nothing I see on a regular basis gives me any reason to want to keep volunteer EMS in existence.
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