Proof positive there isn't a need for firefighters. The need is for paramedics, EMS personnel and I don't want to hear that crap that "We are cross trained and we do everything."
The only reason firefighters are cross trained as EMT's is because the Firefighter I certification calls for it. They can't get a job without it.
The firefighter EMT's do not want to do patient care they only want to drive the ambulance so they can drive fast and blow people off the road with lights and sirens. They would rather ride the fire truck and sleep at night.
Most firefighters want the job for the thrill of driving fast and being in the middle of the action with the look at me syndrome. They don't take the job for the passion of helping others. This is painfully obvious by the multiple attacks on the public, Joe Albero and the citizens that pay their salaries.
If they truly wanted to be a patient advocate and provide real patient care then they would become paramedics and that they have not done. Very few become paramedics only because it is a pay raise and not because they desire to excel and become an Nationally Certified Paramedic.
The basic EMT course is or was approximately 120 hours whereas the Paramedic Program is a 2 year program.
A true paramedic wants to be a paramedic and dedicate his time to that and not riding the big red fire truck because it is cool. In Salisbury they make you ride the fire truck so that the firefighters can get more pay for riding the ambulance.
If you want a true dedicated paramedic service then you would need to separate the EMS division on it's own and get it out of the fire houses. It is known nationwide that EMS is job security for fire departments. Separate EMS from the Salisbury Fire Department and you will see that the volunteers can handle the so called fire calls. The need for a fat fire chief like Rick Hoppes would be a thing of the past.
Most of the paid fire staffing, fire boat, new fire trucks, new ladder trucks, new hazmat trucks was purchased because of the revenue that EMS billing generates. If fire and EMS was separate then you wouldn't have seen the wasteful spending in the fire department.
Those paramedics run themselves ragged and want to take shifts on the fire trucks so they can get some rest and sleep at night.
Other than paying for paramedic salaries the EMS revenue is not put back in EMS. There are no EMS leaders like an EMS chief, EMS Assistant Chief, EMS Captain or EMS Lieutenant. Real fire departments have those ranks for EMS. They also have EMS command vehicles and EMS support vehicles. They also have EMS Supervisor vehicles that are dispatched to assist on ambulance calls and supervise and field train but you don't see this in the Salisbury Fire Department because Rick Hoppes is not EMS oriented so he and his "executive staff" put it as a low priority. Getting promoted in the Salisbury Fire Department is pretty difficult if you are a paramedic because they think you have to be on the ambulance if you are a paramedic. The ambulance is known as the gut bucket by the higher ranks in the department.
Being a paramedic in Salisbury is difficult if you want to be promoted. It is like a glass ceiling but it has gotten better. The problem is you have to be a fire officer if you want to get promoted, but the good ole boys are mostly firemen.
Separating Fire and EMS is Salisbury would be the best thing for it's employees and especially the tax paying citizens.
Proof positive there isn't a need for firefighters. The need is for paramedics, EMS personnel and I don't want to hear that crap that "We are cross trained and we do everything."
ReplyDeleteThe only reason firefighters are cross trained as EMT's is because the Firefighter I certification calls for it. They can't get a job without it.
The firefighter EMT's do not want to do patient care they only want to drive the ambulance so they can drive fast and blow people off the road with lights and sirens. They would rather ride the fire truck and sleep at night.
Most firefighters want the job for the thrill of driving fast and being in the middle of the action with the look at me syndrome. They don't take the job for the passion of helping others. This is painfully obvious by the multiple attacks on the public, Joe Albero and the citizens that pay their salaries.
If they truly wanted to be a patient advocate and provide real patient care then they would become paramedics and that they have not done. Very few become paramedics only because it is a pay raise and not because they desire to excel and become an Nationally Certified Paramedic.
The basic EMT course is or was approximately 120 hours whereas the Paramedic Program is a 2 year program.
A true paramedic wants to be a paramedic and dedicate his time to that and not riding the big red fire truck because it is cool. In Salisbury they make you ride the fire truck so that the firefighters can get more pay for riding the ambulance.
If you want a true dedicated paramedic service then you would need to separate the EMS division on it's own and get it out of the fire houses. It is known nationwide that EMS is job security for fire departments. Separate EMS from the Salisbury Fire Department and you will see that the volunteers can handle the so called fire calls. The need for a fat fire chief like Rick Hoppes would be a thing of the past.
Most of the paid fire staffing, fire boat, new fire trucks, new ladder trucks, new hazmat trucks was purchased because of the revenue that EMS billing generates. If fire and EMS was separate then you wouldn't have seen the wasteful spending in the fire department.
Those paramedics run themselves ragged and want to take shifts on the fire trucks so they can get some rest and sleep at night.
Other than paying for paramedic salaries the EMS revenue is not put back in EMS. There are no EMS leaders like an EMS chief, EMS Assistant Chief, EMS Captain or EMS Lieutenant. Real fire departments have those ranks for EMS. They also have EMS command vehicles and EMS support vehicles. They also have EMS Supervisor vehicles that are dispatched to assist on ambulance calls and supervise and field train but you don't see this in the Salisbury Fire Department because Rick Hoppes is not EMS oriented so he and his "executive staff" put it as a low priority. Getting promoted in the Salisbury Fire Department is pretty difficult if you are a paramedic because they think you have to be on the ambulance if you are a paramedic. The ambulance is known as the gut bucket by the higher ranks in the department.
Being a paramedic in Salisbury is difficult if you want to be promoted. It is like a glass ceiling but it has gotten better.
The problem is you have to be a fire officer if you want to get promoted, but the good ole boys are mostly firemen.
Separating Fire and EMS is Salisbury would be the best thing for it's employees and especially the tax paying citizens.