Re: Do volunteers affect pay for full-time medics?

[Guest guest]

Mr. Murray,

I'm afraid that your comments illustrate the misinformation and the better

than though attitude that plagues EMS in Texas. While I respect your right

to voice your opinion, I cannot sit and not respond to some of your

uninformed statements.

1. Define professional. Do you mean that someone is professional because

they get paid to perform a service? Is someone a professional because they

demean other services and employees? Is someone professional because they

display a better than thou attitude? Does a professional receive different

training than those who are unpaid?

I have seen type of attitude all to often in my tenure in EMS and fire

service. Especially on this list server. I'm sorry, I just won't buy it.

Volunteer is a word that many paid professionals and public perceive to

mean, untrained and unprofessional. The unpaid professional (volunteer if

you must) is trained in the same methods and techniques as their paid

counterparts, and in some cases we are trained better. I know of many 90 day

wonders that were pushed through a crash course and sent out on the streets

in the cities. While I was personally involved in a program (in the 70's)

that required more hours of training and clinicals than the State required.

I was a volunteer at the time in a rural area. Bottom line: I am a

professional in my paid position, and I am the same professional as an

unpaid volunteer. BTW, I know many RN's, Carpenters, Attorneys, and even a

couple of physicians who " routinely " volunteer for fire and EMS services.

Remember this Mr. Murray, some of our forefathers were volunteers. Ben

lin, and Hancock to name a couple. Founders of our " democracy " .

To say that it is ok for a city, town or county to be without EMS, is just

about the most unprofessional statement that can be made. I don't know of a

single case where the governing body of any jurisdiction has ever said EMS

was not necessary. It is just that a particular area cannot afford to pay to

have a fully paid service. It is a fact of life in the real world that most

rural areas of this democracy, do not have the rich pockets as where you

apparently were fortunate to have lived.

No Mr. Murray, it is not only a simple supply and demand situation. Services

are having to provide $100,000 ambulances, Liability insurance out the wazoo

due to our lawsuit conscious society, ( which by the way affect the

volunteer services just like the paid services), decreasing reimbursement

from HMO's, Medicare, the uninsured not paying, and on and on and on.

Finally, let me say that I too would like more money, but at what cost. If

we have to pay more sales tax, income taxes and fees to be able to make more

money, have we really gained anything?

Lee

>

> - [texasems-L] Re: Paramedic Pay...IS LOW FOR A REASON

>

> I see everyone whining about low pay and we should be paid as high as

> RNs,

> all they do is sit at a desk and do paperwork.

>

> Well here is the real answer to why you are making less than a trash

> man,

> pizza man, or bus driver.

>

> It is called the rule of supply and demand, which I agree with

> totally. If

> you have and keep a full staff of medics and you are paying the $8.00

> an

> hour, that is what the job is worth. Is does not matter that you get

> up

> " sometimes " at night, or you save a life " a couple of times a year " .

>

> When the medic says I am sorry Mr. Private Ambulance Service, or Mr.

> County/City/ EMS Service I DO NOT accept the position you have

> offered to me

> because I am worth more and if you need to contact me you can do so

> at the

> local Walmart.

>

> When all you " will work for food Medics " do that, then the pay might

> rise to

> an acceptable level.

>

> Think about it this way.....Geez these guys are paying me $8.00 an

> hour that

> a lot of people do for free. Do you know any accountants, RNs,

> Carpenters,

> etc that routinely donate their time and put other people out of

> work?

>

> Professional does not equal volunteer. It is ok to volunteer to get

> the

> service up and going or as a first responder but there should NEVER

> be a

> transport made by a volunteer. It is OK to leave a community without

> service

> if that community decides that EMS is not necessary. This is a

> democracy, if

> the people don't want to pay for it, by all means do not give it to

> them for

> free. (they always seem to find money for stadiums, parks and a lot

> of

> perks)

>

> Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free????????

>

> ______________________________________________________

>

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