Hey, Mike Bouser!  Remember the message about Unions?
You said to Mike Glynn on 21 Sep 96  00:40:40...
MB> As a relative newby in the EMS field (still in school) I have to wonder 
wha
MB> other options there may be besides a union.  A union that isn't actually 
do
MB> anything is pretty dumb to have around, and I think there are laws that 
lim
MB> the effectiveness of unions that deal with government agencies.  Most of 
th
MB> employment oppurtunities around here are at least county-level, sometimes
MB> state.  To me, that would make the point moot for a majority of people.  
Bu
MB> do agree that EMS seems to be underpaid in relation to other fields.  If 
mo
MB> education was required, would that change the situation any?
 
Not really. 
Consider that the Nat'l standards to be trained at Fire fighter 1 is 180
hours, and the typical paid FF gets about $15.00 per hour fresh out of FF 
school into a typical municipal job.  THe EMT-B curriculum is 150 hours, 
including HAZMAT and bloodborne and ariborne pathogens, and do your typical 
EMT's make $15.00 per hour?  Notice that the amount of time is similar for 
initial training, and yet there are an average of 60 calls per day for call 
volume for EMS (including "non-emergency" transportation that requires 
edical
supervision).  Additionally, once you're a FF1, you're a FF1 forever, EMT's 
have to retrain every year for 24 hours, or they lose their certification.
Liability- wise, a Fire department can independantly authorize forcable entry 
into a house for the purpose of mere -property- protection, an EMT has to 
ait
for a sworn officer of either the FF or PD to gain access for -life- 
threatening- conditions.  The KITLOD law sanctions a capital felony against 
killing a FF or LEO while killed in the line of duty if the act was connected 
in a crime, for EMT's, they don't rate that kind of respect from the gov't, 
and it's just anuddah murder in the city, even though its due to working in a 
hazardous, public safety situation.
Support your Union--- they provide a strong voice in numbers.
Regards,
Tom Patierno
--- Renegade v4-05 Exp
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