FA> BB>Too many people, has hurt the field greatly.
 FA> What how can this be?  Every state has guidelines that an EMT
 FA> has to met to get licensed.  The standard of care is being  met,
Uh, no offense, to anyone that has gotten their basic EMT, but
in most states, those standards are extremely minimal.
Community colleges pumping out 3 classes of EMT's a quarter, the Military
pumping out the "National Registry" classes, (That MANY states won't
recognize) etc, bring on a glut.
 FA> granted there will be great providers, and mediocre ones.  There
 FA> are only so many positions available at any one service no
 FA> employer is going to inundate himself with  people that he can
 FA> not use.
That is my point.  There are only so many positions available, many more 
EMT's 
than those positions, common sense dictates the pay will be lower.
Supply and demand, at work.
 FA> This is a very specious argument, it seems like hiring new providers
 FA> at 50% of the wages is cost saving, however having to train them
 FA> and weed out the ones that can't cut it not to mention the liability
 FA> involved.  It is much easier to keep the old pros than get new
In some instances, but take for instance many metropolition areas...
Take for instance Nashville TN.
Over a million daytime population.  The EMS provider for Nashville/Davidson
County is the Nashville Metropolition Davidson County Fire and Rescue.
They are, without a doubt, the best paying ambulance service in the area.
I forget the actual starting wage, but Larry can post that here.
You have also, a number of private providers, that do the nursing home
shuffle, body runs, etc.
Those private providers pay little more than minimum wage for basic EMT's.
The old pros work for a private at first, but end up at the FD, or a
surrounding county.  The privates can NOT match what the FD pays.
But, there is always a fresh EMT willing to work for that low pay.
(And I would not want my dog carried by the majority of private providers
in middle TN)
 FA> along. Once you find that employee you stick with them.
Only if it is financially viable.
--- PPoint 1.98
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