I’m sitting outside a Chief’s office, about to have another of my ‘Emergency Mandatory Trainings’ after an interesting call I ran a few hours ago. And I can’t help but think, after having so many of these throughout the years (I’ve had them at my last five jobs in EMS!), they’re really the only kind of EMT I am used to. Or that I can stand.
Yes, I know EMT-Basics are supposed to be considered professionals. But are they? Really? Are you telling me that their semester of training is anywhere equal to the eleven-months of school I went through to become a paramedic? That practically makes me a doctor. The only difference between me and a doctor is I still have some common sense.
But I’m tired of these rugrats getting onto my truck and trying to tell me about their day. Or get to know me. Sometimes they’ll even try to correct me on MY practice. Do you think I have time to worry about a sharps container, *Susan*? Why don’t you just watch where you put your hands when you’re cleaning *my* truck?
Let’s face it: the average EMT-B only lasts a few shifts of working with me. Some don’t even make it a whole shift before quitting the field entirely. They just can’t take the pressure. And that makes them easily replaceable. So imagine my shock when one just happened to mention how much they’re getting paid.
You’re telling me that paramedics are struggling to make ends meet and pay off our various debts (school, mortgages, gambling, etc) and these freaking Basics are getting paid?!
I know how we can fix EMS and improve paramedic retention: stop paying the cattle. People will line up for their job. Trust me. I used to teach EMT students and it’s absurd how many of them I simply rubber-stamped through school. And none of them had any idea what they were doing, even after graduating!
If we reallocate those funds to paramedic pay instead, we’ll keep more quality medics like myself. You know, the people who actually save lives and don’t just drive the ambulance? EMT-Basics will still work for us, of course. But they can volunteer. And then the company can call itself a charity and even save money on tax dollars.
I’m going to mention all this to my Chief once he’s done screaming about his usual bit about not using co-workers as pincushions.
Or whatever he’s on about. I haven’t really been paying attention.
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