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Can anyone explain this to me?
So I want to throw this out there, see if anyone can explain this to me in a way that it may make sense. So the other day I am sitting at a local hospital, just dropped off a patient cleaning the rig and another crew pulls up, it is a local full time department. I work for a private ambulance service currently, we have two 911 contracts but like most privates we handle most of the nursing home and hospital calls,what not. So I say hello to the crew as they are passing be, no response, ok they are taking their patient in no big deal. My partner walks out the same time the other crew does, and "hey hows it going" nothing again but rolling of the eyes. One of the medics comes up to the back of the rig and says "don't you get it...you work for a private, you do not deserve our respect of hello, or any conversation for the fact...get a real medic job then you will earn my respect." I just sit there how do you respond to that. I don't deserve respect because I work for a private ambulance service. I wish that I could say that was my first experience of that nature but it wasn't..in fact I have become quite accustomed to that type of response. Driving down the road you can wave at on coming crews no wave back, when getting supplies or bringing a patient into the hospital they should get there job done first there more important our patients can wait. I guess I just don't understand how me choosing at this time to work on a private ambulance service makes me any less of a medic, or that I deserve any less respect. Kind of like in a prior discussion posted paid vs. volunteer. Last time I checked we all go through the same training, my license is not any different then a city paramedic, does not say private ambulance medic. And unless i am missing something we ALL got in the field because in one way or another we wanted to help people, because we are compassionate people who don't think twice about putting another's life or family before our own. We all go to work and when those tones drop one thing is on our mind. So why is it that I made, that the people I work with, and other employees of private ambulance services are made to feel like we are less of a person, that we shouldn't have the same loyalty or respect that everyone else does.? I guess in a way that it is disappointing, hurtful, I don't know maybe even to the point of disgraceful that the brotherhood(and sisterhood) and loyalty that are one in the same with fire and ems only applies if you have a big red truck, or a town, city , or township, sprawled across your rig...
(I am not trying to offend anyone, and I am sorry if I have...going from a fire house to a private is a big change but I embrace the opportunities, and I guess regardless of where I worked I would never tell another medic firefighter, or EMT that they didn't belong or that the were a less of a person because of where they worked...) Thanks for letting me vent, hopefully someone out there might be able to put this in prospective for me...and I am in no way...by the way saying that this is every department...I know that is not the case...thank you...
(I am not trying to offend anyone, and I am sorry if I have...going from a fire house to a private is a big change but I embrace the opportunities, and I guess regardless of where I worked I would never tell another medic firefighter, or EMT that they didn't belong or that the were a less of a person because of where they worked...) Thanks for letting me vent, hopefully someone out there might be able to put this in prospective for me...and I am in no way...by the way saying that this is every department...I know that is not the case...thank you...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chief Terry Mills (Ret) on
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Heather as you have seen this is an attitude that is prevalent around the Service, Privi vs Muni, Vollie vs Paid. Unfortunately it will never totally go away. The Department I just left was a small combo FD with a private and Muni EMS Wagon both based at HQ One thing the Department did to stop some of the bs was to get agreements together and the vollies worked beside the paid folks on a regular shift, and with the Medic's (Priv & Muni) on thier shifts. What this did was show everyone that we all had something to offer and were no different from each other, other than where our paycheck came from or didn't get. Now granted the conflict still raises it's ugly head once in awhile but we are able to work out the differences a whole lot easier. Of course I suggested a big stick across the caveman forehead, but oh well.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Davis on
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My good sister, Heather....These people are called loads....Plain and simple. Unfortunately, every department has a few of these around that think because they collect a check from a government agency that they are some how so much better than anyone else. What most of these people do not understand is that they are usually looked down upon by other members because of this attitude. These are the same people that will at an emergency scene, stop you with a smile on their face and ask you for your help, to which, you being the person you are will always stop and help. Personally, I wish that the departments around the country would round these people up and be done with them. They do nothing but destroy morale and weaken what it is we have worked so hard to build.
You, regardless of what department, company you work/volunteer for, shouldn't have to put up with this, and don't have to put up with this. Most department's paid or volunteer have a SOP/SOG against this very thing. It falls under the conduct in office/ official business clause. Violating it can cost you pay/time/advancement, ect, ect. Of course it has to be investigated, but, when they find it to be true, the violating member can and will be disceplined for it up to and including dismissal from office. If you run in to this load again and you get a cold shoulder and rude comment, notate the time, location, unit, and description of the member and give a call to his C/O to lodge an official complaint.
Many of you might disagree with this, but, to me, this person stops being a member of the brotherhood of firefighters the moment that they adopted this piss poor attitude towards other providers because of the area they chose to serve in.
On a personal note; never lower yourself to their standards. If you have a problem with this person, jumping in his/her sh!t would only leave you open to scrutiny if he/she were to call your company. You are better off reporting it to their admin and let them deal with their bad apple. ecspecially when it is in publics eye. Never cross your professional boundry's!! You not jumping back shows your professionalism. This person saying such a rude thing shows their lack of professionalism. Don't feel bad about reporting it either! They did it to themselves the moment that they decided to step out of line. This is something that they are taught throughout the academy, but the moment they hit the streets, they forget.
A medic, is a medic, is a medic, regardless of what logo is on the side of your bus.
Stay safe,
Steve
If the person that did this incident is reading this, I believe it is time for you to step up and offer up an appology.
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Permalink Reply by bearnpa1 on
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rib-it.. i hear a TOAD....and one like it is KNEE-DEEP.. in his own squaller..its a shame i cannot go lower then this as comment..
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Pirko on
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lol sorry never been my strong point
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Permalink Reply by Justin Nugent on
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in my area we have a private EMS that is our daytime coverage, just in case one of the departments can't get a crew together, and the also serve as our ALS. as far as we are concerned in our department, they are one of us, invited to our banquets and fund raising, help us at those as well.. guess my area is special like that, upstate ny and all... but yah, what that person did is unjustifiable, and to be honest, around here, probably would've had an argument from our squad captain, and fire chief... neither of those peoplewould tolerate that, from anybody...
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Permalink Reply by Mikel A Ortega on
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Heather,
Firtst of all I would like to say I am sorry you have to deal with that. I myself started with a private ambo co. for the first 5 years of my carrer. We were the gurney jockies, and yes treated like second class citizens. I don't really understand why that was but it was. I can say that where I now work I don't see that problem. The private company has medics that go to the same training and many times we precept them. We have a pretty tight knit crew in the White Mountains of Arizona and I don't believe that exist up here. I did deal with somewhat that problem when I worked in the PHX. area. It didn't seem like it was to that extent but it did exist. We are all people and doing the same job for the same outcome and people should not treat others that way. Come join us in Northern Arizona we'll treat you good, promise.
Mikel
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FireSiren,
My first thought of this, to be honest with you, would have been to jump down their throat. But then, I really started to think about this....What is it going to fix? If this J.A is bringing this type of an attitude to you right off the bat without knowing anything about you, why would he really care if you turned around to him and started to chew on him to give him a piece of your mind....Some people also do this just to get a rise out of you, because they know that they can....So playing in to it and jumping at the chance to return fire, so to speak, seems to be playing in to it and fueling what he wants to be fueled, essentially loosing again.
I understand completely the desire to jump in and totally lay someone like this out...Believe me, but in the end, what have you accomplished? You have suceeded in raising your blood pressure and turning your disposition in to a negative that will continue to tug at your thoughts for the rest of the shift. There is a lot of reason to jump at this punk and run at the mouth to him. But in the end, with how he handled this and saying what he said, with you stating your feelings regarding his actions truly effect this person that really didn't care that much to begin with? Someone like this needs an administrative attitude adjustment. Yes it would have felt good initially to approach him about it, but that kind of satisfaction is short lived. Bully's don't listen to this, they only take it as fuel for their fire to do it to someone else. Knowing that his job could be effected the next time he shoots his mouth off, in my belief is more effective to keeping this ape from beating on his chest about who he is and what he thinks you are not. Once a person like this gets a reality check from someone controlling his paycheck, it tends to either wake them up to the nonsense they are playing in to, or it pisses them off to the point where they leave. Its like chess...Don't throw the pawn out in response to a Night, get your bishop in line and go after the queen.....check mate.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Hoey on
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Sorry I am jumping into this discussion late but here is my two cents and it comes from experience. I worked for a fire service in one county and by rule I could not work for a private in the same county so I worked in another for well the evil empire as I call it or the worlds largest private service and without getting into the pros and cons of private services I was subject to the same BS from fire rescue in that county. This was all very funny to me because the county I worked in had a population 3 times the area I did private in but these guys didnt know me or what my other job was. I enjoyed both jobs but the truth lies here, The private ambulance industry is the biggest threat to paid fire rescue. The average fire calls a year have gone down and down over the last few decades and EMS is what pays the bills for most fire departments though the staff will tell you they are firemen first but the truth is without EMS a lot of this departments would lose 3/4 of their staff. I have watched AMR walk in to cities and give 0 dollar bids to take over their EMS and put many people out of work. This is not any medics fault or should anyone have guilt. The people I worked with in private are just as important and competent as any I work in fire rescue but please now there is a real fear out there and that fear is pushed from the administration to the union and unless they are smart enough to learn to work a good system together which does take place in many cities or they will be their own worse enemy.
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Permalink Reply by Heather on
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It was a male, I wont call him a man because obviously those actions are not of a man...but it shouldnt make it right because of the gender. I am sorry this is starting to cause so much disagreement....you are both right
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I hear you on the amr business. I guess years back amr was out here and well they got ran out of Illinois in one way or another. as for the company that I work for we are not running in taking bids from anyone or any department. The two contracts that we have well one is a contract the other is a friendly shake of the hand, but they are both with towns that the cities govt is not willing to increase the taxes to run full time ambulance service. They both have fire depts. Tinley is poc, and they are now requiring them to be emt-b on top of the fire. They do not respond on a call with us unless it is a mvc, or well being check where we may need the assistance getting into a house. The other town runs ems, and they have a crew of two emt of medic who respond with us. The act as basic rather medic or not. They usually do not transport unless we are not in town. Honestly a lot of the negativity comes because we don't see 800 car accidents, or what not. Like I said before a lot of the calls that we run are out of nursing homes, and that is not an attempt to take anything was from municipal department. But tell me those of you that are on municipals, we kind of take the crap so you don't. we take the three in the am well she fell last week but we are just now sending her out, or the well the pic line or g-tube was pulled out. Most dept in the area if you added on all the bs nursing home calls on top of the runs ran in a 24 hour period you would be non stop no sleep call to call, with the same amount of crews you already have, most areas can not afford to take on any more crews. So I do understand the fear of a private taking calls and jobs and what not, but that does not give someone the right to be an ass, I mean I would say 50% of the folks started on a private and probably for the same one that I work at I just wanted to work, I wanted to do my job, get experience in any way that I can, I did not care if private or what, I have a passion to do what I am doing and I am going to do it, and right now I am doing it with a private service. I couldn't sit around for years waiting to get called up to a dept. city of Chicago has waiting list 3 plus years, the town I live in dosent have an ambulance service on the dept, and most towns yet again it is a matter of waiting. So what should I sit back and wait, not working at all?
This whole thing is just beyond frustrating. I left my family to come up here to go to school the programs are much better, and I also wanted to run non rural ems see what it was like if i could cut it if you will. all my coworkers back home were jealous in a way, it was something many of them had thought about but never went with it. I went from being hassled by my family for making the decision to move up here, to getting up here completing every class, going to every clinical, working two jobs while going through medic school, and now to getting hassled by people that I respect, all because I just wanted to do my job.Yes there are times when I sit in the back of an ambulance with a hospice pt, who there family is not strong enough to hold there hand so I do, and talk to them, and watch them cry because they are dyeing and there were so many things they wanted to see or do, but never had the chance to, and many would look at a call and say that is not there job but it is..in so many ways it is our job. But does that make me less of a person because I work for a company that runs hospice calls...or psych t-sports...I don't think so. But to many of the depts, because of not rolling up to the mvcs, or seeing multiple traumas, we don't measure up.
I get asked all the time if I regret my decision to move up to the chicago area, and up till the point where I got my medic license and started having more confrontations with the depts, I did not...but now part of me does Actually what part of me regrets is letting it get to me...its not supposed to. Why is it that we are taught not to let things that happen on calls get to us, to not stay with us, and if it does to talk about it, but nothing is taught about handling negativity that may come from others in the field, and when it does we dont talk about it cause in a sense your ashamed by it?
I guess thats why I even started the discussion I needed to vent I needed to talk about it and had no where to go to talk about it and no one to talk to...
so again thanks you all for being my place and people to talk to...
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Heather vent away and never regret your decisions. Some of the most important things medics do is not pumping the right drug or tubing someone at 80 mph its holding someones hand for the last time and letting them know they are not alone at that minute or a child who is scared on there why to get chemo and your the only person in the world there for them.
My career is the goes the other way, I started in EMS in NYC and then fire rescue in Miami and now I work for a rural EMS and fire department. I moved here to give my kids a better place to grew up and the thing I find harder here is each patient is someones friend or family and everything has a personnel touch and each person seems to mean more to everyone on scene.
Never let anyone else take from you what you have inside and thats a soul that cares and wants to help. If you lose that and just go through the motions and do this job with out feeling it will eat you up in the end.
Stay strong and screw those who can't understand.
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HA!! Your funny....Yeah, I'm clear, Siren....Hey, grab a coke and a smile! ;), chill out and enjoy some of the great New England wheather your gettin up there!
Be good
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