We have been focused on distractions and woke crap for so many years, we have neglected some critical issues that are a disaster waiting to happen
If you call 911, wouldn't you hope EMS personnel arrive on scene in a timely manner? Think again.
People today tend to be less and less interested in getting into emergency services, yet the population is getting older and that leads to a greater call volume.
Some departments have had to close, or departments merged with others to try and provide service.
Same for larger city departments.
Many closed stations to save money, and they are now facing staffing shortages.
I think it was last month the Milwaukee fire department had a couple of lage incidents and had to put in a MABAS call to back fill stations.
Other departments are burning out their staff with long shifts.
We are not supposed to work more than 48 hours without a day off.
Remind me of that next time I am ass deep in yet another 96 to 120 hour shift because of illness, vacations, can't fill a shift.
It happens, now with increasing frequency.
Sure the money is good, but at what personal cost, or cost to the public due to fatigue setting in leading to possible mistakes in rendering patient care.
Unfortunately there is no easy answer.
What works for 1 department may not work elsewhere.
In all of the conferences, articles in magazines this subject continually comes up.
Many years ago most departments had a waiting list to get on.
I had to wait 18 months.
You had to apply, go through a battery of tests along with hundreds of other applicants all for 15 to 20 spots.
Now it almost seems that if you can apply and have a pulse you are hired.
You still have all of the schooling to go through, plus the physical end of it, and not everyone makes it.
Some departments need 20 or more positions filled and if they are lucky they might get 10 applicants.
No one has come up with an answer.
If you live in a small town check out your local department.
Everyone just expects someone to show up when they call 911.
They don't know how it works just that someone shows up could that someone be you?
We are all getting older, we need to start training our replacements now.
It takes about a year for the schooling, and at least a year or more of on the job time to become proficient at both fire and EMS.
Plus there is constant training and continuing education credits to keep your license, not counting the time spent running calls.
It's hard on families, it takes someone very special at home to support you at home so you can go do your job.
The cost can be high, divorce, failed relationships, missed meals, nights with families, missed holidays, alcoholism, drug abuse, PTSD, injuries, now cancer due to all of the myriad of chemicals used in manufacturing today, demons of past calls that never go away, seeing your friends come and go.
But it can also be the best job on the planet.
The look on someone's face when you show up to help is priceless, thank God someone is here to help.
The look on little kids faces when they get to sit in the driver's seat of the engine, truck or ambulance.
Those kids might grow up to become our replacements.
DM me. I have a website for you.
Also, I was an Advanced EMT at one point but had my license essentially revoked over something stupid unrelated to the job. I would like to contribute, and I have even tried to work with legislators to improve EMS in my state.
Pay for EMT is slightly above minimum wage at like $20 per hour. You constantly have to re-certify and it is a high stress job. People don't do that sort of work long term. Often it is people that want to or are currently attending medical school who fill those positions to get emergency experience. Once they are doctors they leave for better pay. There aren't a lot of new medical schools/medical residency programs opening up. Becoming a doctor is a tightly controlled profession with high entry barriers, so those professions that are basically feeders into the industry are only going to grow as fast as the desired end profession. People work for roughly 5 years as an EMT before they either become a doctor, a physician assistant if they didn't get into med school, or a paramedic if they are in EMS for the long haul. The general rule of capitalism is that you need to offer more money if you want to attract more people into an industry. So there will be a shortage of EMTs until pay gets better. What would you rather do, work as a night manager at some fast food restaurant for like $18-$20 per hour likely with tips as a bonus where you need no education, no re-certification or licencing, and very little responsibility or work in an extremely high stress job, where you constantly have to certify and take continuing education classes to keep your license so that you can earn the same amount of money. It's a no brainier why EMS lacks a workforce.
Bad timing if you want a presidential admin to focus on real issues.
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You can either have a guaranteed standard of service, such as an ambulance within 8 minutes, or private healthcare. You can't have both. As demonstrated, capitalism has not come in to provide this service and the reason why is obviously because its not economical.
If you want to have this level of service then you need to put the burden on the government. In other words, on the tax payers which means a higher tax. I am all for it but guess which political party has been against socializing American healthcare and increasing the tax burden? Hint; its not the woke democrats.
There is something called a mixed economy. Some things just cannot be privatized. Others, there is leniency. It is finding that balance.
EMS is just like any other public safety cause, with just as much importance as law enforcement and fire.
There are even some minor solutions that are left ignored, such as non-transport firest responders that many communities can benefit from but lack. I write articles about this all the time.
Oh, like the left is any better right now with their identity politics and woke ideologies? What about the illegal immigration crisis that has plagued our nation under the Xidem regime?
There is corruption and deceit on both sides of the isle. It is getting more difficult to choose between the lesser of two evils.
Oh, and by the way, EMS was already struggling during all the other leftist regimes. It is a bipartisan issue that no one is willing to address or take up.
Yepp, on this specific topic they are much better. Remember Obamacare? That was a definite step in the right direction for resolving the medicare crisis in USA which would have included access to first responders.
And personally I dont think the illegal immigration is an issue that actually impacts people. Its annoying for the government, obviously, but as a citizen I dont see why I would give two fucks.
I can go on and on... what about the whole Covid pandemic that was blown way out and EMS workers and firefighters terminated for not taking the jab? Researchers have revealed there are cardiac issues associated in young men with the vaccine.
What about the challenges EMS faced during the pandemic and the exodus of EMTs and Paramedics?
What about the nationwide shortage of EMS personnel that people were trying to sound the alarm to during the Xiden regime?
One can argue EMS is a state-level issue. Fair enough, but EMS has been struggling in most states with alarm bells sounding and very little has been done to combat these issues.
In the video, they discussed the funding model. EMS keeps afloat with insurance reimbursements and only if the patient is actually transferred to a hospital. The sole reliance on healthcare insurance reimbursements is a failed model. Whether it is Obamacare or any private insurance.
EMS does not always transfer patients. Many patients are treated on scene and refuse transport. EMS is not just a taxi service, as many would see us. We are medically-trained and part of a broad public safety system.
The pandemic was not blown out of proportions. It is literally one of the most deadly pandemics in human history, you can look up the list yourself and see that Covid19 is currently the 5th most deadly pandemic in human history. If the 5th most deadly pandemic in human history is "blown way out of proportions" then your standards are wrong. Also dont come here with vaccine conspiracies when again, we are talking about one of the top5 worst pandemics in human history. Even if the vaccines had issues, they would still be worth it 10 times over.
As for the funding model for EMS? Yes, its currently based on insurance and yes I think that is stupid. Obamacare at least tried to ensure that people had medical insurance and that the medical insurance that they had would meet a basic requirements. I am not sure if those included considerations to EMS but they could easily have been added and the funding model could easily have been expanded to charging insurance for on-site work and not just patient transfers.
You know which political party wants none of these? Not the party that implemented at least SOME hospital and insurance reform.
No, EMS is always on the backburner with politicians, whether it be the left or right. Imagine of a major disaster were to occur.
I find it ironic the leftist regimes prohibited worship gatherings and placed all these mask mandates in place when they allowed illegal aliens to pour through our southern border, many coming from nations all over the world.
Again, I dont give two craps about illegal immigration. I consider the fact that people wants to immigrate as a good thing and find the real problem to be that the US government fails to accommodate new immigrants when they could be a valuable addition to the population, tax income and workforce.
As for why EMS is always on the backburner? Of course it is. Its a service that you only miss once its gone but looks nice on a financial sheet when you cut it. Nobody is going to thank you if you put in the effort and the money to fix it and you will not win any elections on it so the only people who would actually resolve the problem would be those that has an ideological motivation rather than self interest.
It is an issue when illegal aliens, many whom were entitled and even a few sporting on "Biden Let Me In" shirts, flooding through our porous southern border during a pandemic, overwhelming our resources on the taxpayer dime. We were (and still now) in a vulnerable state of disrepair, yet we allowed illegal aliens from all over the world pour in unvetted, and who knows how many illnesses were introduced in the process. We were not ready for such an influx of migrants.
But going back to the EMS situation, it is about to fail. Will it take a large-scale disaster to realize this? When a baby is seizing (which actually happened in my area) and an ambulance does not show up, will it take tragedy to open everyone's eyes how critical this is?
Some easier steps to show recognition and respect is to enhance penalties for assaults on EMS and Firefighters. Tennessee is one of the small fraction of states left that doesn't have these laws in place. That is a step in the right direction that doesn't require special funding.
Maybe consider non-transport first responders in areas that lack resources, where trained personnel can arrive on scene and assess and treat until an ambulance arrives? Maybe consider a spaces throughout rural areas to have established helipads?
Again, literally dont give two craps about illegal aliens or whatever you want to call them. Its not their fault that the American system can't handle an actual disaster. In fact, it can't even handle the yearly flu so what makes you think that kicking out the illegals would do much of anything? Also, whos fault is it that USA is not "ready for such an influx of migrants"? Obviously, they are coming regardless of what you are doing so you best accept reality and upgrade your infrastructure to cope. Said no Republican ever, and here we are.
And no. There is not going to be a "Titanic" moment for EMS unless Trump gets a heart attack in some abandoned state without a personal ambulance, which is unlikely but not impossible with his incompetence. The right wing has gotten too good with directing the media that no tragedy is going to stick around long enough to force change, its just going to be an ever revolving door of outrage bait to keep you emotional and politically confused.
And no. Having even MORE staff on stand-by to cover for delayed EMS is not going to be a solution. First of all, its not going to work. Secondly, the reason you dont have EMS in the first place is a funding and personnel problem which won't be solved by taking away more funding and personnel for a supporting role. Also, you really dont want to consider medivac helicopters either. They exist, when literally nothing else will do, but they are the absolutely last option you would turn to. Things like picking up people stranded in the middle of national parks for example.
The only solution to your problem is to turn EMS into a fully government run service and have tax payers fund it. Probably also want to hand over the hospitals to the government while you are at it in fact.
What about multiple revenue sources, partially tax funded and partially insurance covered? We would have to increase the tax funding portion, however. In addition, the departments shall be self-sustaining as much as possible, meaning NO collecting insurance reimbursements into the general fund.
Having multiple revenue sources just sounds like a logistical nightmare and will result in most-likely wildly varying qualities of service. If you want standardization, such as an ambulance within 8 minutes anywhere in USA as well as have that ambulance mean something and not a repainted ice-cream van crewed by its prior occupants then you need the government for both the funding and the operations.
I don’t care. Evolution provides that only the most suitable survive.
Either you’re smart enough to not get yourself into destructive situations or you’re resourceful enough to survive them when you do.
Either way, i don’t give a sh*t as long as my taxes don’t go up.
EMS responds to a wide array of emergency situations, not just accident-related trauma. Who's to say you don't sustain an injury or sudden illness due to someone else's stupidity? What happens when you age and need to utilize these systems? You know that car accident scene you waited in standstill traffic for? That accident would not be cleared until trauma victims are secured and extricated from the scene. EMS contributes to a larger public safety system.
And I actually have a solution. Don't increase taxes. You hear that?
You eliminate any new park projects or amentities. You prioritize a budget to require public safety first. You stop funds collected by EMS from going into the general fund. Insurance reimbursements are for EMS sustainability and growth only. Also, you can combine ambulance with fire amd fully utilize your cross-trained crews.
Budget prioritization as follows:
1. Law enforcement, fire/rescue, EMS, and corrections
2. Courts
3. Roads and public right-of-way
4. Education
5. Miscellaneous important
6. Parks and rec
That’s a lovely fantasy you have there, but it’s as realistic as you riding a unicorn into the sun and coming back with the recipe for turning water into gold.
I stand by my answer. Nothing is ever 100% someone else’s fault, ever. Maybe someday you’ll grow up and realize that. Hopefully you’ll stop stealing from people who underutilize the programs you want to give away to people who do literally nothing to contribute to sustaining them.
The waste, fraud, abuse and corruption bleeding hearts like you created is the whole reason we have a “crisis”. So we’re supposed to accept more of your “solutions”? Ell oh ell!
No thanks!
So EMS is a waste then?
Lol, everyone: this guy is one of those "Defund the Police" guys!
There are a lot of essential services tht have been ignored for decades. Air Traffic Controllers is another one. Many cities have defunded the police and the military had been decimated during the Biden administration. These services must be addressed now/.
Show me a city that has actually "de-funded" the police.
@DryGermanGuy Boston and New York. In Boston the entire overtime budget was eliminated. In New York the gang unit was eliminated and all officers were reassigned to other units.
That's obviously not de-funding the police as they have exactly the same manpower as before.
@DryGermanGuy No but the overtime budget was what kept the city safe. there are not enough cops on the street. In New York the gang unit performed a vital function. The staffing levels were reduced by attrition. They are at their lowest in decades. This is not by accident.
Damn this Joe Biden!!! 💪
@DryGermanGuy Damn autopen
Used by every president of semi- modern history. Stop being a drama queen just because some conspiracy moron on YouTube told you to.
@DryGermanGuy Yes, the auto pen was used by President Trump to sign Christmas Cards. It was not intended to sign Executive Orders or legislation.
I’m sure Trump signed all ~2000 pardons for the January 6th weirdos with his little hands! 😬
@DryGermanGuy It was one Big Beautiful Pardon.
My area seems pretty set with EMS with response times less than even the mentioned 8 minutes.
That is good to hear! We need more systems like this, especially in semi-rural suburban and rural areas.
I am in a small mountain town. Response is about 6 or less minutes anywhere in town.
That is amazing! I am trying to work with legislators in Tennessee to improve EMS and other emergency services.
Get signatures and the constituents together to address the matter. Loudest voices get the most political attention.
Democrat run cities.
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