Today about 300 of you will visit this little blog. I need each and every one of you to complete the following steps and we can have an enormous impact on the future of EMS.  This being EMS Week, I figured you’d be up to it.

STEP 1:

Support Setla Films by voting for them to be awarded a $250,000 grant from Chase and Living Social.

1. Go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com and on the bottom right side of the site you click on “Log In & Support“. You can use your facebook credentials to make it easy.

2. type “First Responders Network” as the business

3. click on “California” as the city

4. click on “Benicia” as the City

5. click on VOTE

Easy Peasy, you’re almost done.

Now all you need to do is come back here, click on the share buttons to the right and share the link to this post on facebook, twitter and all the other sites you can until the 3 minutes you promised are up.  Fair enough?

The networks don’t think EMS is ready to get back into prime time.  You want to let them win or prove we can’t be kept down? We WILL get a positive EMS message into the homes of every American if we take advantage of these kinds of opportunities!

All Setla Films needs is 250 votes to get nominated.  I say we give him more than he needs to show these folks his mission has a grassroots following!

Who’s with me?

The complainers.

Well, not really complainers, but those who need to vent.

I consider myself an expert on blog therapy and see this new site going one of two ways.

It will either be a tremendous hit or a disastrous flop, taking down the site owners, administrators and contributors.

It seems like a perfect idea.  Send in your EMS rant, they clean it up and post it anonymously.  Seems perfect.  Get it off your chest and move on.  They have all comments disabled, and with good reason, the troll factor would be incredible.

But, if a certain agency tries hard enough because they see something hitting a little too close to home, the entire house of rant could fall bringing every single poster into the light.

Be warned my friends, if you use this site you could walking into a delayed disaster.  But on the other hand, if you’re careful enough and can find some relief from getting your negative feelings out in a controlled environment (not at work or with a patient) who am I to stop you.

I’ll be visiting the site regularly, for the same reason I visit Fail blog, to watch the silly words and grab a smile.

EMSRants.com

Hey Motorcop, do you LEOs have anything like this?

Seems like the right time to say this too: I am not the owner or operator of that site.

Arizona’s Our Lady of Sorrows Academy forfeited the state championship game because of a girl.  Not because one of their star pitchers was enamoured with the blonde in his history class, but because their opponent’s team has a girl.

No need to check your calendars, it is still 2012.

The school has a strong religious belief that boys and girls are to be taught separately and that is their right.  Knock yourselves out.  But you’re missing a big opportunity here to actually EDUCATE your students about life.

While you segregate your students due to your religious beliefs the rest of the world is moving on and your students, while adhering to your religious beliefs, are less prepared to enter it.

The other team has a girl?  Starting at second base?  Egads!  Next she’ll want to vote!

The player in question, Paige Sultzbach, has sat out previous matches due to the Our Lady of Sorrows beliefs, but finally stood up for her own when it came to the big game.  Kudos, Paige.  She has already been impacted negatively by the narrow views of the other school, perhaps they could suck it up and show some respect and just let the kids play baseball?  But no, their views don’t allow the possibility of physical contact between the students.  They demand others bend to their beliefs but refuse to do the same for others.

Seriously?  It’s baseball, what’s going to happen?  Someone tries to steal second, Paige tags them out, and they kiss?  Perhaps the teachings they’ve been presented are proven false?  Then they have to go home and explain how they lost to a girl?

Oh.

I think I understand now.

Parents of Our Lady of Sorrow Academy in Arizona: I respect your religious beliefs and would never question your right to raise your children as you see fit, but I truly hope you see how ill prepared they will be to enter a world where Paige can do anything they can, possibly better, despite all your attempts to teach them the opposite.

Let them play, they’re kids.

Rock on, Paige.  My little girls saw your story tonight and smiled.

I’m sure most of you have a mission statement in the 5-8 sentence category going on and on about what high level, competent sensitive care you give pre-hospital and how you strive and compassion and blah blah blah.

Can we get a REAL mission statement here?

If you were asked to write your company’s mission statement… what would it be?  Bloggers, what should it entail? What should it mean? Who should it inspire? our people? Their People? Anyone? Anything?

When waiting with a large crowd for the train at the airport it is not advisable to have a raucous conversation about people who commit suicide by jumping off of buildings.  You compared highest falls, genders, dispersal of remains, even splatter patterns.  The disgusted looks you were getting from those around you went unnoticed by you but I’m sure they took note of your ambulance companies which were prominently displayed on your shirts.  I tried to get your attention to distract you, but when you made the Humpty Dumpty joke, I decided to pretend I was offended too.  It wasn’t hard at all.

I know many of you think that means I didn’t get too much, but the trick is prioritizing.

Many of the data systems currently deployed by my agency are not being leveraged for their full potential.  Many of the reasons for this can be traced back to one problem in particular:

Moving data.

Many of the users I have spoken to are moving data reliably and are able to analyze it and act on it.  We have trouble moving data and as a result spend time we could be using analyzing on chasing data.

There have been a number of solutions presented, but a glaring system wide issue keeps us from moving forward and maximizing our efficiencies.

I attended a session today where the speaker talked about how to leverage technology to get your crews from a .4 UHU to a .44 UHU.

.44?!?

We’re averaging a .9.  If my crews had a .44 they’d probably throw a parade for whoever did it.

After the presentation I was approached by my counterpart at a large East Coast agency who wanted to know how we got so efficient with our field supervisors.  We’re all doing something great and need to share it.

Getting ready to head for the airport I wonder if my excitement about the small enhancements I can implement will get drowned out by the problems awaiting me back at the office.  I can only hope that because I have networked with systems who are succeeding where mine is struggling, we can work on solutions that are mutually beneficial.

We’ll see I guess, but first it’s the 14 day drive from Denver to the Denver Airport.  I’ll send up a beacon if we get lost.

HM

Kind of sad…

Anyhoozle, I hope to be sending out updates mainly so Mark Glencorse (I see you have a Google alert) can think back to the exciting week he spent in Denver when the volcano exploded, trapping him.

Sorry, that’s still kind of funny.

Updates as they come,
HM

I knew our CQI position handled citizen complaints, but I had no idea how many there were.

“It’s a thankless job” they told me when I took it.  Like being a Paramedic in the City was a thankful job?

Almost like clock work most mornings I get a call from a person I’ll call “Bob.”

Bob doesn’t like the Fire Department, or my mother, or my race, or the fact that I am his employee since he pays taxes.  Bob was taken to an ER for a complaint and was shocked and appalled we were directed to place him in the triage waiting area after a nurse assessed him.  In other words Bob is 99% of our business.

Bob and I have a 30-45 second conversation about his most recent abduction by the Paramedics and how they assaulted him, robbed him and left him to die…at the hospital.  When I pull up Bob’s run history the computer returns “Seriously?”

Some may say Bob’s calls are a hindrance or a distraction, but Bob keeps me on my toes.  Bob is my window into the mind of someone who does not know our lingo, our policies or our commitment to his overall health and safety.  Others may say I should report Bob, but that’s what he wants, a reaction, and all I do is listen, explain and then he hangs up.  then I get a coffee.  It’s a routine we have.

Other  complaints vary from legitimate clinical concerns from local hospitals, to regulators who question charting, to folks who simply want to vent.

But my favorite calls of all are the ones I can tell in an instant are without merit.  Bob helps he spot them easier.  How do I know?  They don’t know our lingo.

For example, if you tell me the ambulance people told you they would “throw you out of the truck” you’re lying.  How do I know?  Because a “truck” to us is a giant 5 man device with a 100 foot ladder on the back and is big and red.  We do not call it a truck…only you people do.  And by you people I mean the ungrateful masses who demand our services in 4 minutes or less only to complain that we took you to the wrong ER, since they “kicked me out” earlier today.

Kicked you out did they?  How do I know you’re lying?  Because they don’t kick people out.

When people get bored waiting 4 hours for a refill of Plavix (which they were never going to do in the first place, we told you that) they leave or are told to go to the pharmacy, but they are not kicked out.

We stole your wallet you say?  (Keep in mind folks, I am required to investigate these complaints no matter what they are)

Doubtful since I recognize your name from my days on the ambulance and we keep track of these things.  2 years ago you claimed we stole $500 from your wallet, then 8 months ago another $700 and today the total is up to $900 and we somehow walked off with your brother’s bass guitar.  I’ll investigate this but I should warn you, the No Merit letter is on my desktop I use it so often. (The Further Investigation by Investigative Services Bureau Recommended is there too FYI).

But just for once think about what you are about to say to me in your complaint.  If the crew kicked you out of the truck how again did you get to the hospital for the nurse to sign our form that they accepted you?

If we stole your grandmother’s $2000 necklace, why can you not describe it to me?

I’ll take your call, I’ll treat it as true until I complete my queries, but put some effort into it first folks.  If you’re unhappy and make something up you’re just wasting my time and yours.  If you have a legitimate concern I want to know about it.

Think twice about questioning the professionalism of the folks who took care of you when you didn’t need it, only wanted it, and how they did everything you needed up to and including taking you to an ER you did not need for a reason you could have handled yourself.

But if they weren’t professional, if they didn’t do what you needed, I’ll be the first one to tell you so.

Talk to you again on Monday Bob.

“Nobody in EMS is paid what they’re worth. 25% are paid far less than what they’re worth, and 75% are paid far more than what they’re worth.”

~ Kelly Grayson

…discuss…

 

I’m not 100% with you on this one KG.  I’d add a sliver of 10% in the middle who are right where they should be.  But I’m not there.

I am most certainly in that 75% and have been for some time.  But I wasn’t always that way.

<sepia toned early motion picture footage> Back when I got started in EMS (Angry Captain rolls eyes) I got on as a volunteer firefighter.  When I got my first paying gig I was jocking a 1,000 gallon water tender half an hour south of Albuquerque and making the king’s ransom of $4.35 an hour.  For a 19 year old that meant turning on the long distance on the telephone, scaling back the second job to 5 days a week and moving out of the 2 bedroom apartment I shared with 3 other guys.

The point of memory lane was to set the starting point and how, if you are properly motivated, you can change what happens to you instead of standing still and complaining that everyone else gets to do fun stuff somewhere else.

I had been dissatisfied with the politics of my organization in New Mexico and sought other employment.  In Albuquerque you had 3 choices.  AFD, Bernalillo County or where I was.  That left 2 and I didn’t want to work for either one.  Neither transported and that was a big deal breaker for me.  However, there was a growing need for secondary education to land some of the higher ranking jobs open around the country at the time and I was just finishing my Bachelor’s in EMS when the 5 day window for the SFFD position opened up.  I had been a Paramedic less than 2 years and they wanted 5 years experience, but college credits would be considered.  Perfect.

The starting salary was $82,600.  Day1, walking in the door.  Was I overpaid?  Most surely, but I was so busy those first few years I barely noticed.  It was in this time frame I hit my personal best 32 calls for service in 24 hours, did a 48 on little sleep and also hit all 13 hospitals in the area in one shift.  We were run ragged and in the morning would get calls from the Assignment Office begging us to pick up an overtime.

We were Firefighter/Paramedics in name only, turnouts safely tucked into the side compartment of the ambulance.  And we were still expected to participate in all the engine and truck drills between calls for service and long drives back to district.

Overpaid?  Compared to West Corn Row Iowa, sure, but this was the salary they needed to get people in the door willing to work in that environment.  If they were paying $4.35 an hour the line would be around the block, with a high turnover and the phrase “They don’t pay me enough to deal with this crap” more common than “Medic to follow.”

Want a high paying EMS job?  They’re out there, you just have to go find it.

At recent Firefighter seminars I’ve spoken at candidates approach me and ask what they can do to better their chances on getting hired with the SFFD.  My #1 response is “Get out of California.”  They usually respond with a shocked look and wonder if my famous sarcasm is showing.  Nope.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Go somewhere new.  If a paycheck is all you want, go get it, it’s waiting for you somewhere busier, louder, dirtier and likely smellier.

The old line that we need to raise our pay in EMS is a somewhat flawed argument.  Why should we pay you more when you seem fine making $4.35?  When we can’t keep bodies in the seats, we’ll offer $5, then $6.50 and so on and so on.

Imagine the kid that mows your lawn starts whining that he doesn’t get paid enough.  Will you give him a raise or ask him what he’s willing to do for it?  Now imagine your neighbor’s yard is bigger, but he pays more.  What will the kid do?  Work more for more money or stay with you?

The real argument is whether paying a Firefighter/Paramedic $25/hr to sit around eating ice cream while the single role medic sits on post making $8 is a good idea.  I don’t know for sure, but the only reason they make $8 is because the company knows they can keep you in the seat.  If enough of you left, they’d have to raise the salary to stay in business.

75% and fine about it,

HM