I think that we will all agree that you can't make any big money in EMS. My question, then, is what are we going to do about it? I work for a transport company who pays us poorly and expects everything! (I probably just put my job in jeopardy!) Anyway, I don't care so much about myself, but what about those folks who depend on a decent wage to support a young family. They can't. We're told EMTs are "a dime a dozen." Then why can't the employer fill the necessary BLS trucks; why have so many EMTs left this employer for better paying positions in other areas of the health care field?
I've been in emergency response (fire, hazmat, emergency training, emergency mgmt.) for a while (40+ yrs.) and most of that was with County government or private industry. I made good money doing ER in industry, then I retired. Sitting around got to me so I earned my NREMT about three years ago. I tried volunteering but at my age I felt it required more physical effort (carrying pts. in stairchairs down narrow, winding victorian-style stair cases, one with multiple missing steps) than I was able to give. Doing Specialty Care Transport (SCT) three days a week (3-12s), which can involve some 9-1-1 calls, seems to be the place for me. I'm still able to help people in some way emergency or not.
Back to my original question: What do we do to give ourselves better pay and benefits, in luding health care? (Don't tell me about unions.)
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