EMS Appreciation Week.

[Buggs67]

I thought this was a good forum to bring this up. I used to work alongside the volunteer EMS in our township. These people drop their lives to rush out and help complete strangers often in the worst of weather and circumstances and frequently i the middle of the night. And then they get up and go to work in the morning. I know some who have suffered PTSD as a result of the Scenes they visited.

National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line." This information can be used throughout the year for public education and safety programs.

 

[repete]

I began my FIRE/EMS career 53 years ago at the age of 15.5 years. We could be junior firefighters. I followed that with 34 years as a professional FF/EMT and remained a volunteer in my rural community as well. All told 37 years as a volunteer and 34 years paid.
Years ago we used to compensate volunteers (in a different district) for expenses using a point system, here there is no compensation. I just now got back from three hours at the fire station.
We indeed need to remember those in the EMS field that are the FIRST point of contact for many via the 911 system. Especially those that pay for the privilege of serving their communities. The numbers are falling at 6-8% per year.
PS: I am not here to talk about myself but rather to point out that volunteers are leaving at alarming rates. The cost of volunteering is rising daily just as everyone's costs are. Unfortunately, this is one thing that can be cut out of a persons life when dollars become more scarce in homes. If you live in a small community and have volunteers, because it saves you money, show how much you appreciate them being there for you. I have found that there are those who are on the spot to tell the volunteers the lawn at the fire station needs mowing. If you appreciate these folks doing things for you at all hours, you might find them very inspired if YOU mow the community owned lawn at the community fire station.

 

[Buggs67]

I began my FIRE/EMS career 53 years ago at the age of 15.5 years. We could be junior firefighters. I followed that with 34 years as a professional FF/EMT and remained a volunteer in my rural community as well. All told 37 years as a volunteer and 34 years paid.
Years ago we used to compensate volunteers (in a different district) for expenses using a point system, here there is no compensation. I just now got back from three hours at the fire station.
We indeed need to remember those in the EMS field that are the FIRST point of contact for many via the 911 system. Especially those that pay for the privilege of serving their communities. The numbers are falling at 6-8% per year.
PS: I am not here to talk about myself but rather to point out that volunteers are leaving at alarming rates. The cost of volunteering is rising daily just as everyone's costs are. Unfortunately, this is one thing that can be cut out of a persons life when dollars become more scarce in homes. If you live in a small community and have volunteers, because it saves you money, show how much you appreciate them being there for you. I have found that there are those who are on the spot to tell the volunteers the lawn at the fire station needs mowing. If you appreciate these folks doing things for you at all hours, you might find them very inspired if YOU mow the community owned lawn at the community fire station.

Thanks for your service. Having served beside FF/BLS I appreciate the sacrifice. After one suicide attempt the EMT who responded from her home with a kit and saved his life had to leave the service. Badly traumatized.

Where I moved from the BLS Squads were well funded but it was getting hard to get duty crews during working hours. During some emergencies I was pressed into service as a driver since the crew was only two people.

I had one friend who was NYFD EMT and in his downtime he rode with one of our 6 fire companies and one of our two EMS Squads. Maybe the most upbeat finest men I've ever known.

Around here we can pay a nominal fee to be a member of our EMS service; otherwise they charge the insurance and we'd have to cover the difference.

 

[repete]

We had a number EMT's who were teachers (and wore pagers) at the local K-8 school of perhaps 90 students. It was very rough on them when we went to a death of one of the kids at home. The school district will no longer allow teachers to leave for calls so they unfortunately resigned.

Here we are funded by a property assessed value levy. Residents pay 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. I did a study a couple years ago as to the amount each person payed. Rather than dollars I wanted to see how much a person had to work to pay the bill. I found that an average wage person in an average value house had to work 4.5 hours a year to support the volunteer Fire/EMS as well as the 911 system. Volunteers are required to pay the same property taxes, train two hours a week and make the calls for free.

 

[Buggs67]

I think our volunteers got a small break on property taxes. EMS was well funded by the donations and some support from the township, which of course came from taxes. Fire the same.

What I always found interesting is that the people who make the least money and pay the least taxes use the public services (EMS/police) the most. Not that they wanted too.

Some of our FF were HS students. They'd leave school to respond to calls. And people who worked for the township who were volunteers left work for calls. The animal control officer was the head of one EMS squad.

 

[3Ts]

When I lived in a small town in New England we had an all volunteer fire department with a 40 year old fire truck. It was continuously having problems so the fire department asked for a newer fire truck only 20 years old. The city council said no because it would cost to much. So all the fire fighters resigned. They then got the fire truck, it was far cheaper than any other option to replace them. (The town all supported the fire fighters)

 

[etpm]

I have a lot of respect for those EMS folks. Years ago the local volunteer ones took good care of me until I could be transported by helicopter to Harborview Hospital. I had bones sticking out of both arms and my pelvis was broken in front and back. They told me they could not administer morphine because my blood pressure was too low and the morphine would kill me. But I could tell they really empathized with my situation and they took excellent care of me until I was transported to the highschool parking lot where the 'copter could land. Thanks for your post.
Eric

 

[JethroB]

This thread is a reminder to make my annual donation to our local first responders and volunteer fire dept. I was a fire pager carrying high school student 45 years ago. Fond memories and a couple of still disturbing ones. Hats off to them.