I fully admit that EMS doesn’t pay the bills for me. Never has and most likely never will, unless I get that killer job offer to be an EMS director somewhere or an overpaid (really, I’m worth it) EMS consultant.
I volunteer my skills as a paramedic and am often flexible with my rates to instruct class, especially for smaller EMS services. I’m ok with that, really. While I’ve heard some people say that EMS will never pay well until we stop volunteering, I disagree — and to me, it’s a form of service for me to give back a little.
Here’s what I’m not OK with. I refuse to volunteer as an event medic. In the past, I’ve volunteered for two very large events (a biker party/rally and college football games). Both experiences were bad in so many ways. Both events went with relatively unprofessional event medical groups who were obviously either free or extremely low cost. Both events had bare bones protocols and equipment. The football game EMTs were literally equipped with first aid kits and the “paramedic teams” were equipped at the BLS level with small EMT jump kits and an AED. In fact, one time, the oxygen tank was empty when I checked out my bag. I reported that to the supply person who told me that most people don’t check the bags. And the protocols…. for the unnamed college in Austin with a Division I football progam…. one page. Most of the instructions were EMT level protocols with directives to move the patient to a first aid room staffed by RNs and a doctor.
And how they treat volunteers…. When I first started at the college games, we had to carpool in and got $8 in food vouchers. That would buy a snack at best. As time went on, they stopped providing the food vouchers even. They started selling a box lunch. Oh, and you needed to be at the game early and stay late.
So, what really brought on my gripe about volunteering for events was a post from a Facebook friend today asking for volunteers for the Houston Rodeo. I’ve looked into it before. What’s not to like? One of the largest rodeos around, BBQ cookoffs, great country music concerts, and did I mention BBQ? So, I did some research — and before you can be selected as a volunteer for the safety committee, you have to join the rodeo. That’s at least $50. That doesn’t count the vest that you have to buy. And the volunteers don’t appear to get parking either. So, for around $100 (my rough guess), you can pay for the privilege of volunteering as an EMT or paramedic for a very financially sound non-profit. For a little over $100, I can guaran-damn-tee you that I can go to the Houston rodeo, not volunteer as a medic, and see the concert and get BBQ.
I’m tired of events shortchanging civic-minded medics by making them lose money for the “privilege” of being an event and shortchanging the public by skimping on proper medical services.
I keep reminding myself of what Chief Buddy Crain told me when I started volunteering with his fire department. “You shouldn’t have to pay to volunteer.” That’s still sound advice from Chief Crain. I encourage each of you to follow such advice.
Like you, my day job pays the bills and I have no intention of leaving it for EMS. And like you I enjoy giving back to the community. So I volunteer for a local agency just south of where I live, and also spend a lot of time on medical for a large annual charitable event. I understand that I’m a volunteer and don’t expect to be paid, but when I’m asked to help with a contract event where the agency is being paid I guess I wonder why they can’t “share the love”. The group received money for me to be there and the staff got paid, probably overtime. I’m not saying it has to be a paycheck, I don’t need to money to pay bills. But how about some token of appreciation – Starbucks card, some money to cover my expenses for volunteering, something. I’ve also seen an unfortunate trend where events beg for medical volunteers, but pay the police because they say they have to.
Maybe the “volunteer” medics should take the position of the burger flippers and go on strike until they get $15/hour. “Would you like an IV and fries with that?”
I have to agree with you in that I do not think the fact that there are EMS volunteers affects how much and how well we are paid. Just look at the fire service. I used to volunteer for my hometown EMS/rescue squad, and fortunately, it did not cost a lot to ‘volunteer’. There was whatever gearhead stuff you wanted, but my agency paid to have our uniforms, that they provided, cleaned. We even got an annual stipend each year (paid 2-3 weeks before Christmas). And again, the fact that I was a volunteer, or that they had volunteers, did not affect the pretty generous salary and benefits that were provided back then.
I started as a volunteer and would certainly go back to it if I had the time. I have in the past few years volunteered for a non-profit charity weekend event that takes nearly your entire weekend and several other evenings beforehand to prepare. It became so demanding by the event coordinators and so political I quit volunteering. Like everything else it gets right down to politics and ego’s which really ruins what could otherwise be a great weekend charity event that publicly admits they make usually 10-15 million during the weekend event. What I don’t like is that I have friends (EMS) who participate in the event and it could be them that need people like me to help them. Oh and calling in a refusal to someone who has been certified as an EMT-Basic (nothing against Basic’s but its a lower level of care) for 6 months with NO street experience vs my 15+ of street experience in a VERY busy jurisdiction. Oh and like David it irritates me that the hundreds of police officers working the event are being paid $35/hour and we are volunteering our time. Why don’t the cops try working for free like us FF & Medics. I don’t want to be paid because when I signed on to do it I knew it was volunteer and don’t expect to be paid.
Don’t forget the mandatory ‘training’ sessions prior to the actual start of the HLSR…I can’t imagine the EMT Committee being the only one not to require it.