orangEMT246

Next we will be hearing this on the news. Ambulance company "A" and ambulance company "B" pull up to a scene. They argue who gets the patient. Guns are drawn by the EMS crews. You get the idea.

What do we contract out next? The US Air Force?

But as an emergency service community, we have NO problem contracting out EMS?

I just read the RFP. Is it me, or is there a lot of penalties included in it? ie.. A response time over 3:59, a fee, ALS ambulance on every call or a fee, 0 level staffing over 8 minutes, a fee, etc... Is this a typical RFP, or is the city looking to make a little money out of this? MLSS has been covering the city for a long time now and must have been doing something right. Is the city changing the terms, or is this how it always have been?

Salaries and cost of doing business have been steadily increasing.

Which companies have salaries increasing? My two jobs, one in NJ, and the other in the Hudson Valley area have not had a pay increase in the past three years. The cost of my benefits went up though. At least they aren't laying off. That is something to be thankful for.

Frog Baseball!!! Hope they keep the old music videos in the episodes.

I work there so maybe I can answer your questions. I was a NY EMT when I started there. You can work as a NY EMT for only six months. You MUST get your NJ EMT in that time frame. It was just a matter of taking a "core 13" class. The BLS trucks are double EMT, 911 only in either type 1 or type 3 vehicles. We are phasing out the type 1's. A EMT will start per-diem. After about a year, you will usually be offered full time if any spots are open. The pay now is $17.94hr days and $19.94hr nights. You will earn your money as you will do 12-15 jobs in a 12 hour shift. When you become full time, they have a rotating schedule. It is 2 on, 2 off, 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, etc.. Basically you work every other weekend, three day work weeks, with the fourth week you work four days. There are only 12 hour shifts. There are no stations. You are posted (unless we are backed up with jobs), but you are constantly working. It is a state job with the state PERS pension. Info can be found here at www.uh-ems.org. There is also a link for the HR dept on the page under the "general information" tab. There are no paper resumes accepted, and you can only apply if openings are listed on the HR website. Good luck! It is a great place to get experience. Don't come here only looking at the money. People have quit during the orientation ride-along saying it is not for them, or it is just to busy for them! You can PM me if you have any other questions. Also listen to 155.4000 on a scanner to hear how the system is run.

Port Jervis VAC has gone ALS (or is about to). The unit is 073 Medic just like how New Windsor calls out on the county radio. Regional EMS (aka. Hudson Valley Paramedics), is the back-up ALS to the Port Jervis Vac district. Does anyone know if the Port Jervis medics are going into the PA section of the district, or just strictly the NY side?

Love my PS3. It has free online gaming. After a long shift, nothing beats Black OPS online. I also use it as my Blue Ray player and it streams Netflix.

Hey there, when did you get your result and after how long did you get called? I just got mine TODAY and would have no idea when I will get that call...I am in the 14xx range. Would you mind sharing your average scores that you received in the mail?

Thanks in advance and good luck!

I submitted my info this summer from the "test". I only got a 75 because I am not in the NYC EMS system. My agility exam info actually came a few days before my placement number arrived, which was just a couple days ago.

I received number 667 on the list. I am going to my agility test on 12/04, and my background "in-take" on Monday 12/13. If they are up to me now, I wouldn't expect it to be that long until you get called to test. Good luck with the process!

I submitted my information during the filing period for the FDNY EMS "Test" earlier this summer. I received my letter yesterday 11/18 to take the agility exam on Saturday 12/4 at 8AM. Anyone else on here going? Also with the Bloomburg cuts, are they really hiring? My belief is that that they are just making the list so when the city starts to hire, the employee pool will be ready to go.

The Sloper CONs went to Alamo when they took over Sloper back in 2004 or 2005. That means that those CONs are now part of Transcare also since the Alamo Transcare merger.

So in theory, Transcare has 3 CON's for the Hudson Valley. (1) HVA/CMT, (2) Sloper, (3) Alamo. Is it legal for one agency to have so many CON's for one area? I guess this is one way to avoid "new" competition from coming in.

Newark is so corrupt it's never going to be fixed. The only thing they've got going emergency-service wise is UMDNJ EMS, which they actually don't have anything to do with.

UMDNJ hospital is a state run hospital so we are at the mercy of Gov. Christie. Our license plates if you look closely say "state government" with the prefix "SG" on them. When he cuts funding to the hospital, that can include the EMS division. There have been cut backs in the hospital due to the fiscal crisis, but as of now, not in the EMS dept. All of us down here are nervous as to what will happen down the road. Hopefully this recession/depression ends soon so we can all take a sigh of relief, whenever, if ever, that occurs.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to the old Sloper CON when Alamo bought them out? Is that the one that Transcare bought initially?

I thought Transcare bought the old Hudson Valley Ambulance/Community Medical Transport (CMT) CON, when it was MetroCare. This was back around (correct me if I'm wrong) 2002 or so when they first moved into Kingston in Ulster County and Otisville in Orange County.

Most of the EMS in the Hudson Valley is run by "for profit, private companies". Another factor is as long as EMT's and paramedics are willing to work for the low wages, nothing will change. I work for a private company and happy there, as well as a hospital based system. Other factors for low pay and needing to work long hours are (guessing here): insurance reimbursement, lack of insurance or way to pay for the ambulance ride, etc... That is an entirely different discussion.

I don't think an EMS agency can be called out for a function such as this without a prior agreement between the EMS agency and the PD so if you're an EMS agency administrator and not comfortable with this, don't do it.

If you tell the PD no, and don't do the blood draw at their request, would that be considered "obstruction", opening up a set of problems for the EMS provider/agency?

Regional in Orange County has, (all ALS intercept or if the vollys don't get out) Florida, Chester, Warwick, Pine Island, Greenwood Lake, Minisink (aka. Lenape VAC), Greenville, Port Jervis, Deerpark. Some private contracts as well. They place "paid volunteers" in Chester VAC. They also cover Matamoras, Westfalls, and Hemlock Farms PA as "403" on the Pike County Radio System. They do provide quite a bit of Mutual Aid to "401" when Pike ALS (private company) has no units available. That is why they have the PA state certification seals on their front doors. Talking to the employees, the "old Regional" employees don't care to be associated to the HVPS side that much. It is a tight ship in Orange County with their supervisors.

Anyone know if there are any cable companies, anywhere in the country, that allow you to pick and choose what individual channels you get, and bill you based on that? None of this package level stuff.

Now that would be a wonderful thing. From a business point of view, why have customers pick and choose their channels for less money per month when you can ram everything down their throats for more money without a choice? I would love to pick my favorite 20 or so channels with HBO added on.

Does anyone know of a scanner that can monitor LTR PassPort trunking?

I see it is becoming popular and a few agencies in the area are using it.

No scanner on the market can track a PassPort system. You can input all the frequencies, but will hear everyone on the system. A good website with the frequencies for the PassPort system as well as other local trunk systems is

nf2g.com

With the Pleasant Valley thread going on now, I doubt you will see anyone from HVP!!

The government has assured us it is safe

That makes me feel better... yeah, right.

I worked there from Oct. 2004 to May 2008 when I ran to Jersey. I miss doing the Saturday nights in Poughkeepsie when Mike was the supervisor. Always a good time. Also a good time was working Wednesday BLS with my partner Nina. We would be one of the few crews who would VOLUNTEER for the Castle Point to Manhattan VA runs. Our theory: Two long distance trips sure beat out 10 VBMC to either Eden Park NH or Lutheran Care runs. Also miss the Beacon VAC shifts. I wish all the Alamo employees best of luck at Transcare or wherever they may end up.

I hope your not serious. I happen to be a Medic and always do the bulk of the lifting, sometimes while carrying my gear on my back. If you think you have a problem with a Medic then speak to them directly.

It's too bad the healthcare industry is focused on treating problems and not prevention.

VERY SERIOUS! When working BLS 911 and the double medic truck comes, one medic ALWAYS runs for the Med radio in the truck, and the other carries the lifepack 12. This is common place where I work in NJ. Been told myself and to all the EMT's at our hospital, "want to stop lifting, become a medic." At XYZ company in the Hudson Valley where I used to work, (don't want to start another company bashing thread) it was the complete opposite. But then again, it was just the two of us. The worst there was when the medic "forgot" his equipment and expected the EMT to carry it as they made a bee-line to the door. But we always had the BLS bag!!

Remember to protect yourself, your crew, and your patient. EMTs are only required to lift 125lbs. So between you and your partner, if the patient weights more than 200-225lbs (how much does YOUR stretcher weight?) you should be calling for assistance.

That's right. EMTs should be calling for help lifting. But why are the medics complaining? ALS means "Ain't Lifting S**t!!"

First of all lets make it clear. I work multiple agencys and for at least one that was mentioned. Funny you say they (The Towns ) had a bad experience with Alamo. How come they the towns having issues or problems with other companies they return to Alamo. Even one that had leg issues. Hey everycompany has there pros as well as their cons. I am also not saying that a or any of the towns will come back. Its all about the bis, leave me out of it. Give me a bus, a partner, & a paycheck with bens. Tran does come to town with a big backer. All is fine and be what be. There is enough work in the area for all of us. As for a buy up. Maybe a good thing? There is things going on that is a fact. The other fact is that those who know for sure are being smart this time and not saying. Lets just remember this, We all have to work together and we have shown that time and time again (Thank God ). No matter what shirts we are wearing. I have my hopes for Alamo, but they are mine. Someone said to let us vent, who ever you are you are right. Thanks I feel better now. WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG????????????

Because there will always be people in EMS who will bang their chest and say "my company is better than yours." Call it company pride that just goes to far. When I started in one company in the region, it was pounded into us that "We are better than every other company out there. We are the best and everyone else is s**t." This is what has to stop. This is what makes EMS the bastard children of emergency services. In reality, who really cares who buys who, as long as we ALL work in this economy doing what we love to do: EMS.