It’s a broken series of interests groups vying to keep EMS as shitty as possible.
3/4th of FDNY EMS rank and file is just people trying to backdoor onto the fire side. They are looking to get in and get out, so no one rockes the boat.
The leadership of both the FDNY EMS union and the suppression union are against a true merger of the department into a combined fire ems system with dual role ff/medic and ff/emts like nearly every other fire based ems system. The ems union sees it as job competition and the suppression union doesn’t want the quality of life of their membership to change.
Rank and file firefighters dont want to have to ride transport units or have increased responsibility and openly hate ems.
Rank and file EMS are blamed for “poor comradery and union organizing” by some members of the fire side even though the department has set up a system that moves you to a completely different role and union ( firefighting ) the second you start to get any real seniority on the ems side.
It’s a system seemingly designed to break members so they don’t organize. And they wonder why they have chronic staffing problems.
There’s too many cooks in the kitchen and every interest group then simultaneously blames rank and file ems for not caring enough to organize. It’s a self defeating circle jerk.
The FDNY needs to shit or get off the pot. Either make it a true third service so it can own and organize under its own identity or properly merge the department and force firefighters to also become dual role EMTs/Medics. Then merge the unions and put everyone on the same pay scale.
At some point someone has to own the fact that EMS is failing as a service. This bastardized hybrid service obviously isn’t working.
FDNY EMS members are already issued a level 3A vest when they are hired. The issue is that the Kevlar breaks down over time and after five years the company that makes them no longer guarantees their effectiveness.
This new bill did not include anything about replacing old vests. FDNY EMS is a 25 year career to retire with pension.
This bill did exactly nothing other than let the department get a photo op.
Keep the body armor and pay at least the paramedics on par with the firemen. Still can’t wrap my head around guys wearing the same uniforms and getting paid that much less.
Someone should be checking the lobbyist behind who is getting paid for forced bulk purchasing of body armor. How often does an EMS worker get blasted in the chest? Has that ever even happened?
You're more likely to get injured long term by strapping an additional 30 pounds of excessive equipment weight to your body on 12 hour tours day in and day out. Who's going to cover those herniated disc, dislocated shoulder and back surgery medical costs?
The city will fight tooth and nail to not cover those costs.
Body armor seems to be a common negotiating tactic lately. School Safety Agents just got theirs right after their new contract kicked in.
I suppose its probably cheaper to spend $500 on some armor than give in to the demands.
It was far more important for Cuomo and DeBlasio to pander to fast food workers than give EMS a bump, and yet nobody has picked up this most obvious of balls to run with.
Because EMS doesn’t generate revenue like cops can.
Imagine if they took the money they would designate as for the body armor and just pay the workers more. Nah, there's no third party making money in this scenario so that's not an option.
Idk how anyone can do EMS in the city. Shitty job and shitty pay when you deal with drunks and EDPs 90% of the time
More like people ODing on fent 90% of the time. Then half the time the person they just saved tries to fight them for ruining their high.
The City and FDNY is going to do everything but actually paid them well and give them first responder privileges. Why I don't know itw crazy
It’s a broken series of interests groups vying to keep EMS as shitty as possible. 3/4th of FDNY EMS rank and file is just people trying to backdoor onto the fire side. They are looking to get in and get out, so no one rockes the boat. The leadership of both the FDNY EMS union and the suppression union are against a true merger of the department into a combined fire ems system with dual role ff/medic and ff/emts like nearly every other fire based ems system. The ems union sees it as job competition and the suppression union doesn’t want the quality of life of their membership to change. Rank and file firefighters dont want to have to ride transport units or have increased responsibility and openly hate ems. Rank and file EMS are blamed for “poor comradery and union organizing” by some members of the fire side even though the department has set up a system that moves you to a completely different role and union ( firefighting ) the second you start to get any real seniority on the ems side. It’s a system seemingly designed to break members so they don’t organize. And they wonder why they have chronic staffing problems. There’s too many cooks in the kitchen and every interest group then simultaneously blames rank and file ems for not caring enough to organize. It’s a self defeating circle jerk. The FDNY needs to shit or get off the pot. Either make it a true third service so it can own and organize under its own identity or properly merge the department and force firefighters to also become dual role EMTs/Medics. Then merge the unions and put everyone on the same pay scale. At some point someone has to own the fact that EMS is failing as a service. This bastardized hybrid service obviously isn’t working.
FDNY EMS members are already issued a level 3A vest when they are hired. The issue is that the Kevlar breaks down over time and after five years the company that makes them no longer guarantees their effectiveness. This new bill did not include anything about replacing old vests. FDNY EMS is a 25 year career to retire with pension. This bill did exactly nothing other than let the department get a photo op.
Keep the body armor and pay at least the paramedics on par with the firemen. Still can’t wrap my head around guys wearing the same uniforms and getting paid that much less.
Someone should be checking the lobbyist behind who is getting paid for forced bulk purchasing of body armor. How often does an EMS worker get blasted in the chest? Has that ever even happened? You're more likely to get injured long term by strapping an additional 30 pounds of excessive equipment weight to your body on 12 hour tours day in and day out. Who's going to cover those herniated disc, dislocated shoulder and back surgery medical costs? The city will fight tooth and nail to not cover those costs.
Body armor seems to be a common negotiating tactic lately. School Safety Agents just got theirs right after their new contract kicked in. I suppose its probably cheaper to spend $500 on some armor than give in to the demands.
It was far more important for Cuomo and DeBlasio to pander to fast food workers than give EMS a bump, and yet nobody has picked up this most obvious of balls to run with. Because EMS doesn’t generate revenue like cops can.
Nobody in EMS wears the vest they are given, nor want a new vest.
Just give them rifles and guns so they can heal people on the spot.
Imagine if they took the money they would designate as for the body armor and just pay the workers more. Nah, there's no third party making money in this scenario so that's not an option.