[glewis80SC]

Man where do I start:
Background: 10 years FF/Paramedic for Los Angeles Fire Dept., Volumteer FF for smaller local dept for 5 years before the LAFD.

Yes we need the paid professional fire service we have personnel ready to respond 24 hours a day with volunteer depts there can be a huge delay in getting personnel on scene and during any true emergency those are the most important minutes. I have nothing againt being a volunteer and those depts but you do get quicker response times with paid professional depts.
I make a good salary at what I do, not a get rich salary but a liveable one as long as I stay within my means, there are guys that make more and chose to work overtime anytime, I prefer to be home with kids. I have years a training as a FF/Medic and with any trained profession I expect a decent salary for that training and education.
I do pay towards our pension system every pay day, if you break down that my salary comes from taxpayers than I suppose yes it is taxpayer dollars. I also pay into a defered comp account each check, I do not expect to live high on the hog with pension money. Our system is based on the previous years base salary not on banked overtime.
As for staying on scene too long with a critical patient, if that occured like Moses stated, that is not the norm. As stated before in LA County we are bound by certain protocols as to what we are required to do prior to arriving at the ER, if those are not done we can face suspension etc., the complaint usually comes from an ER doctor that has no clue what it is to work on an ambulance. If we were to just arrive on scene and say "get in" we are not serving the public. We go on soooooooo many calls that do not even justify a 911 call, we have to do a good patient assessment to determine the right treatment. It takes training and experience to be able to identify a truely critical patient, and I assure you we do not just sit on scene all treatment is done in the ambulance in route to the ER. Paramedics are just a part of the larger EMS system we know that the ER can provide more advanced care but we are the front line and provide the first step and initial care. I love to talk with the ER doctors and see how I can do things better and tap into their knowledge to help me provide better care, it is unfortunate that Moses has such a negative outlook on the service i provide.
There may be the perception that we just sit around all day and wait for calls to come in, that is not the case again. Our day is spent on continuous training, fire prevention, station and apparatus maintenance. Yes we have down time it is not possible to be running for 24 hours straight. Come spend a day at my station and you will see how much we sit around.
It may seem like overkill to send so many personnel out to a minor traffic or EMS incident, but we would rather have the people ther if needed than delay care while having to wait for other to arrive, it is NOT to bump up our numbers.
I love my job....I mean I REALLY love what I do, I feel this is what I was put here to do. Trust me, when and if you ever call we will arrive as quick as we can and provide you with professional service any time of day. I assure you that if you or someone you know is ever trapped in a burning building I will risk my life to save yours without hesitation..that is what you pay me for.