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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.