It's time EMS receives LODD benefits

[Goose 188]

Recieved this email yesterday from Advocates for EMS:

Dear AEMS Coalition Supporter:

AEMS is requesting your immediate assistance to contact your House Representative to ask them to cosponsor the "Nongovermental Emergency Responder Family Protection Act."

If you represent an organization, please distribute this information to your membership and request their participation.

This legislation would extend Public Safety Office Death Benefits to the survivors of medics who are employed by nongovernmental EMS agencies and die in the line of duty. Governmental medics are already eligible for death benefits but tens of thousands of nongovernmental medics are ineligible even though they provide the same life-saving medical care in often dangerous environments.

AEMS has made the process for you to contact your House Representative easy by using CAPWIZ on the AEMS Web site, http://www.capwiz.com/naemt/issues/alert/?alertid=11897156.

If this link does not connect, visit the AEMS Web site at www.advocatesforems.org, click on "Take Action" in the left side column bar, click on the "Issues & Legislation" tab, click on "Legislative Alerts and Updates" then click on the SECOND item listed "Contact Your Representatives in Congress to Cosponsor the Nongovermental Emergency Responder Family Protection Act!"

This link directs you to an informational letter on how to make contact with your House Representative, talking points and an email template. The email template is available by entering your zip code in the "Action Alert" box and clicking "Go." We highly encourage you to call the office of your House Representative and ask to speak to the Judiciary Legislative Assistant.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Lisa Meyer at lmeyer@cgagroup.com.

Thank you for your support and assistance,

Kurt Krumperman

AEMS President

Please, i urge you to write your member of congress and demand their support for this long over-due legislation.

[Guest]

While any death is tragic, the reason that most EMS LODD's do not receive the same attention that FD or PD death's do is because it is not a civil service position. Anyone can walk up, pass a background check and move on in. What is next? Same benefits for utility company employees?

[Goose 188]

While any death is tragic, the reason that most EMS LODD's do not receive the same attention that FD or PD death's do is because it is not a civil service position. Anyone can walk up, pass a background check and move on in. What is next? Same benefits for utility company employees?

Please, by all means, don't hold back.

[ny10570 745]

Thats a valid point. This is for non-governmental emergency responders. Doesn't that mean private companies? How are they any different than say the utility company? They should be providing LODD benefits to their employees just as the government does so for its civil service employees.

Edited June 18, 2009 by ny10570

[Goose 188]

I don't see it as a valid point. You have a paramedic or EMT that works for a commercial or other third service that provides contracted 9-1-1 EMS response to a municipality. That paramedic or EMT is essentially providing the same service as neighboring town and essentially putting themselves at the same risk - only difference is the neighboring town runs a municipal EMS system. Do hospital based Paramedics and EMTs face a different danger than say FDNY EMTs/Parmedics (i assume they get city LODD benefits) - they are providing essentially the same service and they should be equally or near equally protected in the event of a death. Something is better than nothing. Maybe it's me but doesn't it bother some people that the Federal Government had to make an exception for the non-municipal city EMS workers that gave their lives in the very same way that everyone else did?

Ha..commercial/third services providing LODD benefits? Right...

I'm not saying we should cover every single EMT and Paramedic, i just don't think it's fare that if they are delivering 9-1-1 service to a contracted municipality there is no reason why they should not be covered.

[Guest EFFP411]

Thats a valid point. This is for non-governmental emergency responders. Doesn't that mean private companies? How are they any different than say the utility company? They should be providing LODD benefits to their employees just as the government does so for its civil service employees.

The fact that you're even entertaining the thought of comparing commercial/private Paramedics/EMTs to a utility company is preposterous. We still do the same job as medics and emts who are considered "civil service" because they are counted as firefighters first, or are FD based. In case you didn't notice, ALOT of other municipalities in NY utilize the commercial services as their sole source of EMS because they are either too cheap or just don't have the resources to create their own municipal service. What is the difference? The patch is still the same no matter what uniform it gets sewn onto...

Edited June 18, 2009 by EFFP411

[Guest]

Like I said, anyone with an EMT card can go and get a job working at some of these places. Not everyone can work for FDNY EMS or ANYTOWN EMS. And in most cases LODD's for EMS are mostly preventable, a cop can not deter some perp from shooting him and a fireman can not prevent himself from being trapped and running out of air. I would fight for higher pay before I went after getting death benefits. The Highway guy's work for the town, they get a life insurance policy, nothing more.

[Guest MVFD334]

I'm not saying we should cover every single EMT and Paramedic, i just don't think it's fare that if they are delivering 9-1-1 service to a contracted municipality there is no reason why they should not be covered.

So now your saying to pick and choose who gets them. I take it that your covered under this plan and not Joe Shmo Emt who's not.

[NJMedic 96]

And in most cases LODD's for EMS are mostly preventable, a cop can not deter some perp from shooting him and a fireman can not prevent himself from being trapped and running out of air.

The same thing could be said of many PD and FD LODDs. Guys falling off trucks, motor vehicle crashes, screwed up risk benefit ratios, sudden cardiac deaths with known risk factors. All tragic but in one sense or the other likely preventable.

I don't see the difference in the deaths of NYC Paramedics that responded out of NYH Pres 09/11 then those Paramedics that worked for FDNY. As long as the part of the official response.

[ny10570 745]

Should the city also provide LODI and health plan benefits to private contractors? Commercial firefighters don't get the same benefits if the refinery they're working at blows up so what is different about EMS? This isn't about the value of the life lost. Its about who you work for.

Where do you draw the line. What if they do transports and get flagged for a 911 job, do they get the death benefit if they were to die? How about the mutual aid units the city has been using these past few weeks? Should they also be eligible for any benefits FDNY employees are receiving.

If you chose to work for a private company there are advantages and disadvantages. I'm worth more dead than alive, thats one of my perks.

[ny10570 745]

Like I said, anyone with an EMT card can go and get a job working at some of these places. Not everyone can work for FDNY EMS or ANYTOWN EMS. And in most cases LODD's for EMS are mostly preventable, a cop can not deter some perp from shooting him and a fireman can not prevent himself from being trapped and running out of air. I would fight for higher pay before I went after getting death benefits. The Highway guy's work for the town, they get a life insurance policy, nothing more.

I think roof was trying to say that cops and firefighters are required to put themselves directly into harms way to help others. In EMS, unless we screw up we're not suppose to be in danger. We do not enter unsafe or unsecured locations. Yes there is still danger and yes even when things go right we can still get killed but the risks faced by EMS are also faced by other professions without federal LODI benefits.