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Editorial: I'm not sure what the surprise is By
BOB THACKER So… I not sure what the surprise is. Two weeks ago I made a public statement and within that statement, I informed everyone that the EMT-I was coming very soon. Now, once KBEMS announces it, you become outraged. Just sitting back in the recliner waiting for the world to happen… The problem with most of you is that you can’t see the road until the snow has cleared. There is an enormous amount of play with HB 469 that many of you had refused to see. Ironically, many of you wanted the “Paramedic in the ER.” Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think? Now a new group wants the EMT in the Advanced Life Support Ambulance. Both saving the operator money and that is what it is all about… money! KAPA/KBEMS, I use their names together because I see them as the same, are the EMS leaders in this state. This group needs cost effective management tactics to operate an ambulance service that is severely limited on public funds to function at an appropriate level. So you medics are outraged over the EMT-I. You should be, but not for the reasons many of you have expressed. If the EMT-I is accepted in this state, your pay has been effectively controlled for the duration of your career. That includes the EMT-B and EMT-I. Economically, to succeed you have to make your product important. If a product that public perceives as just effective is placed on the market, the naive public will buy it. That’s until a consumer group (that would be KAEMT) is able to convince them otherwise! Let’s plow some snow… Why was so many for HB 469 when it could effectively created a competitive working environment for the paramedic. With HB 469 the paramedic could be replaced with cheap labor. Not that I am implying that EMT’s are cheap, actually they are a very valuable member of the EMS team that the only classification of “cheap” is in reference in the pay they receive. How many of you paramedics are aware that a KBEMS Board Member wants a paramedic to ask permission from KBEMS before they are allowed to work in the ER. I wonder where that is going? What do you think are the odds that in order to keep control of the paramedic supply base (I’m not going to point fingers) that someone may require you to work full-time at a ALS ambulance service while maintaining a part-time job in a ER?. It doesn’t take a mental giant to figure all this out. There goes your “retirement job” ideal. So if the paramedic is replaced with the EMT-I the only choice you will have is to work at the EMT-I pay scale or just change careers. You are (EMT-B, EMT-I and Paramedics) being backed into a corner. The EMT’s are looking at this as a great step forward. Read between the lines. Just read HB 469 with an open mind. Quit relying on what you read in the EMS Connection Discussion Forum. I have been asked by KAPA to sit and testify on behalf of HB 469 on Tuesday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m. in Room 111 of the Capitol Annex. Now, that invitation could be rapidly withdrawn, but I do have an alternate plan in place. If it really is that big of an issue to you, put the foot rest of the recliner down and show up on Tuesday. Contact your Senator and voice your opinion… It is your taxpaying privilege and you don’t need permission to do so. I have even provided all the Kentucky State Senate’s email below, just copy and paste. There are many solutions to the perceived paramedic shortage. Obviously the most effective measure would be to create incentive pay. This creates two solutions. It retains paramedics with higher pay and it is an effective way to provide the EMT with tuition funds to pay for the Paramedic course. Can it be done? Absolutely! If the fire and police service can get incentive pay, it would not be difficult to justify to our political leaders why we should receive this funding as well. KAEMT has hired a public relations firm and will make a local and national public statement in the very near future. EMS in this state will come to the forefront very soon. How you take advantage of this media attention is your decision. It will be your opportunity to get noticed. If you sit back, it will pass you by! So once again many of you are waiting for my reply on this issue. I do support EMT-I’s in the field but not the way many of you see them being used. The EMT-I needs to replace the EMT-B. Healthcare would benefit substantially by increasing the role of the basic EMT and with the new skills, would make the EMT a larger role player in the ALS/BLS team. To replace the paramedic would have dramatic effects of the pre-hospital Healthcare system. Being realistic, I have every reason to believe that many EMS services have the intentions of this cost effective labor force. This obviously hurts both the EMT and Paramedic. An advertised ALS ambulance should always be required to have a working Paramedic on board at all times…. No exceptions! Officially, KAEMT will still not take a stand on this issue. I will re-evaluate your emails in 24 hours to see if we need to change our position. Please send your emails directly to me and skip the postings on the Kentucky EMS Discussion Forum. But remember, KAEMT not only represents the Paramedics, it also supports the interest of the EMT’s as well. Just so there is no confusion this time…. I am Bob Thacker And I am the President of the Kentucky Association of EMT’s Kentucky State Senators: [Note: click on the link below to address one e-mail to the group of Senators, or copy and paste the text displayed in the link into the "TO:" section of your e-mail]
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