SAAS Retained?

[Smallflame]

Just a small comment Smallflame "In CFS/SES you can distance yourself somewhat from the blood and gore," Who do you think cleans up the mess after you guys leave - including the ones beyond your help & the mess you guys leave .
And we are normally in there with the paramedics as there isn't that many of you guys is there?
So incentives hey - tell us more, I would be interested in what they are considerng since the same problems that affect SAAS affect SAMFS retained, CFS & SES. $5.00 a job? sounds like a real deal .
Anyway good luck with it cheers

Chook, I'm in all 3... Mind you, I think most of the goriest stuff I've done has been with CFS and SES.. SES probably the worst. Was speaking from experience though, mentally its easier to distance one's self in orange or yellow because you don't have to develop too much of a rapport(yes, primary entry you do develop something of one.. before someone jumps on that too) so its easier not to think too much about whats going on.

The age thing is also because we get to administer some pretty interesting things. I mean, as is CFS and SES I've probably used just oxygen in those roles, SAAS we're (under consult in most cases) allowed to administer Midazolam ,Diazepam, Penthrane (the green whistle), salbutamol, Epinepherine (adrenaline) and several other cool bits and pieces. I guess its something of a responsibility thing; I'm not keen on having half hte people I know stick a needle in me, intermuscular or not... I'd  be even less pleased with someone in highschool standing over me with a syringe!

I'd make the assumption also they're hoping for a higher level of maturity, rather than people who still find themselves dying seeing someone naked etc.

Incentives for SAAS are looking like subsidised Study, or the opportunity to go beyond the usual Cert IV in Basic Emergency Care. These however seem like rumours, though this was directly from the horse's mouth.

[chook]

How do you find the time? Anyway was only having a slight dig As you know the payment for service thing always rears its head with vollies, even if it is a token payment!
Anyway good on you for having the fortitude to do what you do, and you come out of it with a certificate (a real one ).
A letter I received from the minister late last year was going on about some sought of inititives to attract & hold on to volunteers.
Anyway good on you younger guys (non gender specific ), pity there isn't more of you.
cheers

[sesroadcrashrescue]

someone said that the $5 we get is pay its not its reimbursement for having to drive to the station call comms in adelaide and a bit towards food its not a pay.

Goolwa is  busy but so is Mallala, Mallala is now runnning two cars per day as much as possible they cant cover every shift with two cars but they do it as much as they can.

not everybody fits in with each team hence going to goolwa instead of meadows i am curently looking at changing teams for reason not discussed on here its all personal choice. not all stations have sleep on facilities that could be another reason.     

[Alan (Big Al)]

Goolwa have their own house in the main street now, separate bedrooms Austar etc etc.

[SA Firey]

Paid or not SAAS have real issues with metro crews let alone country.It isnt nice when you wait half an hour for an ambulance on a Cat2 which is coming from FMC, and the casualty keeps asking where is the ambulance while they are upside down in the car

[sesroadcrashrescue]

yes but it has to happen saas are working on it now including the new RSDP which will boost paramedic numbers in the country and hopefuly the experienced paramedics do metro work.

also saas own a house in goolwa but its not for goolwa team its available to all staff volly and paid. its a holiday house rented to staff at a cheap rate goolwa is a big enough station that they have sleep on facilities built in.     

[boredmatrix]

yes but it has to happen saas are working on it now including the new RSDP which will boost paramedic numbers in the country and hopefuly the experienced paramedics do metro work.

I am a little perplexed?  Why do you want more experienced paramedics in Metro?   -given the challenges of distance and lack of resources - experienced paramedics would be much better placed in the country after they've done their metro time.  I've worked both Metro and Country as a paramedic - and the country is definitely the more challenging of the two!

also saas own a house in goolwa but its not for goolwa team its available to all staff volly and paid. its a holiday house rented to staff at a cheap rate goolwa is a big enough station that they have sleep on facilities built in.    

does this house perhaps belong to the Ambulance Welfare Fund?

[rescue5271]

I was talking to a MICA officer from hamilton,he was saying that in Vic they have had a few SAAS members come over of late as the pay is better....So if SA want to fix the staff shortages then they better pay more money but they did just get a pay rise...

[squiddy]

If SAAS want to recruit and retain, perhaps they shouldn't treat their recruits like idiots.

Known case in a country station where a recruit was told that they would be given RPL on their Bachelor of Nursing at recruitment time. When the course started, the recruit was informed that SAAS does not do RPL, and that they would have to attend every training session and prove their skills in order to gain their Ambo status... to the point where the recruit was made to attend basic anatomy and physiology lectures even though they had been a tutor to other students in this subject at university. So, SAAS wanting more experienced staff is a bit of a joke if they won't recognise the resources they already have under their noses.

And the $5 pay for each job is only if you get back to station before the next one. You might get a job at 0800 and get your $5... but then when you have cleared and are on your way back to station, you might get another call. It can go on all day and you still only get that one $5 cheque because you weren't back on station between each call.

[Alan (Big Al)]

Sorry should explain further, SAAS Goolwa used to run out of the combined SAAS/St John facilities, however they were'nt the greatest so they purchased a former police residence next to the police station to use as the new SAAS station.  The truck is kept at the house during the day but at night is kept at the old station for security reasons.

[boredmatrix]

thanks Mund - wasn't aware of that one! -still -I've been out of the country loop for 4 years now!

Squiddy - I'm sorry to hear about your friend being treated like that - But I am inclined to think he was given a bum steer - or at least didnt find out all the facts about RPL in SAAS. 

SAAS's current policy means that anyone who believes they are eligible for RPL can apply provided that they can produce the appropriate evidence - In line with tertiary standards nationwide - so am a little perplexed as to why that happened!

[SA Firey]

SAAS house at Goolwa is AWF's, and so is the one at Edithburg

[sesroadcrashrescue]

there is also a AWF house at watervale in the clare valley

[Knackers]

A couple of things,

First, Smallflame, I take it you are a volunteer for SAAS going on your post. In regards to your post, and the responsibility thing, age should be no barrier, as I have met some young people who are very mature and responsible, and others who are older, who lack maturity and lack a whole lot of responsibilty. In your role, yes you can administer certian drugs, but only under specific guidelines and after a consult to an ASMO, Penthrane, salbutamol and oxygen excepted.

In regards to being able to distance yourself from "gory stuff", well I think no matter which organisation you work for (or your case volly for), there is always potential. And, what some people call gory, others won't.


As for the more experienced paramedics in metro,you need experienced paramedics in country too, considering that there are big distances to cover, and you can get some nasty stuff in country too, not to mention that volunteer crews may (and do) require a higher level of clinical support at times. In metro, you want another car, 99% of time you will get it. In country you want a second car, well you may not get it, or if do, it can take a long time.


As for the retained idea, it could work, MFS to it in country, and it works well. In SAAS's case, well, it could be an option, but not up to me to make.

[Alan (Big Al)]

I must have missed the memo on not seeing gory stuff last week

[Smallflame]

I must have missed the memo on not seeing gory stuff last week

I think I've cleared this up now. I said its simply easier to distance yourself not spending a whole lot of time having hands on / usually constant voice contact with the casualty. I've said 3 times I participate in the role in all 3 capacities, you still see the same things. Perhaps an elementary reading/comprehension course is in order, because it seems there's a remarkable amount of people who read what they want to out of a passage and miss the point.