SA Firefighter

mmmmmm..... not a whine as such just some comments and observations !

Further comments to support my position

1) If yor a patient and you are treated and transported by a SAAS volly cew you pay the same $$$$ just as you wold if a career SAAS crew did the job.... however SAAS does not pay vollys a wage and so there is a HUGE surplus in contry areas. nfortunately some managers and team leaders till run their SAAS country teams like they are still St John divisions needing to do chook rafles!  I know a lot of SAAS teams that issues rain coats to every volly while some just buy a few and share!..... there is money to buy PPE for ALL volunteers (for the work they do ALL organisation's vollys deserve PPE).

2) Im just asking for equity! if every volly didnt need a personal hard hat, reflective vest and raincoat then every career guy/gal doesnt need one either!.....

3) In fact I should be using the term voly any more. As per legisaltion recently changed the term in SAAS is Paid or Non Paid staff now!

4) You would think SAAS wold want EVERY operational staff member to have such PPE to respond in the event of a disaster or the BIG ONE!?!?!...... as a minimum I think every SAAS staff member(Paid or unpaid) should be able to respond to suc a incidents off duty equiped with as a minimum :  ID Card and Lanyard, Reflective Vest and Hardhat???

5) The non issue of PPE goes against the SAAS and Department of Health OHS policy?

and to answer your questions:   Former SAAS volly (non paid), Current SAAS career (Paid),,,, current CFS volly.

Stay safe  (safer with PPE!)

SPRINT Paramedics = great idea, rapid response to emergencies, filter the crap jobs from transport crews

ECP...... STUPID idea.... ambos playing nurses/nurse practitioner's! (with MUCH less training) and nurse practitioner = 3 year basic nursing degree, then 1 year GNP, the grad dip in speciality i.e emergency, then masters, then portfolio then nurse pract status...

ECP = basic Ambo training 3 year degree (or some of the old guys/gal with Diploma), some years on road, then an internal Intensive Care Course then ECP few weeks training!  (of note some ambulance services interstate require their Ambos to sit a grad diploma to achieve ICP status not a Dr Hugh internal course!

ECP =Its a duplication of roles, waste of money are resources... we don't have enough ambos now, so what do we do take them off their primary role (emergency response) and place them in low acuity work......! makes sense NOT

Would it have been better for Department of health to put nurses in non marked cars responding to these low care jobs when SAAS crews, sprint or SAAS comms picked them up?

If you want to be a nurse be a nurse,,,,,, if you want to be an ambo be an ambo!!

I bet none of the current ECP will be in these roles by this time next year, they will get boared and go back to emergency work.

I heard form a SAAS volly friend there is a problem brewing with SAAS country vollys.

It seems SAAS has issued EVERY ONE of their Paramedics, Managers, even ATS (non emergency transport) officers with new Green Resuce Hardhats and All these staff have been issued with personal reflecitve tabbards/vests (especially as they are wearing king gee blue at the momment)

Volly ambos who make up over half the SAAS workfocrce however are stillusing $6 industrial hard hats.... they may get 3 green hardhats to SHARE in the future (3 hats per station!) and they current share 3 vests per ambulance.

You would think after the uniform allergy they are experiencing the last thing they would do is make staff share sweaty vests and hardhats.... My friend cant wear one of the 3 vest because they are not in his size (about 7 different sizes)

Seeing as volly crews dont get paid but the patients they collect get charged the same amount as if a paid paramedic crew picked them up - that SAAS and the government could issue volly staff appropriate PPE....

Sure in CFS we share reflective vests but they are worn over turn out coats... ambos wear their vest up close to sweaty shirts....

Also in a disaster "the big one" wouldnt you want all available staff to respond in uniform with basic PPE (ie. helmet)......>>>>>>>>>

Who are First Care Medical??? I saw these guys at the Slipnot concert at Wayville Showgrounds last week. They were treating people and wearing green uniforms some has Paramedic on uniform others had Nurse or First Responder. Are these guys a private ambulance service?