The guy who took my place used to be our PO. He made the mistake of getting his Paramedic cert on his own. The department decided to take all of the people "hiding" in suppression positions and place them on EMS apparatus so they can "pay their dues". Please understand that EMS is treated like a punishment here so this is why I have felt devalued as an employee. Get it yet? So this poor guy signed a contract when he was hired (in his 50s with a huge amount of suppression experience) and figured instead of having to commute to take his ALS certification, he'd take it at home since he thought they would make him take it sooner or later. He's giving himself an ulcer already not feeling very confident and having to ride with an EMT-B as his partner. Good Partner rocks but is still not an ALS provider. There's a limit to the help he can give and the nearest help might be twenty minutes away. Now he's on his own and scared. To top it off, the Lieutenant is LAZY and just a pain in the ass. This last shift he finally got to see it from our point of view.
Up to this point the PO has pretty much been tied to the engine and truck. He busted his ass cleaning, fixing, checking off and generally keeping up with all of the suppression equipment in the station. He spent the majority of the day focused on that so he wasn't aware what was going on with us. Last shift he finally got it. The Lieutenant had them doing fire inspections, fire hazard surveys, shopping for lunch and dinner and running three calls (which take on average two hours per call). And all the while he sat on his ass on the computer or talking on the phone with his wife. At one point the engine was sent on a cold response while the medic unit was on their way back from an out of county hospital and he called the dispatcher on the air and asked if the medic unit could take it. He asked Good Partner why he wasn't angry. He responded that we had been so used to being used as the Lieutenant's errand boys. I would get so pissed off, but what do you say when he says "Do you mind?" He's our boss. Hell yeah we mind but you keep your mouth shut and you do it. We were the ones running the calls. As a matter of fact, we have to run the fire calls AND the medical calls. You do nothing all day and expect us to run your errands, do your job for you (all of the other shifts the officer does the fire hazard surveys) and cook your meals. Good Partner and I agree, PO is headed for one of two things. A nervous breakdown or a heart attack.
And all of that stuff wasn't even the worst of what he did that shift... I can't go into the sneaky ass, drama creating, potentially career ending thing he did to a friend of mine. I can tell you that he sent Good Partner a text the night before the shift "We're working out tomorrow. Bring it Bitch." GP found that a little...offensive. So my 6' 4" former college football, then professional basketball playing partner BROUGHT IT. He made the Lieutenant PUKE and ask for an IV. Juuuuuust as the Boy Scouts showed up for a tour.
MWWWWAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH! KARMA BABY.
2 comments:
I'm an outsider here, been reading your posts for a bit less than a year. I'm retired, from the medical field...did diagnostic studies in medical centers for many years, worked in the private sector for 16 years as consultant, then left the working arena last year.
I wonder why you persist...you seem to get little satisfaction from it. You dislike many of your co-workers, you do have some sympathy for your patients, but is that enough?
I too worked as a paramedic in my younger years, a Marine Corpsman in VN, doing triage, and battlefield care. I understand what can happen.
You are young, why not consider a different field?
Once again, Should Fish More, I'm confused. You say you read my blog, yet you seem to not comprehend it. Did you miss the places where I say I love my job? I do. I even loved most of my coworkers. I find that as a woman working with mostly men that supervisors make it harder on you while they're "looking out for you". I did not like working where I was but I knew it was temporary and I have just been transferred. This blog is where my catharsis happens, where I'm allowed to say what I want. Therefore, don't expect sunshine and roses.
And thanks for saying I'm young, but not so much! This is my second career. I've already climbed the corporate ladder and did quite well. Just realized what a complete bore it was!
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