Are there any paramedics on here?

Had a friend work EMT(very similar to paramedic) as part of volunteer FD. Based on stories I'd say the most underpaid job in America.

Stressful, dirty, underappreciated, etc.

Much respect for the people who chose this as a profession.

Sometimes the job can be rewarding, many times people are not appreciative and sometimes people just plain abuse the system. Occasionally you can really make a difference, but many times people don’t want to help themselves and that becomes a rut you can get in. Some calls are really bad and weigh on people, and in some cases there are support systems in place to assist the employees. And sometimes the best support structure is the coworker supporting each other. Sometimes es, days weeks or years after the call, the patient and or the family reaches out and extends their tanks, and that makes some of those bad calls really worthwhile.

In my opinion, for the responsibility you have in the amount of risk in the job, starting pay can be very low, however in the correct setting, meaning employer, you can have really good benefits, good retirement, and good equipment. Some of the private & public agencies are well-funded well-equipped, while some of the smaller agencies are not as well equipped to but the pace may be slower in some cases.

Beginning my 29th year in the industry, I can’t say that I have any regrets in choosing this profession, it’s been a good job, probably have five more years left. Had my share of good/rewarding calls and really messed up situations/911 calls. I can’t say that I miss the clinical portion, I now prefer the management responsibilities.

If I had to go back to running calls every day I would, but it would not be of my own choosing. In my opinion each person has a finite number of emergency calls they can go on in their lifetime, and I think I’ve reached that point.

My youngest son wants to be an emt. I am steering him the Firefighter/Emt college degree route. The paramedic driving around scooping up victims making 14.00 an hour must suck. Shitty hours and shitty pay to watch people die and try to save lives for nothing. frick that.
Correct me if I am wrong but firefighter/emt has much better benefits and pay because most have to have a degree now?

veterans always get a lot of attention, understanding, and help coping with PTSD but not many people consider that EMT, Firefighters, Police officers, doctors also see some sick shite that can really mess them up in the head.

I remember getting drunk with my uncle who was a OBGYN/surgeon and he told me about having to stitch a lady's genetalia back together after she had been brutally raped. she was all tore up. Said he came home disgusted with humanity after that. He ended up killing himself a few years later, not necessarily because of this incident but i think his job wore on him.

I am a firefighter/paramedic. If anybody is considering this as a profession then definitely go through a professional fire dept. EMS agencies and ambulance services have the strangest workers ever. The EMTs and medics are as equally bizarre as the calls they make......and I work in Bawcomville lol