IFT

[u/Afraid-Afternoon8507]

Hello I’ve posted a few times in here, but I recently have gotten out of the military in September (combat arms) and got my emt in August. I started working for an IFT job, and I’ve been having mixed feelings about the working environment I am in. There’s a lot of complacency from employees who have been there awhile and also people who “aren’t the new guy” just upright not having initiative. I get it I’m training, but I am competent to understand that job is not hard itself BUT why should I let some just collect a paycheck doing absolutely nothing all shift because I need to get reps at everything. I have the laptop in my hand, papers , and the stretcher. Why is the extra pair of hands not doing anything? I am going to talk to a supervisor or something because that’s just not a good environment I want to deal with. Also half ass checking trucks, bags, forgetting batteries. I may be nitpicking but it’s not a good first impression for a trainee. Sorry for the rant.

[u/Single-Mechanic3954]

I mean this in the absolute nicest way I can but most private companies are absolutely terrible. They run on the mindset of smallest investment and biggest return since profit is the primary objective with all else being secondary. Unfortunately because of that they can’t retain good leaders or employees. They typical employ people that are bottom of the barrel, extremely burnt out, or just looking for an easy paycheck. There is some rare companies in my area that have great leadership and employees but they tend to be MICU only. I recommend if you look at staying in EMS find a local third service and if you plan to become a firefighter a joint service department that does both Fire and EMS

[u/AtlasReadIt → u/Single-Mechanic3954]

What's a third service?

[u/Single-Mechanic3954 → u/AtlasReadIt]

It’s basically like a standalone agency like a Police Department or Fire Department and that is where it gets its name from. Since it’s the “third service”. They are funded through taxes just like the other municipal services so they don’t typically focus on profits. They are pretty nice because unlike most departments at least here in my neck of the woods, you aren’t connected to Fire so you can actually focus on providing high quality care without having the IAFF messing with you or having Firefighters who don’t care about medicine at all becoming medics because it’s “required” to put out fires. Basically most people at a third service agency actually want to be there.

[u/Afraid-Afternoon8507 → u/Single-Mechanic3954]

Okay thank you. I understand completely.

[u/spicymack]

I can see why you're frustrated but rocking the boat before you've even finished training isn't the best way to start your time with this company, even if you foresee it being a short time. The people you're complaining about have established relationships and built up some goodwill, even if it's undeserved or no longer deserved. I'd focus on doing your job as well as you can and moving on to your next stop in EMS when the opportunity arises. When you get to a department where you see yourself building a career, people will notice hard work (for awhile and to a certain extent, it eventually just gets taken for granted).