Civilians Replace Fire Fighter EMTs

Civilians Replace Fire Fighter EMTs

FEATURES

Defibrillator is used on patient by Paramedics Barbara Davison and Ray Tuthill, civilian employees of the Alexandria, Va., Fire Department.

When the Alexandria, Va., Fire Department began to upgrade its emergency medical care capabilities, civilians were hired to replace fire fighter EMTs on the ambulances.

The reason civilians were hired was basically economic. The starting pay and retirement benefits were substantially less for paramedics than fire fighters.

The change in the hiring procedure was brought about by a consent order issued by a court as the result of a suit filed by a woman who was dismissed as a recruit fire fighter. This individual wanted to be in the rescue squad and not a fire fighter, but the city requirement to be assigned to the rescue service at that time was one year of service as a fire fighter. The woman who filed the suit felt this was unfair, and the consent order stated that a different criteria must be developed for hiring personnel for the rescue service.

At first it was thought that civilians in the rescue service would be an unworkable situation, but it turned out to be advantageous for the program. Two advantages were economy in salaries and the elimination of transferring personnel back and forth between emergency medical services and fire suppression.

Job requirements

After being promoted to the rank of lieutenant, Gerald L. Fair was assigned to the training division to design the new program. Later the city personnel department began advertising for the new position of emergency rescue technician. This advertisement stated that applicants had to be at least 18 years of age, be a high school graduate or the equivalent and possess a valid Virginia driver’s license. They were told that they must pass a 120-hour basic emergency medical technicians-ambulance course and a 300-hour advanced cardiac care training course within their one-year probation period.

Over 200 applications were received and an entrance examination was developed using the manuals that were selected to be used in the training program. It was designed to be a reading comprehensive type of examination so that previous experience would not be required of anyone that might have interest in applying.

Agility test

A job-related physical agility test was developed and administered to the candidates who passed the written examination. The job-related physical agility exam, designed to test physical capabilities and coordination, consisted of the following:

  1. Men were required to run 1.25 miles in 12 minutes and women 1.15 miles in 12 minutes.
  2. All candidates had to carry a 180-pound manikin down two flights of stairs in a Reeves stretcher and lift it over a 3-foot stairway railing with the assistance of an experienced EMT.
  3. Candidates had to pick up an ambulance cot with a 180-pound weight and place it in a modular-type ambulance without noticeable strain that could cause an injury to the paramedic or the patient.

About 90 candidates, including 15 women, took the agility test and 38 passed, including six women.

The next step in the hiring process was an oral interview. The interview board consisted of a physician and a nurse from the Alexandria Hospital emergency department and two EMTs. Out of these 38 candidates, the top 14 were selected for employment.

Bandage is applied by Paramedic Mitzi Gill in an Alexandria ambulance.

These 14 people, including five women, were notified to report for a physical examination and be prepared to report for duty when the emergency medical services recruit school got underway July 6, 1976. This school consisted of 160 hours of training (including defensive driving), 120 hours of emergency medical technician training, driver training and ladder climbing. There was no instruction in fire fighting or extrication because the job description called for only patient stabilization and on-scene emergency definitive care.

At the conclusion of the recruit school these recruit emergency rescue technicians were assigned to shifts with a fire fighter EMT. The shifts consisted of four 10-hour days, four 14-hour nights and four days off, a total of 56 hours per week. The fire fighter trainer remained with the new technicians for two months for the purpose of teaching street procedures and the geographic layout of the city which encompasses 15 square miles.

When the recruits were assigned to shift work, they began advanced training at the Alexandria Hospital emergency department under the direction of Dr. John McDade, a physician in the emergency department who is the medical adviser for the Alexandria EMS program. Advanced training consisted of 200 hours of classroom training and 100 hours of continual rotation t hrough the emergency department to make the technicians proficient in giving intramuscular, subcutaneous and intravenous injections. The technicians also took electrocardiograms and participated in other related training. They were required to participate in station in-service training segments and special seminars. The entire initial training period for the recruit emergency rescue technician is well over 500 hours, exceeding the DOT 480-hour modular course.

Graduate as paramedics

These 14 new technicians graduated as paramedics on February 14, 1977, but were unable to function as paramedics until July 15 because the communications and telemetry equipment did not arrive until then. These people were hired strictly for medical stabilization of the sick and injured and not fire fighting. Even though the fire Fighter did an outstanding job in the past, these new paramedics helped to improve patient care in all areas. This is not only because of the sophisticated training they received, but the dedication that they all have to this career field.

It is a definite asset to have this dedication, since the novelty of this program created a great deal of hardship. When the new technicians first came to work, they were looked down on by the suppression personnel, especially the women. The suppression personnel felt that civilians, and especially women, should not be in the fire service.

Women in the fire station sleeping in the same room where a male partner also slept was unheard of. Accidentally catching each other either in or preparing for a shower created quite a stir. The commotion came more from the male fire fighters than the female technicians.

Men change habits

The fire fighters stated that they were not going to change their habits in any way just because women were in the station. This proved to be untrue. There was a big difference in the men’s actions, beginning at the dinner table for an example. Fire fighters began asking for dishes to be passed rather than using a boarding house reach. Their language and topics of conversation changed. Before long, both groups began to get to know each other and the two groups began to accept each other’s qualities.

Two years now have passed since these paramedics began their employment with the Alexandria Fire Department and the relationship that they now have with the fire suppression personnel is an outstanding one. The suppression personnel now can see the paramedics’ dedication and appreciate their knowledge and talents.

Because of the civilianization of the Alexandria Emergency Medical Service, the intensified EMT training of the fire suppression personnel, and public eduation, Alexandria now has a complete and outstanding EMS program within the fire department.

This system is working because of the understanding and support of elected officials, the city manager, fire administration, fire suppression personnel, various hospital personnel, other city agencies and the city taxpayers.

Program still growing

The program is still continuing to grow. The tests for candidates have been given a third time with hundreds applying, including women. There are now six women working as paramedics. They are doing an outstanding job and a professional one in every respect. It is not the department policy to team a woman and a man on a unit. Quite often the personnel on ambulances is two female paramedics. Women patients and children feel that female paramedics can relate to their problems a lot better.

The paramedic concept is now two years old and is continuing to grow. A paramedic, Dorothea Schwind, was promoted to the rank of assistant director of emergency medical services. This was the first step of creating a career ladder in our EMS program. Since the majority of the paramedics maintained the same amount of time in grade, it was decided to rotate the candidates through the office for a period of four weeks as the acting assistant director. A mini-management course was also made available to them. Seven paramedics, including two women, applied for the position. A promotional examination was followed by oral interviews.

Because of her outstanding performance during the promotional procedures, one of the women paramedics has been promoted into the management sector of the fire department.

Without any doubt, using civilian EMTs in the fire department is the way to operate. There should never be any fear or hesitation in hiring women as long as you have a thorough hiring and testing process. We welcome anyone to inquire deeper into this program and visit us to observe our service at any time.

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