Firefigther/Paramedic Question?

[fyreplug]

The department I work for went from listing us FF/PMDC to FFIII without the medic in it. So now we have a straight line going from Lt. and then 400 FFIII's.

Yet they classify us all as one but add on 10% for being a medic and 5% shift diff. Yet we are still listed below a Engineer.

Here is my thought and I am awaiting several bombs to hit on this sensitive matter. Being a Medic we have a higher liability per incident, higher education, higher stress level, higher burn out rate and overall get tired of all the B.S.. But if you notice we have our problems too.. you noitce the last 3 letters in the problems. EMS.

My question is, how do you classify you FF/Medic and where in the rank structure do you place them? This is a trivial thing but couriousityhas the best of me.

Just for the record, I am a medic and FF for the past 20 years and looking at another 7 and maybe i'll head out into retirement world.

Any input would be appreciated.

Keep it between the ditches!!

[ehs7554]

Keep the ranks the same and try to pass an incentive pay for being a paramedic. ie ?$$$$ on top of your current rank.

[Kobersteen]

Right now, in my corner of the world, if you are not a pre-trained EMT-I or P, you come into the academy at an 18/1 ($43,377/yr), if you are a pretrained EMT-I or P, you come in at 18/4 ($50,213/yr). After getting out of the academy, ALS incentive pay is about $4,300/yr and then if you ride the engine as the ALS provider, you get $2/hr increase and if you drive the medic (Lieutenants and Captains in charge of medic units here), you make $3/hr more.

All of that... but you are still at a Firefighter rank. Below a Technician and a Lieutenant in rank, but depending on timing, not in pay.

[gunnyv]

Paramedic has nothing to do with rank in my Dept. Anyone, any rank (FF, LT, CAPT, BC) who is a Medic gets a 7% pay incentive.

[engine4cLT]

Here also medic has no bearing on the rank structure. Flat 3500.00 a year for holding a medic cert.