I quit my EMT gig after last Christmas. The short version of why I quit was because I had safety concerns that the management didn't seem to share.



Before I was an EMT, I was a diesel engine mechanic. I have dismantled and reassembled my fair share of engines, and replaced just about every component on a truck that you can thing of. In short: When I say that something is broken, I'm not just blowing smoke.

One day my boss put me on an ambulance that had failing breaks. I constantly had to downshift in order to bring it to a stop. I immediately called my boss and explained to him how bad off the truck was. He responded with "Just drive carefully". I was not amused. Eventually (As I predicted), the breaks failed to engage completely, and it was only be applying the parking break that we stopped at all. It was pure luck that they failed on a flat piece of deserted road at 20 mph. Another 2 minutes and we'd have been coming off a highway at 65. THAT would have ended badly.

But that wasn't the end of it. The very NEXT DAY, I was put on a truck that had a failing transmission. This problem was not as obvious, and I only noticed it when we stopped at a gas station. I put it in park (At least I thought it was in park), and got out. The next thing I know, the ambulance is rolling away, heading for a gas pump. Once again luck showed herself and I was close enough to the ambulance to jam my hand on the parking break. If I had been a couple feet further away, it would have been a different story. I called it in again, and was told that it was be taken to the shop the next day.

Fast forward to "the next day". I come into the station and what vehicle do I find waiting for me? Untouched? You guessed it. I talked to the station captain, an he is surprised but what I tell him about it. He has no idea at all it was having problems. Nor does he believe me. It isn't until later that day that the paramedic, who has worked for the company for 14 years, calls in, that anything is done about it. This was after he had to sit in the truck on a hill, holding down the break, while a patient was unloaded at her house.

When I state that a vehicle, specifically a diesel one, has issues, I mean it. I know my shit God damn it. Give me two wrenches and 5 minutes and I will GUARANTEE you an additional 5-10 mph out of a HMMWV. You'll need a new speedometer just to see how fast you're going. But those ass-hats at (Yes, I'll let you know who the ass-hats work for) Jan-Care Ambulance, refused to believe me THREE DAYS IN A ROW! It'd be like if they diagnosed a patient of suffering from cardiac tamponade and their janitor boss told them they were wrong and all the guy needed was a couple Tums. It was downright criminal negligence. Luck was that only thing that kept crews, patients, and bystanders from getting hurt. Unadulterated luck, nothing more. Well, luck and a little skilled driving by yours truly. Thank you downtown Mosul!

So, naturally I handed in a rather unflattering letter of resignation. Then I received some rather pathetic phone calls from the chief about how "this sort of thing never happens" and how "safety is their top priority" and "will you please reconsider?". Bullshit. (Turns out employees were quitting at a rate of about one a week, and I can see why.) If I was ever hurt, and saw a Jan-Care Ambulance coming to get me, I'd refuse transport. I'd be safer crawling to the hospital. I suggest anyone else in WV do the same. You'll live longer. You never know if it'll have no breaks or no steering or some other flaw the captains decided to overrule that day.

Anyway, now it's on to find another vocation. I hear that there are security firms out there paying top dollar for guards that have EMT credentials. I'll look into that.