SAAS Making it harder to Volunteer !!!!

[VollyAmbo]

Hi long time viewer first time poster on these forums.

So it look like SAAS is going to make it extra hard to remain a volly ambo with them! (this come straight after they tell us how wonderful we are during volunteer week).

As of this year instead of having to work on road for 160 hours per year (just like Career Cert IV ambos and Paramedics/IC Paramedics) to keep our authority to practice we will now have to work 624 hours !!!

Unlike the Career Cert IV ambos working PTS/ESS who do 8 hours re accreditation training per year volly at the same level will be required to do 60+ hours training per year.

Me thinks SAAS management have lost the plot and we will see an mass exodus of volunteers this year.

[Alex]

I can imagine a few being unhappy. But isnt that still only approx 1 shift per week? Surely most are hitting that anyway?

[boredmatrix]

for the majority that won't be hard.  For the wannabe's and try-hards who are there for the uniform and a bit of a power trip- it will be a wake up call that it's not just a free side-show for freaks!

There are a number of metro fringe stations who are constantly having difficulty filling a roster despite having 'adequate' numbers on the books.

It's not a witch hunt- rather a much smarter way of weeding out those pretenders, while attempting to ensure that there is a reasonable level of patient contact time to the larger majority of volunteers. 
 

[VollyAmbo]

Gee bored matrix is there any one you actually like (SAAS vollys, St John, SAAS Management, private companies et al... all on the your hit list)?

I'm just asking for a level playing field. I'm happy to do 600+ hours to keep authority to practice, but will all SAAS Managers, RTL's, PSM, Directors  people on special projects, educational services etc who hold an authority to practice and don't work full time on road be required to meet such hour requirements? If they don't/wont maybe their authority to practice, operational uniforms and ambulance kits in their cars should be taken away replaced with a First Aid certificate and kit 

[disOrderly]

It is important to remember that some of these people have studied for 3 years at university and had many, many years behind them as on-road Paramedics as a full time job, not as a volunteer role where there is not always a high-level of work. Yes, I know some country stations will be as busy as metro ones, but lets face it, City or Ashford or Prospect would see way more jobs in a day than say Mt Pleasant.

Therefore it makes sense to maintain training in a volunteer position where the people in the role have other commitments or fulltime work.

It's like me at the hospital. I am casual and only come in a few times a week. Therefore any new rules or practices I don't know about straight away because I am not there full-time.

As much as some people would like to, being a Volly AO is not like other volunteering jobs. You are actually potentially saving lives (perhaps more so than other emergency services), therefore practice and training need to be maintained in order to maintain a level of safe and best practice.

The only way it will be 'harder' to get into is by preventing the people that can or want to only do a shift or two a month, which really isn't suitable for a job such as this.

[straps]

Is there a requirement for the Vol to have to see or tocuh an ambulance or patient in that 624 hours...? or simply be rostered on shift..

That makes a big difference, particularly if you are from a station that only does 50 - 100 jobs a year, as opposed to a vol station that does 500 jobs a year...

[crashndash]

correct Straps...the requirement to complete a 12 hour shift every week has nothing to do with clinical competence, it's about being on the roster and filling the hole that SAAS can't do with paid staff. Many volunteers in quieter stations wont see more than 10 patients in that time.

Clinical competence is (supposedly) maintained with the seperate requirement to attend at least 50% of training nights, and a (poorly designed) CPE training package program.

and while we're at it .....disorderley, a very large number of Paramedics and ICPs havent been to Uni for 3 years, instead getting their positions with an internal SAAS program.

[VollyAmbo]

Crash is very right most ambo's (including Bored Matrix vintage) were trained on the job via a internal Diploma (not that there is anything wrong with that)... but many have gone onto management jobs with very little patient contact and only have to do 160 hours on road and a few days training per year to keep a higher level qualification than a volly. Fairs Fair

Crash is also VERY correct about the piss poor CEP program, with book only just arriving (5 months into the year) with very little support material fro RTL's or teams to use for quality training. Vollys have been sitting around for the last 5 months with no direction on 2010 training at all.

[medic]

This is silly. Not all people can do that many hours in a week. Some of us Volly AO work more than 60 hour weeks and then try to put in time as a community spirit and helping hand. Not all people have the need to be heroes just want to ease the pain and suffering of all people. Has this been forgotten. Then there is family time. We have it told to us that this is important and SAAS must come second.

[disOrderly]

Yes, I know not all ICP's and Paramedics have been university trained. But regardless it comes down to patient contact.

Maybe SAAS should look at modifying the training/minimum hours depending on the workload of regions/stations?

[crashndash]

I do believe the number of Volunteer resignations may be approaching 100 this year so far....double last year. Well done SAAS

[VollyAmbo]

Crashndash this does not suprise me at all (the resignations).

Disorderly I think your missing the point... there are many SAAS manager who have less patient contact than volunteers but get to keep their accreditation, equipments and flashy cars at a higher level of skill with only 160 hours contact on road.

The country Director who is not a paramedic (ex-army) only holds a Cert II in Emergemcy Medical First Response (so I am more qualified than him with a Cert IV Health Care- Ambulance), however he only needs to do 160 hours a year to keep his qualifications, marked car, equipment and operational uniform, but its not the same for the people who he commands!

Volunteer education looks very impressive on paper now but compared to 10 years ago the standards have gone down hill many thanks to clinical and educational services.

[allouthere]

I enjoy seeing everybody getting involved how ever SAAS said this last year the year before that and the year before that and it still hasnt happend it now means that you will have to do 12.3 hours per week on roster.
 
 My station only managed 115 jobs in 12 months may 09 to may 10 but my entire station has done over 500 hours on roster each.by they way we only have 5 crew!!!!!! and we are covering about half of our yearly roster.
 
 if they do bring this new plan in, its not to make it harder but its trying to support us they are bringing in new guidelines so of course we are going to have to work a bit harder, we cry about not getting support and then when they try to support us we cry again i think that after 4 years with SAAS this years CDP book is the best yeat and i have already done quite alot. its not only up to our RTL's and VTC's to train us but there is some self directed study which is good for every one.

and before some one says i have plenty of time on my hands i dont i work 40+ hours a week play sport and still have time for 12 hours of ambulance work a week its called work life balance.
Cheers 

[rescue5271]

It appear that SAAS have also got manning problems in country stations and where there is a Volunteer downturn are not willing/  able to place staff into those stations as Metro staff dont wont to move or work in the country.....

[crashndash]

allouthere....thats fine, in fact seeing as your station only does that amount it is far easier for you to sit at home and wile away the standby hours and very occasionally get a job, than for some.

For those of us that travel away from where we live to do a shift, and therefore have to stay on station all shift, or whose stations do 600+ jobs a year, meaning that you get multiple jobs (usually to town) on many shifts, it's not so hard to "balance" your life as you put it.

For me a 12 hr shift means I am not at work, nor at home for 14 hours. I cant do any of my study nor any work associated with my employment, because we get multiple jobs, or spend out time at a sleepy little paid station covering their single crew's absence. I've done weekly (and more frequent) shifts for over 6 years now.....I just don't like the inference that I HAVE to or my contribution to a community I dont live in isnt wanted.

[VollyAmbo]

Amen CrashnDash

Alloutthere did you realise just as crash said there are multiple stations like Goolwa, Meadows, Mt Pleasant, Kapunda, Strath, Mahala ect... that rely on 99% of their crews from volunteers who travel from metro Adelaide and sit on station for whole 12 hours on standby and yes do over 400+ jobs a years not including the operational standby coverage at nearby paid stations! We don't have the luxury to sit at home on standby. Without us ambulance services in these areas would collapse tommorrow.  SAAS cant cover its metro career sick leave at the best of times let alone metro fringe volly crews.

Don't get me started on the CEP book, yeah it looks great but has arrived 5-6 Months late !!! ( we have had 5 months of "non education" time) Volunteer education is up the creek.

[boredmatrix]

wow vollyambo- yet another tirade!!     .......you're starting to sound like a recently departed member of these forums who went by the name of 360joules.....

[VollyAmbo]

What the .... boredmatrix

You don't give crashndash this attitude even though he/she has said basically the same thing? although previous posts show you have given crashndash in the past a forum bashing before.

From your previous posts it appears you are a career paramedic.

My forum post is in regards to SAAS volunteer issues. Real issues effecting emergency service volunteers. This appears to be the main function of this forum.

A review of your posts on a variety of subjects would also appear as a tirade. If you don't have any constructive comments to say or contribute instead of bait and hook comments why do you bother?

[boredmatrix]

it's not so much what you say as how you say it - and you must admit that 360Joules was less than backwards in coming forwards....come to think of it - a lot of what he said was bordering on slanderous!  prob a good thing he deleted it all before any of the companies and/or SAAS got hold of it!!  (yes....they know who you are!)

as for CnD - he has a little more panache' than some on this forum.....probably myself included!

and as for your last line....glass houses my friend, glass houses!

[VollyAmbo]

 

I leave conspiracy theories to others thanks.

There appears to be many a camelion on here with secret agenda, business interests, volly hate issues.

[Mod Note: The issue has been reported through the appropriate process.
Cheers, Mike]

[Blackfoot]

A problem is an opportunity looking for a place to happen. If you blokes who travel from Adelaide to near country stations to do your now compulsory 12 hour shift no longer want to volunteer for the government then consider alternatives. There is a small non emergency ambulance service owned and run by volunteers who are on the road every night of the week in metro Adelaide. Not for profit humanitarian NGO.

[crashndash]

Blackfoot, not with all the panache I could muster.....I've made comments on your service (?) before....in the interests of playing nicely with others, I wont repeat them again, but look under your thread and you'll see them

[Robert-Robert34]

I did notice in the local paper yesterday that Penola SAAS are seeking permission for a full time paramedic to be stationed there cause of the decline in volunteer enrolments which isnt such a bad thing considering that its hard alot of times to even pull a crew from alot of volunteer stations

[allouthere]

VOLLYAMBO for your information i travel over an hour to be on call i sit there for 12 hours and while im there i do some of my SAAS training to kill time also i have come from one of those busy stations and i have cut back from doing as many hours as i use to. being 60 hours out of a week now down to 12 big change
 
 YES the CDP book came out late not the first time SAAS has done this also if you spent 5 months with no education maybe you should have done something like revision of things you already know to be come better at them.
 
 Some people wont be able to handle the fact that SAAS want vollys to do more of there own learning and doing more hours to weed out the want to be's there are alot of vollys out there who are well lets say unsafe, and this would be SAAS's way of saying shape up or ship out. but as i said last time SAAS have been going to increase our yearly hours for the last THREE years and havent done it so when it happens or should i say if it happens lets give it ago

Lets bring the vollys foward and out of the past and make it a profesinal service that people wont be able to tell the difference between paid and volly at the end of the day if we have to do 162 hours a year or 600 plus.

624 hours a year is 12 hours aweek and its up to you how you get your 12 hours maybe split it into 2 6 hours shifts insted and even if you fall short of the hours providing you have good reason for example work then saas will help you.     

[allouthere]

Just in case you missed it

SAAS have been saying they want to up the volly hours for the last 3 years and its yet to happen.