Rural Metro contract expires

This is sad. They get under paid, over worked and put their lives out there to save people and now they have no contract? Nothing like paying a sports person or an actor billions of dollars to play with a puck or a ball, or to act on television, but someone who saves lives can't have contracts and get paid like crap.

After doing some research, it shows they make anywhere from 6-10 dollars an hour depending on where they live (some actually make a decent living- around 40-50 a year) while actors can make 2,634.00 in a week. That comes to be 126,432.00 in a year.

So we pay more to be entertained rather than saving lives, providing jobs and job security, helping families, our economy and neighborhoods?

Hey, Jimmy Guy, Nows your chance to make a comback

Slime-Line Ambulance returns

This is not an insult to the fine people that work for Rural Metro, but it is meant as a slam to the disgraceful management that runs Rural Metro. I believe that service would actually improve somehow from the 20 minute response time that we see now due to the lack of ambulances in the city if these employees go on strike because another ambulance company that actually cares about its patinets would have to come in to replace this horrible company

Maybe, just MAYBE, scummy Rural Metro will be sold to Twin City & we can all rest peacefully knowing that if something does occur & we need their services, they will be there in under 30 minutes! I swear, I can get a pizza delivered before Rural Metro gets to my house if I call for help! Let them go, it will be no great loss to the city or any suburb still stupid enough to use them!

For all those that are misinformed...why isnt there any ambulances available???? ask your neighbor who calls for a ambulance because they have a toothache, a sore pinky finger, their 7 year old has the sniffles, for a ride downtown and walk out of the er as fast as they got their,the guy who calls everyday so he can go to the hospital cause his "knee hurts" just so he can get his fix of pain meds...one of continuous calls we have to take...then as we arrival at the ER the process takes a longer step as 5 or more ambulance "line up" in the hallway waiting to be triaged. The average wait time once a crew gets to the hospital is greater than one hour, more on busy nights. So before you post your thoughts on here about response times and why you arent getting your ambulance in a timely manner.....think about you and your neighbor who uses up the resources available for things you and your parents wouldnt even think about dialing 911 for and you will know why there is no ambulance available for the chest pain your dad is having or when your child is short of breath...all people know is they call and nobody comes...ask your neighbor why the ambulance your child desperately needs isnt around? oh yeah! its bring the 22 male who's big toe hurts to the hospital....when the day comes that EMS can say " no this isnt a emergency and you will have to call a cab or a friend for a ride" .... the ambulance your waiting for will be too busy using up 2 hours or more of available time carting abusers of the system to the hospital cause the 3 cars parked in their driveway when you get to their house just cant take that toothache to the hospital. Invest in a scanner...listen to the calls ambulances must take and youll be better informed why there isnt a ambulance for your dads crushing chest pain !!!

Tuchabella wrote:

This is sad. They get under paid, over worked and put their lives out there to save people and now they have no contract? Nothing like paying a sports person or an actor billions of dollars to play with a puck or a ball, or to act on television, but someone who saves lives can't have contracts and get paid like crap.
After doing some research, it shows they make anywhere from 6-10 dollars an hour depending on where they live (some actually make a decent living- around 40-50 a year) while actors can make 2,634.00 in a week. That comes to be 126,432.00 in a year.
So we pay more to be entertained rather than saving lives, providing jobs and job security, helping families, our economy and neighborhoods?

Thank you for your kind comments on this subject...unfortunately we as a union can not comment on the " lack of talks" between us and rural / metro...but stand by... soon we will have our day in the spotlight and all of western new york will be WELL informed ...dont believe the LIES your hearing on channel 4 coming from rural / metro....

EmtBflo wrote:

For all those that are misinformed...why isnt there any ambulances available???? ask your neighbor who calls for a ambulance because they have a toothache, a sore pinky finger, their 7 year old has the sniffles, for a ride downtown and walk out of the er as fast as they got their,the guy who calls everyday so he can go to the hospital cause his "knee hurts" just so he can get his fix of pain meds...one of continuous calls we have to take...then as we arrival at the ER the process takes a longer step as 5 or more ambulance "line up" in the hallway waiting to be triaged. The average wait time once a crew gets to the hospital is greater than one hour, more on busy nights. So before you post your thoughts on here about response times and why you arent getting your ambulance in a timely manner.....think about you and your neighbor who uses up the resources available for things you and your parents wouldnt even think about dialing 911 for and you will know why there is no ambulance available for the chest pain your dad is having or when your child is short of breath...all people know is they call and nobody comes...ask your neighbor why the ambulance your child desperately needs isnt around? oh yeah! its bring the 22 male who's big toe hurts to the hospital....when the day comes that EMS can say " no this isnt a emergency and you will have to call a cab or a friend for a ride" .... the ambulance your waiting for will be too busy using up 2 hours or more of available time carting abusers of the system to the hospital cause the 3 cars parked in their driveway when you get to their house just cant take that toothache to the hospital. Invest in a scanner...listen to the calls ambulances must take and youll be better informed why there isnt a ambulance for your dads crushing chest pain !!!

Excellent statement and so very true. The workers are underpaid and overworked. I had to call them 3 months ago for an emergency regarding my child and they were extremely professional and did an excellent job. As for the abusers of the system, the time may come when you really need these services, but they won't be available because another abuser is calling for a stubbed toe.

As in a previous post ILL look for the day when a E M S can say sorry you.re toe doesnt qualify for a ambulance that will be a great day free up the meatwagons for where they are needed get rid of the freeloaders stick to the ambulantory needs only To any & all EMS ppl have a good day

service would be better wrote:

This is not an insult to the fine people that work for Rural Metro, but it is meant as a slam to the disgraceful management that runs Rural Metro. I believe that service would actually improve somehow from the 20 minute response time that we see now due to the lack of ambulances in the city if these employees go on strike because another ambulance company that actually cares about its patinets would have to come in to replace this horrible company

Just so you are better informed.... if the current field empolyees go on strike..ANOTHER AMBULANCE COMPANY IS NOT GOING TO MOVE IN!!! the ambulances would be filled by non union employees and management and personnel that " cross the union lines to work"...sooo to expect an increase in ambulances and better responses is far from the truth...please read my post on why ambulances arent available...youll be better informed.

WTG BUFFALO wrote:

Maybe, just MAYBE, scummy Rural Metro will be sold to Twin City & we can all rest peacefully knowing that if something does occur & we need their services, they will be there in under 30 minutes! I swear, I can get a pizza delivered before Rural Metro gets to my house if I call for help! Let them go, it will be no great loss to the city or any suburb still stupid enough to use them!

Sadly misinformed ..read my comment on ambulance availability... Twin City had the same problems covering the city when they had the "north side of buffalo" and part of the buffalo contract...since then they dropped the buffalo contract and only have amherst, tonawanda and contracted private calls to respond to..they were wise enough to drop the nonsense of buffalo and move to cover areas where abuse of ems is much less profound..you can have any company you want move into buffalo, till the day comes when ems can tell these abusers of the system NO! you can have double the ambulances in buffalo and it wont matter.... I never realized the public was so misinformed on how the resources are abused

Rural metro is a horrible company to work for. they are disorganize, over managed, and down right bad employers. I have worked from Metro since they came into town and it has been a down hill slide since. rural metro going under would be the best thing for the community. And as for the comment from Jay, He is a PR man at thats it, trying to spin the bad news of, if they go on strike managers and supervisors are going to man the rigs! what a joke some of them have never worked real shift! they may have done a few ride alongs but thats it. Its not just training and cert from the state that makes a medic or EMT its experience and guts. Plus there arent enough of them. they cant fill the schedule now how will they fill it with just management! Good riddance metro that company is the worst thing that ever happened to EMS is WNY. they have and continue to degrade the dedicated professionals that protect us in times of need. you may ask why do I stay there if it so bad? Becuase like most that work the streets I love my job, and my community. I just hate the company I work for.

sorry for the misspelled words and grammar I just get so fired up!!!

Here is a call to ARMS!!

People of WNY Please Help us help you. Call your local officals and demand that Rural Metro be brought under scrutny! Or better yet call Metro.(Dont call 911 to do this, call them direct!)

18year medic wrote:

sorry for the misspelled words and grammar I just get so fired up!!!
Here is a call to ARMS!!
People of WNY Please Help us help you. Call your local officals and demand that Rural Metro be brought under scrutny! Or better yet call Metro.(Dont call 911 to do this, call them direct!)

AMEN 18 year medic...People of western new york...make your voice heard!! we are dedicated professionals who just want a fair deal!!!.. we have family's and people who count on us just like you do!! Please help us help you!!! call your local officials and let them know " we need are emt's and Paramedics and we wont stand for them not being there for us "!!!!!

EmtBflo wrote:

For all those that are misinformed...why isnt there any ambulances available???? ask your neighbor who calls for a ambulance because they have a toothache, a sore pinky finger, their 7 year old has the sniffles, for a ride downtown and walk out of the er as fast as they got their,the guy who calls everyday so he can go to the hospital cause his "knee hurts" just so he can get his fix of pain meds...one of continuous calls we have to take...then as we arrival at the ER the process takes a longer step as 5 or more ambulance "line up" in the hallway waiting to be triaged. The average wait time once a crew gets to the hospital is greater than one hour, more on busy nights. So before you post your thoughts on here about response times and why you arent getting your ambulance in a timely manner.....think about you and your neighbor who uses up the resources available for things you and your parents wouldnt even think about dialing 911 for and you will know why there is no ambulance available for the chest pain your dad is having or when your child is short of breath...all people know is they call and nobody comes...ask your neighbor why the ambulance your child desperately needs isnt around? oh yeah! its bring the 22 male who's big toe hurts to the hospital....when the day comes that EMS can say " no this isnt a emergency and you will have to call a cab or a friend for a ride" .... the ambulance your waiting for will be too busy using up 2 hours or more of available time carting abusers of the system to the hospital cause the 3 cars parked in their driveway when you get to their house just cant take that toothache to the hospital. Invest in a scanner...listen to the calls ambulances must take and youll be better informed why there isnt a ambulance for your dads crushing chest pain !!!

I am a er nurse and I cannot agree more. These medics from rural metro do a great job and alot is wasted on toothaches, std checks, my foot hurts for a month. They deserve a big raise spend a day with them and see what they do. The nurses are 100% behind you. Don't stop until you get what you want!!!!!

Just Fyi...
The reason EMT/Medics are so underpaid is because the revenue that R/M relies on to pay for salary and upkeep comes from the State and/or private parties.
When i used to work there, the biggest problem was the fact that NY is habitually late on payments, or they contest the payments based upon factors.
Secondly, the private transfers go through Medicaid/Medicare, which again has lengthy delays associated with payment.
So, in the end, its simply a breakdown in the system why R/M is constantly underfunded. While it doesn't help that R/M serves as the free taxi cab for the helpless, but that's not the only cause.

1st off ALL you people that think Twin City can do much better then Rural/Metro your 100% WRONG, that's a JOKE !! Isn't Twin City the same company that wouldn't send ONE ambulance to help when 2 Buffalo Police Officers were shot?? YES same company. As for response times HAHAHAHA Twin City is doing great in Amherst 60% to contract hahaha "fact" Rural/Metro 95% to contract with Cheektowaga "fact". The point here is we bust our **** and don't get paid JACK ! We have waited years for a good pay rate and now Rural/Metro wants to lie and play games with us.. The time is up for Rural/Metro to keep under paying us, its so sad that a dispatcher makes more money then a paramedic, oh boy being a dispatcher is a dangerous job. The field employees will win this contract, this is the time for us ALL to stand up and not back down, we are worth so much more. Don't forget to VOTE the 2nd and the 3rd, make your voice heard. Let's UNITE and show them we will NOT back down... Stay Safe and keep up the good work..

big deal, new york corrections officers have been without a contract for 15 months

"Pay EMS like your life depends on it!"

To add onto 18yearmedic, this company is so top heavy as it is, and the more money they make the bigger their bonuses are. As per our POS HR dept we are overpaid uneducated retards. Do not call R/M cause they will only give you their line of BS. Everything is ok and they are working with us, ya right!! For all those Fire Departments out their and all the other Municipalities that depend on us it would be in your best interest to call R/M Cleveland. They think all is just ducky and really dont have a clue.

Just like to add my few cents...Firstly, thank you to our communities for already showing support, we will need you to get through this. Secondly, to my fellow employees, some food for thought, did you know a certain member of upper management was overheard in the hallway recently saying, we are "unskilled labor" who can be "easily replaced". Just thought you should know.....