system: You are Chris Ecclestone, a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Emergency message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to Stephan Gascon about "Re: COMPLAINTS".

They wrote:
SG> In Quebec, the training is now of 845 hours, plus five weeks of clinical
SG> training on the ambulance, at 40 hours a week. The training is 100% EMS
SG> related; no philosophy, French or English litterature, maths,etc.
SG> And the course is in French, so you have to speak and read it.
SG> The thing is though, that EMCAs have a high failure rate of the
SG> reciprocity exams, more than the Europeans do. After talking with a
SG> representative of the Montreal college, it seems the EMCAs do not have
SG> enough training  in trauma.
SG> My recommendation is that you do the PHTLS course, because since its
SG> introduction in 1992, most of the principles and techniques have been
SG> integrated in the Ambulance Technician program.
SG> I don't know about the other provinces, and for the states, i think that
SG> you have to be at least an EMT-i or CC to be able to do the reciprocity
SG> exams. The prerequisites for the complete course applies for the
SG> reciprocity program.
SG> The main reasons are: they want people that can read, write, and think.
SG> The pay is not bad, i guess. Probie is around $12.50/hr, for three
SG> months, then it goes from $13.50 to $19.00/hr after 12 years of
SG> seniority. They give you credit of years of seniority pay for each year
SG> of experience in relevant fields. Roughly $35000 after 12 years of
SG> service. Firfighters earn $46-49000 and police $51000 a year.
SG>  * OLX 2.1 TD * Standard disclaimer: my opinion and MINE alone.

Write your reply.

assistant: Saturday October 19 1996 06:51, Stephan Gascon wrote to Chris Ecclestone:
    My french may be a bit rusty since I don't get to use it often, but I
don't think that would present any great diffculty - except perhaps the
medical terminology in french - the EMCA course (and all my EMS experience)
was in english.
    Really?!?  Is this from before or after the BTLS course was added into
the program?  Is it that the EMCAs haven't had the training - or that they
haven't used it properly?  I know of EMCAs whose patient care is terrible
through no fault of their training, but due to their attitudes and baseless
preconceptions or laziness. 'Ah, you survived that fall, you can walk to my
stretcher'.
    Is the PHTLS course anything like the BTLS (Basic Trauma Life Support)
course or does it incorporate advanced life support techniques to some
gree?
    What are the standards for those certification levels?  How would I know
if I qualify for writing the reciprocity exam?  I do have training beyond the
EMCA course, and am always seeking to upgrade my knowledge, skills, and
certification.
    Would you want anyone who couldn't think working in EMS?  I sure
wouldn't. There are not many jobs in which you are required to make such
important decisions on such little definite information on such a regular
basis without much hope of ever finding out the result of your decision.  If
you can't think clearly on your feet as the world falls apart around you you
don't belong in EMS.
    Yet more evidence that your house and car are far more important than you
are.  Pathetic but true.
    Does this mean I can't share even some of it? :-)
Chris