San Andreas Fire & Rescue Employee Handbook

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The department currently employs staff in the following positions:

EMR (Emergency Medical Responder)
A trainee medic. Must ride along with or be shadowed by a trainer.

EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
An entry-level medic. Certified to respond to emergency calls and transport patients to a hospital.

AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician)
Experienced medic who can be certified to train others. 

Paramedic

Experienced medic who can be certified to act as shift supervisor. Paramedics are encouraged to be proficient in both emergency medical care as well as search and rescue operations.

Lieutenant

Senior medic and supervisor. LTs are expected to handle tasks involving personnel, to include interviewing, hiring, and disciplinary actions.

Fire chief

Responsible for setting department policy. Final stop in the chain of command for personnel issues, inter-agency communications, and disciplinary decisions.

As the department grows, additional ranks may be added as needed. 

All new EMRs ride along with a certified trainer. When the trainer feels that you are ready, they will pass you on to a probationary phase. 

In order to be promoted to EMT, all EMRs must:

• Be familiar with the contents of the employee manual.
• Understand the ranks and chain of command.
• Demonstrate proper emergency medical skills and follow applicable protocols. This includes:
  • Radio etiquette.
  • Driving standards.
  • Basic emergency medical care.
  • Proper stabilization and transport of patients.
  • Protocols for handling dangerous or hostile situations.
  • Appropriate behavior when interacting with the public.
• Successfully complete the probationary phase.

Trainers are held responsible for providing proper training and guidance.

Time with trainers

Training time depends on trainer availability, how much time you spend on training shifts, and how quickly you master each skill. Generally, EMRs must complete a minimum of 3 shifts with a trainer before moving on to the probationary phase, but exceptions can be made if you are able to demonstrate consistent proficiency.

Probationary phase

When a trainer feels that an EMR is ready to move on to the probationary phase, they will let you know. During the probationary phase, the EMR will be driving an ambulance and answering calls by themselves. The probationary phase lasts for 2 weeks; it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete a sufficient number of shifts during that time to demonstrate your capabilities.

Medical information is personal and confidential. SAFR staff may not relay  specific medical information about patients to unauthorized persons on or off duty.

1. A patient’s personal information should be protected as needed. This includes name, address, phone number, workplace, or any other piece of information that could be used to locate or identify the individual. This information should never be provided to unauthorized persons without the patient’s consent.
2. Family members may be provided information about a patient’s condition unless we are aware that the patient has excluded family members. Information provided in these circumstances will be generalized; staff should be aware that many patients might not want embarrassing or private information to be divulged, even to family.
3. General information about a patient’s condition can be given to law enforcement officers if the patient is a victim or a perpetrator of a crime. Again, this information will be generalized as much as possible; we will try to not reveal anything the patient might not want known.
   1. For example, it is ok to tell an officer that a patient was shot in the lower torso and may be in critical condition; it is NOT ok to tell the officer that the patient was shot in the testicles. 
   2. As a general rule, staff will only tell officers enough about a victim’s condition to ensure that the officers know what charges are appropriate.
4. When testifying in court, staff must make sure that the appropriate attorneys (defense or prosecution, depending on the situation) are aware of medical confidentiality concerns. You may need to get consent before testifying about an individual’s medical condition, unless a judge orders you to reveal that information.
   1. Any information obtained via subpoena by the appropriate attorneys may be testified about without consent.

• - Employees are expected to remain professional while on duty. This includes words, demeanor, and appearance.

- Humor should be appropriate to the workplace.

- Racism, sexism, bullying, hate speech, sexual harassment, transphobia and related behaviors are not tolerated.

- All employees are expected to be honest. Lying to supervisors about your own actions or the actions of others will result in disciplinary action. 

There may be whistleblower exceptions to this policy. If you are unable to be honest with a supervisor due to their involvement with an issue, report it immediately to another supervisor up the chain of command. 

- When making a report to a law enforcement officer or testifying in court, all employees are expected to give clear, unbiased, factual reports or testimony.

- Any credible threat to your life or the lives of others should be reported to law enforcement immediately.

SAFR on duty

SAFR staff are encouraged to get out and be seen in the community when they are not responding to an emergency or performing other duties, so long as their activities do not delay or prevent them from responding properly to their duties. 

While on duty, SAFR staff may not:

• Engage in any outside money-making activities, including, but not limited to, active gambling and working for other employers. The purchase of lottery or scratch tickets from authorized vendors is permitted.
• Commit to any activity that they cannot immediately walk away from when medical emergencies or other duties arise.
• Willingly commit or facilitate criminal activity.