Currently, in most cases, to become full-time with a fire department, as an EMT or Paramedic, you must be a firefighter as well. EMS workers are considered essential workers, but not an essential service by the federal government. Why?
With it not being considered an essential service, federal funding is not available, thusly departments that may want to implement full time EMS, simply do not have the funding. There is currently a shortage of paramedics and EMT’s as well and I believe that it may be partly due to the fact that many want to practice pre-hospital medicine, but do not wish to become a firefighter as well. In addition, working part-time EMS does not give any benefits such as PTO, health insurance, or 401k, which I think of there was a full time option, it may help the shortage.
EMS providers are essential to the majority of calls that are non-fire based, while also being essential on a fire call in the case that the civilians or firefighters have fire or smoke related injuries. As a spouse of a paramedic, I have seen and heard how vital EMS is to ensuring that someone is properly cared for on their way to the hospital, therefore the federal government should consider it an essential service to allow for the option of full-time EMS in our fire departments.