All the best from Belgium

[VDCavey]

Hey y'all

New to the forum, let me introduce myself...Tim, 32 years old living in Antwerp, Belgium. Working as a prison guard after working 7 years for the American Embassy in Brussels, Belgium as security supervisor.

Starting my EMS training the end of September and hope to graduate early 2007 so I can start to work as a volunteer on the 100 services (Belgiums national emergency network) in different emergency rooms across the city of Antwerp. As a State employee and working a full continue shift system we have so much holidays I dont know what to do with them anymore so better spend them usefull.

Seen you never have to much knowledge registred to the forum to learn some more from al you profesionals over here.

Regards, Tim

[jedch47]

I was shocked to see a post from Belgium. I was in Belgium several years ago and I loved it,I was in Antwerp as a matter of fact. That was one of my top 2 places that I worked, the people are very friendly,and helpful. I was so suprised at how good the people of Antwerp treated us. I was there for almost a month and loved every minute of it.

[VDCavey]

Glad to hear you liked it over here

[jedch47]

What all does your training include? Are you gonna be cosidered an EMT or what levels do you have there? I have to say that the time that I was there I didn't see any ambulances. How are they staffed, do you have "paramedics" or emergency doctors? Do you have different levels of trucks, like our ALS and BLS? It is interesting to find out how the rest of the world does things. There was a very interesting article in JEMS last month on Hungary's EMS systems.

[VDCavey]

In Belgium we have an ambulance at every ER which is certified in the "100 sytem" and at several fire stations, some voluntary outside the cities.

Each ambulance is staffed with two "ambulanciers" who are certified by the ministry of public health...the course is a 140 hours theoretical course with a written and practical exam which includes always air clearance, cpr and pediatric cpr aside the rest from the course.

Afterward you have to perform minimum 40 hours as a probationary EMT, if you do not get 5 call aside a MUG group or together with this group you wil have to perform aditional hours until you get.

A MUG is a vehicle stationed at a major ER which is manned by at least 1 ER doctor and 1 ER nurse, aditionally some MUG's have a third EMT on board which functions as a driver seen the docter and the nurse usually come back inside the ambulance.

A MUG is called in backup as soon as an EMS concludes there is a life threathenign situation or when the dispatching concludes from the call there is a life threathening injury. Most dispatchers also send them out with every traffic accident with trapped victims.

Standard Ambulance

http://www.hulpdiensten-modelbouwforum.com/mario/database/nieuw/hamme8.jpg

http://www.hulpdiensten-modelbouwforum.com/mario/database/nieuw/hamme7.jpg


MUG Vehicle...usually fast SUV's or station wagons

http://www.hulpdienstenforum-vlaanderen.be/bram/Interventies_Juni/Delta_3_30-06-06/Stuivenberg_011.jpg

Each box has a color depending on the content (pediatric, burns etc.)


http://www.hulpdienstenforum-vlaanderen.be/bram/Interventies_Juni/Delta_3_30-06-06/Stuivenberg_005.jpg


Other MUG vehicle:

http://www.hulpdienstenforum-vlaanderen.be/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29 35&d=1144089100

Other Ambulance

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/7605/turnhout7mg.jpg

[VDCavey]

How come I keep on posting as guest however I am logged in?

[mdtaylor]

After about 5 posts it will start to show you as a member.

[jedch47]

It seems that your system there is very well equiped. Is there a strict standard on times it takes to get to calls? How about the pay? Is there a constant roll over due to the low pay and lots of work as it is here?

[VDCavey]

It seems that your system there is very well equiped. Is there a strict standard on times it takes to get to calls? How about the pay? Is there a constant roll over due to the low pay and lots of work as it is here?

There is a maximum responce time but I am not sure how long this is, seen the close population I do not think there is a place in Belgium it will take longer then 15 minutes.

Paramedic is not a real "profession" in Belgium so in fact they have to follow the labourlaw of the transport sector. I have no idea what a full time paramedic makes, as a volunteer you get about 50€ (60 Dollar) for a dayshift and 25€ (30 Dollar) for a nightshift...usually we do 24 hour shifts which makes about 90 Dollar, seen this is not a "pay" but an expense refund it is not taxed up to a certain amount per year.