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50 MAY 2016 | EMSWORLD.com experience certainly has value in an enter- tainment setting, but it's not the only con- sideration, or even the most important attribute he looks for from candidates. "The hardest thing is finding people who want to be here," says the 45-year-old para- medic. "If I hire a new EMT with a great attitude, I can teach that person EMS and the way we operate, but it's difficult to find experienced providers with the kind of customer-oriented personality we want in this business." Hall says some EMS veterans have it easier on the streets than they would at Six Flags. "It's not hard to do a 24-hour shift in 9-1-1 with one or two calls, and not know or care too much about what you've accomplished. We're looking for more than that. We want the whole package—compassion, good med- icine and a desire to work in entertainment. "Of course, it's a two-way street; you attract people by offering the kind of envi- ronment they want to work in. That means making them part of a team with plenty of support—at least 8–10 medics and EMTs per shift, where everyone's working toward the same goals, and there's no dispatcher yelling at them to take another call." Most EMS providers who come to Six Flags are already looking for a change. "Some get tired of being with the same partner doing the same thing," says Hall, "or they might tell me, 'I'm sick of working alone' or 'My company doesn't appreciate me.' A lot of them have a huge passion for medicine and EMS; they just want to do something different." And different it is at Six Flags, where your patients often value entertainment over medical care. "We work for a company whose job is to provide a good experience for people who are trying to get away from their usual frustrations, maybe only for a day," Hall explains, "but by the time they come to your first-aid station, they've already waited in line for their morning coffee, had to fight traffic into the park, spent $200 to get in and then, just when the fun begins, one of their kids throws up. Medical care really isn't the main issue for these customers; it's trying to turn things around for them— going the extra mile to finally give them that good time they've been seeking. "Maybe it means getting them on a ride without having to wait, or offering them free ice cream. We want employees who are compassionate and are going to look for opportunities to provide that special experience. If you don't like being around people, this job isn't for you." Surprisingly, years in EMS isn't a prereq - uisite for Jonathan's department. "Some recruits come right out of EMT school," he says. "They've never been on an ambulance, never worked the streets. It's great because we train them the way we want them to be. They come to us for 6–7 years, then go on with their careers. Some of them become medics while they're with us. We have a program that encourages that. "We even hire people who've worked in other parts of the park and send them to EMT school. We just add the EMS part on top of what they already know about operations." Hall says the learning curve for new EMS providers is steep—particularly non- medical aspects of the position. "They have to learn their way around the park and learn our systems. Some feel comfortable after only a couple of weeks; others need the whole season. "The EMS part of the job is pretty basic. Most patients have non-emergent issues. Instead of putting them in ambulances, we say, 'Hey, have you had anything to eat and drink today?' Lots of them just need to be rehydrated and spend some time in air conditioning." According to Hall, starting salaries at Six Flags are comparable to other EMS open- ings in the region: $15 per hour for EMTs and $20 for paramedics. Employees get free theme park admission and are able to tailor shifts to their personal schedules. Hall adds there are similar opportuni- ties for EMS providers at amusement parks throughout the country. Hospitality I've stayed in lots of hotels—just never on- duty as a paramedic until 2007, when I took a job at Nashville's Opryland. The resort at that time included the 2,882-room Opry- land hotel, the Grand Ole Opry, the General Jackson showboat, Ryman Auditorium and other properties. The Opry and Ryman are now managed separately. Doing EMS in a hotel involves some of the same prerequisites Hall mentioned above: a passion for customer service and a familiarity with chronic, nonemergent conditions that even 9-1-1-system abusers rarely call about. A staff of approximately 15 Opryland paramedics are taught to give directions around the 172-acre complex as effortlessly as they offer medical assistance. It's also not unusual for medics to act as intermediaries for guests about hotel matters like billing or accommodations. As Hall discussed, EMS providers' success at vacation destinations like Six Flags or Opryland usually depends more on employees' courtesy, friendliness and good humor than on assessment skills. Guests are reluctant to become patients when they have to choose between a hospital visit and a round of golf. Consequently, most EMS calls at Opryland become refusals or treat-and-release, the criteria for which are far more flexible than in most traditional systems. Even with a remotely located physi- cian serving as medical control, treat-and- release decisions are routinely made by paramedics alone, who must thoroughly document guest-patients' wishes. Trans- ports, when necessary, are handled by Nashville's fire department. The most challenging medical scenarios often occur aboard the General Jackson, a 300-foot showboat that carries up to 1,200 passengers up and down Middle Tennessee's Customer service is an integral part of EMS operations at Six Flags. Photo cour tesy Jonathan Hall