Social Media - Do you take it to work?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duncan Hitchcock on July 2, 2009 at 5:15am

"There is a middle ground in this, it is just up to the agencies to take the responsibility to find it and then communicate it to their responders."
Yes, yes, I know. It is up to those of us in management to take the responsibility to teach common sense to the few employees that do not know or understand that it is not appropriate to be texting or talking on the cell phone when responding to a call. It is up to those of us in management to teach common sense to the few employees that take pictures at a scene of an individual's worst moment and post them on the internet.
Yes, yes. I know. There is a middle ground to be reached after the lack of common sense has resulted in missing a turn that delayes the timely response to a scene. There is middle ground to be reached after a family member or close friend happens across a picture of a critically injured or sick family member on the internet and starts the long and expensive process of seeking restitution for emotional damages caused by the picture or raises a good argument that full resources were not applied to stabilizing or saving their loved one.
Yes, Ues. I know. It is up to management to remove any chewing gum from the vacinity of the judgement impaired so as to prevent them from attempting to chew the gum while walking. We must assist these employees in coming to a realization that in life there are things that you do that are wrong and there are things that you do that are right. And that there is a difference but cool and not cool. We might even have to go so far as to tell an employee that they were wrong.
But then again, there is the old saying that policies are dictated by outlyers. Knuckleheads, that is.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Konig on July 2, 2009 at 6:14am

Duncan Hitchcock said:

"There is a middle ground in this, it is just up to the agencies to take the responsibility to find it and then communicate it to their responders."
Yes, yes, I know. It is up to those of us in management to take the responsibility to teach common sense to the few employees that do not know or understand that it is not appropriate to be texting or talking on the cell phone when responding to a call. It is up to those of us in management to teach common sense to the few employees that take pictures at a scene of an individual's worst moment and post them on the internet.
Yes, yes. I know. There is a middle ground to be reached after the lack of common sense has resulted in missing a turn that delayes the timely response to a scene. There is middle ground to be reached after a family member or close friend happens across a picture of a critically injured or sick family member on the internet and starts the long and expensive process of seeking restitution for emotional damages caused by the picture or raises a good argument that full resources were not applied to stabilizing or saving their loved one.
Yes, Ues. I know. It is up to management to remove any chewing gum from the vacinity of the judgement impaired so as to prevent them from attempting to chew the gum while walking. We must assist these employees in coming to a realization that in life there are things that you do that are wrong and there are things that you do that are right. And that there is a difference but cool and not cool. We might even have to go so far as to tell an employee that they were wrong.
But then again, there is the old saying that policies are dictated by outlyers. Knuckleheads, that is.

Actually Duncan, my point is to reach the middle ground before any of those things happen. The fact that you seem to "know" all this and relate it to "after" the fact is indicative of being stuck in the cycle of putting out fires instead of preventing them. Agencies who do not take the responsibility of communicating to their responders what is and what is not acceptable in regards to the use of technology available today, and for that matter keep an eye on what is in the future, is failing the very people they are charged to take care of. The responders.

Yes Duncan yes, I know you don't realize. An agency charges its responders to care for patients, and in turn the agency is charged with caring for its responders. This is the same way the government cares for the agencies by providing training, funding, and bare minimum requirements. This is the symbiotic relationship in EMS that has already been recognized by the forward thinkers and the revolutionaries... the ones who are actually using social media where opinions are created and have every opportunity to affect an agency whether we like to admit it or not.

Just because we have not heard them, it doesn't mean the opinions aren't out there.

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Permalink Reply by asysin2leads on July 2, 2009 at 4:03pm

Dave, I think you are confusing "making sure employees have an acceptable working environment" with "caring for their providers". Caring for your providers is making sure they have the necessities of a good work environment, access to facilities, time for meals if possible, adequate staffing to ensure appropriate time away from work, etc. Caring for your providers does NOT mean making sure they have everything they want. I may want my own personal masseuse, but I'm not going to get it. There is no reason, nor necessity, for interaction with social networking, by computer or by phone, while you are at work. Cell phones, as much as I don't like using them, have proven their usefulness, when properly implemented, at work. You can contact an employee in the case of radio failure. Those of us with families enjoy the little extra piece of mind we get from having to leave home for long periods.
Social networking, on the other hand, is purely recreational, and any recreation you are able to achieve, while on duty, being paid, is an absolute privilege, and no manager or supervisor should ever have to reach a middle ground on it. You are not the center of the universe. You are not special. You are not a movie star. The world will go on if you are out of contact with your friends for the couple of hours a day you are at work. And if your work requirements, in your opinion, take too much of a toll on your social requirements, then you need to find another job. I would suggest becoming independently wealthy. Then you can have all the time to network you want.
Revolutions are not necessarily a good thing. You might see "social networking" as the next big thing, but others, such as myself, see it only as one more nail in the coffin of the productivity of the American workforce. But if you'd like to run a company, based on the opinions of people on Twitter, go right ahead. Personally, when I read some of the comments on Youtube, or Facebook, or Twitter, I just shake my head and wonder how some people are able to walk and breathe at the same time. However, if you really want to say "NO! These people's opinions are important!", and live your life and base your livelihood on what they think, go for it, you are braver man than I.

Dave Konig said:

Duncan Hitchcock said:

"There is a middle ground in this, it is just up to the agencies to take the responsibility to find it and then communicate it to their responders."
Yes, yes, I know. It is up to those of us in management to take the responsibility to teach common sense to the few employees that do not know or understand that it is not appropriate to be texting or talking on the cell phone when responding to a call. It is up to those of us in management to teach common sense to the few employees that take pictures at a scene of an individual's worst moment and post them on the internet.
Yes, yes. I know. There is a middle ground to be reached after the lack of common sense has resulted in missing a turn that delayes the timely response to a scene. There is middle ground to be reached after a family member or close friend happens across a picture of a critically injured or sick family member on the internet and starts the long and expensive process of seeking restitution for emotional damages caused by the picture or raises a good argument that full resources were not applied to stabilizing or saving their loved one.
Yes, Ues. I know. It is up to management to remove any chewing gum from the vacinity of the judgement impaired so as to prevent them from attempting to chew the gum while walking. We must assist these employees in coming to a realization that in life there are things that you do that are wrong and there are things that you do that are right. And that there is a difference but cool and not cool. We might even have to go so far as to tell an employee that they were wrong.
But then again, there is the old saying that policies are dictated by outlyers. Knuckleheads, that is.

Actually Duncan, my point is to reach the middle ground before any of those things happen. The fact that you seem to "know" all this and relate it to "after" the fact is indicative of being stuck in the cycle of putting out fires instead of preventing them. Agencies who do not take the responsibility of communicating to their responders what is and what is not acceptable in regards to the use of technology available today, and for that matter keep an eye on what is in the future, is failing the very people they are charged to take care of. The responders.

Yes Duncan yes, I know you don't realize. An agency charges its responders to care for patients, and in turn the agency is charged with caring for its responders. This is the same way the government cares for the agencies by providing training, funding, and bare minimum requirements. This is the symbiotic relationship in EMS that has already been recognized by the forward thinkers and the revolutionaries... the ones who are actually using social media where opinions are created and have every opportunity to affect an agency whether we like to admit it or not.

Just because we have not heard them, it doesn't mean the opinions aren't out there.

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Permalink Reply by EMPSKHC1 on July 2, 2009 at 5:44pm

There was just a study done on the effects of texting while driving vs. driving while drunk. Guess what? It is worse to text and drive than to drink and drive. So, especially in a situation where you are driving, please do not text. Afterall, as EMS providers, I am sure that you have seen the aftermath of a drunk driver.

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Permalink Reply by Jasen Adam on July 2, 2009 at 5:52pm

asysin2leads said:

Dave, I think you are confusing "making sure employees have an acceptable working environment" with "caring for their providers". Caring for your providers is making sure they have the necessities of a good work environment, access to facilities, time for meals if possible, adequate staffing to ensure appropriate time away from work, etc. Caring for your providers does NOT mean making sure they have everything they want. I may want my own personal masseuse, but I'm not going to get it. There is no reason, nor necessity, for interaction with social networking, by computer or by phone, while you are at work. Cell phones, as much as I don't like using them, have proven their usefulness, when properly implemented, at work. You can contact an employee in the case of radio failure. Those of us with families enjoy the little extra piece of mind we get from having to leave home for long periods.
Social networking, on the other hand, is purely recreational, and any recreation you are able to achieve, while on duty, being paid, is an absolute privilege, and no manager or supervisor should ever have to reach a middle ground on it. You are not the center of the universe. You are not special. You are not a movie star. The world will go on if you are out of contact with your friends for the couple of hours a day you are at work. And if your work requirements, in your opinion, take too much of a toll on your social requirements, then you need to find another job. I would suggest becoming independently wealthy. Then you can have all the time to network you want.
Revolutions are not necessarily a good thing. You might see "social networking" as the next big thing, but others, such as myself, see it only as one more nail in the coffin of the productivity of the American workforce. But if you'd like to run a company, based on the opinions of people on Twitter, go right ahead. Personally, when I read some of the comments on Youtube, or Facebook, or Twitter, I just shake my head and wonder how some people are able to walk and breathe at the same time. However, if you really want to say "NO! These people's opinions are important!", and live your life and base your livelihood on what they think, go for it, you are braver man than I.

Dave Konig said:

Duncan Hitchcock said:

"There is a middle ground in this, it is just up to the agencies to take the responsibility to find it and then communicate it to their responders."
Yes, yes, I know. It is up to those of us in management to take the responsibility to teach common sense to the few employees that do not know or understand that it is not appropriate to be texting or talking on the cell phone when responding to a call. It is up to those of us in management to teach common sense to the few employees that take pictures at a scene of an individual's worst moment and post them on the internet.
Yes, yes. I know. There is a middle ground to be reached after the lack of common sense has resulted in missing a turn that delayes the timely response to a scene. There is middle ground to be reached after a family member or close friend happens across a picture of a critically injured or sick family member on the internet and starts the long and expensive process of seeking restitution for emotional damages caused by the picture or raises a good argument that full resources were not applied to stabilizing or saving their loved one.
Yes, Ues. I know. It is up to management to remove any chewing gum from the vacinity of the judgement impaired so as to prevent them from attempting to chew the gum while walking. We must assist these employees in coming to a realization that in life there are things that you do that are wrong and there are things that you do that are right. And that there is a difference but cool and not cool. We might even have to go so far as to tell an employee that they were wrong.
But then again, there is the old saying that policies are dictated by outlyers. Knuckleheads, that is.

Actually Duncan, my point is to reach the middle ground before any of those things happen. The fact that you seem to "know" all this and relate it to "after" the fact is indicative of being stuck in the cycle of putting out fires instead of preventing them. Agencies who do not take the responsibility of communicating to their responders what is and what is not acceptable in regards to the use of technology available today, and for that matter keep an eye on what is in the future, is failing the very people they are charged to take care of. The responders.

Yes Duncan yes, I know you don't realize. An agency charges its responders to care for patients, and in turn the agency is charged with caring for its responders. This is the same way the government cares for the agencies by providing training, funding, and bare minimum requirements. This is the symbiotic relationship in EMS that has already been recognized by the forward thinkers and the revolutionaries... the ones who are actually using social media where opinions are created and have every opportunity to affect an agency whether we like to admit it or not.

Just because we have not heard them, it doesn't mean the opinions aren't out there.

Very well said Asysin2leads

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Hitchcock on July 2, 2009 at 5:55pm

Was it daring to question an opinion or stating that I am in management or the use of the word knucklehead?

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Permalink Reply by Joe P. on July 2, 2009 at 6:30pm

Duncan Hitchcock said:

Was it daring to question an opinion or stating that I am in management or the use of the word knucklehead?

Both are dangerous here. Apparently some people consider questioning an opinion to be a "personal attack" or "overly aggressive" per the powers that be.

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Permalink Reply by Greg Adams on July 2, 2009 at 7:56pm

Just a quick comment from down under. Let me tell you that from the perspective of a man who has been involved in litigation (plus the psychological ramifications) in regard to a fatal head- on MVA where I was the accused offending driver and the Department of Public Prosecution determined to make the case that I was on my cell at the time because it auto dialed a number during the accident ..... you don't want to go there. Under these circumstances ..there is no middle ground.

Skip, you're 100% right ... hands on the wheel...eyes on the road and don't even change the radio station on your radio. We can become so tuned out that by the time we realise something has gone wrong ....it's too damned late.

I have the ever present memory of a husband without a wife, children without a mother and what the incident did to both our familes ... play with your toys in the down times, it safer and there's no risk of you being accused of being inattentive to your driving. We also have that wonderful thing called 'duty of care' which applies to our partner and to our patient.
P.S I love technology and I'd buy it all if I had the $$ but not while I'm driving!! And I'm not management.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Konig on July 2, 2009 at 10:57pm

Asysin2leads allow me to first emphasis the fact that I am not endorsing nor promoting the use of mobile devices inappropriately during calls/runs. With that said, I vastly agree with you in that we are responsible for providing an acceptable, and as safe as possible, work environment. Not a Club Medesque environment as you have indicated my intent was.

However I have to ask what the difference is between a responder reading a physical copy of JEMS Magazine or reading an electronic copy of JEMS Magazine is? If you are going to permit someone to read a magazine, trade or otherwise, then how do you tell the same person they can't read the latest news or related content online through their personal device? Once again, I am not talking about during calls/runs. I am talking about the time inbetween when you may be parked on a street corner or sitting in the station kitchen with a lack of chores or duties to perform.

I also think that we are disconnecting in our opinions between the term social networking and social media. These are two separate things. Specifically in our line of work, it is quite possible that we may learn about an incident from the Social Media outlets before our own dispatchers. Earthquakes in California, the plane landing on the Hudson River, and the delays on the Washington DC Red Line due to the crash were all reported through Social Media and quite often before actual 911 calls were dispatched. So is there a place for social media at work? Considering the instantaneous ability to connect with one another, our jobs and our agencies definitely have a place in social media.

Fifteen years ago everyone carried a pager on a hip and only the richest had a cellphone that could be carried in a backpack. When your pager went off you found a payphone or a landline and called back the number, and this was the norm. As cellphones became smaller than a VCR, with better functionality and reliability they gained popularity and a mere 5 years later that cut the pager market by 50%. Then 5 years after that phones were no longer just for making phone calls but also for sending e-mails, and now 5 years later they have been able to fit the entire Internet onto a cell phone. This type of accessibility has now become the norm and ingrained in the culture coming up to the point that there is a stong likelihood that your responders under the age of 35 do not have a landline phone from the phone company.

What it is that I am advocating is that EMS Agencies take the responsibility to recognize the shift in culture from where they recruit. Before going through EMT training candidates do not necessarily know that we expect them to take a blood pressure, pulse, AND respirations. They learn our expectations through the dissemination of information in education. Before going out on calls/runs we need to disseminate our policies regarding the use of mobile devices (for both online and non-internet related functions) and educate them on our expectations regarding the use of social media that has become the norm to them. To penalize responders when we have failed to make our positions clear is irresponsible.

However, and to get this post back on topic, adopting a draconian policy regarding Social Media may not be in an agency's best interest. An agency that adopts such a policy may have a hard time enforcing, and may be viewed negatively by those who involve themselves in the medium which is where opinions, en masse, are formed.

asysin2leads said:

Dave, I think you are confusing "making sure employees have an acceptable working environment" with "caring for their providers". Caring for your providers is making sure they have the necessities of a good work environment, access to facilities, time for meals if possible, adequate staffing to ensure appropriate time away from work, etc. Caring for your providers does NOT mean making sure they have everything they want. I may want my own personal masseuse, but I'm not going to get it. There is no reason, nor necessity, for interaction with social networking, by computer or by phone, while you are at work. Cell phones, as much as I don't like using them, have proven their usefulness, when properly implemented, at work. You can contact an employee in the case of radio failure. Those of us with families enjoy the little extra piece of mind we get from having to leave home for long periods.
Social networking, on the other hand, is purely recreational, and any recreation you are able to achieve, while on duty, being paid, is an absolute privilege, and no manager or supervisor should ever have to reach a middle ground on it. You are not the center of the universe. You are not special. You are not a movie star. The world will go on if you are out of contact with your friends for the couple of hours a day you are at work. And if your work requirements, in your opinion, take too much of a toll on your social requirements, then you need to find another job. I would suggest becoming independently wealthy. Then you can have all the time to network you want.
Revolutions are not necessarily a good thing. You might see "social networking" as the next big thing, but others, such as myself, see it only as one more nail in the coffin of the productivity of the American workforce. But if you'd like to run a company, based on the opinions of people on Twitter, go right ahead. Personally, when I read some of the comments on Youtube, or Facebook, or Twitter, I just shake my head and wonder how some people are able to walk and breathe at the same time. However, if you really want to say "NO! These people's opinions are important!", and live your life and base your livelihood on what they think, go for it, you are braver man than I.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Konig on July 2, 2009 at 11:07pm

If you are going to engage me with intelligence, you will receive an intelligent reply.

If you are going to engage me disrespectfully with a sarcastic oblivious tone, you will receive that same type of reply.

Own your words.

I own mine.

Duncan Hitchcock said:

Was it daring to question an opinion or stating that I am in management or the use of the word knucklehead?

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Permalink Reply by asysin2leads on July 3, 2009 at 4:49am

Dave, I think you're still missing something. Social networking sites can indeed bring information to a person very quickly, more quickly than phone calls or the news. However, given the fact that pretty much anyone, and I mean anyone, can create an account and start sending messages, the raw output of social networking sites is pretty much useless. It is the opinions, conjectures, theories, hopes, dreams, and fantasies of millions of people, and a few useful facts sprinkled here and there. How are you supposed to take seriously any information that comes to you that's wedged between offers for penis enlargement and your latest score on Mafia Wars? You can't. Anybody can send anything, and that means, you can receive anything. Its like Wikipedia. Sure, there's some interesting reads, but I wouldn't use it to do a research paper or base a decision on the information provided. One of the biggest challenges in a disaster scenario is to start sorting out what is actually going on, given the sheer volume of input and information coming in. The last thing you need is for people to start Twittering with what they think is happening and then going on that information. This why we have protocols for dissemination of information. This why we have ICS. For every one instance where someone might get the right information at the right time from a social networking scenario, I can pretty much guarantee you that you'll have 20-30 instances where people get the wrong information, and possibly offers for cheap Xanax and Viagra. To be blunt, even if information about a plane crash, or earthquake, or water rescue, came in before the 911 calls did, no one in their right mind would go sending resources to it, and if you think that you're going to go take the ambulance around the corner because of a text message or a Twitter you got, you really need re-examine your take on the world. On 9/11, there were thousands of conflicting reports flying about. Bridges being blown up. Suicide bombers in ambulances, missile launches, you name, it someone was talking about it. If we start acting on those same sound bites of information just because they come through social media, we will be in a lot of trouble.
You asked me about what the difference between JEMS online and in print is, and while my wiseass answer would be something along the lines of having to lug the computer into the bathroom, my actual answer is that there is very little chance of the JEMS magazine downloading a virus or a worm that could possibly cripple the network that is vital to EMS operations, and the ability to click on a page of JEMS and have it instantly change to pictures of the Dallas Cowboy's cheerleaders topless has yet to be proven. I don't think a copy of JEMS has ever provoked an EEO complaint, but I'm pretty sure the same computers that were used to access JEMS probably have here and there. I don't say these things because I'm a technophobe. I'm actually technologically very proficient, and that's what I base my opinions on, not because of what I don't understand, but because of what I do understand. Keep social media for sports scores and Hannah Montana updates.


Dave Konig said:

Asysin2leads allow me to first emphasis the fact that I am not endorsing nor promoting the use of mobile devices inappropriately during calls/runs. With that said, I vastly agree with you in that we are responsible for providing an acceptable, and as safe as possible, work environment. Not a Club Medesque environment as you have indicated my intent was.

However I have to ask what the difference is between a responder reading a physical copy of JEMS Magazine or reading an electronic copy of JEMS Magazine is? If you are going to permit someone to read a magazine, trade or otherwise, then how do you tell the same person they can't read the latest news or related content online through their personal device? Once again, I am not talking about during calls/runs. I am talking about the time inbetween when you may be parked on a street corner or sitting in the station kitchen with a lack of chores or duties to perform.

I also think that we are disconnecting in our opinions between the term social networking and social media. These are two separate things. Specifically in our line of work, it is quite possible that we may learn about an incident from the Social Media outlets before our own dispatchers. Earthquakes in California, the plane landing on the Hudson River, and the delays on the Washington DC Red Line due to the crash were all reported through Social Media and quite often before actual 911 calls were dispatched. So is there a place for social media at work? Considering the instantaneous ability to connect with one another, our jobs and our agencies definitely have a place in social media.

Fifteen years ago everyone carried a pager on a hip and only the richest had a cellphone that could be carried in a backpack. When your pager went off you found a payphone or a landline and called back the number, and this was the norm. As cellphones became smaller than a VCR, with better functionality and reliability they gained popularity and a mere 5 years later that cut the pager market by 50%. Then 5 years after that phones were no longer just for making phone calls but also for sending e-mails, and now 5 years later they have been able to fit the entire Internet onto a cell phone. This type of accessibility has now become the norm and ingrained in the culture coming up to the point that there is a stong likelihood that your responders under the age of 35 do not have a landline phone from the phone company.

What it is that I am advocating is that EMS Agencies take the responsibility to recognize the shift in culture from where they recruit. Before going through EMT training candidates do not necessarily know that we expect them to take a blood pressure, pulse, AND respirations. They learn our expectations through the dissemination of information in education. Before going out on calls/runs we need to disseminate our policies regarding the use of mobile devices (for both online and non-internet related functions) and educate them on our expectations regarding the use of social media that has become the norm to them. To penalize responders when we have failed to make our positions clear is irresponsible.

However, and to get this post back on topic, adopting a draconian policy regarding Social Media may not be in an agency's best interest. An agency that adopts such a policy may have a hard time enforcing, and may be viewed negatively by those who involve themselves in the medium which is where opinions, en masse, are formed.

asysin2leads said:

Dave, I think you are confusing "making sure employees have an acceptable working environment" with "caring for their providers". Caring for your providers is making sure they have the necessities of a good work environment, access to facilities, time for meals if possible, adequate staffing to ensure appropriate time away from work, etc. Caring for your providers does NOT mean making sure they have everything they want. I may want my own personal masseuse, but I'm not going to get it. There is no reason, nor necessity, for interaction with social networking, by computer or by phone, while you are at work. Cell phones, as much as I don't like using them, have proven their usefulness, when properly implemented, at work. You can contact an employee in the case of radio failure. Those of us with families enjoy the little extra piece of mind we get from having to leave home for long periods.
Social networking, on the other hand, is purely recreational, and any recreation you are able to achieve, while on duty, being paid, is an absolute privilege, and no manager or supervisor should ever have to reach a middle ground on it. You are not the center of the universe. You are not special. You are not a movie star. The world will go on if you are out of contact with your friends for the couple of hours a day you are at work. And if your work requirements, in your opinion, take too much of a toll on your social requirements, then you need to find another job. I would suggest becoming independently wealthy. Then you can have all the time to network you want.
Revolutions are not necessarily a good thing. You might see "social networking" as the next big thing, but others, such as myself, see it only as one more nail in the coffin of the productivity of the American workforce. But if you'd like to run a company, based on the opinions of people on Twitter, go right ahead. Personally, when I read some of the comments on Youtube, or Facebook, or Twitter, I just shake my head and wonder how some people are able to walk and breathe at the same time. However, if you really want to say "NO! These people's opinions are important!", and live your life and base your livelihood on what they think, go for it, you are braver man than I.

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Hitchcock on July 3, 2009 at 8:11am

Ouch

Dave Konig said:

If you are going to engage me with intelligence, you will receive an intelligent reply.

If you are going to engage me disrespectfully with a sarcastic oblivious tone, you will receive that same type of reply.

Own your words.

I own mine.

Duncan Hitchcock said:

Was it daring to question an opinion or stating that I am in management or the use of the word knucklehead?

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