Change.......

I guess you never really know from day to day when things will suddenly change in your life! I'm going to finally let all of this out...... My job will officially no longer be available in its current form come July 1. As many of you  know I work for Winfield EMS. I have been a Paramedic for the last 9 years. I have been working in Winfield since August of 2010. The EMS service has been in shambles for many many years. The service has been miss managed, funded and miss guided on many levels. EMS has asked the City of Winfield and Cowley County to help EMS with more funding. We were granted funding for a new Ambulance over the summer and the new truck arrived in January from the City. The service is to a point that it can no longer fund us at our current state and location. We operate out of the hospital but we are privetly funded by ourselves. In other words the hospital doesn't own us nor does the county or the city. The service went many years being funded on its own. But with the mismanagement of many things we are no longer able to do that. So, the City of Winfield came up with a plan. They initally had asked the County to take ems over. The County actually agreed with the intent that Ark City EMS would join us. Ark City is currently a fire department serivce that has no interest in changing. It works for them and they didn't want any part of it. So, that left the hospital and the City to fund us. The hospital is unable to fund us, so the City has opted to take over Winfield EMS. This was great news we thought. We were told many different times (not from the city directly) that we would be grandfathered into the fire department and no huge change would occur. Well, that did not and is not happening. We were told last month that Winfield EMS would be become Winfield Fire/EMS. That we would have to do both fire and ems. That we would take a huge pay cut. That we would have to work an extra 960 hours a year. That we had until March 14th to accept or decline their offer. This has been a very diffiult time for all of us at Winfield Area EMS. We all love this carerr. This is our passion. We sacrafice so much for this career. I'm currently scheduled for 96 hours a week (48 at the hospital and 48 on call). This new schedule would require 72 hours at the fire deparment and 72 on call. A total of 144 in 6 days. A schdule that we as a family couldn't or wouldn't do. My most important thing in life is my family and sacrificing more time away from them isn't an option. I have no desire to be a fireman. I did that for a couple of years in Ark City and hated it. I'm a paramedic and that's all I want to be. So, last week we made the decison to sell our house. A decison that we have been discussing for quite some time, but something that I didn't think would happen right now. Yes, we have outgrown our house, yes, the payment is more than we want, but this is the home that we took our children home to and a home that I absolutely love. But in life comes change. A HUGE change for us. Saturday when that for sale sign arrived in our yard I couldn't help but cry. When I look at my four year old crying because she doesn't want to move, breaks my heart. This is a very hard decision......
I know your probably thinking, where will this crazy woman work? Well, I'm not sure I have the answer to that. My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago and his old farm house is vaccant. It has been for several years. It isn't pretty, it is far from perfect, but it is rent free and in the country. This is where we have always wanted to build a home. A place where the kids can have aniumals for 4H and a place that we can help with the family farm. A two bedroom home, a home with no central heat and air. A home that we can all be together. A home that I will be able to spend more time with my amazing family. A place that we will call home for a while. A place that my wonderful husband can help with harvest and cattle from our front door. A place that will soon have our dream home at.
Until then we will continue to be strong and enjoy our time together........ "You never know when one chapter will end and another one will begin." Here's to a new chapter; a new us!