Ever wondered what’s better?… well strap yourself in for that rant. If you’re like me you’ve been working as a contract ESO, MESO, Trainer or similar in the industrial rescue landscape for many years. Here are some of the facts and hard truths with ways that you can reach out and work this out for yourself, why? Because your future matters and you deserve to know! 1. ESO’s work in a low frequency but high consequence profession. Translated, that means we aren’t getting called out as much as say full time government ‘professions’. It’s largely on us when serious incidents occur on-site in respect to on-scene incident command and compared to government responders, so we lack nearly all of the same crucial control elements, systems, personnel and more to take charge and remedy the situation effectively to the same level of ‘span of control’. So, when it’s on, it’s on for industrial rescue technicians. 2. We don’t train as much. ERT members are lucky to get 12 days of training per year and, ESO’s rarely re qualify their skill sets after the two year industry ‘recommendation’. We see too many fat, dumb and lazy people out there resting on their pasts who don’t live and practice what they preach - harsh, maybe, but true, if they can’t respond today, simply don’t listen to their advice. We all know it, but rarely have the guts to call it out. 3. When compared to a full time ESO gig onsite, the less quality provides are offering around the $60-$70 dollar range for an ESO and the sites (on average) offer around $150,000 per year, plus super, sick days, annual leave and bonuses - to name but a few industry perks. In short, private providers blatantly take advantage of young and impressionable ESO’s to ‘farm’ them out to make a quick buck. It’s a money game to them and has nothing to do with quality and outcome despite their claims - otherwise they’d charge reflective rates and compensate those that represent their brand. 4. Sites (by and large) will offer a full-time ESO gig to an ERT member already on the books. They have a range of reasons for doing so but, this is rarely a good idea if that person has not come from an emergency service, military or related background. That’s not their fault or aimed at being negative towards them - that person just hasn’t lived the riggers of the intensity of what is required of them during critical incidents. Translation - they haven’t undergone a recruit course, been indoctrinated into customs, traditions, dress and bearing and more that it takes to have the discipline when it counts and most haven’t had the call-outs either (which isn’t covered in a certificate III course). Learning mining operations when on-scene and having advice around energy systems and processes works the same for our firefighters, paramedics and police officers out there - we fight for the information and then make informed decisions. Given an ERT member is hired of ‘site experience’ dosent make them effective as responding to incidents outside of their previous role nearly all of the time. It further leads to a degradation of trust that this highly specialised role is taken seriously as we’re often run by a the safety department who again, has little to no emergency management experience, qualifications or know-how. 5. Industry to be frank is very juvenile. With lots of inexperienced people being taught by similar folk who don’t see where they slot into their skill sets (and that’s all of us to one degree or another). ESO’s are tasked with too many checklists, procurement tasks, external safety checks, teams-meetings, justifying what they’re ’up to today’ by a person with a degree in WHS and more with a detraction on - personal fitness, career advancement, examining pre-incident plans, writing meaningful training plans, rehearsing call outs, assessing procedures and many more things that would be a requirement of anyone in a government role in their position (or related) AKA, a Station Officer. Effectively, it’s the blind, leading the blind. Those out there may deny this, but it simply doesn’t change reality. 6. Training organisations who’ve branched out to being the industry ‘every-man’ in order to hold onto clients are conducting complex tasks with little to no experience, formal training or qualifications and advertising that they are ‘experts’ or ‘trusted’ providers whist not living into what that actually means. They conduct audits with no formal qualifications, run procurements without providing a capability matrix or risk assessment and push that they have the experience when in fact, they don’t. At the same time they’re offering less and less days (often around 15 days) for a full certificate III in Mines Emergency Response and Rescue. This is dangerous as they offer to then labour hire these people out (who think, they’re ready to respond) and get to pay them less for a critical role on-site. A role that requires IMT training, awareness, experience and command systems to be clearly understood to name but a few once more. It’s critical that these elements are understood before getting into the brass tax. Like me, if you love your job, want to be better and do better… you MUST go above and beyond the unqualified, inexperienced, negative talkers and war story tellers out there to focus on yourself. That’s just the way our industry has been formed and has evolved. Will it change? I don’t know, but we need serious reform and we needed it yesterday. Rescue comps alone and online certifications alone won’t get us out of this pickle. It’s up to YOU to be more capable and this includes in your own time. Ok, ok… cool story…. So, what’s better?… Contractor or Full-time ESO? The easy answer is….: if you’re happy with an 8:6 or similar (more even time roster) FULL TIME by far. Over a ten year period and on the exact same rate of pay, you’re going to make more than $100,000 in leave and benefit entitlements alone. If you crave your own personal time, schedule and can manage your own super and tax. Contract would win out… BUT only if the provider is going to pay above $75 per hour. If you’ve got over a year of experience, come from a military or emergency services background - my advice is don’t accept anything less. It’s an insult to you and to understand that these providers are charging you out at well over $1,000++ per day must be understood. A polite “no thanks, here’s the industry calculations and value I add” will do. Eventually, they’ll get the picture. Here’s the scoop. If you want long term stability and financial security - go the full time route. If you want flexibility and have something to offer (experience, skills, a background) and you want flexibility, then consider contractor - but don’t accept $60 or similar per hour! There’s more complexity and nuance of course, but, with an industry that is reflective of a paper tiger with unqualified, inexperienced and money hungry people driving the ship… You’ve got to take charge of your own rescue career and drive it yourself. If your BMI is in check, you have the experience to back yourself, you can actually drag a limp body out of a hole, command and lead teams, train people, respond medically, register to the poisons permit, understand IMT tasks, talk effectively on a radio and more (none of which is actually covered in the Cert III) it’s time then that you are compensated above a defunct industry ‘award’ of $60ish per hour and treated / compensated within your actual capabilities respectfully. Therefore, asking for the appropriate level of pay (remuneration) for your services and capability should be a real conversation you should be able to prove, have and honour if you take your future seriously. If you’d like any advice, help, assistance or some coaching on this, please just reach out below: j.mcneilly@rescueconnect.com.au Link to book an appointment is on my reply email. If you know of anyone struggling with this choice or that wants some guidance - feel free to shoot them this article and my email. There are providers who understand this, who are charging the fair industry rates and that will compensate you more fairly for your skill sets. Some of them in WA include: INCOVER Solutions Core HS MRA It’s time you inform people who aren’t understanding the realities of our industry and educate them on what is fair as compensation within our award rates. If they deny it after offering <$75ph, ask to see their profit ratio when you’re onsite and if they deny it, hang up the phone or walk away. That’s why they’re the type of provider that they are. Also, ask yourself… do you really want to be connected to a cheap provider?… nothing good can come of that long term. The good companies will gladly show you what goes into their efforts - why, because they’ll tend to focus on quality over quality.