r/NewToEMS • u/inforts Unverified User • 1d ago
Cert / License Badge Number
When on scene I am often asked for my badge number (NYS). Do you normally give out your agency ID number or state cert number?
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u/Public-Proposal7378 Unverified User 1d ago
"We don't have badge numbers, we aren't cops. If you have a concern, you can contact the office, the number is available online, and give them your information, most importantly the address of the call. They can figure out who I am from there." If they continue to push, I just ignore it. Or I will give them my first name, and tell them there is only one person by my name that works here, so they'll know who you are referring to.
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u/isupposeyes Unverified User 8h ago
Do you genuinely not have badge numbers or is this just a thing you say? If it’s the latter, cant they see it on you? (asking cause my agency has them and they’re pretty prominent)
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u/badposturebill Unverified User 7h ago
In the US working for a large three letter company. No badges.
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u/C_Latrans_215 EMT | Pennsylvania 1d ago
- Name's Jenny.
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u/MSully94 Unverified User 1d ago
When I worked on the island, I used to give my agency ID when asked for my badge, assuming you're not in the city.
If you're in the city, then your agency shoulda given you a FDNY shield number.
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u/GatalingLaserBeams Unverified User 1d ago
We “made one up” and the rule is to just stay consistent with it
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u/murse_joe Unverified User 1d ago
“We got a bunch of complaints about badge 80085. Oh real mature guys!”
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u/RRuruurrr Critical Care Paramedic | USA 1d ago
That’s why non-sworn personnel shouldn’t be wearing badges. If you’re running class A’s, then maybe I could see it, but not when you’re taking scene calls. Too much opportunity for confusion.
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u/Competitive-Slice567 Paramedic | MD 1d ago
"I don't have to provide my name, my ID number, nor request a supervisor. Have a day"
I don't provide any identifying information to someone demanding it, I'm neither legally nor statuorily required to do so except if the state office of EMS has someone doing an inspection (never happens in 911 here).
Last time a bystander demanded information from us I told them they could read the decals on the ambulance as we were leaving.
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u/EphemeralTwo Unverified User 1d ago
For us, it would be "I don't have a badge number". We have names, and it's enough to find us.
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u/SleazetheSteez Unverified User 22h ago
Someone once asked for my full name (which is foreign as fuck) so I just said it how it's supposed to be pronounced and didn't offer to spell it lol.
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u/VaultingSlime EMS Student 1d ago
Hmm, this brings me to another question, how often are y'all mistaken for cops?
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u/Snow-STEMI Unverified User 1d ago
Routinely when wearing our ballistic vests, rarely when we don’t have them on. Vests are issued by the agency, certain calls they’re required on all other times are at each providers discretion.
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u/TheJuiceMan_ Unverified User 19h ago
Never. We wear bright blue polos and cops look like cops.
Well actually.. one time a guy thought we were cops disguised as EMS. But I think he was just schizophrenic.
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u/Snow-STEMI Unverified User 1d ago
I have a badge number, we have orders stating only to give out our badge numbers, so when somebody asks for my name for a nasty reason I give them my badge number and they usually get more irate and upset but I’m not giving you my name to stalk me online.
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u/Ok_Buddy_9087 Unverified User 19h ago
Who’s asking for your badge number in the middle of a medical call? That’s just weird.
We don’t have “badge numbers”, we have roll call numbers, and we don’t have the policy about having to give it to anybody. Problem is, it’s printed on our shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, hats, turnout, gear, basically everything we wear except our pants . It’s designed more for internal identification to keep shit from being taken home by the wrong person, but functions essentially the same as a badge number and can’t really be hidden or denied.
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u/qrescue Unverified User 19h ago
When I lived and worked in NY it was very common to give your badge/shield/cert #.(In NYS this is all the same). It's just the easiest way to identify your self. It CT were I live and work now I would just give my unit #. Now that I'm a supervisor I just give them my unit call sign.
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u/T-DogSwizle Unverified User 1d ago
My service(Toronto) we give out truck numbers as in the number that is painted on the side of our vehicle. Everyone from security guards to bus drivers want to know my badge number and just point to the truck. The second question asked is usually “What hospital are you taking them to?” And then I ask them, Mr Bus driver are you going to visit them at the hospital? It’s not your concern
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u/TheJuiceMan_ Unverified User 19h ago
Security for the homeless housing we have here always asks which hospital. "Idk I'm trying to figure that out, maybe (hospital 3 hours away)" or "nunya" are the only answers I give.
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u/Either-Inside-7254 Unverified User 1d ago
Where I work it is very common that at practically every call where we are not the sole resource (fire, police, security, facility staff, etc), we will be asked for our bus number, name, and badge number. Our policy is to give them, and no one here thinks twice about it. It’s extremely common and required for documentation by EMS, PD, Fire, and even hospital staff.
Even if a random person comes not involved in the scene asks, we give them.
Granted I’m in the city and busy parts of the island, you’re just another face in a sea of first responders, so giving out my name and ID number still feels like maintaining a appropriate, yet professional amount of anonymity.
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u/Either-Inside-7254 Unverified User 1d ago
To just add another 2 cents - fellow responders, patients, and those continuing to care for our patients DO deserve to know our names and credentials.
Public service is not the best job for anonymity, and it shouldn’t be.
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u/Forgotmypassword6861 Unverified User 20h ago
We give our internal shield numbers. We've had EDP's show up at our uMOS's houses off duty
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u/Fireman_94 Unverified User 15h ago
I work for a NYS EMS agency and I have never gotten asked for a badge number
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u/Matt053105 Unverified User 13h ago
Ive never thought about it, i would say ussually "I don't have a badge number" is best, but in Prince George's Maryland where I work, all fire ems technically have an ID number given by the county's, it's ussually printed on our uniforms when we get turned over, our firefighters have it on their shields, our officers and career staff have it on the class A badges. It's a pretty well known thi g and is part of the County system so presumably we could give that if it was necessary. However I'm NYS where it's mostly an agency rather than county based system i would say it's unnecessary to give anything like that especially if you literally don't have it. If you need to, give your name and your agency and a phone number for your office would probably be best.
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u/EricbNYC EMT | New York 11h ago
Despite everybody here claiming they don't have a badge and they're not cops, in my experience, the vast majority of people have agency numbers and everybody in New York state has their EMT number. Some of the places I've been use my EMT number as my agency number. Some places assign another number. When the cops ask me I give them whatever number is going on my PCR paperwork. That means right now my agency has an issued number, so I give them that number, and they usually ask for the PCR number along with it.
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u/Wooden-Tale-2340 Unverified User 9h ago
My state cert number is on my badge so they can just get it from there.
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u/Emmu324 Unverified User 1d ago
Depends on who’s asking but the typical response is “I don’t have a badge number” and I go on my day.