When choosing a stand-by medical aid provider for film productions or special events, it is an important to consider several factors to ensure your safety needs will be properly met. A professional, competent, and experienced provider is crucial to effectively mitigating risk factors, reducing liability, and ensuring quality service and patient care in the event of a medical emergency or accident on-site.
There are many providers to choose from for medical aid and on-site safety services. Be sure to choose an established professional company, an LLC or Incorporated business, with a proven track record and a reputable body of work within the industry.
Successful professional companies will always show evidence of their hard work and will be able to provide you tangible proof of sustainable company operations with a consistent service record, and a professional resume of relevant experience that often spans a decade or more.
Unfortunately, there are many start-up businesses in the industry that claim to be an organized company with lots of experience. However, in many cases, they are nothing more than an individual “sole proprietor” with a DBA name, access to a computer and a website, with little to no relevant experience.
These types of individuals who run start-ups operate independent of any legitimate company structure or professional business ethics, often lacking any formal training or higher education. They run their so-called “company” much like an exclusive hobby or personal venture with no accountability and little to no value investment.
As a result, they often rely on unscrupulous tactics and underhanded business practices to gain a foothold in the industry. However, their ability to deliver on their promises to clients is often infrequent or nonexistent. Since these fly-by-night companies cannot show any consistent work experience or legitimate industry resume, they often resort to using fraudulent catch phrases like, “the biggest,” “the best,” or ”the most professional”
The old saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” certainly applies. Clearly these are not the type of individuals you want to trust with your organization’
An established, creditable company (LLC or Inc.) obviously has endured the infancy stages of starting a business, has grown and maintained a successful product or service for at least 7-10 years, and is business sound. They will have a professional staff available to you at all times and a depth of resources on-hand without having to sub-contract in order to meet your needs. They will advertise their services in reputable well-known industry publications. And most importantly, they will be able to show you an extensive body of work that includes multiple satisfied clients that use their services year after year.
Here are the top 5 questions to ask when vetting a stand-by medical aid or safety provider:
1) Ask how long have they been doing the specific kind of work you are requesting? Not how long they have been in the medical or safety field, but how long they have been providing the specific type of service you need (i.e. set medics, event safety, etc.). If it’s less than 7-10 years, find a more experienced provider with a competent track record. Remember your health and safety is in their hands—you want someone who knows how to do the job well, do it confidently, and do it with expertise based on several years of applicable experience.
2) Ask specifically who their clients are including a list of references related to your industry (names, phone numbers, company addresses, websites)? If they claim to be the “biggest” or “best” in your industry, they should be able to easily list several reputable well-known clients as references; more than just a few names or obscure entities you have never heard of. If they can’t produce any reputable references, they insist on being vague, or they say it’s “confidential,”
3) When evaluating their reputation and service record, if they talk more about their shiny uniforms or how much their company is similar to the fire department, ask why is this important? Sadly, there are certain individuals in this field who are only in business to fulfill a childhood dream of portraying a professional firefighter, because they were unable to become one in real-life. A clear symptom of this (known as the “want-to-be”
4) When considering their rates, if they do not advertise their prices publicly or insist on you calling to get their “special rate” that will supposedly beat anyones price, ask why? Be careful as this is often a ploy to sell you anything at any cost, including sub-par services in order to make a sale. Reputable providers offering quality services at a professional level are not afraid to publicly advertise their pricing, as they use an “industry standard rate” that generally will only vary slightly from one provider to another. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; especially if their pricing is well below standard rates. Think twice about hiring any provider who quotes you a low ball price—often you get exactly what you pay for… poor quality, unqualified personnel, or inexperienced service.
5) Before you sign a contract, ask who will be performing the actual work: their company or a sub-contracted third party provider? Be extremely weary if they sub-contract as this is a clear sign of an unqualified or inept provider, and there is no guaranteeing the quality of work, or if the other staff is licensed. Always ask to see front/back copies of the credentials of the person(s) who will actually be performing the work. Also, look out for “bait & switch schemes”—if they take credit for a partner company or affiliate’s work experience, you need to question then validity of their entire sales pitch. Again, if their claims and advertisements do not match what you will actually receive directly from their company [their staff], there is no telling what else they will say or do in order to get you to sign on the dotted line! Stay far away from amateurs that use these shell-games and find an honest reputable provider who is not interested in only selling you on a concept—but can deliver it 100% from start to finish with integrity and quality.
For more details on how to choose a professional provider for your next Production or Special Event, please contact us at 800-272-0785.
Code Blue Medics has served the Motion Picture & Special Events Industry for over 15-years. We employ a staff of over fifty (50) licensed and certified professionals with veteran TV & Film and Event Safety experience. For more information visit us at www.codebluemedics.com.
You can also find us in the top industry publication “LA411 Qualified Production Resource Guide” at http://www.la411.com/
