Have a dui, thinking of being an EMT..will that

[18G]

I would have some reservation especially with the DUI being so recent. But in considering the grand scheme of things, I MAY hire you.

Was it a single DUI with no other criminal history? Are you overall a person with a good moral character that others will vouch for (excluding friends and your family)? Are you willing to except a job that will require you to do all the primary care with no driving?

In my region, many 911 and commercial EMS units are staffed with two EMT's so it would be easy to put you on a unit where you would do no driving whatsoever. You would have to provide all patient care and complete all the patient care reports for the shift. If you would be okay with this arrangement than I probably would not have a problem hiring you.

Of course as others have stated it will mainly depend on your State and rather or not they will allow you to become certified. If they do, than its just a matter of convincing the potential employer.

Everyone makes mistakes and is deserving of a second chance if the person is remorseful and regrets the mistake. It's sometimes hard to tell in an interview though if that is the case and sometimes time is what is needed to make people look past the mistake.

I would say give it a shot and see how you make out.

 

[John E]

As usual...

it depends.

What county are you going to try working in?

In California, each county has different requirements and rules regarding EMT licensure, you may not be able to even get a license to work.

What sort of job are you going to be looking for if and when you get your EMT license? If it involves driving an ambulance, you'll have more trouble getting hired than someone without a DUI on their record. If on the other hand, you're planning or hoping to work in an ER or other clinical setting, it may have no affect at all on your ability to get hired.

Whatever you do, don't lie about it if/when you apply for your county license, fill out the forms correctly and completely, lying will disqualify you wherever you try to get licensed faster than the DUI will.

John E

 

[TraprMike]

be a volly at the Red Cross

 

[looker]

As a general rule in California most company's would not hire you as long as it's on your record. The main issue is the insurance, it would be extremely high being that you are very big liability for the company

 

[looker]

I would have some reservation especially with the DUI being so recent. But in considering the grand scheme of things, I MAY hire you.

Was it a single DUI with no other criminal history? Are you overall a person with a good moral character that others will vouch for (excluding friends and your family)? Are you willing to except a job that will require you to do all the primary care with no driving?

In my region, many 911 and commercial EMS units are staffed with two EMT's so it would be easy to put you on a unit where you would do no driving whatsoever. You would have to provide all patient care and complete all the patient care reports for the shift. If you would be okay with this arrangement than I probably would not have a problem hiring you.

Of course as others have stated it will mainly depend on your State and rather or not they will allow you to become certified. If they do, than its just a matter of convincing the potential employer.

Everyone makes mistakes and is deserving of a second chance if the person is remorseful and regrets the mistake. It's sometimes hard to tell in an interview though if that is the case and sometimes time is what is needed to make people look past the mistake.

I would say give it a shot and see how you make out.

It's not fair to one partner that they perform all the driving. I understand if you're als unit and you're paramedic and your partner is an EMT that they do the driving while you care for the patient. However, while you're with out a patient it's not fair to make one partner do all the driving.

 

[fortsmithman]

It's not fair to one partner that they perform all the driving. I understand if you're als unit and you're paramedic and your partner is an EMT that they do the driving while you care for the patient. However, while you're with out a patient it's not fair to make one partner do all the driving.

There is a member of my service who doesn't like anyone else to drive but him. How do you know if there are others in other services who are the same way.

 

[looker]

There is a member of my service who doesn't like anyone else to drive but him. How do you know if there are others in other services who are the same way.

You're missing my point, if you hire someone as attendant only you basically limiting your self on crew rotation/paring etc. Say that person that loves driving all day him self gets sick, what will happen to attendant if he/she gets paired with someone that is used to sharing driving with a partner,etc?

 

[TransportJockey]

You're missing my point, if you hire someone as attendant only you basically limiting your self on crew rotation/paring etc. Say that person that loves driving all day him self gets sick, what will happen to attendant if he/she gets paired with someone that is used to sharing driving with a partner,etc?

They deal with it for that shift. I was originally hired on by my old company as attend only on a BLS IFT truck (not because of stupidity like the OPs DUI, but because I was 20 when I was hired), and there were several times I had other people asigned to me because my regular partner was out sick. In fact a couple of them liked it cause they didn't have to do any of the paperwork that night.

 

[Whittier]

I've been finding out all sorts of fun things about infractions not showing up in other states. I have one speeding ticket in NM, but since I'm now in CO and getting a CO license, it's like it never happened

That's awesome. I got a speeding ticket in NM less than a year ago, and it has never showed up. I got off lucky with that one. That was my first and only ticket. B)

 

[TransportJockey]

That's awesome. I got a speeding ticket in NM less than a year ago, and it has never showed up. I got off lucky with that one. That was my first and only ticket. B)

I just had to get my MVR today and it was clear. Nothing showing on it at all.

 

[onlysimioli]

I love how everyone here is on their high horse. It sure must be nice to sit so high up that you can look down on us mere mortals. That is the number one problem with ems. Lack of compassion and empathy. I'm tired of hearing how I wouldn't want you driving me or I'm glad its so strictly enforced. Yes a dui is a bad decision but doesn't make a bad person. I had a dui and I'm in the same situation as you. But I'm not letting a bad decision define me and neither should you. Here is some encouragement you can do it. I can and I will. Yes itll be difficult but isn't anything worth doing difficult? And as a heads up he who hasn't sin throw the first stone.

 

[NomadicMedic]

It's not about being high and mighty, it's the simple fact that there are scads of EMTs with a 100% clean record, who are not an insurance risk.

If you think for a moment that any ambulance company cares that "you made a mistake and you're not a bad person", well... you're in for a rude awakening.

They. Don't. Care.

We beat this topic to death every few weeks. It's always the same. To be an EMT, you have to drive. To drive company vehicles you must have a clean record. If you don't, in 95% of the cases, it's game over. If you DO manage to get hired, please come back and tell us we're wrong and what you did to get them to hire you. Since we talk about EMTs and DUIs so often, I'm sure it'll be a sticky.

 

[looker]

I love how everyone here is on their high horse. It sure must be nice to sit so high up that you can look down on us mere mortals. That is the number one problem with ems. Lack of compassion and empathy. I'm tired of hearing how I wouldn't want you driving me or I'm glad its so strictly enforced. Yes a dui is a bad decision but doesn't make a bad person. I had a dui and I'm in the same situation as you. But I'm not letting a bad decision define me and neither should you. Here is some encouragement you can do it. I can and I will. Yes itll be difficult but isn't anything worth doing difficult? And as a heads up he who hasn't sin throw the first stone.

You need to understand our point of view. As owner, with high unemployment and big selection of people wanting to work for me, do i want to risk with someone compare to someone else. If i were to hire someone with dui, not only will my auto insurance be higher but my overall risk will be higher. Most company have no reason to take that risk because there are plenty of people that have everything clean and do not cost insurance as much money as someone that do not have clear record.

 

[fortsmithman]

Any luck in your search.

 

[freebyrd]

Having a DUI sucks, i feel for you i really do, did i have a few to many once or twice when i was younger? yeah.
i didn't get behind the wheel though,
i have driven when i was younger after a couple of beers and IF i was unfortunate enough to get pulled over i may have blown more than a .08 or whatever it is,
never did though, and i haven't drank in about 15 years, never really liked it anyway,
its a pity but those laws are there for a reason, this actually came up in our class orientation, before we even payed a dime for our course,
the proctor said IF YOU HAVE A DUI DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS CLASS!

so it is a problem in the industry to some extent or they wouldn't think to bring it up,
its not that difficult to have a clean DMV record i have been driving for over two decades and i was no angel at one time when i was younger,
i just wasn't a dumbass,
ah well. good luck

 

[Aerin-Sol]

I love how everyone here is on their high horse. It sure must be nice to sit so high up that you can look down on us mere mortals. That is the number one problem with ems. Lack of compassion and empathy. I'm tired of hearing how I wouldn't want you driving me or I'm glad its so strictly enforced. Yes a dui is a bad decision but doesn't make a bad person. I had a dui and I'm in the same situation as you. But I'm not letting a bad decision define me and neither should you. Here is some encouragement you can do it. I can and I will. Yes itll be difficult but isn't anything worth doing difficult? And as a heads up he who hasn't sin throw the first stone.

I got rear-ended by a drunk-driver. I had tons of compassion for her when I was evaluating/treating her, then once the 911 service showed up and she was no longer my patient, my compassion went away, because people who drive under the influence are bad people and they don't deserve unending compassion or empathy. I can't empathize with selfish jerks who endanger other people's lives by driving and then complain that no one would want to be driven around by them.

 

[Sublime]

There is a difference between getting totally hammered and driving and having a couple more than you should have and then driving home. I am not saying it is right, or that it is ok, but I am sure many of you have done it. When people are young they make mistakes, saying that it makes them a bad person is ridiculous. He got a DUI not a DWI, so he wasn't too overly intoxicated. I agree with the guy who said some of you need to get off your high horse.

Now on to your question OP, if you are serious about going into the medical field, and are seriously considering nursing or PA, then skip right on to that.

EMT is a low paying job (in most places) with an over-flowing market of people wanting to do it, making it very competitive. Your DUI will hurt your chances significantly of getting hired somewhere solely on the fact you have to drive.
Continue working as a CNA and pursue a different medical career is my advice. You will make more money and save time in the long run.

 

[mspazz]

It's actually usually not the company that has issue with hiring you with a DUI on file, it's the insurance that denies the coverage as a liability.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Did we really resurrect a thread that is over a year old?

 

[bigbaldguy]

Zombie threads are cool. They only die if you shoot them in the head at close range, or burn them.