PNW. Washington State and Oregon.

[C.Beach]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm a student and should finish with an Associates Degree, Paramedic/Firefighter.

I'm currently in Michigan, when my studies are complete I plan to move my family to either WA or OR.

I'm looking for anyone to give me some more info.. Like good companies, less than stellar companies... Even transport ambulances. I'd like to find out if Metro West and Pacific West are good companies to work for. I like any suggestions to help guide my research.

Please help me with any info you may wish to share. Maybe communities to buy a home in.. Etc.

Thanks in advance for your help.

C.

 

[ffemt8978]

I don't know about the rest of WA state, or Oregon, but in the central part of Washington, medics make about $12-15/hour at transport companies. FD pays higher, but is much more competitive to get in.

Depending upon the specific area you're looking to move to, other forum members may be able to provide even more detailed information.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Are you looking at coastal, west central, central, eastern? Unless you are in a city out where I am, (Eastern WA) most services are either volunteer or aren't paid a whole lot. I have a friend who was with Enumclaw FD (on the west side) and he said medics on the WA west side are paid pretty good. KCMO is probably one of the best paid, but pretty competetive. (spelling?)

KCMO pay scale (Old, from 2005, I'm sure it is better now):New Hire (after training): $23.21/hr
6 months: $25.13/hr
1.5 years: $26.61/hr
2.5 years: $28.09/hr
3.5 years: $29.56/hr
4 years: $30.15/hr
Further increase at each five year increment.

No idea what COL is on that side of the state.

I'll try to find out average pay on this side of the state.

 

[C.Beach]

any where in WA or OR... would like the coast though!

Hi there,

I would be the sole income, so I would need a paid position..
I do not mind volunteering.. but also need to survive.

As far as location.. the coast would be 1st pick..
however since we have no family/friends out there anywhere could work.

Forgive me... I've never been out there.. so when you use abbreviations... like KCMO...
I have no idea what that is/where that is...

I do also want to thank you.. both...
for being here and willing to answer questions for newbies...
so thank you.

C.

 

[triemal04]

Post 27 from this (locked) thread: http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?p=127281&highlight=metrowest#post127281

Far as getting a job, both AMR in Multnomah County (Portland and surrounding cities) and MetroWest in Washington County (just outside Portland) hire basics. With AMR you'll be working on more of a wheelchair car doing simple transfers. You might want to check AMR's Vancouver service as well. MetroWest has the same deal but also there's the chance of being paired up with a medic to take 911 calls. Just remember, MetroWest is called MurderDeath or MurderWest pretty regularly.

If you're willing to go farther than Portland, PacWest (a division of MetroWest, albeit only loosely connected nowdays) has coverage along the mid-coast area. With them you'll be paired up with a medic handling 911 calls mostly. And Metro also has a wheelchair division in Eugene to handle some calls, and will more than likely be hiring a lot in the near future to handle non-emergent 911 calls.

Rural-Metro covers Salem and hires basics; again, you'll be paired with a medic mostly covering 911 calls.

Mercy-Flights in Medford (southern end of the state) takes basics in transfer and 911 roles. One of the other members here now works for them I believe, so she might be able to answer more questions about them.

I think Western Lane and Bay Cities Ambulance both hire basics but I'm not 100% on that one. Both tend to retain their people for awhile, so they don't hire that often.

Those are the major private services that hire basics. A lot of EMS is based out of fire departments in Oregon, so there is that to consider. As well, remember that if you plan on becoming a Paramedic (go for it) an Associate's Degree is required.

And more recently:

Washington: AMR is in Spokane, which is also home to a PA program. I'd guess they also have a BSN and NP curriculum, but that's a guess. AMR also covers Olympia (or some private anyway) and Vancouver and the surrounding area in southern Washington. Medic 1...it really doesn't matter where you come from, it's just competitive, and South King County (the only non-fire Medic 1 provider) might end up on a hiring freeze, though that's only a maybe right now. Besides that, you won't be hired part-time, and regardless, it's a full year of class/clinical/internship time before you'll start working the street.

Oregon: Multnomah and Clackamas county are covered by AMR; you can get hired part time (5 shifts/month I think), and I think both are hiring again. They're also in Grant's Pass...but that's a commute you don't want. Metrowest covers Washington county...stay far, FAR away from them. Most of the coast is run by privates that are part of the Metrowest Empire; some are ok some aren't, but all are quite a ways from a PA school. Western Lane EMS (Florence; central coast) is third-service but they don't hire a lot and I think require full-time status at least initially. Santiam Memorial has a hospital based service, Treasure Valley in Eastern Oregon is third-service, and there is a hospital based service in Burns...don't even bother. Burns is literally in the middle of nowhere. There's others out there, but, as far as I know the only place in Oregon that has a PA program is OHSU (Portland, northern end of the state), and from what I know it's fairly intensive; basically you go straight through with no breaks. They actually recommend that you NOT work even part-time while going there.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Pacific U is in Foreset Grove; they're covered by MetroWest but are closer to the coast (somewhat anyway) than Portland. There is a hospital-based service out of Tillamook (can't remember the name) and Seaside is covered by a MW connected private. Still be a long drive, but worth looking at.

The main services on the coast would be PacWest, Tillamook Hospital (close to the coast), Bay Cities, Cal-Ore Lifeflight, Western Lane, and the Seaside service. There's many other smaller ones out there (Waldport FD, Lincoln FD and the like) as well.

If you do decide on Oregon, you'll want to get to know this site very well: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ems/ And bear in mind that some of the laws that govern EMS recently changed, and more will be changing in the near future. (There's also a list of licensed ambulance providers there)

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Hi there,

I would be the sole income, so I would need a paid position..
I do not mind volunteering.. but also need to survive.

As far as location.. the coast would be 1st pick..
however since we have no family/friends out there anywhere could work.

Forgive me... I've never been out there.. so when you use abbreviations... like KCMO...
I have no idea what that is/where that is...

I do also want to thank you.. both...
for being here and willing to answer questions for newbies...
so thank you.

C.

Oh.....sorry 'bout that. KCMO=King County Medic One

 

[C.Beach]

Post 27 from this (locked) thread: http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?p=127281&highlight=metrowest#post127281

And more recently:


The main services on the coast would be PacWest, Tillamook Hospital (close to the coast), Bay Cities, Cal-Ore Lifeflight, Western Lane, and the Seaside service. There's many other smaller ones out there (Waldport FD, Lincoln FD and the like) as well.

If you do decide on Oregon, you'll want to get to know this site very well: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ems/ And bear in mind that some of the laws that govern EMS recently changed, and more will be changing in the near future. (There's also a list of licensed ambulance providers there)

Wow! Thank you. Sweet.

That was a lot of good info.. I will have to bring up a map and take a look.

So to clarify.. Metro West is a parent company of others "the empire"... and PacWest is part of it.. however metro west is one to stay away from and PacWest is fine..? Is that correct? Curious...??? why murder west? What's that all about?

I do plan to finish all my schooling here in Michigan. I will have an Associates Degree and Paramedic/Firefighter.

You mentioned in your quote copy that there is another Woman on this site that may be working for one of the locations you mentioned.. any chance you can help me reach her.. or send her my way?

Thank you so much for your help.
C.

 

[C.Beach]

Kcmo

Oh.....sorry 'bout that. KCMO=King County Medic One

Ok.. cool.. thank you for letting me know. I will have to pull it up and start my research. Im very excited to get my plan in place, it will make it more fun.

Thanks again,
C.

Oh, and you mentioned something about somewhere West of you? Someone you know working out there? and mentioned maybe getting updated salary info too... any chance you have Id love to know more.

Thanks..

 

[41 Duck]

KCMO... great service. They took real good care of me for a hand bisection back in 2002.


Later!

--Coop

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Ok.. cool.. thank you for letting me know. I will have to pull it up and start my research. Im very excited to get my plan in place, it will make it more fun.

Thanks again,
C.

Oh, and you mentioned something about somewhere West of you? Someone you know working out there? and mentioned maybe getting updated salary info too... any chance you have Id love to know more.

Thanks..

Oh, no I know a guy who was with Enumclaw FD years ago. He actually works with me out in eastern WA now. Last time he worked with the KCMO guys was back in the 90s.

And I have not been able to find any pay info from KCMO newr than 2005 yet. I know it is out there, but I must looking in the wrong places.......

 

[NomadicMedic]

KCM1 starts at $26.31 per hour. That's what you're paid while you're in school.

Here's the current request for applicants from PST.

KCM1 hires once per year and they're testing NOW. Good luck.