# Anyone currently working for PRN ambulance in Socal?



## Leirsyn (Jan 26, 2014)

How is the management? The rigs? Any practical or weight-lifting test?

I am more so interested in the call volume for specific shifts such as the night shift. Do they also take attendants?


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## bbmtnbb (Jan 28, 2014)

Management is unlike any other....want you to work.  The rigs are hit and miss-some good some not so good, don't drive an unacceptable one. I don't.
Shifts and volume-10 hr shift is 3-4 calls and 11 hr is 4 --maybe and that is a maybe 4 - 5 calls. Some days 2 calls (and I pulled a 14 and ran 2 long calls with a long haul) It is a good company for what it is. The best of the worst as they say.  I get a lot out of it but is what you put into it that matters.


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## bbmtnbb (Jan 28, 2014)

Do they take attendants?? Meaning you cannot get an ambulance license?? NO  you need to be able to drive and get an ambulance license and pass the insurance requirements to driver THEIR ambulances. missed that one.


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## Jim37F (Jan 28, 2014)

bbmtnbb said:


> Do they take attendants?? Meaning you cannot get an ambulance license?? NO  you need to be able to drive and get an ambulance license and pass the insurance requirements to driver THEIR ambulances. missed that one.



When I worked for PRN, no, there was no attendant only positions. I only knew of one attendant only EMT, and that was due to a DUI. But maybe you can talk to HR. Personally I don't know why you would want to be an attendant only, where I work now I am an attendant only, and quite frankly, it kinda sucks. It was really nice while I was at PRN to be able to switch out with my partner so you didn't get burned always attending or always driving every single call.

Code 2 drivers training was built into the FTO time when I got hired there about a year ago. First three days of FTO you attended every call with your FTO riding in the back with you, and the third EMT drove. Next three days, you drive every where with your FTO riding shotgun (third EMT in the back, they then attended all the calls so you could drive). Once you cleared FTO time, it was up to you and your partner to determine who drove and who attended. Both full time partners I worked with we set it up so we swaped every other shift, but I did work with a few people that flat out did not like to drive and specifically asked to be in the back. Usually it was no problem, but if your full time partner is there to get patient contact experience prior to medic school or what have you, they may not like the idea of being regulated to being a driver only.

Otherwise it was a pretty decent company. Big enough that dispatch couldn't really play favorites (not to say it didn't happen from time to time, but it wasn't really a factor). Mix of older and newer rigs, but overall, most were pretty decent. Never had a problem calling the supervisor to say "Unit XX is busted, I don't feel comfortable taking it out today due to..." but I only ever had to do that once or twice. Pretty much permanently assigned rigs. As long as you are on X shift you had Y ambulance. Most are van types, with a handful of boxes mixed in. All CCT shifts are on the boxes, otherwise they're mostly used for bariatric and NICU calls, with a couple BLS and ALS shifts having boxes full time, otherwise most BLS and ALS shifts are on vans. 

ALS shifts are medic/basic and will get BLS and ALS calls. CCT shifts are two basics with a CCT-RN full time on the ambulance, and will get CCT, RT, ALS, and the occasional BLS call (only when there aren't any other BLS/ALS units available and no pending CCT or RT calls). BLS units will get an occasional RT call (you'll return to station to pick up the RT) and even a few MD calls where you'll go to the Kaiser hub in Downey to pick up the MD. 99.9% of BLS and ALS calls are code 2, even CCT calls are 95-99% code 2. No 911 or Fire Department calls. Period. Supposedly a backup for McCormick but in the 10 months I was there I never once heard a backup call for them go out.

Otherwise I can't add anything that bbmtnbb didn't mention above. 

Bottom Line, pretty good company, one of the better ones in LA. I only left for 911 experience, and if PRN had even a small 911 response area I seriously doubt that I'd have left.


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## SurfEMT (Jan 28, 2014)

*Plus, PRN found some money*

Plus, they got the state of California to give them $292,240 to hire and train new employees. Kudos to them for finding and getting the money from a state that says it doesn't have any. And PRN says it expects to grow to 330 employees this year, per the grant. Take that Bowers. Here's the link to the agreement if anyone is interested:

http://www.etp.ca.gov/packet/PRN Ambulance - 130.pdf


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## Leirsyn (Jan 28, 2014)

How are the stations set up? If I work at the Glendale station, do we usually run only Glendale and neighboring area calls?


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## Jim37F (Jan 28, 2014)

Leirsyn said:


> How are the stations set up? If I work at the Glendale station, do we usually run only Glendale and neighboring area calls?



The stations are pretty much just where you'll start and end your shift. Unless you need to pick up/drop off someone or piece of equipment (say swapping into a Mod for a Bari call) that's pretty much the only time you'll spend at the stations. Otherwise it's all posting at street corners/parking lots/parks/etc between calls. There was no real correlation between which station you're out of and where you spend your day. You're equally likely to be running calls out of Glendale Memorial and Glendale Adventist as your are Cedars-Cinai or feeling like a ping pong ball running calls out of hospitals all over the county lol. That being said there are a handful of units dedicated to a specific hospital (they'll have say Glendale Memorial's logo and design on the rig instead of the normal PRN design) where you'll spend all shift at that one specific hospital. Not that that wont stop them from sending the GM rig to Kaiser or wherever for a call when they need to


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## GrandLordHighEverything (Jan 30, 2014)

How is the interview? Also the physical? Thanks!


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