# Have job offer from AMR,Liberty, and Ambuserve



## Geriexpert (Nov 3, 2017)

Any thoughts on these companies or recommendations on first time EMT employment?

thanks


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## luke_31 (Nov 3, 2017)

AMR. Ambuserve will work you to death with IFTs and they are short staffed and are burying their people out. Liberty is not any better than Ambuserve. I used to work at Ambuserve a while back and still talk to a few people there.


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## Jim37F (Nov 3, 2017)

AMR. 

Ambuserve and Liberty are both pure IFT only outfits with not super great reputations.

AMR, even if it's initially for an IFT division, after a certain amount of time you can transfer to 911 divisions including ones where the ambulance medic is in charge of the scene, not Fire, even divisions out of state, all across the country.


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## VentMonkey (Nov 3, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> AMR, even if it's initially for an IFT division, after a certain amount of time you can transfer to 911 divisions including ones where the ambulance medic is in charge of the scene, not Fire, even divisions out of state, all across the country.


Like Hawaii.


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## Geriexpert (Nov 4, 2017)

getting to most amr stations is like a hour drive for me 

liberty is 20 min away 
and ambuserve is around the corner 

if i wanted to transfer to 911 company 
is liberty or ambuserve a better choice?


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## toyskater86 (Nov 4, 2017)

Your soul will die at an IFT company in LA county


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## Jim37F (Nov 4, 2017)

Geriexpert said:


> getting to most amr stations is like a hour drive for me
> 
> liberty is 20 min away
> and ambuserve is around the corner
> ...


Where are you that you're so close to Ambuserve and Liberty, but so far away from AMR? Has to be either Southbay area of LA Co, South East LA Co, or somewhere in Orange Co.....which in either case you're in the backyards of and you'll be much happier at McCormick or Care than Liberty or Ambuserve


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## Geriexpert (Nov 4, 2017)

tried McCormick 
passed their tests on first try 
but I guess he didn't like my interview qualifications 
he also mentioned my high school in a strange way 
I could only assume what lucas thought of me 
but I am willing to give it a try in the future if not McCormick  then CARE


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## VentMonkey (Nov 4, 2017)

Geriexpert said:


> if i wanted to transfer to 911 company
> is liberty or ambuserve a better choice?
> 
> 
> ...


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## wtferick (Nov 4, 2017)

AMR.


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## gonefishing (Nov 5, 2017)

Deffinetly AMR.  What's your city location? If your in South Bay there is a division.  The old Jefferson Station is open.  You go to Ambuswerve prepare for holding the wall at county with psychs for hours trying to admit to the er or transfering psychs from county er to exodus across the street your whole shift and doing the dialysis rodeo for patients that can walk.  Same for Liberty.  B. Scarborough is there nough said.  CARE, AMR, hell Schaefer even though they don't have anymore 911 you would still be working for a reputable company with reputable people and I do beleive Janis is still around doing interviews, shes a sweet lady.  If your complaining about an hour drive I won't even suggest Hall where an emt can be an emt.  Good luck!


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## gonefishing (Nov 5, 2017)

P.S. check out "EMERGENCY" ambulance in OC they do 911.


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## VentMonkey (Nov 5, 2017)

gonefishing said:


> If your complaining about an hour drive I won't even suggest Hall where an emt can be a paramedic without even being a paramedic.
> 
> #LowLevelsSuck


Fixed it, Fish.


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## gonefishing (Nov 5, 2017)

VentMonkey said:


> Fixed it, Fish.


LOL! thanks Bro.


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## Geriexpert (Nov 5, 2017)

im in gardena 
where is the jefferson station?


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## VentMonkey (Nov 5, 2017)

Geriexpert said:


> im in gardena
> where is the jefferson station?


Off of Jefferson. It’s off of the 10 in between La Brea and La Cienga, just east of Culver City. At least that’s where it was about 15 years ago.


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## hometownmedic5 (Nov 5, 2017)

I don't think there's anyplace to do your first year on an ift truck that isn't soul crushing. You spend all that time in class learning how to be a "hero" EMT and you get out on the road and find out the majority of bls is dialysis, discharges, and drs appointments. Once you burn that off, you can get down to the business of Ems, which rarely has to do with life saving and is weighted heavily towards transportation. Then, once you have your mind right, you can advance into a 911 system, medic and beyond. You're still mostly doing the same job(transport), but you have your head screwed on right. At least, that was my journey. 

I worked for amr many years ago in Massachusetts, so I have a frame of reference there, but not for the other companies mentioned. I'm guessing they're all pretty much the same. Lots of calls, crap money, equipment that might work most of the time, getting out late, missing meals and holidays and so on. For your first year, my advice would be simply take the job that is best for you(which could be commute, pay, benefits etc.) Whatever your number one need is, go with the company that best fills it, get some time under your belt, and move on from there. When you have a real first person understanding of the business, you'll be in a better place to evaluate potential future employers. Your first year, it's really all about getting to your second year.


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## wtferick (Nov 5, 2017)

Schaefer still has Monrovia? 
Once Amburserve bought Shoreline out.... it went downhill real quick...started posting units in Torrance and not covering for the only OCFA city...


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## olaf1988 (Nov 5, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Schaefer still has Monrovia?
> Once Amburserve bought Shoreline out.... it went downhill real quick...started posting units in Torrance and not covering for the only OCFA city...



Yeah, they still run Monrovia, I think they run a couple rigs out of one station there. 

To the op, I'll jump on with everyone else- AMR is going to give you a lot more options than getting stuck in the IFT rodeo in LA County.


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## DrParasite (Nov 6, 2017)

Sounds like the best option is to take AMR and then transfer out of LA county.....


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## gonefishing (Nov 6, 2017)

DrParasite said:


> Sounds like the best option is to take AMR and then transfer out of LA county.....


That's exactly what a majority of people do.  They mostly leave California in general.


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## deadhead (Nov 9, 2017)

gonefishing said:


> P.S. check out "EMERGENCY" ambulance in OC they do 911.


Thanks for the referral.  We are hiring.  Check out the careers tab on our website


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## wtferick (Nov 12, 2017)

deadhead said:


> Thanks for the referral.  We are hiring.  Check out the careers tab on our website


Part time yet?


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## deadhead (Nov 13, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Part time yet?


No.  I'm sorry, but we are not currently direct hiring for part time.  We are only hiring full time candidates


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## wtferick (Nov 13, 2017)

deadhead said:


> No.  I'm sorry, but we are not currently direct hiring for part time.  We are only hiring full time candidates


I'll keep waiting! Thanks for the response


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## deadhead (Mar 13, 2018)

gonefishing said:


> P.S. check out "EMERGENCY" ambulance in OC they do 911.


thanks for the referral


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## RocketMedic (Mar 14, 2018)

@Geriexpert , the answer really repends on what you want to do with your career. Are you wanting to be a paramedic, or is this a job to go to nursing school, or what?

If your goal is to be a paramedic, go with AMR. Reason being is that you can (with a lot of work) go to medic school, get your NR-P, and transfer anywhere in the nation, to be a 'real' paramedic, or at least run 911. You'll have a lot more 911 contact opportunities at AMR than the other two. 

If your goal is to go to school, then pick whatever fits you. 

Finally, I'll leave you with this. You're in a terrible place for EMS, where you have very little clinical discretion and everything comes from the firefighters. That's not EMS, it's ambulance work; there is a difference. That's not your fault, but if you want to make paramedicine a career like a lot of us have, you really need to look at changing that paradigm. SoCal is a high-cost, low-wage, low-skills, low-IQ zone as far as EMS goes; and as many of our members can tell you (@CALEMT @DesertMedic66 @VentMonkey @Akulahawk @Jim37F @ParamedicStudent  ). If you're driven to see what you can really do to help people as a paramedic, the LA County system is not going to let that happen, and if you don't want to move, you might still need to commute (although moving is a way better option). This is one of the few careers where you can go anywhere, and that's one of its peculiar strengths. Why not use that?


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 14, 2018)

RocketMedic said:


> @Geriexpert , the answer really repends on what you want to do with your career. Are you wanting to be a paramedic, or is this a job to go to nursing school, or what?
> 
> If your goal is to be a paramedic, go with AMR. Reason being is that you can (with a lot of work) go to medic school, get your NR-P, and transfer anywhere in the nation, to be a 'real' paramedic, or at least run 911. You'll have a lot more 911 contact opportunities at AMR than the other two.
> 
> ...


As much as I hate to admit it, he is correct.


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## Akulahawk (Mar 14, 2018)

RocketMedic is pretty much spot-on. A lot of us that have been around EMS for a very long time all know that being an EMT, especially in SoCal, is pretty much soul-crushing _if_ you let it. EMS _will_ push you toward a state of being ground-down when you're an EMT. Some of us have generally gotten out of EMS in manner of speaking. I, like many, have gone into nursing. Others may gravitate toward PA or Physician. That being said, one of the big things you must figure out early in your own EMS career is what you want to do with it. If you're OK with holding a wall or shuttling psych or dialysis patients around, then staying in SoCal as an EMT is a good choice. Just know that if you do, typically within 7 years, you'll be burnt-out, and probably within 4 years at that. If you choose to become a paramedic, SoCal is a place you might want to work until you're done with medic school, but once you're done, you should go pretty much _anywhere_ other than SoCal. That area really stopped innovating back in the early 80's and only is getting dragged along toward "new" ideas because the standard of care is so far ahead of where they're at that they can't ignore a change without getting much bad press. 

If you choose to become something else, that's also your choice and often it's a good one. Know that nurses in SoCal (and most other places) aren't paid as well as they are in the SF Bay Area, but their compensation is often still quite good compared to almost anything purely EMS. Basically, once you've decided that you want to increase your education beyond that of an EMT, you are putting yourself onto a path of continuous learning and self-discovery. You just have to decide what it is you want to do. In my case, I haven't gotten rid of my P-card... I keep mine active and I have to renew it this year. Should I choose to regain my NR cert, I would have to do a bit more, but I have that opportunity. Another opportunity I have is to change nursing fields. While I've been an ED RN for the past 3 years, I can decide that I need to be an ICU RN. Sure I get paid the same but I would learn a different skillset. Or I can decide that I want to be a PACU nurse, or an OR nurse, or... well whatever else I want to learn, and that could very well end up being a PA or NP. 

I didn't come to be where I am overnight. I started down the healthcare path a little over 25 years ago. I became an EMT about 20 years ago and paramedic very shortly after that, and after much work and patience, an RN 4 years ago. Yes, it took me nearly a year to find an RN job. You are, quite literally, where I was about 20 years ago. You have many choices to make and you may find, just as one of John Lennon's songs says: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans..." Don't be afraid to make some choices, explore the possibilities, and adapt to new realities as they confront you. You may find yourself doing things 20 years from now that you had no conception of that possibility!


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