# Whats it like being an AO?



## ThatEMTGuy (Mar 6, 2015)

The FD in my city is looking for AOs. And i plan on applying, but how does it work? Can it be dual EMTs or 1:1 emt and medic? I work for an ambulance company at the moment so I'm used to IFTs, 911, and paperwork. Any help or advice is appreciated thank you!


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## gotbeerz001 (Mar 6, 2015)

Sounds like you need to talk to an AO in your City.


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## Mufasa556 (Mar 6, 2015)

Depends on the city. What city are we talking about?


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 6, 2015)

It's going to vary greatly depending on the system and what resources are available. Could be 2 EMTs, could be B/P, or could be P/P.


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## Jim37F (Mar 6, 2015)

I'm an Ambulance Operator for my city's FD here in LA County. (Where everything is fire based) In my department, all 6 of our ambulances are dual EMT BLS ambulances. All 9 of our engine companies are (by policy) dual paramedic 4 man companies. So for an EMS call the engine operates like a fly car/squad. An engine and BLS respond...if it's a BLS call they go back in service while we transport. If it's ALS the medics hop in back and the engine follows up to the hospital. 
In comparison, the neighboring city has 5 ambulances, 4 are dual fire/medic ALS and the 5th EMT AO BLS ambulance. Those AOs *only* get dispatched to BLS calls and if they determine it to be ALS on scene they have to call for one of the ALS Rescues. Conversely if an RA (well more likely the engine or truck company they're running with) gets on scene first and decides it's a BLS call they'll cancel the RA and dispatch the BLS.

So we get to run on all the calls, and even where the medics are doing the assessment I still get to see/feel/hear/etc the difference in an ALS and BLS patient. I can keep an ear open during the assessment and start to correlate what I'm seeing with patients vitals to what they tell the medics, and what the line of questioning starts to go down and the treatments given, specialty centers chosen for transport to in response. Which I fell will be a big help for me when I'm finally able to go to Paramedic school.

In contrast our neighboring AOs don't get that since they don't run on ALS level calls.  I'd still def rather do that over private company BLS IFT of course (though here that's mostly because those are pretty much all stable dialysis transfers, hospital to SNF transfer, hospital to hospital transfers for insurance reasons, basically a glorified taxi service. The county pretty much mandates all "scene" calls are 911 which means local fire department here. Which also means I've picked up a couple patients called in by the private ambulance companies before)

Now as far as we're treated in house...its expected we applied for this job because we want to become firefighters so it's kind of treated like an extended job skills interview, so we do fill a rookie roll. We get a task book of everything from EMS stuff to departmental procedures to city history we're supposed to study and present company schools on to get signed off. Otherwise when not running calls or participating in station/vehicle maintenance we're supposed to be studying or otherwise productive. There are a few a-holes who act like they're sergeants and we're their privates but for the most part the firefighters are pretty chill with us and we get along pretty good.

So yeah that's my department in a bit of a nutshell. Def,  as gotshirtz said, pay a visit to a station, and just ask the guys, their internal culture may be completely different. But overall, I love my current job a whole heck of a lot more than my previous private company jobs.


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## Angel (Mar 7, 2015)

Jim is your job "limited term" meaning you get 3 years (or whatever #) to become a medic, do an Academy and apply to a fire spot or you're out of a job? Or can you work as an AO as long as you want to?


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## Jim37F (Mar 7, 2015)

Yes, we are officially considered limited term part time hourly employees. However we work pretty much the exact same schedule as the firefighters (Only difference is if you're on the 24 hour shifts you work 2 out of the 3 shifts in the Kelley cycle. If, like me, you're on a 12 hour shift, I work all 3 shifts) so in actuality we put up full time hours (time and a half after 40 hours in a week) with CalPers retirement and benefits.

Yes we are limited term to 3 years in position. However, if you go to Paramedic school and/or a fire academy you can get extended for a year. Also if you are coming up on "timing out" you can apply to be extended. I've been here little less than a year, and we've lost ~10-20 AO's in that time....only 2, maybe 3 were lost to timing out or being fired...everyone else left due to being hired on as firefighters, whether by our own department, a number to LA City, a couple to Bakersfield, one is even going to Honolulu Fire, and other departments.


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## ThatEMTGuy (Mar 7, 2015)

Thank you so much for all this information! I did not know any of this. I am applying for my city's (Long Beach) AO position. Any advise you recommend to me? anything else that I should know?


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## Jim37F (Mar 7, 2015)

I actually don't really know anything about Long Beach's program. I do know they have a mix of Paramedic Rescues and BLS ambulances, but I've heard in the past they've had a 1 AO/1 fire medic combo on their rigs, but no idea if that's old info or even completely wrong....otherwise, Glendale mirrored our hiring process to that of the firefighters as close as they could so I'd imagine Long Beach would be similar. Example, apply, get a written test, than an oral board with a couple captains and a city representative, than an in depth background check (we even did a 100% polygraph test along with the field investigation). Filling out my background packet for Glendale very much reminded me of filling one out for my military security clearance, so it's not just a fingerprint check like some of the private companies do. After we passed backgrounds, we had a chiefs interview. After passing that we had a physical, and then only after passing that we got hired, picked up vouchers for boots and uniforms and got an academy start date. Glendale's AO Academy is roughly 2 weeks long and for my class was a lot more departmental specific ops and procedures than teaching EMS skills (though they say they're adding more skills scenarios to future academies). After that we were given 6-10 shifts as a third rider for field training, and once signed off we were assigned a shift and added to the regular schedule. My class was lucky to get EVOC while still in field training so we were able to drive as soon as we hit the line, the current class has been on the line for 2 months now, but they haven't been able to get EVOC scheduled until next week so for the last couple months they weren't allowed to drive and therefor couldn't be paired together.


I imagine Long Beach will have its share of differences (some probably bigger than others) but will likely have a similar process. I'd highly recommend showing up to every step in a full suit and tie, shake hands and introduce yourself to everyone, refer to all current LBFD members you talk to as sir/ma'am until they specifically say otherwise. Be confident but not arrogant. Be prepared for a hiring process that can last 6-9 months if they mirror it on their firefighter hiring process. 

I've been invited by LBFD to turn in a passing Biddle time to apply for the fire recruit academy so I'm def hungry to hear as much info as I can on the department so anything you find out please share!


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## CALEMT (Mar 7, 2015)

Jim37F said:


> with CalPers retirement and benefits.



That aint a bad gig at all. So theoretically you work 3 or so years as a AO and get your medic and have your foot in the door for a firefighter spot? Be a brand new firefighter and already have 3 years in CALPers, thats a pretty cool deal.


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## Mufasa556 (Mar 8, 2015)

Jim has good advice. 

I worked with a couple guys who were Long Beach AOs. They liked it. Dual EMT rigs. Busy call volume. Work 12s and 24s I believe.  

I've considered applying. Would be a fun gig. Get to ride around in a nice big red ambulance, don't have to deal with the private ambulance shennanigans, get to tell people I work for LB Fire, but I have no interest in being a FF and wouldn't want to take a spot from someone who wants/needs the experience to follow his/her dream.


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## FoleyArtist (Mar 12, 2015)

Mufasa556 said:


> Jim has good advice.
> 
> I worked with a couple guys who were Long Beach AOs. They liked it. Dual EMT rigs. Busy call volume. Work 12s and 24s I believe.
> 
> I've considered applying. Would be a fun gig. Get to ride around in a nice big red ambulance, don't have to deal with the private ambulance shennanigans, get to tell people I work for LB Fire, but I have no interest in being a FF and wouldn't want to take a spot from someone who wants/needs the experience to follow his/her dream.



hmm should've seen this sooner. it's all 1:1 now 1 emt: 1 medic. have an ex medic partner working there now. opportunity for OT is good. makes more as an AO then as a private IFT medic at one of the higher paying LaCo companies.


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## Jim37F (Mar 12, 2015)

Really? 1:1? I could've sworn they had a mix of Rescues and BLS's currently. Eh I suppose I should just do a station visit to get accurate info since it appears my info on LBFD is slightly out of date lol (especially since I'm working on getting a good enough Biddle score to go to their Tower!


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## ResRednek (Mar 15, 2015)

All the ALS rigs are 1:1 and they have three BLS rigs that are dual EMT, at stations 1, 4, and 10.


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