# working in Fire VS Private Co.



## Itsadonna (Aug 3, 2012)

Sorry if this thread has already been made, I was looking around and couldn't find anything that answered my questions.


Alright so I am currently in medic school, doing my vehiculars with the fire department down here. The departments down here carry and engine, and a rescue so they also do EMS, and there's about 2-3 out of 7 guys on every shift.

I was talking to one of the guys who also works part time for PMT, and he says he HATES it(actually I've heard a lot of that lately) He was telling me that what they mostly do is interfacillity transport, and when they do arrive on scene for 911 dispatch, the FD loves to put them on the back burner and take over the scene.

I was also looking into the pay, and it seems like private ambulances don't get paid what they're really worth, and everybody tells me fire is where the money is at.

Why are the systems so intertwined. It seems lke people are just getting their medics to get into fire... is it the same way for medics, will I have to get my FIRE certs to get a good job as a medic ? 

How does it all work, private vs. city funded fire dept. ??
At least where I'm at, they don't carry people who are just MEDICS.

a little insight please, thankk you. :blink:


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## hibiti87 (Aug 3, 2012)

it depends on the model of the fire department. Larger cities such as San Francisco run an EMS division of their fire department where you do a contract of something like 3 years on an ambulance working as a paramedic or EMT. From there depending on your performance, career goals, and activeness within the department i am sure you could upgrade to a fire medic. Private ambulances used within the city are mainly back up 911 and IFT. I believe this structure makes the system run much smoother as the personnel are trained at the same level and their is less possibility of mistakes to be made during transfer of care. 

In short private ambulance companies should be utilized as a stepping stone to achieve your career goals, thus people employed with private ambulance companies are paid accordingly.


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## Itsadonna (Aug 3, 2012)

Right, I understand all that.
I would love to be hired onto a fire station, but, just for the patient care aspect. I don't think I'm physically equipted to become a FF.


Do you know what the prospects are for AZ?


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## terrible one (Aug 3, 2012)

The majority of FDs in AZ are dual function (ff/pm). If you want to perform only as a paramedic (single function) you will most likely have to move to another state.


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## Veneficus (Aug 4, 2012)

Itsadonna said:


> I was also looking into the pay, and it seems like private ambulances don't get paid what they're really worth, and everybody tells me fire is where the money is at.



Fire and a select few systems is where the money is at.

Private EMS usually gets paid way more than it is worth for IFT. (Which is why there are so many private compaies for it)

It is sort of like Airmed. People pay disproportionate to worth. But the money doesn't trickle down to the provider level.


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## NYMedic828 (Aug 4, 2012)

I make $23 an hour at base pay with FDNY.

I'd make $28 an hour with a private hospital.

BUT, I would lose:

3 paid weeks vacation a year
3 days off every other week. (I work 24 days less a year)
2 weeks paid sick time
Excellent health benefits
Free annual physicals
City pension
Advancement opportunities

Some people think straight dollars are everything. I'd rather have $15,000 in benefits than 5/h more.


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## Itsadonna (Aug 4, 2012)

Anybody here work as a way medic for pmt or rural ? it's just discouraging constantly hearing new things about those priv cos .


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## jlw (Aug 5, 2012)

I've spent 12 years working part time as an EMT/FF at a couple separate Fire Departments in two different states. This year I left my full time non-EMS job to pursue a career in full time private EMS. 

I will not knock private EMS, it is what it is, there is a legitimate need to transport these sick/injured pt's to higher care facilities, non-ambulatory pt's to dr visits, dialysis tx, etc. 

My $.02 is that my experience in 911 service has made me better at doing private "non-emergency" type runs, and my private experience has made me a lot better at running 911 calls.

In the private side I work 13 hour shifts, (3x week), and I will see, assess, record VS, maintain or initiate any interventions, transport, write a written report, and give verbal report when I transfer care for 6-10 pt's a day. 

In a single day I will put hands on more pt's than I will in a month at my Fire Dept. It has helped me learn to "sniff out" any secondary injuries/illnesses that the patient might not think is important to their C/C, I've learned a tremendous amount in regards to chronic illnesses and pt management that I never really had to manage in 911 service.

Our company has numerous contracts with area nursing homes (20+) to conduct their emergency transports, some of those aren't really emergency in nature either, but almost daily I will see C/C AMS and the ECF won't asses BGL, or C/C Chest Pain/SOB and the ECF will not assess B/P, SP02, Pulse, hx or meds, usually we have to find the patient on our own and they will be sweating, gasping, and cyanotic. So even in the private side I run "code 3" daily on at least one or two of my pts. 

Being from Fire/EMS I used to have a skewed perspective private EMS, just thought they hauled "taters" all day, (local slang for private ems vehicles are "tater wagons"). Obviously now I no longer see that as being accurate.

However, there is a certain amount of complacency that I've noticed in our EMT's and Paramedics that have only performed private EMS service and no 911. So IMHO I think to be a well rounded provider you need a couple years of  a good mix of emergency and non-emergency medical and trauma runs to get a handle on things, really helps you look for and find medical issues on trauma pts, find trauma on medical pts, and things of that nature.


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## Veneficus (Aug 5, 2012)

jlw said:


> I've spent 12 years working part time as an EMT/FF at a couple separate Fire Departments in two different states. This year I left my full time non-EMS job to pursue a career in full time private EMS.
> 
> I will not knock private EMS, it is what it is, there is a legitimate need to transport these sick/injured pt's to higher care facilities, non-ambulatory pt's to dr visits, dialysis tx, etc.
> 
> ...



There is great achievement in discovering there is no difference between a medical and trauma pt.


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## usalsfyre (Aug 5, 2012)

jlw said:


> I've spent 12 years working part time as an EMT/FF at a couple separate Fire Departments in two different states. This year I left my full time non-EMS job to pursue a career in full time private EMS.
> 
> I will not knock private EMS, it is what it is, there is a legitimate need to transport these sick/injured pt's to higher care facilities, non-ambulatory pt's to dr visits, dialysis tx, etc.
> 
> ...



A very good, very true summary.


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## Neck (Aug 8, 2012)

Itsadonna said:


> Sorry if this thread has already been made, I was looking around and couldn't find anything that answered my questions.
> 
> 
> Alright so I am currently in medic school, doing my vehiculars with the fire department down here. The departments down here carry and engine, and a rescue so they also do EMS, and there's about 2-3 out of 7 guys on every shift.
> ...



I am an Az medic... I can give you what I have seen for medic only options in Az.... 

I work for Lifeline out of Prescott, and we are 911 and IFT, whatever pops up. We are treated as 911.... meaning when we show up on scene first, we don't get stepped on when fire rolls in. they assist as needed, and we to them (individual experiences vary... if you're a weak medic you will get walked on in the interest of pt care). plus, with our service area, sometimes its just you as ALS with no fire available or some volunteer crew with 1emt at best. Our starting pay as a medic is higher than local fire, their benefits are wayyyyyyy better. Some of us do more IFT than others but its mixed with 911, no dedicated transfer cars.

Other options: all the Native Indian reservations run medic ambos, and you have 3 reservations around phoenix. 

Sun City West runs ambo only medics. 

Dialysis and Plasma collection facilities love to use medics for assisting the docs in assessments, managing emergent conditions that arise (especially in dialysis), and some collection. this typically pays much nicer than ambo work without the med3 fun and solo provider stuff. 

Theres a few other good options outside the valley depending on how far out you go..
 Verde Valley, Guardian ambo in flagstaff, River medical, AMR..... I suspect you wanna stay near Phoenix so I would suggest either the reservations or Lifeline (several of our medics and emts live in the valley).

Pmt/Southwest/rural metro in phoenix are all the same company now, and as mentioned above, they are treated as stepping stones, thus turnover can be huge, and pay is low accordingly.


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## Itsadonna (Aug 21, 2012)

Neck said:


> I am an Az medic... I can give you what I have seen for medic only options in Az....
> 
> I work for Lifeline out of Prescott, and we are 911 and IFT, whatever pops up. We are treated as 911.... meaning when we show up on scene first, we don't get stepped on when fire rolls in. they assist as needed, and we to them (individual experiences vary... if you're a weak medic you will get walked on in the interest of pt care). plus, with our service area, sometimes its just you as ALS with no fire available or some volunteer crew with 1emt at best. Our starting pay as a medic is higher than local fire, their benefits are wayyyyyyy better. Some of us do more IFT than others but its mixed with 911, no dedicated transfer cars.
> 
> ...


 thank you, and thanks to everybody else as well. Thanks for the suggestion, im trying to figure out where to go after cert, and what option will be best for me. You're right i do want to stay in the pox area..if you don't mind me asking what is your base pay as a media through that company and how much experience are they generally looking for upon hiringnpeple?


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## nickhaps (Aug 21, 2012)

Hey I'm a single function medic in AZ workin for a fire dept on the ems division.  PM me and I can give you my take on it


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## SicilianMedic07 (Aug 21, 2012)

I am also a Medic in Arizona and the best advice I can give you is to apply to as many companies that you can and take the best job that is offered to you.  You will need the experience to better improve your situation.  Like others have said, PMT/RM is a good start and stepping stone for a new Medic.  I live just outside of Tucson and I can tell you that jobs are getting very competative down here.  I do not want to work on a box anymore right now, so I did some fly alongs with one of the Helo's down here.  Very addicting!  I have been doing everything possible to pad my resume so that I can go HEMS.  You do what you have to do to gain experience, knowledge and a good reputation so that you can get the "better" jobs out there.  Best of luck!


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## Neck (Aug 29, 2012)

Itsadonna said:


> thank you, and thanks to everybody else as well. Thanks for the suggestion, im trying to figure out where to go after cert, and what option will be best for me. You're right i do want to stay in the pox area..if you don't mind me asking what is your base pay as a media through that company and how much experience are they generally looking for upon hiringnpeple?



I don't feel comfortable publishing $$ rate on the open web (company might frown on it) and I cannot PM yet because I lurk too much, and don't post enough, but I will tell you that we are the highest paid to start in the state, and it is at least a few dollars an hour more than anyone in the valley for private EMS. 

We hire a lot of new straight from school medics, but they will only work the downtown spots initially. It is to prevent them from ending up in a MCI on the interstate and being the only ALS provider for an hour or more on their second day of work.  

They do a physical fit test, mental exam, board interview, and generally prefer you to have some EMT or other experience, but I have seen a few zero to hero medics that have come on board too (nothing wrong with that, everyone is different). I think right now we are hiring reserve medics, which is a good way to get in the door and work a few shifts without being overwhelmed, and you can continue to put in applications in other areas.


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