# Advice please



## Medic (Oct 11, 2009)

Hi all,

If you wouldn't mind giving me a quick summery to the point of where in the world you live and work. 

Qualifications, subjects, experience, age, ups and downs, pay scales, any thing that would help me learn more about your country & ems.

I'm currently in school in South Africa, looking out for opportunities all over the place. So any advice welcome.

Keep safe.


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## MCGLYNN_EMTP (Oct 11, 2009)

I'm 20 years old and I'm a paramedic in central Louisiana in USA. I have about 2 years of experience under my belt. My hourly wage is 16.00 $/hr When I'm working on the unit. I also help teach at the academy I went through for my paramedic. they pay me 14.00 $/hr. I love EMS...couldn't see myself doing anything else in life. It can be stressful at times but when you have the oppertunity to "save someones life" it makes it all worth it in the end.
Qualifications? 
My service requires that I have the NREMT Paramedic cert. as well as a state cert. We also have to have BLS provider CPR card and ACLS provider card.


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## Medic (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks a lot 

and how long are shifts, how long did it take from start to finish of the education side of things,are benefits included?


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## Medic (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks a lot 

and how long are shifts, how long did it take from start to finish of the education side of things,are benefits included?


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## atropine (Oct 12, 2009)

Hey buddy three words Los Angeles City, this is the best FD in the world.


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## Medic (Oct 12, 2009)

Ha ha as simple as that. Could you give me some details or a web site please?


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## MrBrown (Oct 12, 2009)

New Zealand has two hospital based and two not for profit's running emergency ambulance here.

We are moving toward three levels:  Ambulance Technician (BLS), Paramedic (ILS) and Intensive Care Paramedic (ALS).

A Bachelors Degree will be required from 2011 to become a Paramedic, and a Post Grad Cert to become an ICP

Pay is variable depending upon where you work and at what level; ALS make between $40,000 and $46,000 pa (thats USD) and they generally work 4x12 hour shifts then have 4 days off.  

It varies with location; some guys do on-call, some do not etc.

I met a couple guys from Zimbabwae and Jo'burg around the place ... man they're hard core to say the least bro, nice people tho!


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## 46Young (Oct 12, 2009)

I live in Stafford, VA and work for the Fairfax County FRD, which is in the western vicinity of DC. 

So, here's how my dept works: All personnel are dual role FF/EMT's or FF/medics. FF and FFM alike are subject to the recruit process, including an extrance exam, CPAT, psych exam, full medical including a stress test, and one or two polys given by a detective. When hired, the FFM spends 6-7 weeks in the academy doing EMS alphabet card recerts, PT and clerical stuff. Then you spend 16 weeks in the field doing an ALS field internship on an ambulance. This is 3 12's, 0700-1900 weekdays, with 4 hours class time at our EMS training center "EMSCEP" to include lectures given by PA's, RN's, RT's, and our medical director. We must also pass a gen knowledge and protocol test, and three scenarios in real time with "Sim Man" in both a living room mock up and a scale ambulance mock up. Two failures and you're let go. For real.

We then return to the academy to join the FF's for FF 1 and 2 training. When we return to the field, we are clear to ride both the medic and an engine as the medic. 

All 37 of our stations have engines, and all engines are ALS. We also have a mix of double medic units, dubbed PTU's, or Primary Training Units, and a number of "one and one's. There are currently four BLS buses in service, but the county plans to upgrade to ALS when economically feasible. A medic Lt must be staffed on a PTU at all times, on the 1&1 a FFM or E-tech of 18 months post academy tenure can ride.

Engines are typically dispatched with the medic for all ALS calls. Some houses that have trucks, towers or heavy rescues will send them instead, to keep the engine in service, thus keeping ALS coverage available in the first due. For MVA's, we send a medic unit, an engine, and sometimes a rescue in each direction. Fairfax has the "mixing bowl", where I-95, I-495 and I-395 meet. There are inner and outer loops. We frequently get wrong locations, so it's prudent to send units in both directions. The engine is dispatched to offer protection by blocking the incident scene, pulling a bumper line if needed for a car fire, and of course EMS aid. The rescue is for shoring and cut jobs.

The FRD has a monthly required training matrix that includes EMS, company ops, multi unit drills, powerpoint topics, FRD manual reviews, and LODD reviews. Medics are sent on duty to EMSCEP quaterly to attend 8 hour con-ed sessions. We also do JEMS articles and have periodic off duty CME's. I'm taking in an 8 hour class for management of burn pts given by Washington Hospital at the FRD later this month, off duty. Our OMD advocates using the protocols as guidelines, and treating pts by use of best practices.

We work 24's - WOWOWOOOO. We cannot be held past 36 hours total. 

Medics start at two steps above a basic FF (a little over 5 grand annualy), receive around 4800/yr in cert pay, $2/hr to ride as the engine medic, and $3/hr to ride the medic unit. My current base is $56,580 + 1100 in night diff + 4800 in cert pay + around 6-7 grand in per hour riding pay (depends if you do more time on an engine or a medic unit). We also get 11.2 hours straight time extra if we work the day before or after a holiday. We get 16 hours additional pay if we actually work the holiday. So, I'm pulling in around 70k/yr before OT. I'm 1 1/2 years in at the moment. Homes go for high 100's to mid 200k here.


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## Scott33 (Oct 13, 2009)

atropine said:


> Hey buddy three words Los Angeles City, this is the best FD in the world.



Bollocks!


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## MrBrown (Oct 13, 2009)

Scott33 said:


> Bollocks!



What he said


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## Medic (Oct 13, 2009)

Thanks thats really informative. 

Any one from AUS or Canada willing to give a break down please?


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## falcon-18 (Oct 13, 2009)

Hello. I am from SAUDI ARABIA . I am working in jeddah city  in saudi red crescent this city is a port and  nice city.it is on red sea. 

our (EMS) in my country in improving . It send some student to outside my country, and bring some from outside like SA,UK,USA. I hope our EMS improve 

more than what we need, it  need time , we will wait. 

falcon-18


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## Jac [ITA] (Oct 13, 2009)

About Italy I've wrote a post some time ago, basically it's pretty much all volunteer with a rising share of paid. I think that sooner o late we'll switch to have only paid personnel. 

The level is basic (BLS), six months plus pratical no previous education needed, the higher level are covered by nurses and doctors (see post for details). 

Shift are 8hrs a day for 5 days a week.


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## Medic (Oct 15, 2009)

Thats interesting with the whole 90% vollie. Obviously you need to speak Italian.


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