# Your Experience/Time in EMS



## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

Just interested in the demographic of the forums.

So the question is:  *How long have you been in the medical field?*

This includes Ambulance, Hospital, Clinics, Fire First Response, Ski Patrol Medicine, Military Medicine, SAR... anything human medical related where part of your resposibilities were patient care related.  Includes First Responder, EMT (all levels), Paramedic, Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, RN, LVN, MD, (and any certification heald overseas that does not confort to U.S. "standards"), and even those of you who are strickly Ambulance Drivers.  Those who are students with no medical experience are welcome to.

In addition to the poll, feel free to break down you experience in post:

1 Year on Ambulance
4 Years on Search and Rescue Medical Team
6 Winter Season as the EMT Supervisor at a 60 acre Snow Park
1 Summer as the On-site Medic at a Correctional Facility

Total: Just under 8 years.


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## spnx (Apr 23, 2009)

Seven years as a first responder.  Three years as an instructor, teaching mainly mine rescue teams.


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

spnx said:


> Seven years as a first responder.  Three years as an instructor, *teaching mainly mine rescue teams*.



Really?!!!  Cool!  Ever get down to California to teach Mine Rescue in the past?


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## spnx (Apr 23, 2009)

No (unfortunately!) - all my stuff has been here in Canada.  I'm in Saskatchewan, so there are tons of potash mines here.  Looks like job security for me!

It's fun judging their competitions too.  And helping to come up with creative new scenarios to screw with their minds


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

spnx said:


> No (unfortunately!) - all my stuff has been here in Canada.  I'm in Saskatchewan, so there are tons of potash mines here.  Looks like job security for me!
> 
> It's fun judging their competitions too.  And helping to come up with creative new scenarios to screw with their minds



Cool.  Just wondering because our County SAR Team was once of only 5 MSHA Underground Rescue Teams in the state of California for years.  Finally the time and energy requirements became too much for a volunteer team that didn't run nearly as many underground calls as we thought we would.  Just wanted to see if you knew any of our guys... such as Dan Brennan?


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## apagea99 (Apr 23, 2009)

I haven't started yet except for training/school. I'm going to wait to look for an EMS job until after I get back from basic training and AIT. Until then, my current job will be tolerable <_<


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## spnx (Apr 23, 2009)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> Cool.  Just wondering because our County SAR Team was once of only 5 MSHA Underground Rescue Teams in the state of California for years.  Finally the time and energy requirements became too much for a volunteer team that didn't run nearly as many underground calls as we thought we would.  Just wanted to see if you knew any of our guys... such as Dan Brennan?



I don't - some guys that I train who go to international competitions might though - was he in Reno last year?


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

spnx said:


> I don't - some guys that I train who go to international competitions might though - was he in Reno last year?



Negative, he was an Underground Rescue Instructor and is currently an honorary member of our team, but I haven't seen him in years.  Our underground team was disbanded 2 years ago adn no one in our team holds current certification.  Last I heard a new mine was going in about 3 hours north of us in California and we are going to donate all our mine rescue gear to them in exchange for (maybe) a new vehicle from the state and mutual aid services in teh event that we need mine rescue help again.


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## spnx (Apr 23, 2009)

Too bad!  I'm surprised there isn't more emphasis on keeping these guys active.  It's very big up here.

Some of the training is brutal - things like them being called 3700 feet underground, getting all their gear, rushing to the scene of a vehicle rollover, multiple casualties, and it's only when they get on scene do they realize it's actually an exercise, not real (!)

But it's GOOD training.


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

spnx said:


> Too bad!  I'm surprised there isn't more emphasis on keeping these guys active.  It's very big up here.
> 
> Some of the training is brutal - things like them being called 3700 feet underground, getting all their gear, rushing to the scene of a vehicle rollover, multiple casualties, and it's only when they get on scene do they realize it's actually an exercise, not real (!)
> 
> But it's GOOD training.



You know, the support just wasn't there after a while.  It costs way too much in money, time, and energy for volunteers to keep up with it when the amount of missions we ran (even on State-wide Mutual Aid) wasn't there.  We have a hard enough time staying current on Search, Medical, Swiftwater, Ropes, and Dive.  After 10+ years of taking on the resposibility of being only one of 5ish Mine Rescue Teams in the state, we have now passed the torch on to another team with the knowledge that they will be there for us if we need them, just as we were for them.  And brutal is an understatment!


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## DrankTheKoolaid (Apr 23, 2009)

*re*

17 years Volunteer FF, FR, EMT, SAR, ER tech, Paramedic  

Lifer i suppose

Corky


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

So based on the poll (assuming 25 people is enough to form a opinion with):

32% of the people (1/3) on these forums have less than 1 year experince
Only 16% have more than 10 years experience
Which means that the other 1/2 of us fall in between 

Interesting to see what the level of experience is when it comes to some of the discussions found here.


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## STATION4 (Apr 23, 2009)

19 years as a volunteer firefighter/emt.18 years on a volunteer ambulance squad as an emt


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 23, 2009)

STATION4 said:


> 19 years as a volunteer firefighter/emt.18 years on a volunteer ambulance squad as an emt



See, now you are just throwing off my stats in the previous post.


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## johnnyreb132 (Apr 23, 2009)

Its been 1 year since I started running on a BLS ambulance as a ride-along which basically made me the equipment mule and I was allowed to do basic vitals (pulse ox, BP, etc.)  Finally take the EMT-B course in 3 weeks and yes that was awhile to take the course.  On the bright side, I can locate everything on the ambulance. ^_^


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## minneola24 (Apr 23, 2009)

I have a long road ahead of me before I start, but can't wait till I do!
B)


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## STATION4 (Apr 23, 2009)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> See, now you are just throwing off my stats in the previous post.



what are u talking about


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## NorCalMedic (Apr 23, 2009)

1 year volunteer EMT for local football league
2 years working BLS transport ambulance
1 year Paramedic


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 24, 2009)

STATION4 said:


> what are u talking about



Since no one else was voting I drew conclusions based on the 25 people who voted in the post just before yours.  Then you and others started voting and it through off my earlier conclusions.  IT WAS A JOKE.  Thanx for your vote... and everyone else keep on voting.  It is interesting to see that the bulk of the voters/posters so far have less than 3 years experience (50%).


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## STATION4 (Apr 24, 2009)

ok sorry for that


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## MedicTom (Apr 24, 2009)

I once had an instructor throw out a figure that the career avg of a person in EMS is 8 years, though something like 50% don't make it past the first 2 years.  They never stated if the study was based off of paid or volunteer or both


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## AJ Hidell (Apr 24, 2009)

With 36 people responding:

55 percent have been in EMS less than five years.

27 percent have been in EMS over ten years.

8 percent have managed to make it 20 plus years.


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## flhtci01 (Apr 26, 2009)

Just got my 20 year Ski Patrol pin last night.

add to that
2 years B
3 years I
2 years P


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## mycrofft (Apr 26, 2009)

*I've given the breakdown before. Some "snapshots":*

When I started, one of my second ambulance company's units (a Caddy conversion) had a mechanical siren.

The beacons on my rescue truck had an incandescent bulb in the middle and a concave mirror that went around and around and around and around.

No dispatch computers, no cell phones, no GPS, and no map books where I worked.

MAST was just becoming hot stuff, levophed and bicarb were given freely in the field, and the KED was NEW.


Modular ambulances appeared, and the DOT began classifying ambulances and phasing out Caddy conversions and Suburban drop-in kits.

We treated seizures by cutting a hole in their heads with obsidian knives and letting out the evil spirits. ('S TRUE! Fred and Barney would hold them while I got the stone axe).


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## eynonqrs (Apr 26, 2009)

I have been involved in EMS for 17 years. Started and still running with my volunteer service. Currently working for a private service as a dispatcher. I have been working for paid services for about 10 years now. Had a short 6 year stint in construction and was part of the emergency brigade there. I got bitten by the EMS bug and have never looked back. I enjoy every minute of it. My father and uncle ran with a volunteer service, and that is how I got bitten by the bug.


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## spnx (Apr 27, 2009)

mycrofft said:


> We treated seizures by cutting a hole in their heads with obsidian knives and letting out the evil spirits. ('S TRUE! Fred and Barney would hold them while I got the stone axe).
> [/FONT]



ROTFLMAO!

(rolling on the floor, laughing my *** off, since that was deemed as too short, by the post filter)


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## syd (Apr 27, 2009)

I'm going on 3 years in a volunteer department running 80+% medical...


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## Anomalous (May 2, 2009)

mycrofft said:


> When I started, one of my second ambulance company's units (a Caddy conversion) had a mechanical siren....
> ...We treated seizures by cutting a hole in their heads with obsidian knives and letting out the evil spirits. ('S TRUE! Fred and Barney would hold them while I got the stone axe).



Don't forget the leeches and blood-letting.

30 years in July.  That should help get the average up.


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## 46Young (May 7, 2009)

Six months EMT-B for a private agency, 2 1/2 years EMT-B NYC, 2 years EMT-P NYC, six months EMT-P for Charleston County EMS, one year as a firemedic for Fairfax County Fire Rescue, Va. 6 1/2 total, and many more to come!


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