# Becoming a Volunteer EMT - Looking for Advice



## chemt (Aug 25, 2009)

Hi,

This is my first post on these forums, so please forgive if I'm not posting in the right area.

I live in the Seattle area, and I'm looking to become a volunteer EMT.  I've done plenty of reading about the requirements, where I can take classes, etc, but what I haven't been able to find is answers to these questions:

1. How can I find someone who is already an EMT in Seattle that I can talk to and learn from?  (There's certainly some free lunch in it for whoever would be willing to help me out here)

2. Does Seattle even allow volunteer EMTs?  I'm not looking to quit my full time job to do this, but I'm certainly willing to give up some nights and weekends for the cause 

3. What book / classes should I take in order to pass the First Aid entrance for the program like the one offered by NSCC?  The links I've found seemed ambiguous at best as to what I'd need to know here.

Any info people here can provide would be greatly appreciated.  And again, I apologize in advance if this is the wrong part of the forum for a post like this, or if there is some sticky I should have already read but wasn't able to find.

Thanks again,
-C


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## catskills (Aug 26, 2009)

This may be a good starting point. Ask the chief for Volunteer EMT opportunities near you.   Some stations have sleeping quarters for volunteers that do not live in the community.  If your community does not use Volunteer EMTs you may be able to find a community that does.  

http://eastsidevolunteer.org/vemt.aspx

Good Luck


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## medic417 (Aug 26, 2009)

Go to www.jems.com and look for a columnist named Jason Zig(something). He is anti paid and is always pushing for vollys so he may have some info.  

May I ask why you only want to become a volly and not go paid?


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## PotatoMedic (Aug 26, 2009)

Well I am sorry to say but I believe you might be a wee bit out of luck volunteering in Seattle as and EMT.  I know if you go to Burien you could volunteer as an EMT/FF but as you can tell you will also become a firefighter.  If you work in Eastside Fire and Rescue's district you can volunteer as an EMT only (the link that cat posted).  What you could do is join Search and Rescue and they can sponsor you as an EMT and you will be able to get CBT through them.

I really doubt Seattle has any sorts of volunteer EMS but who knows.  Look around.  Email a bunch of places around you.

Other wise you might be out of luck.  And the first aid book that you can get at American Red Cross will be just fine.  Just so you know it is the big book not the small thing.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask.


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## daedalus (Aug 26, 2009)

The timing of this thread and its content smells like bait to me. I won't bite, but instead, ill give the OP my advice.

Volunteers claim that they are no different from paid. So I will give you the same advice I would give an up and coming EMT who wishes to make it a career. Go to your nearest community college and sign up for chemistry and biology. After completing those classes, sign up for microbiology and anatomy/physiology. Than, take your EMT class and work as few years as possible as an EMT before signing up for paramedic school, so that you may really help your patients.

Thats equality for you. Same advice across the board.


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## bunkie (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm around Seattle, one county down. I don't believe they offer it, maybe the more rural areas of King county have volunteer positions but I do not believe Seattle City Proper does. Even in my county you have to be FF to go volly EMT. And thats IF the FD has an opening and you pass any of their testing/academies. I'm pretty sure you would also have to have EMT certification. As for NSCC, I don't know. I'd call that school and ask for their study aides for that particular entrance test. At my college, that wasn't required but CPR was.


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## Luno (Aug 26, 2009)

Check your PM...


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## fortsmithman (Aug 26, 2009)

medic417 said:


> Go to www.jems.com and look for a columnist named Jason Zig(something). He is anti paid and is always pushing for vollys so he may have some info.
> 
> May I ask why you only want to become a volly and not go paid?



Maybe the OP needs some experience before going paid.


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## daedalus (Aug 26, 2009)

fortsmithman said:


> Maybe the OP needs some experience before going paid.



You can get that both in paid departments and volunteer departments.


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## Achromatic (Aug 26, 2009)

A bit further south in Thurston County, you can become Volunteer EMT only in certain FDs (is what I am doing) - of course you can also get your FF, but there has been no pressure on me to do so, and in fact half of our current crop of recruits are about to begin EMT-B training next week, with no FF.


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## marineman (Aug 26, 2009)

You're willing to volunteer nights and weekends because you want to keep your full time job. At least as a starting point why not get paid to work as an EMT on nights and weekends and you still get to keep your full time job. $.02


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## ResTech (Aug 26, 2009)

Many departments around here require 2 years of active experience... volunteering as an EMT helps with that requirement.


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## medic417 (Aug 26, 2009)

ResTech said:


> Many departments around here require 2 years of active experience... volunteering as an EMT helps with that requirement.



Some services give little or no credit for time at a volly service.  So make sure you check with the place you want to get on with before doing it that way.


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## ResTech (Aug 26, 2009)

Pennsylvania is a State with a strong volunteer base... so its safe to say all departments at least in PA accept it. Why wouldn't departments accept volly experience? The only difference is a monetary one. I do for free what you do and take a paycheck home for. My certification and recert requirements as a volly are the same.


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## fortsmithman (Aug 26, 2009)

ResTech said:


> Pennsylvania is a State with a strong volunteer base... so its safe to say all departments at least in PA accept it. Why wouldn't departments accept volly experience? The only difference is a monetary one. I do for free what you do and take a paycheck home for. My certification and recert requirements as a volly are the same.



I remember reading about a PD in Pa that was all volunteer.  I read that in an issue of Guns and Weapons For Law Enforcement some time in the early 90's.


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## medic417 (Aug 26, 2009)

ResTech said:


> Pennsylvania is a State with a strong volunteer base... so its safe to say all departments at least in PA accept it. Why wouldn't departments accept volly experience? The only difference is a monetary one. I do for free what you do and take a paycheck home for. My certification and recert requirements as a volly are the same.



Because it is harder to document experience generally.  Especially since most volly stations are in slow areas so 2 years experience may mean a hundred patients.


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## ResTech (Aug 26, 2009)

Most departments are familiar with each other and know the call volumes of other stations and the applicant can give documentation of individual call volume if need be. 

As a volunteer EMS department, we had the same State mandated policies along with our own operational procedures that were well written and instituted. We were big into emergency incident scene rehabilitation with a dedicated vehicle that provided county wide service if requested on extended scene time incidents. Our volunteers were provided uniforms and wore them consistently to provide a professional image and blend with our career personnel. And our vollys always had priority on calls. 

Most active vollys averaged ne where from 50-150 calls a month. Anymore though, volly activity dropped dramatically and most calls rely on career personnel due to personal and family commitments. Our department would pay for any training classes the vollys (and career) wanted to take... even including EMS conferences with overnight accommodations.  

But the most important point is, the career personnel were no better care providers then the volunteers. In fact, a few career providers hired shouldn't  have been and the vollys were much better. 

Again, the only difference between paid and volunteers is a paycheck. It seems obvious that a lot of the anti-volunteer mentality comes from people who have no experience with volunteer departments or have ever been a EMS volunteer themselves.


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## medic417 (Aug 26, 2009)

ResTech said:


> Most departments are familiar with each other and know the call volumes of other stations and the applicant can give documentation of individual call volume if need be.
> 
> As a volunteer EMS department, we had the same State mandated policies along with our own operational procedures that were well written and instituted. We were big into emergency incident scene rehabilitation with a dedicated vehicle that provided county wide service if requested on extended scene time incidents. Our volunteers were provided uniforms and wore them consistently to provide a professional image and blend with our career personnel. And our vollys always had priority on calls.
> 
> ...



If the service is running that many calls every month no reason not to be a paid service.  

I do agree bad in paid as well as volly. 

As one of the anti volly I was a volly with one of the best there is and still see how they harm the progression of EMS as a Profession despite the fact they give great Paramedic level care.  So I know of what I speak as I have walked in both sets of shoes.


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## Seaglass (Aug 27, 2009)

daedalus said:


> The timing of this thread and its content smells like bait to me. I won't bite, but instead, ill give the OP my advice.
> 
> Volunteers claim that they are no different from paid. So I will give you the same advice I would give an up and coming EMT who wishes to make it a career. Go to your nearest community college and sign up for chemistry and biology. After completing those classes, sign up for microbiology and anatomy/physiology. Than, take your EMT class and work as few years as possible as an EMT before signing up for paramedic school, so that you may really help your patients.
> 
> Thats equality for you. Same advice across the board.



Seconding this. Whatever you do, do the best you can--volunteer or paid.

Some people also don't want to get another paycheck for tax reasons. In some rarer cases, a few hundred dollars more a year can put you in a higher tax bracket, and you wind up taking less home.


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## Seaglass (Aug 27, 2009)

Forgot to mention dealing with your day job. Don't expect sympathy from coworkers. It's nice when you get it, and you probably will if you don't overuse it, but nobody likes people who slack for any reason. If you run weeknights, be ready for days when you'll go to work, run crazy calls all night, and go to work again.

For me, good organization is essential. If I'm exhausted, I can't waste time thinking about where I put something. Meanwhile, I try to get ahead on projects on days when I'm up for it. 

I also don't talk about EMS at work, except with people who really do want to hear it. It's important to remember that EMS humor is pretty sick by most people's standards, and that hearing about serious calls or death scares a lot of people. Meanwhile, my boss is going to question my commitment to my day job.


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## RescueYou (Aug 28, 2009)

chemt said:


> Hi,
> 
> This is my first post on these forums, so please forgive if I'm not posting in the right area.
> 
> ...




Answers:
1. Finding someone experienced in the EMS field in Seattle should be a breeze. Either call a local rescue squad or just walk in when someone is there. Tell them what you are looking for and you'll probably have several people willing to help. 

2. I would be completely surprised if Seattle doesn't have a volunteer squad somewhere. Again, just call the local rescue squad and when you ask them about your first question, also ask about volunteering.

3. For first aid--- well, I'd personally just take a basic first aid class through the Red Cross or AHA. The offer them all the time and they really aren't expensive. For books--- The Brady EMT book is great (9th, 10th, or 11th edition), but it's huge and a little pricey and you don't need it quite yet. The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook  covers the general stuff you'll need to know. Available for $12.91 on Amazon.

Best of luck!


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## Achromatic (Aug 28, 2009)

catskills said:


> This may be a good starting point. Ask the chief for Volunteer EMT opportunities near you.   Some stations have sleeping quarters for volunteers that do not live in the community.  If your community does not use Volunteer EMTs you may be able to find a community that does.
> 
> http://eastsidevolunteer.org/vemt.aspx
> 
> Good Luck



Interesting - they only offer an 8 hour shift a month?

My Volunteer FD requires a 12 hour shift every 9 days, and that shift becomes a 24 hour shift if falls on a Friday to Sunday.

I'm worried enough about EMS call volume with that shift load, let alone '8 hours a month', in terms of skill utilization and recall.


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