# EMS in California



## can you walk (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm thinking about leaving the east coast and move to California , hopefully LA or SF. I'd like to know who provides 911 service in those cities, BLS or ALS. Is it municipal based or private? Any recommendations? Thanks.


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## JPINFV (Oct 5, 2011)

The fire departments, however the Greater Los Angeles area has some sort of weird fetish about having the fire departments provide paramedic service and contracting out ambulance service to a private company (private company provides ambulance and 2 EMTs). 

The LA area is also flooded with EMTs and paramedics.


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## adamjh3 (Oct 5, 2011)

Don't. I'm in Cali and I can't get out fast enough. With the wages a single-role medic starts at here I'd be working two or three full time jobs to make ends meet. The cost of living is atrocious here

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## can you walk (Oct 5, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> The fire departments, however the Greater Los Angeles area has some sort of weird fetish about having the fire departments provide paramedic service and contracting out ambulance service to a private company (private company provides ambulance and 2 EMTs).
> 
> The LA area is also flooded with EMTs and paramedics.



Are there any FDs out there to work EMS without having to be a firefighter?


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## VCEMT (Oct 5, 2011)

Choose small cities, otherwise, you'll be out in L.A. waiting for fire to let you come and bring your gurney in. Kern, Ventura, Kings, Santa Barbara, etc... Are your best options. My pay is fine, $49k a year. With overtime, I made $60k last year.


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## VCEMT (Oct 5, 2011)

can you walk said:


> Are there any FDs out there to work EMS without having to be a firefighter?



No.


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## can you walk (Oct 5, 2011)

VCEMT said:


> Choose small cities, otherwise, you'll be out in L.A. waiting for fire to let you come and bring your gurney in. Kern, Ventura, Kings, Santa Barbara, etc... Are your best options. My pay is fine, $49k a year. With overtime, I made $60k last year.



Thanks for the heads up


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## RocketMedic (Oct 5, 2011)

What's ventura county ems like?


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## terrible one (Oct 5, 2011)

Rocketmedic said:


> What's ventura county ems like?



By CA standards? good.
The rest of the nation? just below average. 
Average protocols, decent pay, some respect between municipal providers and privates, move ups all day because there are too few ambulances on the road. very difficult to get a job out there though.


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## SanDiegoEmt7 (Oct 5, 2011)

can you walk said:


> Are there any FDs out there to work EMS without having to be a firefighter?



Yes, SFFD has an EMS subdivision with single role EMTs and Paramedics.  Getting an interview and a job could take the better part of 5+ years

And while the city of SF is a fire based service, other bay area counties/cities are covered by private services which can have wages beyond 20-25 an hour base pay.


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## Fish (Oct 5, 2011)

Moving to CA is a bad choice


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## JPINFV (Oct 5, 2011)

Moving to California is a great choice... unless you want to be involved in EMS.


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## Fish (Oct 5, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> Moving to California is a great choice... unless you want to be involved in EMS.



True that, or buy a house, or send your kids to a good school. Other than that it is a good choice.


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## DV_EMT (Oct 23, 2011)

terrible one said:


> By CA standards? good.
> The rest of the nation? just below average.
> Average protocols, decent pay, some respect between municipal providers and privates, move ups all day because there are too few ambulances on the road. very difficult to get a job out there though.



Considering that Gold Coast got bought out by AMR and their only competition is lifeline who services Ojai area :rofl:

I'd avoid California like the plague if you're going EMS. I'm still looking at paramedic school only because the market here is oversaturated with EMT.


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## terrible one (Oct 23, 2011)

DV_EMT said:


> Considering that Gold Coast got bought out by AMR and their only competition is lifeline who services Ojai area :rofl:
> 
> I'd avoid California like the plague if you're going EMS. I'm still looking at paramedic school only because the market here is oversaturated with EMT.



You do realize that the market is just as oversaturated with medics too right?


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## Fish (Oct 23, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> Moving to California is a great choice... unless you want to be involved in EMS.



Or have a good standard of living


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 23, 2011)

Fish said:


> Or have a good standard of living



But the girls wear daisy dukes with bikini tops!


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## DesertMedic66 (Oct 23, 2011)

NVRob said:


> But the girls wear daisy dukes with bikini tops!



In my response area it's not just the girls.... :sad:


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## exodus (Oct 23, 2011)

firefite said:


> In my response area it's not just the girls.... :sad:



Lots of nipple rings as well here... Not on females though.


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## DV_EMT (Oct 27, 2011)

terrible one said:


> You do realize that the market is just as oversaturated with medics too right?



Yup, unfortunately  :/


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## DesertMedic66 (Oct 27, 2011)

exodus said:


> Lots of nipple rings as well here... Not on females though.



Ooh man I worked biker weekend in PS and wow there were soo many


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