# Orientation at Superior Ambulance



## jakobsmommy2004 (Oct 27, 2007)

I got the job at superior ambulance. Im going for a 2 week orientation. what will i be doing for the 2 weeks? just curious :unsure:


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## MMiz (Oct 27, 2007)

Did you ask them?


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## Moparcarl (Oct 27, 2007)

jakobsmommy2004 said:


> I got the job at superior ambulance. Im going for a 2 week orientation. what will i be doing for the 2 weeks? just curious :unsure:



I work in superior's Metro devision for a fire dept.  I was not there the whole 2 weeks because it did not pertain to me... but be ready for lots of maps.

and by the way congrats


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## jakobsmommy2004 (Oct 27, 2007)

MMiz said:


> Did you ask them?



no i was just so happy about getting the job. Been looking since Feb.


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## JJR512 (Oct 27, 2007)

jakobsmommy2004 said:


> I got the job at superior ambulance. Im going for a 2 week orientation. what will i be doing for the 2 weeks? just curious :unsure:


What will you be doing? You _should_ be asking questions, paying attention, and learning.


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## Mercy4Angels (Oct 27, 2007)

OMFG 2 week orientation ?? how stupid. i got hired at a transport company and they said heres the keys radio and your in truck 21 your partner will be along shortly.....lol. id be so pi$$ed if someone made me do an orientation.


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## akflightmedic (Oct 27, 2007)

Mercy4Angels said:


> OMFG 2 week orientation ?? how stupid. i got hired at a transport company and they said heres the keys radio and your in truck 21 your partner will be along shortly.....lol. id be so pi$$ed if someone made me do an orientation.



Please tell me you were joking...

No one could be serious and make a statement like that, I hope not anyways.

A 2 week orientation is very appropriate and some jobs have longer ones. While it may not be necessary for every single new hire, it is a set standard and should be applied to all.

By having a standard orientation, from a HR perspective, everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them, rules and policy wise. From an operations perspective, it ensures you know and are familiar with protocols, roads, equipment, etc.

Typically from past experience, during the 2 weeks, you get your PPD test, Hep vaccines are offered, uniforms issued and any other relevant equipment. You do all the usual HR stuff such as harrassment policies, drug testing policies, insurance coverage, benefits, EAP services, etc.

After that, then you get introduced to the trucks and equipment to ensure competency and familiarity. This is the time to ask all yoru questions! Do not keep quiet if you do not understand how somethig works. You also go over protocols, area street, map reading, and a lot of services may also do an EVOC course during this time period as well.

Then you meet a lot of the big dogs. They give you the we are family speech, etc and then you meet your field officers. You also meet the scheduler and get set up with your preceptor or partner.

These two weeks can and should be two of the most valuable of your career with the service you are hired upon. It gives you all the information you need to succeed. Ask lots of questions and clarify everything if there is lack of understanding. 

Do not blow this off as some hoop you have to jump thru and dismiss it with casual regard. Learing policy and procedure is not your partners responsibility and it may not be the most accurate iformation anyways.

Be glad you are getting an indepth indoctricnation. I would be hesitant to work for any service that tossed me the keys and said go for it. That is a huge sign of an employer that will cause you much grief someway, somehow.


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## jakobsmommy2004 (Oct 27, 2007)

JJR512 said:


> What will you be doing? You _should_ be asking questions, paying attention, and learning.



EXCUSE ME I AM A GROWN UP WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME LIKE I AM A CHILD? I JUST ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION. I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR OPINION. maybe i need to make myself more clear before i post a topic. I just never had to do an orientation anywhere that i worked. maybe just a saftey video or something. I have to keep in mind that some people on here have the mentality of punk kid who thinks they are all big on there high horse because they have an emt lisceanse


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## jakobsmommy2004 (Oct 27, 2007)

akflightmedic said:


> Please tell me you were joking...
> 
> No one could be serious and make a statement like that, I hope not anyways.
> 
> ...



Thank you see this was the answer i needed! unlike what there name up there that had to talk to me like i am a child or something. I feel glad that they are doing an orientation as it will be my first EMT-B job.


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## jakobsmommy2004 (Oct 27, 2007)

Moparcarl said:


> I work in superior's Metro devision for a fire dept.  I was not there the whole 2 weeks because it did not pertain to me... but be ready for lots of maps.
> 
> and by the way congrats



Thank you. Appreciate it


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 28, 2007)

Mercy4Angels said:


> OMFG 2 week orientation ?? how stupid. i got hired at a transport company and they said heres the keys radio and your in truck 21 your partner will be along shortly.....lol. id be so pi$$ed if someone made me do an orientation.



I am sure you were joking as well. Any company that has less than a full orientation is piss poor. 

R/r 911


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## JJR512 (Oct 28, 2007)

jakobsmommy2004 said:


> EXCUSE ME I AM A GROWN UP WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME LIKE I AM A CHILD? I JUST ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION. I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR OPINION. maybe i need to make myself more clear before i post a topic. I just never had to do an orientation anywhere that i worked. maybe just a saftey video or something. I have to keep in mind that some people on here have the mentality of punk kid who thinks they are all big on there high horse because they have an emt lisceanse


Relax; no offense was meant. I realize that what I said is (or should be) obvious to most people, yet often it's the obvious things that get overlooked. It doesn't matter what your company has you do in orientation if you don't take it with the right attitude and mentality, which again, I'm sure is obvious to most people, but again, sometimes it doesn't hurt to state the obvious.

From my point of view, my answer was in line with "Do not blow this off as some hoop you have to jump thru and dismiss it with casual regard." Just as obvious and just as important and saying pretty much the same thing in a different way.

And, just for the record, you _did_ ask for my opinion...in your original post (your question being posed to the membership in general, and I being a member of the...uhh...membership).



So, again, sorry if I offended you, I wasn't trying to be a smart *** or anything, just trying to be helpful in my own way. I don't please everybody much in the same way that nobody pleases everybody.

...

When I was first hired by a private ambulance company, the orientation process was one day, plus two ride-along days. Some of the things *akflightmedic* mentioned, such as the PPD test, vaccines, etc., were not done because they had been done through the fire department. Some things, such as the introduction to the units, wasn't done at all, and now that I see it mentioned, I wish it had. I guess they assumed EMTs know their way around ambulances. Trouble is that first company bought used units from a variety of sources and every single unit was different.

So, while I can think of some ways, based on what I've read here, that the orientation process could have been better, two weeks seems kind of long to me. I could see the one-day process being expanded to a few or several days, a week at most. That's just my opinion, which could very well be different if I had ever actually been through a two-week-long orientation.

That said, I think I'm about to go through an even longer orientation process myself. I'm probably (hopefully) about to be moved to my current company's critical care team as an EVO, and new EVOs for the CCT usually get a four-week-long orientation. They get taught how to set up and run IV pumps, vents, and other ALS equipment, which is part of the lengthy process. Now they are designing a new, even longer orientation process so they can bring on people of less experience than they normally have in the past (apparently, experienced EMT-Bs are in short supply), and I will be the guinea pig for that super-long orientation. (But I'm really looking forward to it! )


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## Anomalous (Nov 4, 2007)

akflightmedic said:


> Typically from past experience, during the 2 weeks, you get your PPD test, Hep vaccines are offered, uniforms issued and any other relevant equipment. You do all the usual HR stuff such as harrassment policies, drug testing policies, insurance coverage, benefits, EAP services, etc.



Not to mention Bloodborne/Airborne Pathogens, HIPAA, Respirator Fit Testing, Hazmat (at least Awareness Level), IS 100, 200, 300, 700, 800, etc, etc, etc...


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## KEVD18 (Nov 4, 2007)

jakobsmommy2004 said:


> EXCUSE ME I AM A GROWN UP WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME LIKE I AM A CHILD? I JUST ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION. I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR OPINION....



wow. if we had an award for most blatant overreaction in recorded history, you'd be at the top of the list hands down. you asked a question, he answered it and you flipped. 

i personally think you owe hi an apology


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## Shabo (Nov 4, 2007)

Congratulations on your new job!

Keep us posted on how things progress and what you think of the orientation. 

Shabo


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## Epi-do (Nov 4, 2007)

At my current job we had a 3 week orientation.  Since I work for a FD, part of that was spent doing stuff relevant to that type of work environment.  It included general HR stuff - city policies, paperwork, IDs, etc.  We also did TB testing, hepatitis vaccines, reviewed protocols, went over FD general orders and SOPs, and benefits info.  We then did NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800; Hazmat awareness and ops; Ropes awareness - both high and low angle; familiarization with the dive team; water rescue; and firefighter rehab.  We took a tour of each of the stations, as well as doing EVOC, and making sure everyone was familiar with the radio system.  Once we were finished with the "official" orientation period, we were assigned to shift, where we had additional orientation at the station level.  That lasted for about 2 weeks and included getting familiar with your district, and precepting.  All in all, our total orientation was a little bit over a month long.


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## Arkymedic (Nov 4, 2007)

akflightmedic said:


> Please tell me you were joking...
> 
> No one could be serious and make a statement like that, I hope not anyways.
> 
> ...



Well put AKflightmedic. I think that two weeks is very appropriate for basic and even longer for medic. I think that I would be pissed if I had a partner who didn't have an orientation and was just handed the keys and radio personally.


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## BossyCow (Nov 5, 2007)

Orientation covers your butt.  It includes, this is how we do things here.  Without that instruction, you can be in trouble for violating rules, protocols etc that you didn't know existed.  As an employee, I prefer an orientation period where you see how things are done before being expected to do them yourself.


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