# Flight Paramedic, Ask Me Anything



## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

Figured I would start a thread in case anyone has questions about being a flight paramedic. Ask me anything you want. I will do my best to answer all questions. 
*
(If you are a flight paramedic and want to add your input to anything, please do so.) *


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## STXmedic (Aug 2, 2015)

Nah, bro. Magic rotor dust. You know, that stuff yall sprinkle to magically heal people. Us ground medics need some of that ****.


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## STXmedic (Aug 2, 2015)

Another question- why do y'all wear onesies?


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

Ah, it would be nice if there was something magical about it... but it would also make all of our jobs boring. What fun would it be if you didn't have to use your knowledge and what fun would it be if there was nothing new to learn?

The main reason we have the flight suits it because they are made to protect us from fire. They are made of Nomex, which is fire resistant. That is why we have to keep our long sleeves down no matter how warm it is outside.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 2, 2015)

Wow...while I enjoy jokes and sarcasm as much as the next...I actually saw no harm with his thread and willingness to assist. How many people over the years have posted the same questions over and over? I know I have redirected flight medic candidates to other better suited sites for their dreams, but if this guy wants to be the sounding board AND he invites others in flight to participate...whats the harm?

I did not see any chest thumping going on...if I had interpreted it that way, I would have jumped on the funny train with you guys.

Anyways...I am interested to see where it would go...if any neophytes are still brave enough after the slaying. LOL


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## Aprz (Aug 2, 2015)

I thought the trolling was initially funny, but it probably would have been better if the trolling stopped after he caught on to it.

Lets start with some simple questions.

What steps does it take to become a flight medic? Are there any specific experience and/or training that employers request?

What are some pros and cons to working as a flight medic? Do you get less calls and have to worry about skill deterioration? Do you get a lot of interfacility transfers instead of scene calls?


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## MMiz (Aug 2, 2015)

I've cleaned up this thread.

Apologies, tydek07, some of our members struggle to make positive contributions to the EMS community.

We have members ask all the time about being a flight medic, I appreciate your willingness to share your experiences.


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## MMiz (Aug 2, 2015)

I wonder about the future of flight medicine, especially HEMS.  Do you see any trends in HEMS?  Less transports?  Pilots being more safety conscious?


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

Aprz said:


> I thought the trolling was initially funny, but it probably would have been better if the trolling stopped after he caught on to it.
> 
> Lets start with some simple questions.
> 
> ...



*What steps does it take to become a flight medic? Are there any specific experience and/or training that employers request? *
My service required multiple things. Here are a couple of the big ones:
- Receiving your paramedic training through an Accredited Paramedic Training Program and having your National Registry Certification.
- Minimum of three years experience in a high call volume 911 service. (Usually looking for more then that in candidates).
- Certifications in Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support; Pediatric Advanced Life Support; Advanced Trauma Life Support course audit and Neonatal Resuscitation Program. There are several other advanced classes and programs they send your through soon after being hired. 
- They require you have your FP-C within two years of hire. Very few services require that before hand as flight experience will help a lot with obtaining it. It wouldn't hurt to get your CCP prior to hire tho. 
*
What are some pros and cons to working as a flight medic?*
Pros:
- Overall increase in knowledge and skills. 
- Care for critically ill and injured. 
- Introduction to aviation.

Cons:
- Usually less call volume then ground 911 system.
- A lot of studying and learning on your own. You need to be able to self study in order to become a successful flight medic.
- Hazardous job. 
*
Do you get less calls and have to worry about skill deterioration?*
I do get less calls then the 911 service I worked at. Would average 6-10 calls/12hr shift on the streets. Average 1-2 call/shift in the air. This is completely service dependent tho.

As for the skills, I feel more comfortable with them here then when I was on the ground. The air service I work for is hospital based. We are able to assist in the ED, ICU, CCU, PICU, NICU on our down time. My service also has quarterly competency requirements. Again, this will be service dependent. 
*
Do you get a lot of interfacility transfers?*
We operate rotor wing and fixed wing services where I work. There are a lot of interfacility transfers. Most of the transfers are from lower level hospitals to higher level hospitals. So even though it is considered a transfer, it tends to run more like a 911 call. This is due to the lower level hospitals not having the capabilities and skills the patient may require. We bring the ICU to them.


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

MMiz said:


> I wonder about the future of flight medicine, especially HEMS.  Do you see any trends in HEMS?  Less transports?  Pilots being more safety conscious?



*Do you see any trends in HEMS?*
Right now I see a large increase in services entering the field. It makes it more competitive. There is good and bad that can be seen from this. The good, it makes services want to expand the skills and services they offer. The bad, it has potential of affecting the safety of operations. Because of this I am seeing more services focusing on, and improving, safety. 
*
Less transports?*
In my area there has actually been an increase in air medical use, even tho there are several services operating in the same area. We are located in a more rural setting where there are few high level hospitals and ground transport to them can be lengthy.
*
Pilots being more safety conscious?*
There is a huge push for HEMS safety right now. There have been huge advancements in safety over the past couple years. Both in technology and crew member training.


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## SoloMedic33 (Aug 2, 2015)

tydek07 said:


> *What steps does it take to become a flight medic? Are there any specific experience and/or training that employers request? *
> My service required multiple things. Here are a couple of the big ones:
> - Receiving your paramedic training through an Accredited Paramedic Training Program and having your National Registry Certification.
> - Minimum of three years experience in a high call volume 911 service. (Usually looking for more then that in candidates).
> ...





This was pretty helpful. Would you say having experience in both Rural and Urban settings is a plus? Also do you have any good CC-P review classes that are available online you would recommend?


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## climberslacker (Aug 2, 2015)

Is is possible for a lower-level provider or Paramedic interested in HEMS to go on a ride-along to see how things are run? I would imagine that it would be impossible but I have also heard rumors that it is.


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## Chewy20 (Aug 2, 2015)

climberslacker said:


> Is is possible for a lower-level provider or Paramedic interested in HEMS to go on a ride-along to see how things are run? I would imagine that it would be impossible but I have also heard rumors that it is.



Yes. I have been up before. Just contact your local companies.


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

SoloMedic33 said:


> This was pretty helpful. Would you say having experience in both Rural and Urban settings is a plus? Also do you have any good CC-P review classes that are available online you would recommend?


 I worked rural prior to urban. I feel it did help me. Most of our air transports are short but many are long. Working rural gives you the experience and knowledge of caring for patients for an extended period of time. 

There are several courses online and books out there. I have not personally used anything online. I'm guessing someone else would be able to share their experience with that. I do know several colleges and services offer a CCP program/course. The best thing to do is check around your local area. Here is a good website if you want more information about preparing for the CCP and/or FP-C exam https://www.bcctpc.org/ascerteon/control/index. They recommend several books to help prepare for the exam.


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

climberslacker said:


> Is is possible for a lower-level provider or Paramedic interested in HEMS to go on a ride-along to see how things are run? I would imagine that it would be impossible but I have also heard rumors that it is.



Like Chewy20 said, the best thing to do is contact your local service(s). Ride along policies differ greatly from service to service.



Chewy20 said:


> Yes. I have been up before. Just contact your local companies.


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## redundantbassist (Aug 2, 2015)

Are there ever any physicians that work in the helicopters?


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 2, 2015)

climberslacker said:


> Is is possible for a lower-level provider or Paramedic interested in HEMS to go on a ride-along to see how things are run? I would imagine that it would be impossible but I have also heard rumors that it is.


Probably. All three programs I worked for had ride-along programs.



redundantbassist said:


> Are there ever any physicians that work in the helicopters?



Cincinnati Air Care and Cleveland Metro both do. Cleveland Metro Lifeflight is interesting because they fly with an RN and either an ACNP or MD. I'm 90% sure there's a program in New England that flies with docs as well, but I can't remember who. And I'm sure there are a few others that do, too, that I don't know of.

My first program had ED residents ride along (they weren't really crew members) pretty regularly. And at my last program our medical director and his EMS fellow flew with us on occasion.

I wish there was a good HEMS program that used CRNA's......


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## Clare (Aug 2, 2015)

Remi, if you are interested, Auckland HEMS uses a Doctor and is looking for HEMS Fellows.  

More information here http://aucklandhems.com/2015/02/12/auckland-hems-air-ambulance-fellows-wanted/

To get registered with the Medical Council you can use either the (a) Locum pathway if you want to stay for less than 12 months, or (b) the Vocational pathway if you want to stay for more than 12 months.  

(a) Locum https://www.mcnz.org.nz/get-registe...pe/special-purpose-locum-tenens-registration/
(b) Vocational https://www.mcnz.org.nz/get-registe...ional-registration/registration-requirements/

Several of the HEMS Doctors have come down from Canada and they absolutely love it here.  I am sure you would like it as well.


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 2, 2015)

Clare said:


> Remi, if you are interested, Auckland HEMS uses a Doctor and is looking for HEMS Fellows.
> 
> More information here http://aucklandhems.com/2015/02/12/auckland-hems-air-ambulance-fellows-wanted/
> 
> ...



I appreciate the info Clare, but I am not a physician. In the US, roughly half of all anesthetists are advanced practice nurses. I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and a paramedic.

There are only a few HEMS programs here (the ones I mentioned in my last post) that utilize intensivist advanced-practice nurses (Acute Care Nurse Practitioners - ACNP's), and I was just half-jokingly wishing some of them would use CRNA's instead of or in addition to MD's or ACNP's.

I was a flight paramedic and flight nurse for most of my career before going to school for anesthesia. I could always work in one of those capacities again, but the difference in compensation would be very prohibitive, unfortunately.


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## Clare (Aug 2, 2015)

Oh, I thought you were a specialist physician - in the Commonwealth saying you are an "anaesthetist" is saying "I am a doctor who specialises in anaesthesia".


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## chaz90 (Aug 2, 2015)

Our term for that is anesthesiologist.


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## Jn1232th (Aug 2, 2015)

Do they colorblind test you before hire????


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## tydek07 (Aug 2, 2015)

justin1232 said:


> Do they colorblind test you before hire????


No


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## johnrsemt (Aug 3, 2015)

Who makes the decision where you land?  In my area all of a sudden the local HEMS is refusing to land at the top of a mountain pass (6800') because the spot isn't big enough:  2 years ago they had 2 3,000 drop tanks, up to 3 tankers (2 semi tankers) an engine filling helicopters and when I drove by 3 helicopters on the ground getting filled at the same time.  But there is not enough room to land there.

They told one of our crews to take the patient (on another run)  to the local airport (55 miles from us through stupid traffic and roads:  the crew had the patient on the ambulance for over 100 minutes;  if they would have gone the other way to the Level I it would have taken less than 90 minutes to get to the hospital.

They are now wanting to come to us to land at our helipad;  but that can mean we are sitting and waiting up to 30-40 minutes for them to come.  I hate that, and if I get told that I will disregard them and ground transport.


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## tydek07 (Aug 3, 2015)

johnrsemt said:


> Who makes the decision where you land?  In my area all of a sudden the local HEMS is refusing to land at the top of a mountain pass (6800') because the spot isn't big enough:  2 years ago they had 2 3,000 drop tanks, up to 3 tankers (2 semi tankers) an engine filling helicopters and when I drove by 3 helicopters on the ground getting filled at the same time.  But there is not enough room to land there.
> 
> They told one of our crews to take the patient (on another run)  to the local airport (55 miles from us through stupid traffic and roads:  the crew had the patient on the ambulance for over 100 minutes;  if they would have gone the other way to the Level I it would have taken less than 90 minutes to get to the hospital.
> 
> They are now wanting to come to us to land at our helipad;  but that can mean we are sitting and waiting up to 30-40 minutes for them to come.  I hate that, and if I get told that I will disregard them and ground transport.



The pilot will make the final decision. HEMS is getting more strict on landing zones due to safety. The accreditation programs and FAA are also creating stricter rules focusing on safety. A lot of the small-town helipads around here have been shut down recently due to them not meeting new(er) requirements. At the end just remember that they are refusing to do specific things for a good/legit reason.


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## blindsideflank (Aug 3, 2015)

I'm not very familiar with the CCP-f of cfcp or whatever it is (I'm not american). Can you get a little more into the education across the board in the USA for this (or is it state dependent). How long is it? Clinical time? Do you think it's adequate? The future?


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 3, 2015)

blindsideflank said:


> I'm not very familiar with the CCP-f of cfcp or whatever it is (I'm not american). Can you get a little more into the education across the board in the USA for this (or is it state dependent). How long is it? Clinical time? Do you think it's adequate? The future?



CCP-C and FP-C are credentialing exams that anyone can take. They are developed and administered by the Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification (BCCTPC), which is an offshoot of the old (technically a separate organization, but in reality basically just the examination validation and administration arm) of the International Association of Flight & Critical Care Paramedics, which until fairly recently was just the International Association of Flight Paramedics, and before that (way back in the stone age, when I first joined and was one of the first Certified Flight Paramedics, before the BCCTPC came about) was the National Flight Paramedic's Association.

Anyway, the exam processes neither provide or require any particular education or experience beyond your basic paramedic credential. You simply sign up for the exam, study for it using one of the commercially-available cram programs, and take the test.

There are several critical care educational programs that are intended primarily for paramedics, by far the most well-known of which is the Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program (CCEMTP), which is an 80-hour course developed by the University of Maryland in Baltimore County and taught under license at locations all over the country. Other programs are taught by Creighton University and the University of Florida. Cleveland Clinic has a program as well. IME the quality of the CCEMTP program varies widely depending on where and by whom it is taught, and I have no experience with but have heard good things about all the others. There are others out there but these are the only "nationally recognized" ones that I am aware of.

Many paramedics take one of the aforementioned courses as part of their preparation for the FP-C or CCP-C exams, but again, they are not required.


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## cointosser13 (Aug 3, 2015)

What is the interview process like? And also, what tests do you have to go through to show that you're compentent enough in your skills and knowledge? Do you test in front of MDs and given a scenerio where you have to explain what you would do?


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## tydek07 (Aug 4, 2015)

cointosser13 said:


> What is the interview process like? And also, what tests do you have to go through to show that you're compentent enough in your skills and knowledge? Do you test in front of MDs and given a scenerio where you have to explain what you would do?



The process of getting hired where I work is very intense. Please remember this is where I work and it may differ elsewhere. It should give you an idea tho.

The first step, after applying, is to take a multiple choice test. The questions range from BLS to Critical Care. They give the same test to everyone that applies and use the results to place you. If you place high enough you will then be granted an interview. The interview will be with the Director of Operations, Chief Flight Nurse, Medical Director (ours is a trauma surgeon), and a couple members of the flight team. If they like the test and interview results you will be offered a probationary position. After accepting the position you will be placed on probation for a month. For this month you will ride as a third medical crew member. They will also require you to complete several hours of online education, along with hands on training during this time. (This was one of the most intense months of my life.) After that month is up you will then be required to complete an Flight Readiness Review. This is a two hour "test". The Medical Director, Director of Operations, Chief Flight Nurse, and Chief Flight Paramedic will drill you. You be tested on your overall knowledge and skills... scenarios, setting up and using equipment, protocols and policies, etc. If they like what they see you will then be given the job! Yay!

For the next 6 months, to one year, you will attend multiple advanced courses and training sessions. They have timelines in place for you to complete everything. They also require you to be FP-C within two years of hire.

Don't let what I have said discourage you. The process is set up like it is for a reason. It will let you know if you are ready. If your'e ready, great! If not, you learn from the experience, fix what needs to be fixed, and reapply. They know not everyone will make it the first time through. If they see you are trying and have improved they will gladly give you another chance in the future.


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## exodus (Aug 4, 2015)

My god. I haven't seen you in forever Dek.  You going to stay around?  And shouldn't you be enjoying your vacation right now!


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## CANMAN (Aug 4, 2015)

I applaud you for volunteering to answer additional questions. I feel like Remi and I have answered the same questions, multiple times. I also commonly refer people over to Flight Web, as a lot of the topics have already been answered there as well.


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## Household6 (Aug 8, 2015)

What's the height/weight restrictions for employees? Patients? 

I don't know if I'd like HEMS just because it seems like all the dirty work is done when we transfer care.. We have lines started, CATs applied, ETs inserted, RSI achieved, or we've already done our needle decompression, applied dressings..Our critters don't do extrication, everything is ready for them when they land. _Do you do much care on scenes? Or is it already done?_

We're lucky, my service has 5 choppers at our disposal, I probably get to do more hot loads than most.. I did my academy with the new Air Care hires -RNs and CCPs, so I spent 2 weeks in a classroom listening to our director (also a trauma surgeon) lecture and teach and Power Point about paralytics, sedatives and pain control. _I couldn't help but wonder if that's the majority of their tasks? RSI and pain control? Respectfully speaking, how dirty do you actually get?_


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## CANMAN (Aug 9, 2015)

Height and weight restrictions will depend on the program, and typically what airframe they're flying in. My program has all Airbus H145's and former EC135's. We are limited to a height of no greater than 6 foot 2 inches, and a weight of 210lbs. Generally our program will do up to 400lbs in a EC135, depending on girth, and we just recently transported a 786lb patient in one of our H145's, which I was a part of for that transfer. Although that type of weight isn't typical, and does take some additional planning and equipment to be done safely, we do it.

On scenes it can be a bit more difficult because we don't get patient information or weight prior to landing in most cases. If we need to we can always ditch our spare seat, equipment, our second litter, and have the pilot burn fuel if we arrive on a scene and the patient is extremely obese. Factor's like summer temperatures, fuel load, and crew weight will all play into how much we can take, we brief those factors at the start of the shift, and make adjustments as needed.

As far as skills done on scene runs, it really depends on the area and services the air medical vendor is servicing. If the majority of the services are like what you described, then chances are they aren't doing much and are just a fast/expensive ride to the hospital. In the area I fly in, the ground services do not have RSI, so typically when we are called the providers are calling for that capability. They also have extended ground transport times, and we have an expanded scope and pharmacological inventory, blood and FFP on the aircraft vs. the ground services, so all of that comes into play. I have been to scenes where there is an extended extrication, or special rescue scenario (man vs. train) and we are right there in the sauce providing care, so it just depends. We also do medical scene runs, so for example we might start a Nitro infusion and titrate during transport, give Metoprolol, and start remote ischemic conditioning, where the ground service can only given SL NTG.

Before I started flying I worked for the fire department, and did critical care transport. I still work fire department part-time. With that being said, I have seen my share of scene calls, and am kinda over the "thrill and excitement" part of it, so I could really care less what we fly and go pickup. Our inter-facility transfers are generally much sicker, and require more interventions then MOST of our scene patients. There's obviously only so much you can do in trauma, they need cold steel and bright lights, neither of which we have in the aircraft.

There are a tons of remote programs that are doing central line placement, chest tube insertion, etc. Just really depends on the capabilities of the ground services, transport distances, and need for such skills. I would say we are middle of the road for skills, protocols, and transport times, compared to most programs.


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## Angel (Aug 9, 2015)

The question I want to know, but no one ever answers is pay. What is it? I know it'll vary area to area but ball park? More or less than ground? Pay DOE? How are raises and shifts?  Do you alternate calls with the RN? You run scene calls, RN does transports? How does all of that work? Can you RSI?
Thanks in advance


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## CANMAN (Aug 9, 2015)

Angel said:


> The question I want to know, but no one ever answers is pay. What is it? I know it'll vary area to area but ball park? More or less than ground? Pay DOE? How are raises and shifts?  Do you alternate calls with the RN? You run scene calls, RN does transports? How does all of that work? Can you RSI?
> Thanks in advance



Again, a lot of these questions are going to depend on the area you work in, so keep that in mind, however I would say pay for most places might come in around the ground services wages, or a bit less. Unfortunately the thing with most flight programs is the applicant process and pool is super competitive. Therefore they can pay people less money to do the job because a lot of people just want to fly. Why pay people 30 an hour when you have 150 applications and a lot of those people are willing to do it for 20. It's certainly not a career you are going to get rich at, but neither is ground based EMS. If pay is a factor look into Hospital Based services. They typically will pay better, and some are union base, which you can actually make a decent living on. I chose my service for multiple reasons, however because they are a top tier service, and they have that applicant pool, they don't pay well compared to other programs. When you look at my hourly salary I make less then when I graduated paramedic school, but we work 24 hour shifts, I work 8 days a month, and have built in overtime so that helps. There are also plenty of shifts where I get paid and we don't fly, or are down for weather, so I take all of that into account when I look at how much I make vs. how much I am making. I work part-time at the Fire Department to supplement. Raises are yearly, this year 4% merit based. Moral of the story if your looking at flight for money, you're doing it for the wrong reasons, and putting your safety potentially at risk to go with a higher paying program isn't always a great decision either.

As far as alternating calls I am not sure I understand what you're asking? We work as a team and tackle all calls together, and we split the patient care chart. One call I will do care (which is basically all skills/interventions, patient packaging, etc) while the RN obtained report, paperwork, etc, then we switch for the next flight. RN and Medics are equal provider's in my system, there isn't anything one person does the other can't. Our protocols are universal, and during orientation people are trained to the level that we should be able to remove our nametags and the sending facility shouldn't be able to pick out who the nurse is and who is the medic. It works well for us. Medics generally will orient with an RN, and RN's orient with medics, which does a good job in bridging the gaps in knowledge deficits. We discuss at the beginning of the shift where each provider is with intubation requirements for the quarter, that way we know who will be the first to tube if we get a mission where the patient requires intubation. All provider's are RSI qualified prior to completion of orientation, with a difficult airway course, a minimum of 12 live intubations, and 2 pediatric intubations prior to graduation, quarterly O.R. time requirements there after.


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## tydek07 (Aug 9, 2015)

Angel said:


> The question I want to know, but no one ever answers is pay. What is it? I know it'll vary area to area but ball park? More or less than ground? Pay DOE? How are raises and shifts?  Do you alternate calls with the RN? You run scene calls, RN does transports? How does all of that work? Can you RSI?
> Thanks in advance



I am going to echo everything CANMAN said.

My wage is a little less then I made on the streets. I make more per hour but work less hours. There are not the opportunities to work work overtime like on the streets. As CANMAN said, flight services know they can pay less and still find applicants. If you don't like the wage there are 50 more people that will. As with anything EMS related, you don't do it for the money.

Every call is run as a team. At the end of training, the flight medic and the flight nurse should be able to do each other's responsibilities. Having said that, there will always be certain things that one is better at then the other due to prior experience. That is why flight services run a nurse/medic team.


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 9, 2015)

Gotta love our flight medics who have the same exact protocols as every single ground medic.


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## Angel (Aug 10, 2015)

Well I work because I have bills and need the check so I guess you can say I do it for the money. 
Considering you do exactly the same as the nurse but get paid less does seem a but unfair but that is what I suspected. 
I asked because I am considering just doing nursing but I still want to fly (eventually maybe) and am curious what the difference would be, not much from what you all are saying. 

Thanks for the response.


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## NomadicMedic (Aug 10, 2015)

What's the real attraction to flight? There are many ground services that have the same, if not better protocols, do the exact same calls and don't have the risk of the airship crashing. 
Many ground CCT medics also receive excellent pay and benefits packages. 

Is the just "the helicopter" that makes it attractive? I'll admit, when I was younger, the excitement of seeing Hartford Hospital LifeFlight do a scene call was pretty cool, after becoming a medic and running a large number of calls, the excitement and allure of the flight job wore off pretty quickly.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 10, 2015)

DE you are hitting the nail on the head...one which many people will attempt to deny or justify. At the end of the day, there is a need to have the ego stroked. Absolutely, in our field there are some with bigger egos than others...however the fact remains very few people enter medicine on a totally altruistic concept.

There is nothing wrong with this. If you are providing competent, high quality care...revel in your ego. Some do not know how to revel in private, they project it too far and too loud...but we deal with those types as well. Trauma surgeons being at the top. 

A lot of what I did in my life and my career was all about making me feel better. Patients benefited from it, but it truly was all about me and how it made me feel. I enjoy providing healthcare, I truly do. I love chaos and making everything as controlled as possible by rapid decision making and delegation and oversight. This makes me happy. EMS gave me that. When I felt tapped out in EMS, I moved onto flight. Flight brought new demands, new challenges. I had to elevate my game and learn more. 

The pay was not much more and in some places it was less...so I went extreme remote. It was status. I did not mind being "at the top". I was decent at what I did, by no means was I great. So many others were better than me...but I was still flying! 

So in short...majority of people fail to admit that they are human. Obviously I have no data to support this, just years of observations and my own self analysis.

The allure of flight was status and ego. It made me feel good and pushed me to keep getting better.


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 10, 2015)

Angel said:


> Well I work because I have bills and need the check so I guess you can say I do it for the money.
> *Considering you do exactly the same as the nurse but get paid less does seem a but unfair but that is what I suspected*.
> I asked because I am considering just doing nursing but I still want to fly (eventually maybe) and am curious what the difference would be, not much from what you all are saying.



It isn't the least bit unfair; it is basic supply/demand economics. For numerous reasons, it isn't uncommon to have 25 or 50 or more applicants for a single flight paramedic opening, and maybe 5 applicants for a flight nurse opening at the same company. Flight RN's are a much scarcer resource, so they are more valuable than flight paramedics and are thus paid more.



DEmedic said:


> *What's the real attraction to flight?* There are many ground services that have the same, if not better protocols, do the exact same calls and don't have the risk of the airship crashing.
> Many ground CCT medics also receive excellent pay and benefits packages.
> 
> Is the just "the helicopter" that makes it attractive? I'll admit, when I was younger, the excitement of seeing Hartford Hospital LifeFlight do a scene call was pretty cool, after becoming a medic and running a large number of calls, the excitement and allure of the flight job wore off pretty quickly.



You could ask that about any career choice. Why is a trauma surgeon attracted to that instead of just doing non-emergent ortho or general surgery? Why do EM physicians choose that rather than family practice? Why does a criminal defense attorney or prosecutor do that instead of corporate regulatory law?

When I got into HEMS early in my career, there was a huge difference between HEMS and ground EMS in terms of protocols, educational and training opportunities, patient acuity, etc in my region. The difference between being a ground medic and flight medic was like the difference between working for a private ambulance company that does mainly dialysis transfers and working for a really high-speed, progressive 911 only service. It's still like that in many areas. I even got paid a little more and when I wasn't on a flight, I got to sleep in a bed rather than posting on street corners in the ghetto.

Along with all that does come some status, and if I said that often being treated like the rock stars of the medical world had nothing to do with my attraction to the job I'd be lying.....but it really was only part of why I liked it. I never was one of those types who wore my flight suit out in public as much as possible so that everyone would know what I did. It was mainly the better training, better protocols, higher expectations, lower volume but much higher patient acuity........what's not to love about that? Even if you could somehow have taken the status away completely, I'd still have liked flying much better than ground.

Anyway, it didn't take long before I learned to truly enjoy the work for the sake of the work. A lot of people find trauma to become boring; I became more and more interested in it. I developed a true interest in prehospital airway management and analgesia. I learned to love helicopters and aviation. Working for a HEMS program that covered a huge rural area, I got to routinely do and see some really interesting stuff over the years that I very well may never have working ground, or maybe would have only a few times in a whole career.

HEMS is substantially different than ground CCT, so it's entirely possible to really enjoy one and not care much for the other. As far as safety, HEMS definitely has some important issues to work out, but I'm not sure that it's statistically that much more dangerous than working ground 911.

Anyway, I think I'm reminiscing and rambling more in this post than I am providing a coherent answer to the question. So I'll finish by saying that the industry has changed a lot since I first got into it 15 years ago. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't find it nearly as satisfying getting into it now.


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## CANMAN (Aug 10, 2015)

I completely echo every single one of Remi's points, and many of those are the reason I left my full time FD job. I was burned out and over the 911 calls, and had always enjoyed the acuity that came with critical care transport. In my area the ground services protocols are no where near the same levels HEMS is in the area. The education and training is top notch and much more frequent with my program. I also enjoy the people I work with more then any other job I have ever had. Everyone is held to the same standard, truly, and if you can't cut the mustard after sufficient training then your cut. It's nice to truly be able to count on your partner and know they have a minimal competency level, and you know exactly what that is. I never found that within any EMS or transport job. There were always the "bottom of the barrel" providers, if you will, who somehow always just scraped by, and the was tolerated.

Most of all I wanted a change in scenery but also wanted to continue to do something I knew I was good at. It had nothing to do with ego, or looking cool, I have had much cooler jobs earlier in life, and I put my pants on like everyone else, however I wanted to be in a new environment with new challenges.

I make it a point to learn something new about the aircraft or weather each shift, and now I see my interest for aviation maybe turning into a career later down the road. As Remi pointed out, and I agree, operational challenges are present and you may have to learn of different ways to do things, or take a more proactive approach and worry about the "what ifs" vs. just 5 more minutes to the ER in 911. I also completely agree that sadly (for ground ems)  we are treated like gold everywhere we go vs. treated like dookie the very next day when I work part time fire department. Good question DEmedic


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## epipusher (Aug 10, 2015)

Rockstars? Its a flying IFT truck.


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 10, 2015)

epipusher said:


> Rockstars? Its a flying IFT truck.


Is that still true when 80% of your calls are scene flights and your protocols are well above and beyond the ground protocols in the region?


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 10, 2015)

Remi said:


> Is that still true when 80% of your calls are scene flights and your protocols are well above and beyond the ground protocols in the region?



Our STEMI protocols are greater than Starflight's


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## STXmedic (Aug 10, 2015)

teedubbyaw said:


> Our STEMI protocols are greater than Starflight's


Does Starflight even make medical runs....


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 10, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> Does Starflight even make medical runs....



Absolutely. We have a lot of rural areas where transport by ground is up to an hour, not including if we hit Austin traffic.


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## Household6 (Aug 10, 2015)

I've seen one of our HEMS crew push nurses aside in the ER and take over their crash cart.. Even though they *do* get paid a lot less for the same job, our air crews really command respect from HCPs. Probably because they walk into the ER like dis:







My FTO did HEMS for a long time but switched back to ground full time. Our service separates seniority lists between Air and Ground. He wanted to get seniority.. But my stars, he's brilliant. Protocols and skills are the same for him, and he was a good resource for their equipment. Vents and pumps are different on the chopper, during pt transfers he's able to pull his probies in the bird and run through their set ups. Greatest FTO ever.


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## TXmed (Aug 10, 2015)

as far as the protocol thing goes. its not that HEMS has so much different protocols, its that what they can do they do well. there are plenty of services that can hang multiple pressors, RSI, vent management and all that good stuff but typically HEMS crews do it more often and have more practice & training at it.


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## CANMAN (Aug 10, 2015)

teedubbyaw said:


> Our STEMI protocols are greater than Starflight's



So you're talking about one program, and comparing your protocols to them...... Is your ground service also doing fire supression, rescue swimming, and hoist evolutions, because STAR Flight is.... They are also doing FAST exams and ultrasound guided line placement, is that in your scope? Every program will have variations in the protocols and care they are providing. What is so advanced about your "STEMI Protocol" that they aren't doing? This isn't a "who has the most aggressive protocol" thread. It was a thread for people that had legit questions. We have already established that in some regions the protocols are the same, and in others, like mine, our HEMS protocols are way more advanced then the ground services we provide to. So I am not exactly sure what your point is?


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 10, 2015)

Calm your tits. I was giving one example in regards to a previous post. 

ATCEMS has rescue medics that have a ton of training in different areas, but their medical protocols still suck. 

You may go be seated back on your throne.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 10, 2015)

Wowsers...someone has "non-ego" issues...


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## TXmed (Aug 10, 2015)

teedubbyaw said:


> Calm your tits. I was giving one example in regards to a previous post.
> 
> ATCEMS has rescue medics that have a ton of training in different areas, but their medical protocols still suck.
> 
> You may go be seated back on your throne.



Wow... Just because there protocols aren't as aggressive as others doesn't mean they suck. It's about how you use your protocols.


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 10, 2015)

TXmed said:


> Wow... Just because there protocols aren't as aggressive as others doesn't mean they suck. It's about how you use your protocols.



It's never been a secret that their medics aren't trusted to do much. Lol


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## Handsome Robb (Aug 10, 2015)

teedubbyaw said:


> It's never been a secret that their medics aren't trusted to do much. Lol



One of our TEMS and Flight guys went to STARFlight in February. He's a certified badass both medically and in everything else he does. 

His partner was the RN who died this year unfortunately. He was off that night though.


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 10, 2015)

Handsome Robb said:


> One of our TEMS and Flight guys went to STARFlight in February. He's a certified badass both medically and in everything else he does.
> 
> His partner was the RN who died this year unfortunately. He was off that night though.



You know I was talking about ATCEMS, right? Starflight rocks.


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## cruiseforever (Aug 11, 2015)

teedubbyaw said:


> Our STEMI protocols are greater than Starflight's


 
What are your STEMI protocols?


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## Tigger (Aug 11, 2015)

I like this thread. In effort to keep it rolling, I've removed some posts that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Try being civil, you (all) just may like it.


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## triemal04 (Aug 11, 2015)

epipusher said:


> Rockstars? Its a flying IFT truck.


If you can ever find a flight medic/RN, sit down with them and get them to be honest, it can make for an eye opening conversation for a lot of people.  Rotary-wing EMS is unregulated (aside from the FAA and the occasional state that requires a company show "need" before opening a base; though "need" is a loose term usually) and far, far, far overstaffed.  As a helicopter and crew are not cheap to maintain, this leads to companies flying for every patient they are called about, advertising themselves as available for any type of patient, and sometimes flying in weather that they shouldn't.  Which in turn leads to patients being flown who don't actually have a need for a helicopter, let alone any type of critical care.  Which may or may not even be available, depending on the specific company.  Find a flight provider who is being honest and without an ego, and that's what they'll tell you; most patients who are flown don't need it and don't get much more than standard care. 

Now believe me, there are exceptions to this; as large as the US is, plenty of exceptions I'd guess.  It'll depend a lot of the specific geography, population density, and the available medical resources that are found in each specific area.

And I'm sure that all the people here only worked for one of the exceptions.


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 11, 2015)

triemal04 said:


> If you can ever find a flight medic/RN, sit down with them and get them to be honest, it can make for an eye opening conversation for a lot of people.  Rotary-wing EMS is unregulated (aside from the FAA and the occasional state that requires a company show "need" before opening a base; though "need" is a loose term usually) and far, far, far overstaffed.  As a helicopter and crew are not cheap to maintain, this leads to companies flying for every patient they are called about, advertising themselves as available for any type of patient, and sometimes flying in weather that they shouldn't.  Which in turn leads to patients being flown who don't actually have a need for a helicopter, let alone any type of critical care.  Which may or may not even be available, depending on the specific company.  Find a flight provider who is being honest and without an ego, and that's what they'll tell you; most patients who are flown don't need it and don't get much more than standard care.
> 
> Now believe me, there are exceptions to this; as large as the US is, plenty of exceptions I'd guess.  It'll depend a lot of the specific geography, population density, and the available medical resources that are found in each specific area.
> 
> And I'm sure that all the people here only worked for one of the exceptions.



Over-utilization in HEMS has always been an issue - just like it is with ground ALS - and it has gotten much worse since the early 2000's, when the American HEMS fleet has roughly tripled in size (with the majority of the newer HEMS bases concentrated around urban centers, FWIW).

It is also true that a majority of transports are not life-threatening; this has been proven in the literature repeatedly. I've commented numerous times on this forum about the lowering of "average patient acuity" and thus experience levels among both HEMS crew members and ground paramedics due to increasing numbers of paramedics and helicopters.

That said, the type of really underhanded practices alluded to here are really only common among a few (albeit large) community-based, corporate programs. A majority of programs don't operate that way. That's why in any of the numerous other threads on this forum where I replied to questions about getting into HEMS, I always say that it's very hard to get into a _quality _program. It's not necessarily that hard to get a job with one of the bottom-feeders.



triemal04 said:


> And I'm sure that all the people here only worked for one of the exceptions.



I always love the snipes from the sideline experts. Contributes so much to the discussion.

Maybe Epipusher and triemal04 should just start a thread called "*Never Been* a Flight Paramedic, But Still Ask Me Anything."


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## epipusher (Aug 11, 2015)

Ninja edit for niceness. Sideline? Sure. Lets go with that.


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## chaz90 (Aug 11, 2015)

I didn't read triemal's post as particularly snarky. He even mentioned that not all programs do this, but I think this may be true more often than we want to admit. I see what I think of as "quality" programs that are extremely serious about safety and weather parameters still willing to take any patient to any logistically feasible destination. I understand that from the bottom line perspective, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating to see them take a BLS patient from a scene when ambulances are available or a stable, conscious, and likely non surgical head bleed with a saline lock in place.


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## triemal04 (Aug 11, 2015)

Remi said:


> Over-utilization in HEMS has always been an issue - just like it is with ground ALS - and it has gotten much worse since the early 2000's, when the American HEMS fleet has roughly tripled in size (with the majority of the newer HEMS bases concentrated around urban centers, FWIW).
> 
> It is also true that a majority of transports are not life-threatening; this has been proven in the literature repeatedly. I've commented numerous times on this forum about the lowering of "average patient acuity" and thus experience levels among both HEMS crew members and ground paramedics due to increasing numbers of paramedics and helicopters.


I'm glad you agree.  It is a major problem with the cause being rooted in several factors, none of which are very likely to change anytime soon.  A large part of the issue is still not just the number of rotary-wing companies, but that companies are being requested (both from the scene and by hospitals) to take patients who don't have a real need for a helicopter, and then agreeing to take those patients.  Granted, this is due in part to the amount of competition, as well as the cost of running a company.  The more this happens, and the more people (both in and out of the hospital) continue to request a helo without thinking about if one is actually needed, or having the ability to really determine if one is needed, and then get that helo, the longer this pattern will continue.



> That said, the type of really underhanded practices alluded to here are really only common among a few (albeit large) community-based, corporate programs. A majority of programs don't operate that way. That's why in any of the numerous other threads on this forum where I replied to questions about getting into HEMS, I always say that it's very hard to get into a _quality _program. It's not necessarily that hard to get a job with one of the bottom-feeders.


Really underhanded?  If you mean pushing the envelope for weather conditions I certainly hope so, and to be fair my personal opinion is that doesn't happen a huge amount.  If you mean not refusing to take patients who don't have a medical need...well...not so much.



> I always love the snipes from the sideline experts. Contributes so much to the discussion.
> 
> Maybe Epipusher and triemal04 should just start a thread called "*Never Been* a Flight Paramedic, But Still Ask Me Anything."


Actually, if you can check your ego at the door I think you'll find that you don't have a lot to be upset about.  Given that you actually AGREED with most of my assessment of the situation...is it just that a non-flight medic is pointing out current problems with rotary-wing EMS?

I know that across the US there are plenty of good rotary-wing EMS companies that are nothing like what I'm talking about.  There are plenty that, as I said, depending on the area's geography, population density, available medical resources and local competition will be quite different from lesser companies.  Just like I know that when flight medic's and RN's are able to check their ego's and be truthful they'll agree with what I said.


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## SandpitMedic (Aug 12, 2015)

Man, when I saw this post, and saw it was already at 4 pages I initially thought it was going to be a gold mine of information.

Turns out, it's got a few good insightful and educational posts, but mostly just a bunch of sniping back and forth. I think the OP wasn't looking for his post to go this route.

Problems are everywhere in EMS... Can this thread get back to being informational?


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## CANMAN (Aug 12, 2015)

SandpitMedic said:


> Man, when I saw this post, and saw it was already at 4 pages I initially thought it was going to be a gold mine of information.
> 
> Turns out, it's got a few good insightful and educational posts, but mostly just a bunch of sniping back and forth. I think the OP wasn't looking for his post to go this route.
> 
> Problems are everywhere in EMS... Can this thread get back to being informational?



Completely agree. If anyone has question's ask away. I am sure the OP, Remi, and I would like to get it back on track as well.


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## SandpitMedic (Aug 12, 2015)

Coincidentally, at the time I wrote that I was taking a break from studying CAMTS and my ResQ Shop modules. Been studying for a few months intermittently, but most recently hitting it hard - 2-3 a day for the last 2 weeks. I have the ACE book and Faudree's Study Guide. I am sitting the FP-C in two weeks -expensive little buggar, $435. Getting ready to "rock and roll!"


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## Scott33 (Aug 12, 2015)

SandpitMedic said:


> Coincidentally, at the time I wrote that I was taking a break from studying CAMTS and my ResQ Shop modules. Been studying for a few months intermittently, but most recently hitting it hard - 2-3 a day for the last 2 weeks. I have the ACE book and Faudree's Study Guide. I am sitting the FP-C in two weeks -expensive little buggar, $435. Getting ready to "rock and roll!"



I am sure the above is sufficient to pass. Good luck.


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## SandpitMedic (Aug 12, 2015)

Scott33 said:


> I am sure the above is sufficient to pass. Good luck.


Thanks


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## YoungMedic (Aug 20, 2015)

good info so far


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 21, 2015)

Can't remember if this article has already been posted on this forum, but it is germane to the discussion either way:

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/10...s-disparity-aviation-medical-proficiency.html


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## Run with scissors (Aug 21, 2015)

weight requirements for FP? i would like head in that direction with my career. but im 6'4 and im a gym rat with some meat on me.


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## tydek07 (Aug 21, 2015)

Run with scissors said:


> weight requirements for FP? i would like head in that direction with my career. but im 6'4 and im a gym rat with some meat on me.


Weight is service dependent. A lot of factors go into what they allow their crew to weigh. We operate an EC145 and our weight requirement is 240lbs. Very few of our crew members are close to weighing that, but that is where is it set. After talking with others it seems our weight requirement is higher then a lot out there.


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## CANMAN (Aug 21, 2015)

tydek07 said:


> Weight is service dependent. A lot of factors go into what they allow their crew to weigh. We operate an EC145 and our weight requirement is 240lbs. Very few of our crew members are close to weighing that, but that is where is it set. After talking with others it seems our weight requirement is higher then a lot out there.



For sure, my program is 210lbs, which is tough for alot of guys because if you're tall you better be lean as hell. Other programs around my area are 225lbs. 

tydek07, does your program have weight restriction for the pilots?


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## tydek07 (Aug 21, 2015)

CANMAN, The 240lbs is for everyone, including the pilots.


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## TransportJockey (Aug 21, 2015)

210-240 seems standard with rotor from what I've seen. My fixed wing service had no limit, as do some other fixed wing only operations. Life flight around here is 260, which is the highest rotor limit I've seen


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## YoungMedic (Aug 21, 2015)

So i decided last year about furthering my carrer in some direction.  I have been working as a Firefighter for 11 years, been paramedic for the last 5 and EMT before that.  I got into the fire service intially because of the EMS aspect that is asociated with it.  I love EMS, love medical and trauma.  But really wanted to expand my knowledge, want to teach others, be the person people could count on.  So i told myself get another job in the hospital setting, (behind the look, kinda thing)  I now have been working as a EKG tech for a year for one hospital, and ER tech for another hospital.  Im still on the fence rather to go flight medic or nursing.  But FCP is the real reason i have been taking the leeps to increase my skills.  i bought a flight medic review book, which i honestly havent really dove into much.  Some of it is over my head.  I Will be attending conferences when i can, and prep class for CCP and FCP this year. 
The fire department i currently work for is not a big department, 2 stations, about 750 calls a year.
My questions are:
Should i try CCP ground before pursuing Flight?, is ground experience requried ?

Would the jobs i currently have be looked at in a positive way for later applying for FCP jobs ?

Should i just get a part time job with the local ambulance company? (AMR) it doesnt have the best reputaion for this area.

Also thought about getting my AA in paramedicine, would that help ?

Im worried that my lack of actually working on a ambulance might hurt me.
Arizona is where i reside.

thanks!!


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## CANMAN (Aug 22, 2015)

YoungMedic said:


> So i decided last year about furthering my carrer in some direction.  I have been working as a Firefighter for 11 years, been paramedic for the last 5 and EMT before that.  I got into the fire service intially because of the EMS aspect that is asociated with it.  I love EMS, love medical and trauma.  But really wanted to expand my knowledge, want to teach others, be the person people could count on.  So i told myself get another job in the hospital setting, (behind the look, kinda thing)  I now have been working as a EKG tech for a year for one hospital, and ER tech for another hospital.  Im still on the fence rather to go flight medic or nursing.  But FCP is the real reason i have been taking the leeps to increase my skills.  i bought a flight medic review book, which i honestly havent really dove into much.  Some of it is over my head.  I Will be attending conferences when i can, and prep class for CCP and FCP this year.
> The fire department i currently work for is not a big department, 2 stations, about 750 calls a year.
> My questions are:
> Should i try CCP ground before pursuing Flight?, is ground experience requried ?
> ...



I will give you my honest but blunt opinion, and everyone's may vary some.

- A degree will never hurt for any job in which you are competing against a lot of people with similar looking resumes. There are a huge number of applications for a finite number of positions with most programs, and a lot of those applicants will likely have some sort of degree. That being said I would not waste your time with an AA in Emergency Health Science (Paramedicine), read the rest of my points.

- From what you described it sounds like you are firefighter who is cross-trained and does both EMS and fire? Based off your call volume there it sounds fairly slow, however your acuity might be higher then some. Generally most HEMS programs want 3-5 years minimum in a busy EMS system. In my personal opinion if being a Flight Paramedic is your goal I would ditch the EKG and ED tech job for a private job doing some sort of critical care transport to build on your 911 time. Your scope is likely limited in most hospital tech jobs, and as a Paramedic interviewing for a Flight Paramedic position it would be assumed you should know your EKG's and that position is not much of a benefit in my opinion.

-Conference and education is certainly a great thing, and I encourage you to continue in both of those, however the experience and your personality is what is going to land you a job, not the certifications. There are two trains of thought with a critical care cert like FP-C. It's certainly a great thing to have, but if your resume doesn't read as someone who has that experience to back up the credential then you're just a good test taker in a lot of programs eyes. Some places look at it as they don't have to take a risk on someone passing it later down the road, and look at it as taking initiative. I typically buy into the first train of thought on this subject when I am sitting down with candidates during interviews.

My suggestion, go to nursing school, and that is coming from a Flight Paramedic who has no desire to become a nurse. Reason being is you like working in the hospital, have voiced interest in getting a degree, and it will afford you a flight position down the road, but many more options later in life. Keep your EMT-P current and be a dual provider, some programs require both, and it's always attractive even if they don't. It will pay you more, you will have more opportunities, and will land the same flight position but you will be much further ahead when you're ready to hang up the flight helmet later in life. If you really want to go the medic route, get some transport experience and start applying, but do some research into the industry, safety, and the specific programs you are applying with. Let us know if you have further questions and good luck.


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## YoungMedic (Aug 27, 2015)

Great info and thank you for the insight.

The degree is more for me, being a person that wants to strive for the best in paramedicine.  My FD wont even recognize the degree anyways..
the bonus with it also is the classes required for it are also the pre-req's for nursing school.  So its a win win.

The hospital jobs i "thought" would look good for having hospital experience.  Plus the EKG job i work with RT's who have taught me about ABG's, Vents ect..  But i think its time to look for an CCT type transport gig in the near future.  The plan was to take the CCP-C class in december, hopefully take the test soon after.  My question is, do you have to have ambulance time before being allowed to work on the CCT ?

i will probably end up doing nursing at some point in life.  Already a custom to the hospital life, and thinking like you said it would be the better choice to fall back on later. 

Thanks


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## CANMAN (Aug 28, 2015)

The fact that you're using the hospital job to learn and take that initiative is the important thing. 

When you say "do you have to have ambulance time before doing CCT" are you asking this because you ride the Engine only as a medic and have no 911 medic experience? I am trying to get a gasp on exactly what expierence you have as a medic on a unit....


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## YoungMedic (Aug 28, 2015)

Firefighter/Medic running on a engine. 
Only medic on my shift for the past 5 years. 
 Theres Only one ambulance company in town. AMR who does our transports.


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## CANMAN (Aug 30, 2015)

If you have been a medic who is primarily assigned to an engine, and hasn't spent time on an actual transport unit, most flight programs are going to want some other expierence to back that up.

Most private companies will hire though without a ton of expierence and with 5 years as a medic you can surely sell yourself to find a transport job... Find out who does most of the critical care IFT in your area and go apply with them. That will be the most beneficial move I think you could make now to compete for a flight spot down the road, coupled with the additional things we previously discussed. Good luck.


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## SandpitMedic (Sep 7, 2015)

Passed. First time.


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## CANMAN (Sep 8, 2015)

Congrats man!


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## SandpitMedic (Sep 9, 2015)

Thanks man. That test is truly difficult.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 9, 2015)

SandpitMedic said:


> Passed. First time.


Congrats man! It was probably the second hardest I've tsken. Don't wanna have to do it again lol


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## SandpitMedic (Sep 9, 2015)

TransportJockey said:


> Congrats man! It was probably the second hardest I've tsken. Don't wanna have to do it again lol


Thanks.. what was the first?


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## TransportJockey (Sep 9, 2015)

C-NPT. But part of that was due to the narrowness of the material and that it's information isn't as commonly used as the FP-C


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## SandpitMedic (Sep 9, 2015)

oof! Yeah, that's impressive.


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## CANMAN (Sep 9, 2015)

TransportJockey said:


> C-NPT. But part of that was due to the narrowness of the material and that it's information isn't as commonly used as the FP-C



Just out of curiousity did you have any Peds/Neo expierence? I didn't think that exam was terribly difficult but was working on a Neo/Peds flight program at the time..


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## Scott33 (Sep 9, 2015)

The FP-C was certainly a challenging exam, but slightly less so than the CFRN in my opinion- given that I failed that on my first attempt (the day after I passed my initial FP-C).


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## Scott33 (Sep 9, 2015)

SandpitMedic said:


> Passed. First time.



Congratulations.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 10, 2015)

CANMAN said:


> Just out of curiousity did you have any Peds/Neo expierence? I didn't think that exam was terribly difficult but was working on a Neo/Peds flight program at the time..


Just the normal 911 calls and cct pediatric calls. I love pedis though and want to move to workin with them specifically eventually


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## medicaltransient (Sep 14, 2015)

When will there be a sequel to the ACE SAT?


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## CANMAN (Sep 14, 2015)

Sequel for what reasons?


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## TransportJockey (Sep 15, 2015)

CANMAN said:


> Sequel for what reasons?


I wonder if he means an updated edition? That might be useful.


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## SandpitMedic (Jun 12, 2016)

Hey guys. 
I'm looking for info on AMR Flight.

Do we have any AMR Flight medics here?
If so, is it run like most of AMR or is it in line with other providers in regards to scheduling/pay/mgmt?


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## akflightmedic (Jun 12, 2016)

Hey buddy...I can put you in touch with the #1 guy in CO and the #1 guy in FL. You know where to reach me...

FYI, the guy in CO is actually #1 for the entire AMR program.


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