# Balboa Ambulance - San Diego



## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Hey guys, 
First post   I scored an interview with Balboa in a couple days, I just wanted to see if anyone currently works there or has been through their process recently and can give me any pointers.  He said it's just an interview and there isn't a test (yet.. I'm assuming) and that I should bring a copy of my credentials.  Do most applicants wear suits? Or will a button up with a tie and slacks do just fine?  This will be my first EMT interview.  Also, if I get the job.. how does the training work for the company?

On a side note.. I need to run down to the DMV tomorrow to get my ambulance driver's license.. it's the only thing I don't have yet and I was not expecting a response back from a company so soon, lol.  Any pointers for this?  If I don't have my ambulance license before the interview do you think it'll go against me? Going to try hard to get it before then either way so..

Really.. any info is golden.  Thanks in advance.


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## Chan (Mar 13, 2012)

I wear a fitted button up and slacks. Some wear a tie, some don't. Personal preference. But it is EMT work and its oversaturated, so make yourself stand out somehow. 

As for the ambulance drivers certificate, get it done asap. It's easier than you think.


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## sdadam (Mar 13, 2012)

Care Ambulance is hiring in San Diego as well. They are the largest BLS provider in the county, you should go by and fill out an app.

9770 Candida Street
San Diego, CA 92126

There is a written test, and they are doing interviews this week.


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## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Thank you, to the both of you 

I had looked online for Care's application previously and couldn't find it.. guess I gotta do it the old-fashioned way 

Also woke up to an email from Pacific Ambulance today as well, they are doing interviews next Thursday.. I've had my eye on that company, I think I'd prefer it.


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

I was just hired by pacific/bowers ambulance last friday. I wore a long sleeve button up with dress pants and shoes. Had the oral part, they review ur certs and driving record. One of the guys who got hired with me didnt have his ics 100 yet but they just told him to get it done before training which starts monday 3/19/2012. All the people i interviewed with were awesome, very up front about everything. Seems like its gonna be a great company to work for. Goodluck


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## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Congratulations on being hired at pacific 

What did oral part of the process consist of? Just an interview? Or verbal skills/situations?


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## Chan (Mar 13, 2012)

Rolo47 said:


> I was just hired by pacific/bowers ambulance last friday. I wore a long sleeve button up with dress pants and shoes. Had the oral part, they review ur certs and driving record. One of the guys who got hired with me didnt have his ics 100 yet but they just told him to get it done before training which starts monday 3/19/2012. All the people i interviewed with were awesome, very up front about everything. Seems like its gonna be a great company to work for. Goodluck



See you on Monday


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

Haha right on!


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

Essent said:


> Congratulations on being hired at pacific
> 
> What did oral part of the process consist of? Just an interview? Or verbal skills/situations?



They asked me to describe myself, asked me why i wanted to join there company, asked where i see myself in 5 years, and how do i plan on getting there. And then they ask the one that everyone hates haha the "Whats something you dislike about yourself and how do you plan on getting over it?" but yea, just be confident and let em know that ur gonna be wanting to stay with there company for awhile and you should be good:beerchug:


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## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Sounds like my kinda place. So there wasn't a skill tests? I wonder if that's something incorporated into their training?

Btw thanks for the great info!


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

Essent said:


> Sounds like my kinda place. So there wasn't a skill tests? I wonder if that's something incorporated into their training?
> 
> Btw thanks for the great info!



Thats what im assuming, its 4 days of training from 0800-1700 in long beach. Im sure theyl cover everything there. And no prob!


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## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Any idea what the starting EMT pay is for pacific or balboa ?  Or the shift length ?


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

Essent said:


> Any idea what the starting EMT pay is for pacific or balboa ?  Or the shift length ?



Well first off ima say i dont think anyone becomes an EMT for the money lol that being said it depends on the length of your shifts...im on a 4 days a week, 10hr shifts from the morn till evening and i believe im starting at 10.58. But i know 12 hr shifts get 9 something. Hope that helps


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## exodus (Mar 13, 2012)

Rolo47 said:


> Well first off ima say i dont think anyone becomes an EMT for the money lol that being said it depends on the length of your shifts...im on a 4 days a week, 10hr shifts from the morn till evening and i believe im starting at 10.58. But i know 12 hr shifts get 9 something. Hope that helps



Why does a BLS IFT company need skills testing?


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## Essent (Mar 13, 2012)

Thank you, Rolo.. and I know nobody gets excited about EMT pay.. just thought I'd tap you for info 

I was more curious about the schedule, TBH. I have an interview with Balboa on Thursday, and another interview with Pacific next Thursday.. I would prefer Pacific, but God knows I'll take what I can get!

Wish me luck fellas, and if you guys have any further information or insight to share.. I've been up and down these forums and I'm still thirsty for it 


Thanks!


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## Rolo47 (Mar 13, 2012)

exodus said:


> Why does a BLS IFT company need skills testing?



I honestly dont know...we do them when we test out for the national but i dont see us using them too much for ift companies....always good to stay fresh with it though


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## VCEMT (Mar 13, 2012)

Why skills? So that they can see if you can handle a stressful situation. You may be doing IFTs, however, if a patient goes critical or codes on you... Are you gonna panic and spin or do some business? It may lead to the company being sued for hiring a dumbass that let a patient die, without doing something. Do you wanna be the :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: that shows up to dialysis with a dead body? Because, you were too busy Facebooking?


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## adamjh3 (Mar 14, 2012)

VCEMT said:


> Why skills? So that they can see if you can handle a stressful situation. You may be doing IFTs, however, if a patient goes critical or codes on you... Are you gonna panic and spin or do some business? It may lead to the company being sued for hiring a dumbass that let a patient die, without doing something. Do you wanna be the :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: that shows up to dialysis with a dead body? Because, you were too busy Facebooking?



This.

IFT is no less important than 911, and patients can be as sick or sicker. 

What if you end up working stand by at a sporting event, and every single time you have a patient you have no clue what you're doing


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## Akulahawk (Mar 14, 2012)

adamjh3 said:


> This.
> 
> IFT is no less important than 911, and* patients can be as sick or sicker*.
> 
> What if you end up working stand by at a sporting event, and every single time you have a patient you have no clue what you're doing


That's my experience doing IFT. IFT can also be, in a way, more important than 911 because for every patient you transport out of the hospital, you free up a bed for someone who needs it. 

Many times, IFT can open your eyes to how people with different disease processes present their various signs and symptoms in a way that's normally less stressful. You get to start correlating medical problems and history with the common meds for them. You'd be amazed how often you might just catch something missing from a patient's history but they're on meds for that missing "something." 

I always learned to approach every call, regardless of location, as if the patient needs to go to the hospital or stay there. They have to "prove" they're stable and fall within what I expect them to be. I have refused transports because the patient wasn't appropriate for transport by me at that time. I can always slow down, but it's hard to speed up if I'm starting off slowly.  And yes, I did always take my gear in with me all the time, even with discharge patients, because my own gear is probably closer at hand than the facility's, should something go sideways, and it doesn't cost any $$$, just a few extra calories to push all of it.


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## caliboosted (Mar 14, 2012)

*for the ambulance license*

study this and grab the ambulance license book for $5 dollar from the dmv, this link covers approx 75% of the questions, its a 3o question test you can miss 4, with 3 retakes. They usually let you retake the same day unless the DMV person is having a bad day.

http://www.flashcardexchange.com/flashcards/view/1556674


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## Essent (Mar 14, 2012)

You're a lifesaver, Caliboosted!


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## Eeyore (Mar 15, 2012)

VCEMT said:


> Why skills? So that they can see if you can handle a stressful situation. You may be doing IFTs, however, if a patient goes critical or codes on you... Are you gonna panic and spin or do some business? It may lead to the company being sued for hiring a dumbass that let a patient die, without doing something. Do you wanna be the :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: that shows up to dialysis with a dead body? Because, you were too busy Facebooking?





Couldn't be any truer. I've seen tons of EMTs come through and think all they do is dialysis and IFT. People like that are the exact reason no one respects EMT's.


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## Zerbo (Mar 22, 2012)

Essent said:


> Any idea what the starting EMT pay is for pacific or balboa ?  Or the shift length ?



I'm currently a FTO for Balboa. Up until very recently we were hiring at $10 an hour, but just two weeks ago we had some company "restructuring" that resulted in frontline supervisors being laid off and the loss of our training supervisor and Heartland liaison. That said, new hires are currently being paid $8.75/hour. Our schedule is four 10-hour shifts a week, with at least one weekend shift mandatory. As far as I'm aware, that makes Balboa the lowest-paying company in the county for new EMTs.

However, if money is not your primary concern, Balboa is an excellent place to get experience to move on to a higher-profile company or to medic school. We get a relatively high call volume (average is 6-7 calls per shift), and a good mix of appointments, discharges, dialysis, and emergency response that can give you a wide range of experience.

It's not my intention to disparage my own company, nor to try to make it seem like a gleaming beacon of BLS standards. However, I can say that I've enjoyed working there for the past year and continue to enjoy it despite the typical ups and downs that are more or less standard to the entire BLS industry.

Whatever you decide, welcome to the field, regardless of what company's shirt you end up wearing : )


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## Essent (Mar 22, 2012)

Hey Zerbo,
I just got hired there and have done two days of training so far.. I wonder if you're my FTO 

The company is great so far, I have had cool partners who are showing me the ropes.. the pay is just enough to pay for gas to drive myself out there, but it's all means to an end.


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