# WEMT in Law Enforcement?



## Adrienne (Jan 17, 2016)

Hello, this is my first post here. I tried to go back through older posts but I couldn't really find anything within a few years that was relatable. 

Short Question: Would getting Wilderness EMT be beneficial while trying to get a law enforcement park ranger job?

Long Question: I got my degree in Criminal Justice / Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness with the intent to just start out working for a police department. For several reasons I've decided to postpone my application process for police officer 1. Working full time as a lifeguard again, I became interested in starting EMT classes and started to volunteer just to see how I would like it.

Long Term I am thinking park ranger. I am also an experienced scuba diver, I want to incorporate that with the law enforcement and emergency first response. But I know that is an oddly specific combination.

I became interested in WEMT when I saw a friend complete her Wilderness First Response, on Facebook. From what I've read I know it would be a good experience in general and fun for me to do (aside for the time and $) I was wondering if anyone had an idea if it would be beneficial in my case to have while applying to law enforcement ranger jobs, or recommendation of any similar positions? 


side note: I know I'm jumping around with all these possibilities but I'm just trying to navigate my way through everything that is going through my head.


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## Summit (Jan 17, 2016)

I'd say yes.


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## SandpitMedic (Jan 17, 2016)

Short answer: yes.
Long answer: of course it would be.


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## Tigger (Jan 17, 2016)

Yes, though the course is expensive and I am not sure how much it increases your chances over just having an EMT card.


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## EMSComeLately (Jan 17, 2016)

My ex-wife was a NPS LE seasonal ranger.  She got her WEMT through Nols, but that was after several seasons.  It wasn't something that helped her initially, really.  I think an EMT is fine enough.  Medic is better.  Current federal employee or Veteran is the best, though, if you want to get on full time.  Otherwise, just get your type II certification from an accredited LE ranger academy, and you'll be fine for seasonal work.


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## Chimpie (Jan 18, 2016)

Adrienne said:


> Short Question: Would getting Wilderness EMT be beneficial while trying to get a law enforcement park ranger job?


Not only would it look good on the resume, it will help you with you're out in the middle of nowhere and find someone that's injured.


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## Adrienne (Jan 18, 2016)

Thanks for the replies. This is all pretty much new to me coming from first wanting to work in LE, but I've been researching about NOLS and already have asked and had some questions answered by the staff. My main question that I'm not sure if they would answer truthfully is, do employers have any preference on the organization that certifies you? For example, would National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) be more preferable over Stonehearth Open Learning Oppertunities (SOLO), or vice versa? or is it pretty much equivalent? 

I feel like I'm possibly over thinking this.


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## EMSComeLately (Jan 18, 2016)

Adrienne said:


> I feel like I'm possibly over thinking this.



Yes.  You're giving the government too much credit.

You fill out a survey and you get a point value for having your application passed onto the hiring ranger.  The survey certainly doesn't care and you'll probably find out there are loyalties to both programs.

Go where you want...the rest will take care of itself.


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## Summit (Jan 18, 2016)

Nobody cares where you got your WEMT


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## CALEMT (Jan 19, 2016)

Simple answer:

Step 1: Get your regular EMT-B
Step 2: Apply for Border Patrol. 
Step 3: Meet the requirements for BORSTAR.
Step 4: Pass BORSTAR.
Step 5: Enjoy being a EMT/LEO for a law enforcement agency. 

Or you know, you could do all this training for a seasonal gig with the parks service. Personally I would go the USBP route, thats a career.


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## Jim37F (Jan 19, 2016)

CALEMT said:


> Simple answer:
> 
> Step 1: Get your regular EMT-B
> Step 2: Apply for Border Patrol.
> ...


Huh, never heard of BORSTAR before, a quick Google search later and I'm rather very intrigued...


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## Adrienne (Jan 19, 2016)

CALEMT said:


> Simple answer:
> Step 1: Get your regular EMT-B
> Step 2: Apply for Border Patrol.
> Step 3: Meet the requirements for BORSTAR.
> ...




oh. I like that...
Why didn't I think of that.


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## Adrienne (Jan 19, 2016)

Jim37F said:


> quick Google search later and I'm rather very intrigued...



right?!


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## CALEMT (Jan 19, 2016)

Adrienne said:


> oh. I like that...
> Why didn't I think of that.



Cause you don't have CALEMT ingenuity...


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## jmcounts24 (Mar 26, 2016)

PM me, I am a park ranger for the NPS


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## Old Tracker (Apr 13, 2016)

CALEMT said:


> Simple answer:
> 
> Step 1: Get your regular EMT-B
> Step 2: Apply for Border Patrol.
> ...



This ^.

They are getting more and more active in this arena.  BP Academy isn't all that hard. There's some difference in opinion/facts whether they have gone back to you really have to learn Spanish verses they were teaching "phrases." The physical training aspect isn't all that bad. The Immigration Law is usually fairly tough, lots of memory work. But, it can be done by a pretty much any "average" person.  Like anything else there are good places to be stationed and some real chit holes.

Allegedly you can get stationed on the northern border now for your first duty station. Back in the day, it was "puro" Southern Border.  Good luck whichever way you go.


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