# EMS in Germany



## Imacho (Nov 4, 2011)

So..... I was trying to explain to my german family what I do for work.  I told them I work on an ambulance (krankenwagen) and they looked at me with a very confused look. Trying to explain to them further, "When someone is very sick or is hurt in an accident, we respond to stabilize and transport. We respond with the FD for assistance and extrication."  Still same look....... HUH?? :huh: 
Any way does anybody know what type of system Germany uses? :beerchug:


----------



## firecoins (Nov 4, 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_medical_services_in_Germany


----------



## Imacho (Nov 4, 2011)

thanks


----------



## Dr.T (Nov 5, 2011)

I could set up a text in German for you so you can print and show it to your family...
When your refer to "Krankenwagen" most Germans still have two people with a stretcher and some bandages on their mind. Unfortunately, EMS-companies don't do a lot of public relations work in Germany, so most Germans won't know what a Paramedic ("Rettungsassistent") is or what they do at work.
Many (especially older people) still think of ambulances as "transport only" vehicles, since that was pretty much all ambulances did over here until the mid or even late 90's.
If you need more info on German EMS, i will be happy to post in this thread


----------



## Imacho (Nov 6, 2011)

Thank you. The wiki link above was helpful. So Im gonna forward that to them and see how it goes. Im welches stadt wohnen Sie? Meine famiele sind nicht veit von München wohnen.


----------



## Dr.T (Nov 13, 2011)

I live in Bonn, which is in the very west of Germany.


----------



## hibiti87 (Dec 18, 2011)

i was in germany for a year finishing my studies in tuebingen and konstanz, i know thats no where near you, but im looking into getting a job in Germany. Any advice on where to start? fire/ems. I work in san francisco EMS and am tri lingual, English,German,Spanish.


----------



## usafmedic45 (Dec 18, 2011)

hibiti87 said:


> i was in germany for a year finishing my studies in tuebingen and konstanz, i know thats no where near you, but im looking into getting a job in Germany. Any advice on where to start? fire/ems. I work in san francisco EMS and am tri lingual, English,German,Spanish.



Find the member on here "Rettsani" and talk to them (I think Rettsani's a woman....but don't hold me to that).


----------



## Rettsani (Dec 18, 2011)

usafmedic45 said:


> Find the member on here "Rettsani" and talk to them (I think Rettsani's a woman....but don't hold me to that).



I am a woman that's right ...
Here in Germany it is difficult for foreigners to work in their trained profession.
The whole begins with the VISA, but you need a valid health insurance that is comparable with the performance of health insurance in Germany. Then your visa must also include a work permit and a residence permit for long periods. If you have then all you have to attend German language courses  and an application to apply for recognition of your profession in Germany at the Health Department. After the application for recognition of your work it could be that you have to take a course that ends with an exam.

In my organization there is a volunteer from Thailand to learn in a 4 years studying the profession of nurse. She has been fighting for two years so she gets a recognition of their profession in Germany. :sad:


----------



## Imacho (Dec 19, 2011)

^^^That sounds extremely difficult. Doable, but difficult.


----------



## Dr.T (Dec 19, 2011)

@hibiti87:
Well, you could always try to apply for an internship as a 3rd rider.
You would not need a work visa. But also there would be no payment.
But that way you could get to know some people who might be willing to help you get through the process of recognition. Sometimes it is a lot easyer if you have the support of an employer e.g. a FD or so....
The problem with FDs is though, that firemen here are all public officials ("fire fighter officer") who have to be German citizens.
Working for one of the big aid organizations (Red Cross, Johanniter, Malteser, Samariter) would not require that, but I can't think of a single foreigner ever applying for a job here where I work.....
If you need help with any of the required paperwork, feel free to contact me.
As for your trilingual knowledges, you might be the perfect man for fixed wing air ambulance repatriation companies........


----------



## Rettsani (Dec 19, 2011)

Imacho said:


> ^^^That sounds extremely difficult. Doable, but difficult.



But I think that you can do it.
And Dr. T is a great partner, he can certainly help a lot better than me. Unfortunately, I can only write out of an experience and not even in perfect English.

Thank you Dr. T.
Tell me could it be that we know each other?


----------



## Dr.T (Dec 19, 2011)

Ich weiß nich....

Kommst du etwa auch aus Bonn und Umgebung?

Er sorry, I mean:

I don't know...

Are you also from or near Bonn?


----------



## Rettsani (Dec 19, 2011)

I'm from Cologne and had  my internship in the emergency service Rhine-Sieg. Rescue Station 9.^_^

I hope I will not shock you with my English. Right now I learn every day new words and compositions of sentences. :huh:


----------



## Dr.T (Dec 20, 2011)

Well then you probably know Sascha W. and Andreas B. who are both good friends of mine.....
Or have we met at the Blockfortbildung?


----------



## Rettsani (Dec 20, 2011)

I know them.  I've heard the Blockfortbildung should be verry Excellent. But I was since the end of my internship not more in the Rhine - Sieg-circle.Unfortunately! Sometimes I feel very sad, because I had a very good year on rescue station 9. Everyone was always very nice to me and taught me a lot. My instructors were Frank.E and Roland.H.^_^


----------



## Dr.T (Dec 22, 2011)

How comes you are no longer in RSK?
Why didn't you finish your RA?
If you had Frank and Roland for instructors, you should be a good medic....


----------



## Rettsani (Dec 24, 2011)

Dr.T said:


> How comes you are no longer in RSK?


This is a very long and sad story in which I still suffering ..... The head of the rescue station, the thickness as they called him ...:sad:
I've never spoken about it since I'm gone, because I just can not talk about it.
It was already difficult enough under these conditions at all to attend the final exam.



Dr.T said:


> Why didn't you finish your RA?


Unfortunately I have no money to achieve this target.
The Red Cross volunteer service has financed my RS. 




Dr.T said:


> If you had Frank and Roland for instructors, you should be a good medic....



Yes, I've learned a lot from Frank and Roland and I can still implement up today. I also have a very good rating for the rescue service internship received from Frank. I think I'm good. However, my confidence in myself suffered very, because I have not spoken to anyone about the past.

I am forced to after an accident at work been to  provide a theoretical, practical and oral performance record, before an examination board. Man has not called me the content and not given me the chance to prepare. I have passed the performance record with 0 errors and although I could not work 2.5 years, because I was sick written..


----------



## hibiti87 (Dec 26, 2011)

Dr.T said:


> @hibiti87:
> Well, you could always try to apply for an internship as a 3rd rider.
> You would not need a work visa. But also there would be no payment.
> But that way you could get to know some people who might be willing to help you get through the process of recognition. Sometimes it is a lot easyer if you have the support of an employer e.g. a FD or so....
> ...



Thank you for the response Dr.T that might be a viable option for me as my girlfriend's friend works as a Rettungshelfer. She had also informed me that having a bachelors degree in a science subject is very beneficial for employment as well, but she didnt have very much information on it, could you provide some insight? I have a bachelors in Psychology. Thanks again for all the info. Frohe Weihnachten und Neues Jahr


----------



## Dr.T (Dec 28, 2011)

Well, thanks for the wishes for Christmas and New Year's....

I cannot really provide insight, as we don't have anyone with a bachelor's degree at my company.
You might have to contact your local health department (Gesundheitsamt) as they are responsible for issuing certificates of profession to all health professionals who are not physicians....


----------

