# Getting an EMT job?



## dmitriy (Jun 12, 2014)

Hey all, 

Im starting a EMT training program in August that runs through Dec. Its through AMR in Seattle. I really want to be an EMT. I have been wanting to do this for years. Any advice or feedback i can get from someone that was in my shoes before? What would be the best way to land a job? I have previously completed a certificate program for MA. So that's the only medical experience i have..Any advice would be great. Currently i work for a health insurance company. 

Thanks


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## Drax (Jun 13, 2014)

dmitriy said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Im starting a EMT training program in August that runs through Dec. Its through AMR in Seattle. I really want to be an EMT. I have been wanting to do this for years. Any advice or feedback i can get from someone that was in my shoes before? What would be the best way to land a job? I have previously completed a certificate program for MA. So that's the only medical experience i have..Any advice would be great. Currently i work for a health insurance company.
> 
> Thanks



It is a toughie in Western Washington. Apply anywhere and every where. Check in regularly and maybe look into volunteer somewhere to get your State Cert so that you'll be a more appealing candidate.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 13, 2014)

We talk about the sad state of Washington EMS pretty often. Do a search for "Washington EMT" and a lot will turn up.


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## PotatoMedic (Jun 13, 2014)

Take this with a grain of salt.  But from what I hear AMR usually puts on a class when they want to hire EMTs and they like to hire from their own school.  Somewhat rumor mill information.


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## Ewok Jerky (Jun 14, 2014)

NCTI and AMR share a parent company and there is overlap of employees but graduation/hiring are definately not related at all.  NCTI makes money by pumping out EMS graduates as often as possible.


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## Drax (Jun 15, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> We talk about the sad state of Washington EMS pretty often. Do a search for "Washington EMT" and a lot will turn up.



More like the sad state of employment opportunities in Washington for EMS. My impression is that we have some pretty quality EMS though.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 15, 2014)

Your impressions are clouded by press release flavored kool aid. KCM1 writes great press releases. The problem is, they believe them. 

When I worked as a medic in Washington I was impressed by the freewheeling protocols, and now I look back and wonder how many of the services get away with the stuff they do.


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## Drax (Jun 15, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> Your impressions are clouded by press release flavored kool aid. KCM1 writes great press releases. The problem is, they believe them.
> 
> When I worked as a medic in Washington I was impressed by the freewheeling protocols, and now I look back and wonder how many of the services get away with the stuff they do.



I'm not a medic, so your medical knowledge and experience far surpasses my own. What you have seen is certainly different from what little I've seen. County to county, year to year, things change and often on a large scale. In my opinion, Washington is not the best, but I do believe it is good.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 15, 2014)

I'm curious, what makes it "quality EMS", in your opinion?


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## Chewy20 (Jun 15, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> I'm curious, what makes it "quality EMS", in your opinion?



In general? Having the right equipment and protocols to help someone when they need it. Also, a company that puts the patient before their damn profit.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 15, 2014)

I was asking Drax specifically, why he believed Washington's EMS to be of such high quality.


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## Drax (Jun 16, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> I was asking Drax specifically, why he believed Washington's EMS to be of such high quality.



Well, I can think of a couple.

I don't really feel like quoting a long section, but this has a pretty good explanation on how Washington is leading the way on both successful CPR and improving CPR. Pretty positive Washington has the highest success rate. http://www.heartrescueproject.com/wcm/groups/mdtcom_sg/@mdt/documents/documents/hrp-book.pdf
You can type CTRL+F "Washington" and find a good couple paragraphs on it.
When I find that statistic again, I'll post it.

Seems Washington is second in highest pay for Paramedics. These are the top three results when searching in google "high paid paramedic state"
http://work.chron.com/highest-paid-paramedic-states-22612.html
http://allhealthcare.monster.com/ca...-best-and-worst-states-to-be-an-emtparamedic-
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/emergency-medical-technician-and-paramedic/salary

I keep finding these: 
http://www.kplu.org/post/if-your-heart-stops-be-seattle-helps-coming-rest
http://www.mi-reporter.com/news/206843561.html

Now keep in mind, I never said best. Protocols are different in every county and change regularly (ever couple years or so). But I do think for the most part, Western Washington is pretty squared away. 

I'll also go ahead and use this:
http://www.nremt.org/nremt/downloads/2012_FirstTimePassRates.pdf

#2 for EMTs and Tied for #6 for Paramedics. That said, some of the higher placed states for paramedic had less than 25 candidates testing in 2012. 

Collectively, I would qualify this as quality.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 16, 2014)

I agree, Citizen CPR is a good thing. But they're not the only place that does it, and it really doesn't have anything to do with EMS, other than make them look good when they show up to a viable patient.

Pay for paramedics is highly skewed, because of King County and the surrounding areas. They pay their paramedics a huge amount of money due to the cost-of-living. Got a love IAFF contracts. However, I don't believe that pay directly correlates to how good an EMS system is. It just makes it a good place to work, if you're doing it for the money. Take a look at western Washington and see where the pay scale is there. Paramedics in Yakima start at less than $11 an hour.

And the fact that EMT and paramedic programs teach to the test is not a mark of how good the care is. That has absolutely no bearing, whatsoever. That's like saying, "my school has the healthiest students because they serve a great balanced lunch every day." Being able to pass the test doesn't make you a decent paramedic. It just means your baseline competent in the skills and knowledge required to achieve national certification. And it certainly has zero impact on an agencies practices.

There are some parts of Washington state EMS that I think are fantastic. I love the fact that King County medic one does a significant amount of research. They have definitely developed best practices for the resuscitation of VF arrests. 

But outside of that, there's not enough a lot that I find groundbreaking or thinking outside the box. I see the whole medic one system as nothing than empire building and a bunch of self-congratulatory drek.


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## Drax (Jun 16, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> I agree, Citizen CPR is a good thing. But they're not the only place that does it, and it really doesn't have anything to do with EMS, other than make them look good when they show up to a viable patient.
> 
> Pay for paramedics is highly skewed, because of King County and the surrounding areas. They pay their paramedics a huge amount of money due to the cost-of-living. Got a love IAFF contracts. However, I don't believe that pay directly correlates to how good an EMS system is. It just makes it a good place to work, if you're doing it for the money. Take a look at western Washington and see where the pay scale is there. Paramedics in Yakima start at less than $11 an hour.
> 
> ...



In terms of qualifying quality, there aren't many other methods of measurement. Perhaps you can give me another example of what you might consider a quality attribute/trait that another EMS service has.

I think NREMT is a suitable example because NREMT it is actually competency and not question based. If this were a test with 1000 documented questions handed out for studying at the beginning of your EMT or Paramedic course, I would be more inclined to agree with you. Skills are overall important, but I mean, what kind of evidence I could provide regarding that? Lack of lawsuits? It is a highly populated area, so if we were going to get technical we'd have to go into per capita, then we'd have to go into availability and commonality EMS lawsuits because it would be more likely to happen where there are more "ambulance chasers" advertising than in rural areas.

In terms of pay, I think pay plays a pretty decent role. If the individual is not suffering financial hardship, that is one less thing clouding judgment or degrading professionalism. If there was not money involved, many of us could not afford to do what we love as we are in our current capacity. 

The citizen CPR, meh, I think the two relate in terms of the EMS role stepping in following. How closely they relate, depends on how you want to look at. New EMTs with a history of having taken multiple CPR course because it is curriculum/common practice. Basically the citizens don't save the patients themselves, EMS plays a limited role too, then they go to ER but it is just semantics claiming 'who' gets credit.


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## KingCountyMedic (Jun 17, 2014)

dmitriy said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Im starting a EMT training program in August that runs through Dec. Its through AMR in Seattle. I really want to be an EMT. I have been wanting to do this for years. Any advice or feedback i can get from someone that was in my shoes before? What would be the best way to land a job? I have previously completed a certificate program for MA. So that's the only medical experience i have..Any advice would be great. Currently i work for a health insurance company.
> 
> Thanks




Talk to the folks putting on your EMT class. There are very good people over there at AMR that have been doing this work a long, long time. I was one of them many moons ago. Go to the local fire departments, ring the bell and ask the folks working there. King County Medic One has a web site as does Seattle Fire, etc. etc. Feel free to PM me with any questions, I'm not around much on here but I check it from time to time. You won't get any real good advice or feedback here for the most part. Talk to anyone you can in person!


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 17, 2014)

KingCountyMedic said:


> You won't get any real good advice or feedback here for the most part.




Really?


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## STXmedic (Jun 17, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> Really?



Well obviously this forum sucks if everybody on here doesn't think KCMO is the best service in the world.


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## bizzy522 (Jul 7, 2014)

Find a small 911 service either paid or volunteer. Get your resume built up.


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