# McCormick testing



## Hayden (Apr 17, 2017)

Hey all, 

A super last minute post, but I am testing for McCormick tomorrow and I was interested in hearing any tips. I've read a few other threads but they were out of date. 

Also I had a two questions for anyone who works there. 

1. Suit and tie for the test? I'm assuming yes but you never know.

2. Will there be an interview that day? Or will I have to come back another time? Doesn't really matter but I flew into town for this testing and I want to make sure I'm available for what would happen next. 


Thanks all!!


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## StCEMT (Apr 17, 2017)

@Jim37F


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## CALEMT (Apr 17, 2017)

@Jim37F ... just to emphasize the need for him in this thread... carry on...


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## Jim37F (Apr 17, 2017)

Hayden said:


> Hey all,
> 
> A super last minute post, but I am testing for McCormick tomorrow and I was interested in hearing any tips. I've read a few other threads but they were out of date.
> 
> ...


Yes, suit and tie all the way. Unless they've changed it since I interviewed a year and a half ago (give or take), basically you've got a written EMT test, a Thomas Guide mapping test, a patient assessment test that will involve a dragging the weighted dummy around the room to simulate GS'ing the patient (pick up and carry a non-ambulatory patient to the gurney), followed by final interview. Mine was all in two separate days (roughly a week apart). Then if you get hired you get to sign your life away on 50 million different forms lol and go spend the rest of the day sitting around Bayside (the occupational health place) doing your pre-hire physical (make sure you're able to pee in their cup for the drug test when you get there lol), and yeah there you'll do a some really minor weight lifting on gym machines as a basic strength/back test, nothing strenuous at all...... I think from start to finish from dropping off my app and initial interview to the formal tests and interview to getting hired was like 3 weeks, I've heard some people say theirs took 5 weeks, I guess it all just depends on the need for new hires and when the next upcoming orientation is.

I think there's at least one new station they want to open for Compton (though I've heard they'll just shift a couple Paramount-based units for that one, but either way, new Compton dedicated shifts can't come fast enough! lol My stations first in area, and thus call volume, pretty much doubled when we picked up the Compton contract, so hopefully we'll add at least one or two new dedicated Compton units even if just day cars, that'd help out a lot lol)



CALEMT said:


> @Jim37F ... just to emphasize the need for him in this thread... carry on...


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## Hayden (Apr 17, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> Yes, suit and tie all the way. Unless they've changed it since I interviewed a year and a half ago (give or take), basically you've got a written EMT test, a Thomas Guide mapping test, a patient assessment test that will involve a dragging the weighted dummy around the room to simulate GS'ing the patient (pick up and carry a non-ambulatory patient to the gurney), followed by final interview. Mine was all in two separate days (roughly a week apart). Then if you get hired you get to sign your life away on 50 million different forms lol and go spend the rest of the day sitting around Bayside (the occupational health place) doing your pre-hire physical (make sure you're able to pee in their cup for the drug test when you get there lol), and yeah there you'll do a some really minor weight lifting on gym machines as a basic strength/back test, nothing strenuous at all...... I think from start to finish from dropping off my app and initial interview to the formal tests and interview to getting hired was like 3 weeks, I've heard some people say theirs took 5 weeks, I guess it all just depends on the need for new hires and when the next upcoming orientation is.
> 
> I think there's at least one new station they want to open for Compton (though I've heard they'll just shift a couple Paramount-based units for that one, but either way, new Compton dedicated shifts can't come fast enough! lol My stations first in area, and thus call volume, pretty much doubled when we picked up the Compton contract, so hopefully we'll add at least one or two new dedicated Compton units even if just day cars, that'd help out a lot lol)


Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! Sounds just like my test for CARE. The info I've gotten so far has been so vague, but I'm excited to hopefully be apart of it all.


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## terrible one (Apr 18, 2017)

Compton fire doesn't transport anymore?


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## Jim37F (Apr 18, 2017)

terrible one said:


> Compton fire doesn't transport anymore?


Nope. They still have their paramedic ambulances but they're used exclusively as squads now. We run with them just like County, i.e. you get the Compton Engine and Squad and McCormick on every call (although I think if their dispatch codes it as a BLS run they'll only send us and the engine), and if the call is BLS, we transport non-emergent while they all go back in service, ALS runs their medic hops in the back of our ambulance and both us and the squad transport emergent.


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## terrible one (Apr 18, 2017)

Guess they ran out of money for their A/O program. Probably better off anyway, they used to treat their non-safety medics terriblely.


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## Jim37F (Apr 19, 2017)

As far as I'm aware, all their AOs were EMTs only (only responded to and transported BLS runs, they'd call one of the fire medic squads if it was ALS -back when those still transported- and if an ALS squad was dispatched and determined to be BLS they'd call the AOs out and wait on scene.....we did more than a few calls where they determined a call to be BLS and their AOs we're already tied up so they waited on scene for a private BLS ambulance to be dispatched and respond.....) 
But yeah, now, no more EMT AOs, just the medic squads in their old ambulances transporting with us. I've heard rumors that they're looking to buy County style utility trucks to replace their ambulances for the squads, but so far just rumors.


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## VentMonkey (Apr 19, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> As far as I'm aware, all their AOs were EMTs only. I've heard rumors that they're looking to buy County style utility trucks to replace their ambulances for the squads, but so far just rumors.


Yes, they have been only BLS AO's as long as I can remember, and would hire from the same agency that Downey Fire hired their BLS AO's. We (AMR) would backfill for them when they, on rare occasions, ran out of ambulances within their city limits.

I was going to ask you if they were planning on transitioning into the "squads". When I worked out of Cerritos, Santa Fe Springs still responded in their "ALS" vans like you're saying Compton is now. It looked like something out of the 80's, too.

The last time I did an LDT to Whittier Pres a shiny new SFSFD squad pulled up next to us. It looked just like a county squad.

Then again, these are two different cities with different budgets I would imagine.


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## terrible one (Apr 19, 2017)

Hmm back 10 years ago when I worked for McCormick they had paramedic ambulances with non safety medics. They paid them like $10/hr and treated em worse than the probies. I used to chat it up with them at Gardena memorial hospital. I think they had like 2 ALS ambulances and 2 BLS ambulances.
Unless the non safety guys I talked to were not allowed to practice as medics?


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 19, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> Nope. They still have their paramedic ambulances but they're used exclusively as squads now. We run with them just like County, i.e. you get the Compton Engine and Squad and McCormick on every call (although I think if their dispatch codes it as a BLS run they'll only send us and the engine), and if the call is BLS, we transport non-emergent while they all go back in service, ALS runs their medic hops in the back of our ambulance and both us and the squad transport emergent.



So wait, if the medic is in the BLS ambulance, the other ambulance follows, running code? Why? That's not dangerous at all.


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## Jim37F (Apr 19, 2017)

VentMonkey said:


> Yes, they have been only BLS AO's as long as I can remember, and would hire from the same agency that Downey Fire hired their BLS AO's. We (AMR) would backfill for them when they, on rare occasions, ran out of ambulances within their city limits.
> 
> I was going to ask you if they were planning on transitioning into the "squads". When I worked out of Cerritos, Santa Fe Springs still responded in their "ALS" vans like you're saying Compton is now. It looked like something out of the 80's, too.
> 
> ...


Yeah, Downey still does the FF-PM ALS ambulance and EMT AO BLS ambulance mix like Compton used to do. Downey dispatches for Compton so we have a scanner for their dispatch along with County. Lately whenever I've heard Downey get a private BLS response it always seems to be MedReach, not sure if it's a dedicated contract or they still rotate through different companies (all their BLS calls today got one of their AO units)

Yeah, Santa Fe Springs has a shiny new Dodge Ram squad (Squad 841, they're on Downey dispatch too) (Care is their ambulance and is generally too far away from us to really see them). I have heard once or twice one of our units get dispatched for a Downey Fire call, can't remember if others for BLS backup or if they were just completely out of ambulances.. (Sometimes our Paramount station will get one of the Downey ambulances in County's area if there's no County squad available nearby).



terrible one said:


> Hmm back 10 years ago when I worked for McCormick they had paramedic ambulances with non safety medics. They paid them like $10/hr and treated em worse than the probies. I used to chat it up with them at Gardena memorial hospital. I think they had like 2 ALS ambulances and 2 BLS ambulances.
> Unless the non safety guys I talked to were not allowed to practice as medics?


As far as I know all the Compton squadies are Fire Medics, and we're doing the ALS transports before they switched over to being non transporting, but I wouldn't be surprised if back in the day they had single roles who were treated like sheisse ha


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## VentMonkey (Apr 19, 2017)

NomadicMedic said:


> So wait, if the medic is in the BLS ambulance, the other ambulance follows, running code? Why? That's not dangerous at all.


Yep, it's a real hootenanny! LACoFD does the same. If the squad is in front of the ambulance it typically means (meant) the EMT driving was unfamiliar with how to get to the ED. 

I actually preferred this order even if they didn't always like me for it. I figured if anyone of us was getting creamed, better the non-transporting squad with no patient on board. 

One of my favorite squaddies had no problems guiding the way. He was dubbed "Moses" on a count of his knack for pushing cars out of the way. He loved parting the Red Sea.

I'm certain SCEMS is much more efficient, but how does it work for their squad system again?


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## Qulevrius (Apr 20, 2017)

terrible one said:


> Hmm back 10 years ago when I worked for McCormick they had paramedic ambulances with non safety medics. They paid them like $10/hr and treated em worse than the probies. I used to chat it up with them at Gardena memorial hospital. I think they had like 2 ALS ambulances and 2 BLS ambulances.
> Unless the non safety guys I talked to were not allowed to practice as medics?



Unrelated to the topic: just connected the dots with your signature. Big thumbs up for a fellow ex-Bowers.


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