# Please tell me about Hall Ambulance



## joegrizzly (Jun 12, 2012)

Hello Everyone,
It's been a long time since a threat for Hall's Ambulance was created so I wanted to see if there was anyone lurking around who had some up to date information on the company. I am currently working as an EMT in the 911 system in Orange County, and hope to move to Kern County at the end of this year or beginning of next year. I was hoping I could get a few questions answered and gain some insight on the company and it's workings. Any and all relevant and helpful replies are *greatly* appreciated, thank you so much for your time.

1.) What is the/your general impression of Hall Ambulance? Is it a decent company to work for? Would you work there again or continue to work there? What are some of the draw backs?

2.) What specifically is the hiring process like? Right now they are closed to applications but I hope that will open up sometime in the next 12 months. Is there a set list of things they are looking for? Will a fire academy under my belt hurt me? I will have an associates in Fire Science at the beginning of next year and have heard that Hall steers away from hiring people interested in fire because they want to retain EMT's in the company. Is this my misconception? My whole goal is to be a paramedic and I went for fire in Orange County because to be a 911 medic, you pretty much have to be with the fire department. Since this is different in Kern County, will the word "fire" on my resume hurt me or turn them away from me?

3.) Are there any curve balls given for the interview I should be aware of? Also does Hall Ambulance have ride along opportunities so that I can see the company with my own eyes before committing?

4.) How hard or easy is it to get into their Paramedic program? I have done a little bit of homework on it but do not have anything concrete. So far I am under the impression that you have to work for the company for a couple of years until they sponsor you to go to Paramedic school and sign a contract to work for the company for two years. Is this true? Is there a loop hole? Is this a farce?

5.) Lets say I jump through all the hoops and get hired. What can I expect? How do shifts work out for the new guy? How often are there IFT or 911 cars? How long are the shifts? Is there an opportunity to work 24-48 hour shifts or is it all 12 hour shifts?

6.) What is the general feeling or relationship between fire, ems, and hospital staff? Granted there will always be someone somewhere who loves to piss in the punch, but overall is there a good working relationship between everyone or is there something I should watch out for?

7.) I always hate asking this but it would be nice to know if someone could give me a generalization, I'm not asking for bank statements. What is the starting salary or hourly wage for EMT-B? And how many hours can I hope to pick up as the new guy?

8.) With my over one year of experience with 911 experience in Orange County, will I have to do the EMT academy for Hall? I am all for anything and everything that will land myself a job with this company, I am just hoping to get an iota of what to expect here.

9.) Can you tell me a little bit about station life and life on the rig? How are the ambulances set up personnel wise? With one EMT and one medic? For the station how many crews are usually at a station? Is there kitchen amenities available to be able to cook your own meals?

Last question I promise... for now.

10.) What is the call volume like for the majority of the county? I know this is a hard question since certain locations are more hectic than others. But what is the average call volume in a 24 hour period for a rig? For us in a 24, we can expect 8-16 transports, sometimes higher or lower depending on the mood of the day. 

Thank you so much for going through that wall of text and thank you so much for any light you can shed on these questions.


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## Cawolf86 (Jun 12, 2012)

1.) What is the/your general impression of Hall Ambulance? Is it a decent company to work for? Would you work there again or continue to work there? What are some of the draw backs?

*It is a good company with a solid reputation and is a good company to work for as an EMT. They will sponsor you all the way through EMT-P at Bakersfield College on their dime. If you have no qualms about going to Kern county it is a great place to work. Many people from LA and OC go there and get burned out fast due to Bakersfield being a really "low-quality" town compared to where we live down south. The people, the air, the poverty...is all taxing and unless you are from there will wear you out. The distance from family and friends sucks too - it is quite the drive. You would need to move there.*

2.) What specifically is the hiring process like? Right now they are closed to applications but I hope that will open up sometime in the next 12 months. Is there a set list of things they are looking for? Will a fire academy under my belt hurt me? I will have an associates in Fire Science at the beginning of next year and have heard that Hall steers away from hiring people interested in fire because they want to retain EMT's in the company. Is this my misconception? My whole goal is to be a paramedic and I went for fire in Orange County because to be a 911 medic, you pretty much have to be with the fire department. Since this is different in Kern County, will the word "fire" on my resume hurt me or turn them away from me?

*Hiring process - Have an EMT? No felony or DUI? Willing to move to Bako? Hired! They weed people out during training not hiring.

They do not like fire experience - they want people to make a career at Hall - which isn't a bad thing. They put the company first. If you can spin it right you will be fine. Just be honest and open while trying to focus on your desire to put in time at Hall and move up to medic. Don't say you are going to be looking for fire work (even though you should be) while employed there. Sell it!*

3.) Are there any curve balls given for the interview I should be aware of? Also does Hall Ambulance have ride along opportunities so that I can see the company with my own eyes before committing?

*No curve balls. Just standard interview stuff. No ride-alongs for non-employees as far as I know.*

4.) How hard or easy is it to get into their Paramedic program? I have done a little bit of homework on it but do not have anything concrete. So far I am under the impression that you have to work for the company for a couple of years until they sponsor you to go to Paramedic school and sign a contract to work for the company for two years. Is this true? Is there a loop hole? Is this a farce?

*Be an EMT in good standing with 6 months on the job. Pass the local CC paramedic entry exam. Then they choose people to go based on merit. You have a strong chance of going within a year if you do your job well and score high on the test - study now. It is true you sign a 2 year contract. It is breakable as long as you pay back the cost of school at a pro-rated amount of the approx $10k cost of school. You also get your full-time EMT salary while attending school. Awesome deal!*

5.) Lets say I jump through all the hoops and get hired. What can I expect? How do shifts work out for the new guy? How often are there IFT or 911 cars? How long are the shifts? Is there an opportunity to work 24-48 hour shifts or is it all 12 hour shifts?

*There is not too many hoops. There is relatively high turnover when fire hires as most out of towners don't make a career there. Then you get 5 weeks of class/driving training and 5-8 weeks of field training as a third rider with a preceptor. There are 8, 10, 12, 24, and 48 hour shifts. Expect to be on 12s with 3 on week and 4 on the next as that is the most common shift. If you are on an ALS rig it is 80% 911 and 20% IFT. BLS rigs get 60% IFT and 40% 911. Most EMTs are on ALS rigs as there are only a few BLS rigs running. It takes some seniority to get to 24/48s - at least a year on before you can win one of those shifts.*

6.) What is the general feeling or relationship between fire, ems, and hospital staff? Granted there will always be someone somewhere who loves to piss in the punch, but overall is there a good working relationship between everyone or is there something I should watch out for?

*Relationship is good as long as you treat everyone with respect. Nothing to watch out for as long as you are respectful and have good skills.*

7.) I always hate asking this but it would be nice to know if someone could give me a generalization, I'm not asking for bank statements. What is the starting salary or hourly wage for EMT-B? And how many hours can I hope to pick up as the new guy?

*I think EMTs start at $27k a year - it is on the website. About $11 an hour? OT is good - you can get a shift a week if you want to work that much. Probably more but I am not sure on the EMT stuff.*

8.) With my over one year of experience with 911 experience in Orange County, will I have to do the EMT academy for Hall? I am all for anything and everything that will land myself a job with this company, I am just hoping to get an iota of what to expect here.

*EMT academy is for civilians with no EMT to get trained and work at Hall as EMTs. That does not apply to you. You would start as an EMT.*

9.) Can you tell me a little bit about station life and life on the rig? How are the ambulances set up personnel wise? With one EMT and one medic? For the station how many crews are usually at a station? Is there kitchen amenities available to be able to cook your own meals?

*You won't be in a station - it is system status posting so all time is on the ambulance. BLS rigs are EMT/EMT and ALS rigs are Medic/EMT or Medic/Medic. Stations have one or two crews. All facilities like a fire station - Bay, TV room, beds, bathrooms, kitchens, couches, etc. The only time you would be in a station is if they get a call and you are the rig who goes to cover the station while the crew is out.*


10.) What is the call volume like for the majority of the county? I know this is a hard question since certain locations are more hectic than others. But what is the average call volume in a 24 hour period for a rig? For us in a 24, we can expect 8-16 transports, sometimes higher or lower depending on the mood of the day. 

*In Bakersfield Metro where you would start it is 3-8 calls in a 12 average I would say. The 24s are in Arvin and Lamont - they run a lot but it is hit or miss. Probably the same volume as the metro units. 48s are out in the more rural areas and some stations run 2 in a 48 and some run 10. Bu as I said before - you won't get a station for a long time so if you are relying on that...remember you will be posting.*


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## RocketMedic (Jun 13, 2012)

Joegrizzly, you may also want to look at Liberty in Ridgecrest and Delano. Kern County is almost Texas compared to most of California.


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## CentralCalEMT (Jun 13, 2012)

Kern County is a great place to work. I moved there from West Los Angeles and while Bako is different, once you get used to it, living there is not bad. I know multiple people that work for Hall and all of them love it. Hall has excellent equipment and gets great calls. If Hall is not hiring, then you do have other options in the county:

Liberty covers both the Kern River Valley (Lake Isabella/Kernville/Sequoia National Forest) and the desert (Ridgecrest/Inyokern/Trona) All told, with their mutual aid agreements with Tulare, Inyo, and San Bernardino counties, they cover close to 3,500 square miles that covers mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, cities, and the middle of nowhere. The area they cover has elevations ranging from 200 feet to over 8,000 feet. They get some amazing calls due to the terrain and the Kern River Valley stations get awesome lifted 4X4 rescue ambulances. You will go on calls where you have to hike in several miles over rough terrain just to get to the patient and call for a hoist rescue. Due to the remoteness of the area, responses can be over 45 minutes and transport times over an hour.   

Kern Ambulance covers Wasco and Lost Hills. They cover about 1,000 square miles of mostly farming and ranching country along with those two towns extending from the 99 freeway to the San Luis Obispo county line. They cover a significant section of Interstate 5 and about a 40 mile stretch of Highway 46 nicknamed "blood alley" for all the high speed accidents that occur on it. They get a lot of trauma calls as well as a lot of serious medical calls because many people in their coverage area lack health insurance so they have many chronic conditions that go untreated until it is too late. There is no hospital in Kern Ambulance's coverage area so, depending on where the call is, your transport to the hospital in either Delano or Bakersfield ranges from 21 to over 60 miles so the medics there really have to know their stuff and they do have some great medics that work for them.

Delano Ambulance covers Delano, McFarland and the surrounding farm areas. They cover a smaller area than the previous two companies but they do get some really critical calls due to the fact the areas they cover have crime/gang problems so you would run many of the calls you would run in a more urban environment. They also cover a long stretch of CA 99 and do a lot of mutual aid with the small towns in southern Tulare county as well so they have some long transport times and deal with the farm accidents. 

Overall Kern County is a great place to work as an EMT. Like I said, I moved here from West Los Angeles and it is culture shock for a time, but I actually do enjoy living up here now.


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## terrible one (Jun 13, 2012)

Unless things have changed in the last couple of years Care Ambulance covers Lake Isabella and Kernville, not Liberty.


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## Cawolf86 (Jun 13, 2012)

Last year Liberty and Care merged.


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## terrible one (Jun 13, 2012)

Copy. Thanks
I always thought a Delano/Kern merge would have happened before Care/Liberty


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## jgmedic (Jun 13, 2012)

I worked at Hall for a bit right out of medic school. Top notch equipment, protocols as liberal as SoCal gets. I always say, Bakersfield made me the medic I am today. They have high standards for their employees, not everyone makes it through FTO time. If it wasn't Bakersfield and 180 miles from where I own a home, I'd still be there.


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## Cawolf86 (Jun 13, 2012)

jgmedic said:


> I worked at Hall for a bit right out of medic school. Top notch equipment, protocols as liberal as SoCal gets. I always say, Bakersfield made me the medic I am today. They have high standards for their employees, not everyone makes it through FTO time. If it wasn't Bakersfield and 180 miles from where I own a home, I'd still be there.



Quality assessment - we have similar stories.


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## joegrizzly (Jun 14, 2012)

Thank you all so much for your quick and amazing response to my questions. I will definitely give Liberty and Delano a looking into along with Kern Ambulance. I guess they don't have a website, so do they just accept walk ins to ask them about their company or should I just give them a call? Thank you especially to Cawolf86 for the in depth response to each question. One thing I was hoping you could elaborate on was this response: "You won't be in a station - it is system status posting so all time is on the ambulance. BLS rigs are EMT/EMT and ALS rigs are Medic/EMT or Medic/Medic. Stations have one or two crews. All facilities like a fire station - Bay, TV room, beds, bathrooms, kitchens, couches, etc. The only time you would be in a station is if they get a call and you are the rig who goes to cover the station while the crew is out."

Now by the I won't be in a station, does that mean the majority of the coverage provided by Hall are roaming ambulances/day cars? With the minority in stations? So I would need a bit of seniority to even hope of getting a station I take it? Also out of curiosity, which ambulance provider would cover the Tehachapi and Cummings Valley area? Hall? Also another question. Does Liberty, Delano, or Kern Ambulance have any form of paramedic program or sponsorship?

Thank you all again for your time and thought. Please by no means consider this thread closed and anyone please feel free to post anything and everything about the above companies: Hall Ambulance, Liberty Ambulance, Delano Ambulance, and Kern Ambulance. It is all very much appreciated and helps me map out the best road to take to further a career in EMS.


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## joegrizzly (Jun 14, 2012)

Also Quick attachment. Is this the correct Liberty Ambulance? (http://www.libertyambulance.com/index.php)  It's the only real website I can find for the name and is kind of in the correct area. The only discrepancy is on the website they say they only cover LA and Orange County. I guess I look stupid either way but I just don't want to ask about calling in if this was the right website staring me right in the face. Thanks again.


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## CentralCalEMT (Jun 14, 2012)

That is a different Liberty Ambulance. I believe they were a different IFT company in LA that got in trouble and changed their name to that. None of the small companies in Kern County have their own websites. The Kern County EMS department's website does have the contact information on them. It has not been updated in awhile so Care is now Liberty.


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## Aprz (Jun 14, 2012)

joegrizzly said:


> Now by the I won't be in a station, does that mean the majority of the coverage provided by Hall are roaming ambulances/day cars? With the minority in stations? So I would need a bit of seniority to even hope of getting a station I take it?


I don't work there, but I think he's talking about system status management (SSM).

http://www.stouts.org/jack/EMS/JEMS0489.htm

The previous 911 provider in my area I believe used to have a bunch of posting locations or quarters where units can chill. Posts would be spread out so areas with a lot of calls would have a bunch of ambulances, areas with few calls have few or no ambulance. They'd usually stay within their posting area even for calls. Units might move to cover another units spot too if there wasn't enough coverage.

Our current 911 provider does SSM, and instead of units going to the same posts all the time, they have something that predicts when and where the next call will happen based on a compiled history of when and where previous calls happened, and wherever that thing tells them to go to post, they go there. The units usually aren't usually at a station/quarter, they are always on the move just going to different posts.

In my area, they can still try to work within certain zones that they want, they bid for zones, but the thing that predicts where calls happen can have them leave that zone too. Like the unit might want to work in the most Eastern part of our county, but it'll move the unit to the most Northern part of the county instead (common complaint I hear).

The article I posted said they could eventually have quarters eventually. Where I live, they don't in the county I live in the and the county south of me. The crews always seem to be moving posts about every half hour.


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## joegrizzly (Jun 14, 2012)

Ah okay I understand a little bit better then. For our system in South Orange County we have 15 stations spread out, and then "post" to certain areas when another station receives a call to cover their area and ours. Thank you so much for your response and hopefully we can get a confirmation if this is how the Kern system works for Hall.


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## CentralCalEMT (Jun 14, 2012)

Yes, Hall uses System Status Management in the "metro" area which includes Bakersfield and the surrounding unincorporated areas. They have numerous posts in Bakersfield. This means you will sit on a street corner/park/parking lot posting between calls. However, the system is busy enough there is not a ton of sitting around. There are no 24 hour shifts in Bakersfield city limits. I know several people that work Hall Metro and all of them love it and do not mind the system status management.

The stations near but not in the metro system (Lamont/Arvin) I believe work a 24 hour shift. The really rural stations such as Boron, Cal City, Taft, Frazier Park, Mojave, etc. work a 48 hour shift which mirrors Kern County Fire's unique shift schedule. However, those stations require seniority to bid into.


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## Cawolf86 (Jun 14, 2012)

joegrizzly said:


> I guess they don't have a website, so do they just accept walk ins to ask them about their company or should I just give them a call? Thank you especially to Cawolf86 for the in depth response to each question. One thing I was hoping you could elaborate on was this response: "You won't be in a station - it is system status posting so all time is on the ambulance. BLS rigs are EMT/EMT and ALS rigs are Medic/EMT or Medic/Medic. Stations have one or two crews. All facilities like a fire station - Bay, TV room, beds, bathrooms, kitchens, couches, etc. The only time you would be in a station is if they get a call and you are the rig who goes to cover the station while the crew is out."
> 
> Now by the I won't be in a station, does that mean the majority of the coverage provided by Hall are roaming ambulances/day cars? With the minority in stations? So I would need a bit of seniority to even hope of getting a station I take it? Also out of curiosity, which ambulance provider would cover the Tehachapi and Cummings Valley area? Hall?



Sure no problem.

Give the small companies a ring to find out more info on their hiring - only Hall uses online applications.

The majority population Hall covers is in the city of Bakersfield - this area is covered by SSM (system status management) as prior posters replied. You basically move around all day based on ambulance levels - the chart posted is accurate. If there is 1 rig avail then you are central in Bako - covering the whole city. If a second clears then you move to cover 1/2 and they take the other 1/2. Then a third clears.....so on and so forth.

Expect to put in one year minimum as an EMT for a station and two years as a medic.

Tehachapi is covered by Hall - there is a station in Tehachapi and Golden Hills - both with one crew that run 48s.


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## joegrizzly (Jun 15, 2012)

Thank you all so much for your time. I'm really blown away by this community and stoked to be apart of it. Thanks again!


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## RocketMedic (Jun 15, 2012)

My dad worked for Liberty for several years, I think it made him a much better medic. There were some small-town politics and he got burned out from being the Only Medic On, but for the most part, it was OK. They'll also pay a paramedic who is willing to move to Ridgecrest (great town, BTW) pretty well- ~$45-50k/year is reasonable. 

760-375-9545 is their number.

Burroughs High School is excellent, as are their elementary and junior-highs. The town is about 35,000 people, counting outlying communities. You've got a Wal-Mart, movies, China Lake NAWS, and plenty of stuff to do.

Kern County is the only part of California that I'd move back to from Texas.


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## Fish (Jun 19, 2012)

Rocketmedic40 said:


> Joegrizzly, you may also want to look at Liberty in Ridgecrest and Delano. Kern County is almost Texas compared to most of California.



Mabye the part of Texas your used to


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## RocketMedic (Jun 19, 2012)

Well, yeah...El Paso = Victorville area, and Alamogordo is literally exactly the same type and size of town as Ridgecrest was, down to the size of the AMR operation there (same size as Liberty). 

I feel like I'm home.


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## thegoalcole (Dec 20, 2012)

Hi,
I was wondering if anbody has gone through the Hall EMT Academy? I am attending the orientation and was wondering what the next step after that was?


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## Fish (Dec 20, 2012)

What is Medic Pay, does Hall Pay for Experience?


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## Fish (Dec 20, 2012)

Here is the question about Hall, I know they have been around a while....... But how "secure" are they? Be a shame to see a great local EMS provider get bought out by AMR or some company like that seeking to take over the entire area.


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## Joe (Dec 20, 2012)

Fish, if i remember right the county is divided into unique opperating areas. If someone wants to.buy out a company all the other areas have to agree on it. Hall has built his empire since 1971. Seems like he did something right. I doubt there would be any way for amr/rural metro to buy them.

Goalcoal, are you already an emt or not certified yet?


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## thegoalcole (Dec 20, 2012)

Joe-I am not certified as an EMT.


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## energystar (Dec 20, 2012)

Hall is owned and has been owned by the Hall family since creation. The owner of Hall is Harvey Hall who is also the mayor of Bakersfield. I would say Hall Ambulance is very secure. On the other hand, AMR is on the downfall in many parts of California and on the verge of losing the majority of their contracts in Southern California. So I don't believe it would be AMR to take them over but crazier things have happened.


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## Joe (Dec 21, 2012)

Goalcoal, welcome man! Academy is basically emt school from start to finnish. You show up in uniform and do classroom stuff for however long class is (cant remember) good luck


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## thegoalcole (Dec 21, 2012)

Thank you Joe I Appreciate it. Can't wait to start.


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## Amberlamps916 (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't think AMR will lose San Bernardino and Riverside counties when the time comes.


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## Fish (Dec 21, 2012)

What is Medic pay, and do they pay for experience? Know a few Medics in SD who would love to know


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## energystar (Dec 21, 2012)

I remember talking to a coworker who worked at hall about a year ago as an EMT. I don't remember the hourly wage but he was saying most medics were pulling in around $38000. The cost of living in Bakersfield and the surrounding area is going to be about half of what it costs in SD. So that money will go a little farther than it would down south.


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## Fish (Dec 21, 2012)

energystar said:


> I remember talking to a coworker who worked at hall about a year ago as an EMT. I don't remember the hourly wage but he was saying most medics were pulling in around $38000. The cost of living in Bakersfield and the surrounding area is going to be about half of what it costs in SD. So that money will go a little farther than it would down south.



Thanks for the response, I guess that is starting? I wonder if they pay for experience. I will have to email and ask


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## Aprz (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't work there. From what I recall, they have a step system. As you move up steps, you get hire pay. Step 1 was $12.88/hour for EMTs.


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## amscotty (May 1, 2013)

thegoalcole said:


> Hi,
> I was wondering if anbody has gone through the Hall EMT Academy? I am attending the orientation and was wondering what the next step after that was?



Hey man, how did your orientation go? and did you already finish the academy?


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