# Highest paid EMS companies in socal



## BayEMTmaybeP (May 18, 2017)

hi, looking to relocate. Coming from SF bay, looking at SD or OC. Any recommendations on companies in the areas?


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## Jim37F (May 18, 2017)

I can't tell you highest paid per se, other than that $15/hr is probably about the max you'll find. I was making that much when I was an AO (Ambulance Operator) at a local FD, and I wasn't aware of any private company (or even any of the handful of other FDs with AOs) that paid more. $12-13/hr is pretty standard. And Paramedics at the privates don't make much more though I'm even less familiar with their figures.


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## BayEMTmaybeP (May 18, 2017)

Thanks Jim. Any companies that seem to go above and beyond then the rest? Through research I found care, but looks they were just acquired by a larger company


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## DesertMedic66 (May 19, 2017)

I saw some postings on Craigslist about a month ago for several IFT companies in LA/OC that were offering $20/hr for medics.


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## gonefishing (May 19, 2017)

As for EMT good luck making a living wage in LA or OC and if so, it won't be entirely honest.  If for Medic McCormick $14 an hour same for CARE and its all IFT.  Central coast you would be a primary 911 medic or emt making a living wage.  Good luck!

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## Jim37F (May 19, 2017)

Care is owned by Falck, a big European-based, multi-national company that owns a bunch of EMS and other stuff. Yeah, they have one of the best reputations, and they just took over two EOAs in LACo that they start next month or the month after so they're probably hiring. Not much bad to say about them other than there is no way I can wear that white shirt to work and keep it clean all day long hahaha. They are more corporate feel though from what I hear, and can be micromanaging (they have that tracker thing in their ambulances that beeps and buzzes at you if you take a turn too fast or stop too hard or the like, and you'll get written up for that stuff).

Keep in mind I don't/haven't worked for Care so take that for what it's worth, but I do still stand by that they probably have one of the best reps.

McCormick is good, and just bought an entire brand new fleet of ambulances complete with power gurneys and the power load system, is a smaller operation, which means less a corporate feel when dealing with management. While new hires can float around a bit before getting a permanent shift, once you get one, most are station based and they try to keep you in your area, so you get to know the local fire crews as we work the same shift schedule as they do, so working together on scene can be pretty smooth.....move ups happen and you find yourself running calls outside "your" area though. Biggest downside is that starting pay is minimum wage $10.50/hr, but we're kept busy by 911 calls, I've been at McCormick a year, and I can count the number of BLS IFT's pretty much on one hand (not that we don't get them, and that a lot of the 911 calls aren't just glorified BLS IFTs in disguise lol, but the vast majority of calls for everyone are 911, which is why a lot of people leave companies that pay $12/hour that are IFT only for McCormick).

Schaefer lost their only 911 area to Care, though they still have City of Monrovia contract (small city, 2 FD stations for reference).

AMR also lost a significant chunk of their 911 areas to Care, but still has the northern half of LA Co, which would be the Santa Clarita Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains and deserts north of the metro area, where Lancaster and Palmdale are (though that does include the busiest station in LACoFD). Otherwise, I can't tell you much more about their ops in the county.

The only other company that has 911 is AmeriCare, and that's only City of Santa Monica, otherwise, they're a large IFT company whose priority is IFT. A lot of small companies say they'll run backup for Downey Fire (who simply has a rotating list of companies they'll call only if both their BLS ambulances are unavailable, and only for BLS calls. Otherwise, the remainder of the 80 some odd ambulance companies in LA Co are IFT only, a lot literally are just dialysis derby places, with the most interesting calls being SNF to ER for "abnormal labs".

There is a small handful of fire departments that hire EMTs as single role providers on their own ambulances (still under the scene control of the Firefighter Paramedics). Glendale Fire has 100% BLS ambulances and uses their engine companies as medic squads so their AO's respond on and transport all ALS and BLS calls. Huntington Beach in OC is similar. Others, like the aforementioned Downey Fire, have a mix (Downey is 50/50) ALS ambulances staffed by fire medics, and the AOs on BLS ambulances that only take BLS calls, sometimes only after the medic unit has assessed the patient. Downey, Long Beach, Hermosa Beach, Culver City, and maybe a couple more I'm forgetting are like that, but unlike a private company where you can apply, interview and be working in a couple weeks with a pulse and patch, the FD AO jobs are modeled after the firefighter hiring process, so apply, test, interview, chiefs interview, background check (Glendale does, or at least did, polygraph testing) and can take months.


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## okayestEMT (May 19, 2017)

If you want money try getting a job as an ER Tech. Like Jim said $11 - $13 is pretty standard for all ambulance companies. The ED I work at in OC starts the techs off at $21/hour.


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## CALEMT (May 19, 2017)

BayEMTmaybeP said:


> looking at SD or OC.



Well theres mistake #1. Want to make somewhat decent money in CA, look in the central valley and the central coast. While working as a seasonal a dude on my shift worked for AMR Monterey and he was making like $16 or 17 an hour.


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## MonkeyArrow (May 19, 2017)

Ambulunz


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## VentMonkey (May 19, 2017)

MonkeyArrow said:


> Ambulunz








Seriously though OP, most "high paying" SoCal ambulance jobs come with many, many strings attached, tons of caveats, and for some odd reason don't make the most reputable of environments.

Stick to reputable, professional, and a steady paycheck. Remember, there's no such thing as fast money, or quick money. Beware of all catch phrases, and buzzwords. EMT is literally hardly a career for SoCal peeps, it just isn't practical. Unless of course, you were grandfathered in from the "F & B days".


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## Qulevrius (May 19, 2017)

VentMonkey said:


> Remember, there's no such thing as free lunch. Beware of all the hashtags



Fixed.


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## wtferick (May 20, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> Care is owned by Falck, a big European-based, multi-national company that owns a bunch of EMS and other stuff. Yeah, they have one of the best reputations, and they just took over two EOAs in LACo that they start next month or the month after so they're probably hiring. Not much bad to say about them other than there is no way I can wear that white shirt to work and keep it clean all day long hahaha. They are more corporate feel though from what I hear, and can be micromanaging (they have that tracker thing in their ambulances that beeps and buzzes at you if you take a turn too fast or stop too hard or the like, and you'll get written up for that stuff).
> 
> Keep in mind I don't/haven't worked for Care so take that for what it's worth, but I do still stand by that they probably have one of the best reps.
> 
> ...


Always enjoy reading your posts! But don't forget the all secret service Emergency Ambulance! Haha


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## Jim37F (May 20, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Always enjoy reading your posts! But don't forget the all secret service Emergency Ambulance! Haha


haha yeah well they hide out in their little corner of OC   

Don't see them too often at MLK hospital (I've even Schaefer there before! Lol)

Besides them and Care, any other private company have 911 in OC any more? I know Care took over Doctors old areas in South OC, and I'm pretty sure there's a handful of small cities with an individual contract right? Or naw?


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## wtferick (May 20, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> haha yeah well they hide out in their little corner of OC
> 
> Don't see them too often at MLK hospital (I've even Schaefer there before! Lol)
> 
> Besides them and Care, any other private company have 911 in OC any more? I know Care took over Doctors old areas in South OC, and I'm pretty sure there's a handful of small cities with an individual contract right? Or naw?


Doctors still operates in the city of laguna beach. But that's all that's left for OC. Is MLK a receiving ER once again?


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## gonefishing (May 20, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Doctors still operates in the city of laguna beach. But that's all that's left for OC. Is MLK a receiving ER once again?


Yes and it's beautiful! No more 80s decor. LOL

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## Jim37F (May 20, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Doctors still operates in the city of laguna beach. But that's all that's left for OC. Is MLK a receiving ER once again?


Yup, in fact it's the MAR from my station! It's a Basic community hospital without much in the way of specialty resources (i.e. no trauma, no STEMI, no stroke....occaisonally we'll get 911 dispatched from Station to pick up a patient out of the ED needing one of those resources), they do have L&D, but I can't take Pediatrics there. But yeah, it's def not the old "Killer King" (I think the new campus is like right across the street from the old one?), still have to convince a few patients that it's a nice new hospital and that they don't want us to go out of the way to hospitals in Gardena or Lynwood lol


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## wtferick (May 20, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> Yup, in fact it's the MAR from my station! It's a Basic community hospital without much in the way of specialty resources (i.e. no trauma, no STEMI, no stroke....occaisonally we'll get 911 dispatched from Station to pick up a patient out of the ED needing one of those resources), they do have L&D, but I can't take Pediatrics there. But yeah, it's def not the old "Killer King" (I think the new campus is like right across the street from the old one?), still have to convince a few patients that it's a nice new hospital and that they don't want us to go out of the way to hospitals in Gardena or Lynwood lol


No way! I haven't been there in years.


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## wtferick (May 20, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> haha yeah well they hide out in their little corner of OC
> 
> Don't see them too often at MLK hospital (I've even Schaefer there before! Lol)
> 
> Besides them and Care, any other private company have 911 in OC any more? I know Care took over Doctors old areas in South OC, and I'm pretty sure there's a handful of small cities with an individual contract right? Or naw?


Does McCormick have any in-house units?


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## VentMonkey (May 20, 2017)

gonefishing said:


> No more 80s decor.


Pfffth, buncha whimps. That was the pinnacle of it's "hey day". It was, in fact, at one time an _excellent_ hospital.


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## Jim37F (May 21, 2017)

wtferick said:


> Does McCormick have any in-house units?


In house with fire? No, all our stations are our own, the closest being is for the Universal City Halloween Horror Nights we staff up a special event unit that parks at FS 51 at Universal and they let us hang out in their station for the standby lol, but other than that nothing in house with any of our FDs (LACo, Torrance, Redondo, Compton)


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## gonefishing (May 21, 2017)

What happened to the station with the Jacuzzi? The old lady kick you guys out? LOL

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## deadhead (May 27, 2017)

Jim37F said:


> haha yeah well they hide out in their little corner of OC
> 
> Don't see them too often at MLK hospital (I've even Schaefer there before! Lol)
> 
> Besides them and Care, any other private company have 911 in OC any more? I know Care took over Doctors old areas in South OC, and I'm pretty sure there's a handful of small cities with an individual contract right? Or naw?


We're still kicking


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## EMS Pursuit (May 29, 2017)

I agree with ER Tech positions offering double what a private ambulance will pay ($10-13 vs 1$8-25).  EMS privates just don't have the pay vs. cost of living in So Cal usually.  Tough to start out but sometimes that is your only foot in the door or way to get some resume experience.  Good Luck!


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## TheComebacKid (Jun 2, 2017)

MonkeyArrow said:


> Ambulunz


Oh god no not this again.

Also, if you're looking for money, ER Tech positions are the way to go. Kaiser starts their transport and ED Techs at somewhere around $25, but you gotta be referred or know someone. Diversify your resume with EKG, ACLS, Phlebotomy, etc. Most basic ERs like Pacifica, Mission community pays butt compared to Henry mayo or Westwood that requires more certs.


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