# Which company?



## Chewy20 (Jun 10, 2014)

I am bored and have a little time on my hands, so I am interested in which system would you want to work for the most and why? With no other concerns of moving or anything like that. Maybe you are already apart of your dream system I don't know.


----------



## LACoGurneyjockey (Jun 10, 2014)

Without thinking too much about it, KCM1, Austin-Travis county, Boston EMS, and of course the gold standard of Emergency Medical Services, *LA County Fire. 
*sarcasm button. Am I doing it right?
But the grass is always greener. Honestly, Kern County has got some pretty great things going for it if you ignore the 5 year old ACLS protocol.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jun 10, 2014)

Wake County EMS or Sussex County EMS. County third services, set promotional ladder, some "cool guy" departments, good benes, retirement and pay. Sussex runs dual medic RRVs and uses FD BLS ambulances which would be pretty cool. 

Too bad they're both on the East Coast...and there's no mountains or snow to be found which is where the deal breaker lies.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jun 10, 2014)

KCM1, ATCO and Boston are all at the BOTTOM of my list... And we're not currently hiring at Sussex... But when that changes, I'll let you know.


----------



## STXmedic (Jun 10, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> KCM1, ATCO and Boston are all at the BOTTOM of my list...



Amen.

I'll echo Robby's, and add WilCo. Pecos with TJ sounds pretty fun, too.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jun 10, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> KCM1, ATCO and Boston are all at the BOTTOM of my list... And we're not currently hiring at Sussex... But when that changes, I'll let you know.




I appreciate it, I don't know if I could ever live there. Who knows maybe I'll fall in live with dirt scooters again and that'll keep me content.



STXmedic said:


> Amen.
> 
> I'll echo Robby's, and add WilCo. Pecos with TJ sounds pretty fun, too.




I forgot about WilCo and Pecos. Presidio would be sweet if the pay was better.


----------



## STXmedic (Jun 10, 2014)

Yeah, the whole minimum wage thing doesn't really work for me. If pay was on par, I'd work for JF in a heartbeat.


----------



## Chewy20 (Jun 10, 2014)

May I ask why ATCEMS and BEMS are at the bottom? ATCEMS has kind of dropped off in the past couple years I know that. 

My top would probably be BEMS because I grew up just south of Boston, WILCO, and Medic One out in Washington.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jun 10, 2014)

Working as a BLS provider when you're a medic sucks. Sorry. And KCM1 is just... Ahh, search out the old posts.


----------



## Chewy20 (Jun 10, 2014)

Yeah true I guess I did not think of it from a paramedic standpoint working those type of systems, and will do.


----------



## usalsfyre (Jun 11, 2014)

StarFlight in Austin looks interesting, I'd go back to working for FFX City FD in Virginia, the Delaware chase medic concept is something I've never done, there's several services in central Texas I wouldn't mind being at and I occasionally kick myself for not having the balls to try the Air Force PJ pipeline. 

For the most part I'm very content where I'm at though.


----------



## STXmedic (Jun 11, 2014)

StarFlight would be awesome. If only I could pass their swim test...


----------



## TransportJockey (Jun 11, 2014)

I like where I'm at... but I think I wanna stay here a year or two then try to apply in Delaware


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jun 11, 2014)

I think you'd be bored in DE.


----------



## TransportJockey (Jun 11, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> I think you'd be bored in DE.



It's that whole third service thing. There's very few places I'm willing to go after this. Williamson County is high on my list too. Seattle and Austin aren't even on my list


----------



## usalsfyre (Jun 11, 2014)

I think we're occasionally a bit too harsh on Austin. They run a VERY good service with a few VERY stupid rules geared towards their civil service stuff. If I were to get hurt or sick though, I'd have zero problem with A/TC taking care if me which is more than can be said for some other "name brand" services.


----------



## TransportJockey (Jun 11, 2014)

usalsfyre said:


> I think we're occasionally a bit too harsh on Austin. They run a VERY good service with a few VERY stupid rules geared towards their civil service stuff. If I were to get hurt or sick though, I'd have zero problem with A/TC taking care if me which is more than can be said for some other "name brand" services.



I don't want to work for them for the same reason I won't work for BEMS... I don't want to spend a year or more being stuck working as a basic


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jun 11, 2014)

Right, but the OPs question was, where would YOU want to work, not who provided the best care. I mean, if I was going to have a VF arrest, I'd want it to be in King County... But I wouldn't work there for all the tea in china.


----------



## Drax (Jun 11, 2014)

My favorites, in order:

West Pierce Fire & Rescue, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Olympia Fire, Tumwater Fire, Tacoma, Valley Regional, Seattle.

Maybe Bremerton too.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Jun 11, 2014)

Drax said:


> My favorites, in order:
> 
> West Pierce Fire & Rescue, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Olympia Fire, Tumwater Fire, Tacoma, Valley Regional, Seattle.
> 
> Maybe Bremerton too.



You need to get out of Washington at some point in your life.


----------



## BeachMedic (Jun 11, 2014)

I'm in the process of downgrading from Medic to EMT for a conditional job offer from the SFFD EMS Division.

Not exactly stoked on the downgrade; but I've been on this list for 3+ years and the pay and benefits are higher than anywhere else in the Country. It's hard to say no to; especially since it's a pay raise for me.

That and you get to work in San Francisco! It'll be just like the Tv Show Trauma! hahaha. The Chief says it'll be at least 1-2years before a Medic spot becomes available.

Other dream jobs for me? Big Island FD Medic in Hawaii (They do the transport on BI). AMR Maui County or Kauai County as well. Chicago or NY would be an interesting experience for a year or two before the burnout sets in.

I base my decisions on things other than work protocols.


----------



## TransportJockey (Jun 11, 2014)

BeachMedic said:


> I'm in the process of downgrading from Medic to EMT for a conditional job offer from the SFFD EMS Division.
> 
> Not exactly stoked on the downgrade; but I've been on this list for 3+ years and the pay and benefits are higher than anywhere else in the Country. It's hard to say no to; especially since it's a pay raise for me.
> 
> ...



I'm curious how they pay the most on the country. What's base pay there?


----------



## BeachMedic (Jun 11, 2014)

http://www.jobaps.com/SF/specs/classspecdisplay.asp?ClassNumber=H003&R1=undefined&R3=undefined

H2 - is a Firefighter/EMT or a Fire Paramedic
H3 - is a EMT/Paramdic

For some reason the City website does not have separate descriptions for all the Fire Based EMS job descriptions.

Strict single role EMTs start out at 72k per year first step.
Single role Medics start out at about 90k per year first step.

40 hour work week. 10 hour shifts four days a week. Typically EMS holdover OT opportunities.

The retirement is still a pension with 3%@50. (while the majority of the rest of the state pensions went to 2.7%@57)

San Francisco definitely isn't hurting for cash. Especially with how expensive it's gotten.
I know a guy that is still in the EMS Division and working as a Rescue Captain for about 150k a year. So they have different opportunities for promotion and advancement in EMS as well. It's not the typical dead-end or become Supervisor Paramedic job either.


----------



## Drax (Jun 11, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> You need to get out of Washington at some point in your life.


I served in the military, been to a few different places/continents.

I've heard great things about Savannah...I'd honestly love to work at any medium/moderate call volume fire department with decent/good benefits that isn't in a completely rural area. New England area might not be so bad.

I'd test on the East Coast and the Mid West, but I simply can't afford to make the flights/drives. I've got a family to support and not a large surplus of traveling funds. I'll lose my mind over getting a conditional offer and I know I'll never forget the day I get one.


----------



## Tigger (Jun 11, 2014)

I absolutely love where I am now. The service is exactly the kind of place where I want to work.

However I do not foresee myself being able to live in Colorado Springs much longer, as I am much younger than most and there is a decided lack of what I guess you might call my sort of culture. 

Ideally I'd like to get my medic and move to a more suited city for me (likely Denver, maybe Fort Collins or Cheyenne) and find a similar place. I like working for a small agency in a more rural area and I'll continue to seek that out.

Some of the bigger foothills towns have fire department run ambulances. The fulltime crews staff the ambulances first and the engines second if no volunteers are available. I'm interested in this so I could get into more aspects of EMS like rope and water rescue and things like that.


----------



## bizzy522 (Jul 7, 2014)

In order mine would be:
Ada County Paramedics (Boise Idaho)
King County Medic 1
Travis County
REMSA
Denver Health


----------



## lissa304 (Aug 1, 2014)

Chewy20 said:


> I am bored and have a little time on my hands, so I am interested in which system would you want to work for the most and why? With no other concerns of moving or anything like that. Maybe you are already apart of your dream system I don't know.



I'm from a small town outside Austin, so I have always wanted to work with Austin-Travis county. But for now that's still a work in progress! haha


----------



## STXmedic (Aug 1, 2014)

Are you south of Austin? SMHC or WEMS?


----------



## Chewy20 (Aug 2, 2014)

lissa304 said:


> I'm from a small town outside Austin, so I have always wanted to work with Austin-Travis county. But for now that's still a work in progress! haha



Pretty sure they are hiring again in September for a winter or spring academy. I just finished the process on Wednesday, so if you have any questions PM me and I will answer what I can.


----------



## NPO (Aug 9, 2014)

Kern county was always my career destination, at least so far, given I grew up just south of here it was fairly attainable.

I'd love to visit King County Medic 1, and NPS Ranger/Medic.


----------

