# Care ambulance San Diego Orientation



## xnuralratiugx (Oct 15, 2010)

So I got hired at Care down here in SD!! I start my 2 week orientation on monday and I'm just wondering what I should expect. Does care provide you with a uniform and is this a weeding out process. They already dropped the money on the drug test for me so I'm assuming im actually hired, but I'm a little anxious about  2 week orientation and what exactly it entails. Thanks


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## SanDiegoEmt7 (Oct 15, 2010)

Orientations are to train new employees, and isn't considered part of the application process.  The only way I could see you getting "weeded out" would be if you made gross mistakes during training or were considered non-trainable during your FTO time, neither of which is likely.  They will most definitely provide you with a uniform (in fact I'll wager they give you three h34r

Congratulations on your new job!


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## xnuralratiugx (Oct 15, 2010)

SanDiegoEmt7 said:


> Orientations are to train new employees, and isn't considered part of the application process.  The only way I could see you getting "weeded out" would be if you made gross mistakes during training or were considered non-trainable during your FTO time, neither of which is likely.  They will most definitely provide you with a uniform (in fact I'll wager they give you three h34r
> 
> Congratulations on your new job!




Thank you for the information. That makes me feel a lot better. Looking forward to finally being able to work as an EMT


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## SanDiegoEmt7 (Oct 16, 2010)

One caveat: I make no guarantees as I didn't work for this company, only in the area, but you'll be fine.


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## ITAKECAREOFPATIENTS (Aug 1, 2011)

I go in tomorrow to take my interview. any advise on what to expect ? questions, scenarios ect.


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## xnuralratiugx (Aug 1, 2011)

Well being someone that worked there for quite some time and moved up pretty quickly I can tell you one thing. DO NOT go to that interview. That place is a hell hole and you will want to murder someone after working there. Hands down the worst most hostile job I have ever had in my life. Unprofessional, uncaring, low paying, cost cutting, slave driver company.


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## ITAKECAREOFPATIENTS (Aug 1, 2011)

how much did they pay an hour ? most places are around 10 bucks. less than that ? they cut your hours ?


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## ITAKECAREOFPATIENTS (Aug 1, 2011)

considering rural and amr are not hiring, I'm without an EMT job and am considering all options. So until I can get with rural I'm lookin at these places.


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## xnuralratiugx (Aug 1, 2011)

rural and amr are always hiring, you just need to wow them. Care pays 11 an hour but you will sign a paper saying you dont get overtime until 40 hours a week so don't plan on actually making overtime. There are no raises and no options to move up. Be prepared to work 15 hour days with zero breaks and to be treated like a child at all times. Be ready to be thrown under the bus at any opportunity and test your patience because at some point the owner will litteraly SCREAM at you in front of people. I saw her keep a crew standing in the pouring rain for 5 solid min while she was screaming, and I mean litteraly screaming, because she didn't like how they carried a car seat from the garage to the rig. There is americare, max care, balboa, pacific, schafer, air care, and many others. I have never had an issue at any job before but I'm telling you as a fellow emt, if you can work elsewhere, do so. They know emts are a dime a dozen and you are treated as such.


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## Monkey (Aug 2, 2011)

xnuralratiugx said:


> rural and amr are always hiring, you just need to wow them. Care pays 11 an hour but you will sign a paper saying you dont get overtime until 40 hours a week so don't plan on actually making overtime. There are no raises and no options to move up. Be prepared to work 15 hour days with zero breaks and to be treated like a child at all times. Be ready to be thrown under the bus at any opportunity and test your patience because at some point the owner will litteraly SCREAM at you in front of people. I saw her keep a crew standing in the pouring rain for 5 solid min while she was screaming, and I mean litteraly screaming, because she didn't like how they carried a car seat from the garage to the rig. There is americare, max care, balboa, pacific, schafer, air care, and many others. I have never had an issue at any job before but I'm telling you as a fellow emt, if you can work elsewhere, do so. They know emts are a dime a dozen and you are treated as such.



You're not the first I've heard say the exact same thing, almost word for word.  

I was shocked to find out they actually have to ask dispatch to get out of the rig to pee.  

I have no personal experience with them, just the horror stories of those that have survived to tell about it, LOL.


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## SD EMT OPS (Aug 10, 2011)

IF you had a problem at CARE it's probably because you were a lousy EMT that thought you were the SH!+..  If you show up on time run your calls well and are able to except accountability for your actions there should be no reason why you would have a problem with your manager. if you act like a child i am sure they will treat you like one.  The EMS industry is a Gossip Factory and Rumor Mill don't buy into the bull.


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## EMTSic (Aug 19, 2011)

SD EMT OPS said:


> IF you had a problem at CARE it's probably because you were a lousy EMT that thought you were the SH!+..  If you show up on time run your calls well and are able to except accountability for your actions there should be no reason why you would have a problem with your manager. if you act like a child i am sure they will treat you like one.  The EMS industry is a Gossip Factory and Rumor Mill don't buy into the bull.



What he said.


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## hammerizer (Mar 23, 2012)

asking dispatch to get out of the rig to pee is the least of your worries, avoid this place like the plague!


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## AnthonyM83 (Mar 25, 2012)

SD EMT OPS said:


> IF you had a problem at CARE it's probably because you were a lousy EMT that thought you were the SH!+..  If you show up on time run your calls well and are able to except accountability for your actions there should be no reason why you would have a problem with your manager. if you act like a child i am sure they will treat you like one.  The EMS industry is a Gossip Factory and Rumor Mill don't buy into the bull.



This reply from a supervisor concerns me in that it is adversarial which is a red flag that the employee - management relationship might have a similar component. Child-like behavior or aggressiveness from employees should not be responded to in like. True that EMS gossips, but the exchange here is not acceptable. It reflects an outlook on employees which is not professional (refer to the first line of his post above).

If widespread immaturity on the part of the emplyees has brought about this mentality it is STILL a red flag as to the EMTs working there.

Respectfully, 
Anthony


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## RocketMedic (Mar 25, 2012)

CARE doesn't sound too professional to me. Screaming at your employees in public? I'd walk off on her and toss the keys down the nearest storm drain.


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## socalemt250 (Jun 30, 2012)

Steer clear of care there management is a 2 time medic school failure and a medic that has never worked as a medic. I worked there and was told multiple times how to do things by them that were wrong and they just treat you like :censored::censored::censored::censored:. The lady who directs the cct and continuing education that they say that counts for credit twords your national registry which they don't. I had work with a partner that couldn't speak English I also had more experience than my Fto s but was talked to like a child and told I didn't know what I was doing. Every cOmpany even the hospitals think care is a joke an will not take you seriously. Best advice try one of the other 20 companies


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## martor (Jul 7, 2012)

If you want management that will work with you, I would suggest going to smaller private companies. Balboa, Xtreme Care, ER, etc. (ER wants two UNPAID ride alongs as part of their interview process. It is a big red flag for me, but when I talked to some of those who work there they said the company is really "considerate.") 

As far as I know Care will allow you to quit at any time for any reason. It depends on your preferences. Maybe wait until AMR or Rural metro contact you.


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## AnthonyM83 (Jul 8, 2012)

martor said:


> If you want management that will work with you, I would suggest going to smaller private companies. Balboa, Xtreme Care, ER, etc. (ER wants two UNPAID ride alongs as part of their interview process. It is a big red flag for me, but when I talked to some of those who work there they said the company is really "considerate.")


Why would requiring ride-alongs be a red flag for you? Wouldn't that mean they're actually paying attention to you and considering each employee closely, instead of just hiring any "warm body" who can present himself well during an interivew?




> As far as I know Care will allow you to quit at any time for any reason. It depends on your preferences. Maybe wait until AMR or Rural metro contact you.


Can you name any ambulance companies that DON'T let you quit at any time for any reason? What's the consequence if you do decide to quit?


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## martor (Jul 8, 2012)

AnthonyM83 said:


> Why would requiring ride-alongs be a red flag for you? Wouldn't that mean they're actually paying attention to you and considering each employee closely, instead of just hiring any "warm body" who can present himself well during an interivew?



It is a red flag for me because I am aware of scams (not saying they are in fact a scam.) Doing two 12 hour ride alongs for free without at least going through a protocol test or an interview looks suspicious for me. To me personally, it looked like they need a few extra hands from time to time and they dont want to hire. So they make you work. 
Now I did one of the ride along (they did invite me for a second one) and in those ride alongs they tested me by asking me to do everything. I was with the gurney at all time, did ALL patient assessment and vitals, and did 1/2 of the PCR.


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## AnthonyM83 (Jul 8, 2012)

martor said:


> It is a red flag for me because I am aware of scams (not saying they are in fact a scam.) Doing two 12 hour ride alongs for free without at least going through a protocol test or an interview looks suspicious for me. To me personally, it looked like they need a few extra hands from time to time and they dont want to hire. So they make you work.


I don't think they really get anything out of it. How do they save money on having a third person on the ambulance? Maybe half the time it's easy for whatever individual crew gets the ride-along...other half it's probably a pain the ***. Just like the ambulance companies don't really save money when they have EMT students doing their ride-alongs. If anything, it's a pain for a lot of EMTs (not me, I love having ride along usually) because they feel they have to entertain or be on good behavior.


Martor, you mentioned the Care will allow you to quit at anytime. What does that mean? Are there some ambulance companies that DON'T allow you to quit? Like they force you to stay? Or make you sign a contract?


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## firemedic88 (Jul 10, 2012)

I worked for SD CARE for 1.5 years and let me tell you I had the greatest time of my life!  Sarcasm aside, the way the company is ran is COMPLETELY inappropriate.  So positive first, I learned a lot about EMS and what to do and not to do on calls and I learned the county fairly well.  The negatives...  Any time you are 1 minute late for work you are forced to call the "operations manager" and tell him you are late.  Then he will belittle you and make you feel like a piece of trash for about 20-30 minutes then hang up on you.  If you have to call out sick for any reason then you can expect the same treatment except he tries to guilt trip you by saying your partner will be sent home since they have no one to work with.  I had this happen to me as I was throwing up WHILE running a call and I was trying to call out of my shift the next day.  On top of that the micro-management of the company is worse than most kindergarten classes.  Asking to get out of the rig to urinate and being told "no" is imo illegal and just cruel.  I saw a post about it being the "top CCT program in SDco".... That is the largest load of horse dookie I've ever read.  It's a laughing stock and working ANYWHERE else including Pineapple Express, will get you more respect.  Management is immature and holds grudges.  I have been cussed out over the radio while we had a ride-a-long for something that someone else with the same name did.  Then when I tried to point out I wasn't that person I was immediately shot down.  If that's not enough, there is a policy that if one of the "owners" doesn't like someone, then their rig will be the ":censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:" crew and run back to back calls if they're the closest to it or not.  I've seen one of the "owners" screaming at a crew member in the middle of the lot while we were checking out rigs in order to prove a point to everyone.  So all in all working in SD as long as I have the best advice I could give to anyone would be to AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!  Plus, with them saying "if you do what you're supposed to, there won't be problems..." trust me when I say it's a load.  Anyways stick with smaller companies like the North County places like AirCare, Americare, or even Pacific and your experience will be 100x better.


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## RESQGUY (Jul 10, 2012)

Preach on brother!! HAHA!! I have heard it before from people that worked there. :rofl:


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## tono90 (Sep 6, 2012)

so if they treated you so bad and like a piece of trash like your saying? why were you so dumb to even stay there for 1.5 year? haha pfff i would have been gone since the first month hahaha


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## Lenny61 (Sep 12, 2012)

I worked for Care for about a year. Wasn't the best, they must have liked me because I never experienced anything like being screamed at in the lot. If a certain CCT manager who's name rhymes with McTool is still there, watch out. Stay on her good side and you'll be fine. If you get on her bad side, you're screwed.

When did you start having to ask to pee? I would have peed in the back of the rig is they tried to pull that crap with me.

Anyways, I ended up quitting because I got sick of their unprofessional, overbearing management. Have fun!


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