# Distance from Work



## Artst10 (Apr 7, 2011)

What's the recommended max distance an emt should work from home? I've driven an hour for temporary jobs before which never bothered me. But I have a feeling it's different for an EMT. Is this true?  I know I should apply for emt jobs all over but there is a point where the driving distance out ways the desire for the job.


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## Shishkabob (Apr 7, 2011)

How far are you comfortable going for the pay you'll be getting?

My first agency as a medic was an hour away(55 miles) for 12hr shifts.  I am now at a different agency, driving nearly 2 hours (100miles) to my closest station, for 24 hour shifts, but I also make more.    


You as an EMT will be making less, so that might put some constraints on you due to gas costs.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 7, 2011)

It all depends on you. How much are you willing to spend on gas? Milage on your vehicle etc. Im an EMT. I drive 45 mins to a Event Medical job where I get paid $9 an hour. The hour of the shifts changes depending on the event (I also have the option to drive directly to the event). And then I drive 30 mins for my other EMT job at an ambulance company which my pay is $10.21 for 12 hour shifts and $8 an hour for 24 hour shifts. I had to do the math and figured out that realistically I would not be making money driving more then an hour away from my house.


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## STXmedic (Apr 7, 2011)

Linuss said:


> How far are you comfortable going for the pay you'll be getting?
> 
> My first agency as a medic was an hour away(55 miles) for 12hr shifts.  I am now at a different agency, driving nearly 2 hours (100miles) to my closest station, for 24 hour shifts, but I also make more.
> 
> ...



Ouch! I live 3min from one system, and 15min from the other! I couldn't imagine a 2hr drive to work...


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 7, 2011)

PoeticInjustice said:


> Ouch! I live 3min from one system, and 15min from the other! I couldn't imagine a 2hr drive to work...



I'd have to be getting paid a boat load of money to travel that far lol


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## Shishkabob (Apr 7, 2011)

In reality, it's only 1:45ish.  The only sucky part is I get up at 4am for a 6am shift.

Now... during my FTO time, I spent a month driving 3 hours one way to one of the furthest stations, and a month going to the academy.  That sucked. 


They do "mandated shifts"... I'm half tempted at saying screw off if they send me to a station further than the one I normally go to (the closest one by 30 minutes)


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 7, 2011)

I live 195.5 miles from my primary employer. Luckily I work a 48 so one drive in and one drive home and I'm done. But a 400 mile round trip gets old quickly.


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## MrBrown (Apr 7, 2011)

OMG the distances you guys travel for such crappy pay is insane!

Lets see, all the stations Brown has crewed out of have been only a few minutes away (within walking distance)


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## Shishkabob (Apr 7, 2011)

MrBrown said:


> Lets see, all the stations Brown has crewed out of have been only a few minutes away (within walking distance)



Doesn't count if you can take 2 steps and get from one side of your country to the other.


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## JPINFV (Apr 7, 2011)

Linuss said:


> Doesn't count if you can take 2 steps and get from one side of your country to the other.



Concur... considering we have states larger than New Zealand as a whole...


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## Artst10 (Apr 7, 2011)

I read that Boston companies require their employees to be a resident of Boston, Ma. 

I guess I'll stick within a 30 - 45 min drive... maybe

I find it interesting how low the pay can be for someone who the state entrusts other peoples lives with. 

Thanks


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 7, 2011)

Artst10 said:


> I read that Boston companies require their employees to be a resident of Boston, Ma.
> 
> I guess I'll stick within a 30 - 45 min drive... maybe
> 
> ...



from what i have personally experienced the general public thinks that we make a lot of money. it shocks them when they find out how little we actually make.


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## JPINFV (Apr 7, 2011)

Only Boston EMS requires you to be a resident of Boston. The private companies don't give a darn.


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## Artst10 (Apr 7, 2011)

I'm also trying to make myself as marketable as possible.  I've had situations where a temp agency service has told me a client is more likely to choose someone who lives 15 min from a site rather than someone who lives an hour away. 

I don't want to be picky about where I apply but I also want to be realistic


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## abckidsmom (Apr 7, 2011)

I've had 10 minute commutes, but mostly 45-1 hr commute.

Hubby drives 1 hr 45 min to work for a 24 hour shift.


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## nonameheroes (Apr 8, 2011)

n7lxi said:


> I live 195.5 miles from my primary employer. Luckily I work a 48 so one drive in and one drive home and I'm done. But a 400 mile round trip gets old quickly.



Is that from eastern WA to western WA or the other way around? thats crazy but good that you can do the 48s to make it worth the drive


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## nonameheroes (Apr 8, 2011)

Artst10 said:


> I find it interesting how low the pay can be for someone who the state entrusts other peoples lives with.




its cause we're expendable and a high demand job. If we don't like it, there are 300 others who will. 

and if you think thats crazy...when I worked at SeaWorld San Diego 10 years ago, the starting pay for animal trainers was minimum wage. One of my friends at the time who was a Killer Whale trainer, performed in the shows and put his life on the line just to entertain and educate the public only made 11.75 after working there for about 5 years...again its a prime job...you dont want to do it, there are a ton of others who will


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 8, 2011)

nonameheroes said:


> Is that from eastern WA to western WA or the other way around? thats crazy but good that you can do the 48s to make it worth the drive



I drive from the west side over the mountains. There are damn few places to work as a 911 medic without being a firefighter or Harborview Medic One grad on the west side of Washington. Yet another reason working EMS in WA blows.


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## Sasha (Apr 8, 2011)

I live 13 miles away (I mapquested) but because of traffic it can take me up to 45 minutes to get to work.

It really depends on your car, I think.. If you get crappy gas mileage, or your car is a clunker, you can't drive 50 miles to work for crappy pay. It will barely cover the gas, considering it's now up to almost 4 a gallon!


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## 46Young (Apr 8, 2011)

I'd drive up to ninety miles in light traffic conditions only if it was for a career dept, if it was a 56 hour workweek or better, and if they had a good leave policy. That 56 hour/week schedule had better be WOWOWOOOO (24's), so that they couldn't hold you past 12 hours. If they do straight 24/48, there had better be Kelly days, otherwise you're always recovering the first day, and the next day you're always going back to work. Trying to get a week or more off is difficult with a 24/48. With the WOWOWOOOO variation, you only need to take one day off to get six in a row. Take another day or bang in and you've got eight days. 

Otherwise, if it's 8, 12, or 16 hour shifts, then I'd eat a bullet if my commute was more than 30-45 minutes under normal circumstances.


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## 46Young (Apr 8, 2011)

Linuss said:


> In reality, it's only 1:45ish.  The only sucky part is I get up at 4am for a 6am shift.
> 
> Now... during my FTO time, I spent a month driving 3 hours one way to one of the furthest stations, and a month going to the academy.  That sucked.
> 
> ...



I also get up at 0400 to make it to work before 0600. We start at 0700, but my relief also shows at 0600, and we're free to leave as soon as we're relieved. I do a 20 minute cursory rig check, then spend the other 1/2 hour cooking breakfast, eating it, or taking it to lineup if not finished. The meds and such can wait until after lineup. If something's not missing, it's the off going crew who will get jammed up, not us.

For being mandated to go to another station, do they pay you for miles? I think we get $.50/mile or something if we get detailed out.


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## bradford (Apr 11, 2011)

During my paramedic internship, I drove about 230 miles one way. Luckily it was 3 days on, 4 days off. For the preceptor I had, and the agency I worked with, it was worth it. Waking up at 0100 Sunday morning, then driving 4 hours sucked a little, but there was no better feeling than getting off at 0700 Wednesday. Even a four hour drive after getting rocked Tuesday night felt good knowing I finished another week of internship.


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## mycrofft (Apr 11, 2011)

*ARTST10, remember NH winters.*

Being late or snowed out of work doesn't impress employers, they will start being concerned about your commute if you use it as an excuse not to show up on time and ready to rock.
I think we once had someone commuting from Calif's high desert (Hesperia/Apple Valley area) through Cajon pass in the San Bernardino mountains to LA daily. Craziness.


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## Rev.IKON (Apr 11, 2011)

mycrofft said:


> I think we once had someone commuting from Calif's high desert (Hesperia/Apple Valley area) through Cajon pass in the San Bernardino mountains to LA daily. Craziness.



LOL thats what i do right now, VV to long beach. 4 times a week. i really dont mind it since there is nothing up here and im enjoying my job. would rather drive the hour and half to work than work my last poopy job.  so yeah hour and half on good days 2 on bad so far.


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## Meursault (Apr 11, 2011)

~60 miles away with 5 8-hour shifts in my regular week. At the next shift bid, I intend to fix that, but I really don't mind the commute that much. My car gets around 30 MPG and I work nights, so traffic's rarely an issue; I can also occasionally stay closer.



Artst10 said:


> I read that Boston companies require their employees to be a resident of Boston, Ma.
> 
> I guess I'll stick within a 30 - 45 min drive... maybe


I work with people who drive in from RI, the Cape, your state, and, I'm told, New York. JPINFV is, as usual, right. I should point out, though, that "the private companies don't give a damn" doesn't just apply to where you live.


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