# Houston,TX



## Ezraconway (Oct 2, 2012)

Hey everyone, I'm going to be an EMT-B in January and was just curious where the good EMS companies in the houston area's are and their names? I do need one with health insurance though. Thanks


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## rowdybear (Oct 2, 2012)

Acadian Ambulance is a good one. Course im bias i work there.
www.acadian.com


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## Urbanems (Oct 2, 2012)

I also worked for Acadian for a number of years ... It's okay, but I would try for something else in Houston that may have some 911 secondary contracts or if your lucky some primary. Plus, I dont think Acadian is in Houston yet ... Closest is maybe orange (they do the 911 there), and transfers in San Antonio. Acadian isn't a bad or horrible place to work. Good equipment, and generally good people that tend to stay for a long time with the company ... But there is a reason why the uniforms are green, and it refers more so to the transfer areas (which Houston will always be for them, because they will never take over HFD, ESD, CCEMS, etc).


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## shfd739 (Oct 2, 2012)

Urbanems said:


> I also worked for Acadian for a number of years ... It's okay, but I would try for something else in Houston that may have some 911 secondary contracts or if your lucky some primary. Plus, I dont think Acadian is in Houston yet ... Closest is maybe orange (they do the 911 there), and transfers in San Antonio. Acadian isn't a bad or horrible place to work. Good equipment, and generally good people that tend to stay for a long time with the company ... But there is a reason why the uniforms are green, and it refers more so to the transfer areas (which Houston will always be for them, because they will never take over HFD, ESD, CCEMS, etc).



Acadian does do some primary 911 around Houston...


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## Metro EMS News (Oct 3, 2012)

*Houston area ambulance providers*

I'll be moving to Houston in March of 2013. 
Would anyone know of a list of companies in the greater Houston area that are reputable and will have open positions for EMT?
Is there an official EMS website for the counties pertaining to Houston, with provider contact information?
Thanks in advance for anyone who responds!


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## wannabeHFD (Oct 4, 2012)

If you want action, HFD is the way to go but you need to be a firefighter as well. Ive rode with them a few times and it was never boring. The best was at Station 8 in Downtown. We made some very interesting calls and rarely made it back to the station.


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## usalsfyre (Oct 4, 2012)

wannabeHFD said:


> If you want action, HFD is the way to go but you need to be a firefighter as well. Ive rode with them a few times and it was never boring. The best was at Station 8 in Downtown. We made some very interesting calls and rarely made it back to the station.



You are aware of HFDs reputation regarding clinical care in the state?


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## wannabeHFD (Oct 4, 2012)

usalsfyre said:


> You are aware of HFDs reputation regarding clinical care in the state?



I'm noticing that hfd isn't Well liked around here...

It may not the best in the country, but experience is the best teacher. In Houston, hfd is probably the best if someone is looking for real world experience that exposes them to situations That's not found at transport services. I've gotten a few at my station but for the most part it's pretty slow. 

I should correct myself And say any 911 service, but I've never seen anything on the level I have at hfd. I'm brand new as well, so y'all more seasoned guys probably could suggest one of the other departments in this area. I'm assuming moving isn't an option for him, And it's the same with me or I'd be long gone already


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## usalsfyre (Oct 4, 2012)

wannabeHFD said:


> I'm noticing that hfd isn't Well liked around here...
> 
> It may not the best in the country, but experience is the best teacher. In Houston, hfd is probably the best if someone is looking for real world experience that exposes them to situations That's not found at transport services. I've gotten a few at my station but for the most part it's pretty slow.
> 
> I should correct myself And say any 911 service, but I've never seen anything on the level I have at hfd. I'm brand new as well, so y'all more seasoned guys probably could suggest one of the other departments in this area. I'm assuming moving isn't an option for him, And it's the same with me or I'd be long gone already


Experience doing things incorrectly simply reinforces doing things incorrectly. Further, education and experience go hand in hand, they are useless without the other. 

The Houston area has multiple busy, clinically excellent services.


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## AlphaButch (Oct 4, 2012)

For a fresh EMT, I would recommend you try Acadian, AMR, or Orien. Then get a side gig or volunteer at a agency near your home that does 911 to get some time in. If you're young and don't mind getting fire training, I would recommend HFD as it's a good place to get some street experience. I'm not sure if ETMC requires experience or not.

We like HFD  it's just the clinical side that isn't looked upon favorably (and for the most part, it's out of the medics hands as they have restrictive protocols).

For Paramedics, I would recommend MCHD, followed by Acadian.

Fire training will open alot of doors for you in the Houston area as most of our 911 response agencies run fire.


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## wannabeHFD (Oct 4, 2012)

usalsfyre said:


> Experience doing things incorrectly simply reinforces doing things incorrectly. Further, education and experience go hand in hand, they are useless without the other.
> 
> The Houston area has multiple busy, clinically excellent services.


I never said education wasnt important...I was only suggesting that as a new EMT, a service that offers a large call volume for a population that, quite frankly, are the reason people still think the south is still inhabited by morons. 

HFD was just a suggestion based on my own experience. Im sorry you have a heavy dislike for them, but they did teach me a lot. Things you dont find in textbooks.


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

I work for a suburb of Houston as a FF/medic. I did alot of my clinicals with HFD. Some were good clinicals, some not so good. Learned alot either way. I know alot of guys who work there and they're great medics. 

But as said, get your FF cert and your medic and you'll have a better chance of getting a "true" 911 job!!


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## usalsfyre (Oct 5, 2012)

What exactly is a "fake" 911 job?


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

Private EMS. Aka: "fake" 911. I think you know that.


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## STXmedic (Oct 5, 2012)

Pretty sure I've made considerably more truly sick, screwed up patients working your "fake 911" than I've made working my major city 911 service.


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## usalsfyre (Oct 5, 2012)

sweetpete said:


> Private EMS. Aka: "fake" 911. I think you know that.



Rrrriiiiggghhhttt....

It'd be just as easy to say there's a number of fire based services that practice "fake EMS"....


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

sweetpete said:


> Private EMS. Aka: "fake" 911. I think you know that.



I think you're in for some education...


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Relax guys. I know some "good" private medics too. Not many, but a few. I'm sensing a strong "woodchuck" presence in this forum.


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## usalsfyre (Oct 5, 2012)

sweetpete said:


> Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Relax guys. I know some "good" private medics too. Not many, but a few. I'm sensing a strong "woodchuck" presence in this forum.



How do you measure good? And what the hades is a woodchuck?


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

Shove it. Seriously. If you're going to be an arse about private EMS we can be arses about your previous fire based system.


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## STXmedic (Oct 5, 2012)

A few? So what, may I ask, makes so many more 911 medics good medics? Before you say that you never said that, that's exactly what you implied. Because most of the 911 medics I've worked with are far from what I would deem as superior. In fact, I'd love to see a 911 handle a really sick medical patient some way other than a "diesel bolus"

Woodchuck presence?


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

Not good, "good". Which implies that he doesn't actually think they are good. Or he doesn't know how to use quote marks.


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

Wow!! Looks like I struck a nerve. Why does anyone care about a post made against private EMS on a website forum? Is my opinion that important to you? RELAX!! It's an OPINION! Do you think I care what you think about fire-based EMS? 

Just chill out. Personally, I haven't been that impressed with the private kids. That's my opinion. Nothing more. Not everyone can be a firefighter. It's cool. 

Try to have a great weekend guys!! See ya!!


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

Are you freaking kidding me? 

Maybe people care because you're spouting off a bunch of BS? You're being insulting and that is what isn't cool. Has it ever crossed your mind some people don't want to be firefighters? It isn't a matter of can't. Talk about drinking the IAFF kool-aid.


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## usalsfyre (Oct 5, 2012)

sweetpete said:


> Wow!! Looks like I struck a nerve. Why does anyone care about a post made against private EMS on a website forum?


One or two of us work for privates. 



sweetpete said:


> Is my opinion that important to you? RELAX!! It's an OPINION! Do you think I care what you think about fire-based EMS?


Opinions are like...well you know. 



sweetpete said:


> Just chill out. Personally, I haven't been that impressed with the private kids.


A long time ago, when I was a fire based medic, I had the same opinion. What I didn't realize is how ignorant and based on a superiority complex it was.



sweetpete said:


> That's my opinion. Nothing more. Not everyone can be a firefighter. It's cool.


Alternately some of us grew out of our knuckles scraping the ground and left fire based EMS.


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

Just for the record, I worked for a private before getting into fire. So believe me, I actually miss some of the patient interaction. It was a great job. 

But like I said, quite a few of the people I worked with hated the job. Obviously, present company excluded. 

So, my apologies if you were offended by my post. But a few of you are way too sensitive.


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

Or we are sick and tired to heard FFs go on about how awesome they are and how private EMS isn't "true" 911 and that anything that isn't fire based is crap.


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## wannabeHFD (Oct 5, 2012)

I've never been on a forum where they get this angry over nothing. My first post here And I was already getting attacked for my name. 

Holy :censored::censored::censored::censored:, are y'all sure you're in the right field?


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## Aidey (Oct 5, 2012)

It has nothing to do with your name. Usalsfyre is from Texas and has a lot of information on the clinical quality of different EMS systems there, hence his opinion about HFD.

The rest of us are irritated at someone who felt the need to belittle private EMS for no apparent reason aside from the fact that private EMS isn't fire based.


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## sweetpete (Oct 5, 2012)

Yeah.....good point WannabeHFD. There are ALOT of "issues" in these forums. You'll be just fine if you have thick skin. Hahaha!


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## wannabeHFD (Oct 5, 2012)

Aidey said:


> It has nothing to do with your name. Usalsfyre is from Texas and has a lot of information on the clinical quality of different EMS systems there, hence his opinion about HFD.
> 
> The rest of us are irritated at someone who felt the need to belittle private EMS for no apparent reason aside from the fact that private EMS isn't fire based.


No, when I first joined And posted a 'hello ' thread, the first guy to reply just told me How much hfd sucked. 

I never meant to imply one was superior to another.  It was only my opinion that 911 would be good for someone just starting out because I think it offers more of a learning opportunity. That's been my experience so far, at least. Some of my rotations at the transports we didn't do a thing all day, except Maybe for a few errands. 

And then people started complaining about my suggestion to hfd...


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## TransportJockey (Oct 5, 2012)

sweetpete said:


> Private EMS. Aka: "fake" 911. I think you know that.



So since I work for a private service, I don't do true 911? Even though we are the only paramedics in a rural county, and usually respond to 911 calls as both the transport authority and the first responders when the vollies are too lazy to get out of bed? Nice! You've really set me straight and stopped my lying to myself.


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## bigbaldguy (Oct 5, 2012)

Next post is back on topic or you're all grounded.

Edit- for the record my interactions with HFD have all been very good. They get called out to my condo building about every 3 months. 

You might look at Cypress Creek, they have some busy stations and are an EMS only service which I think has it's advantages. They also have some relatively progressive protocols as compared to HFD. They've had some growing pains in the last 5 years or so but they seem to be getting a hande on them. Also if you can't get on with 911 right away you can work IFT for a while and volunteer with CCEMS to get some 911 experience under your belt. Their volunteer program also had some issues for a bit but they have a new volunteer director who seems to be bringing it back on track.

ESD 11 also seems to be a good outfit.

Bellaire fire department was hiring basics and medics recently but I think they may have filled the spots. Might be worth looking into.


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## Frogman (Oct 23, 2012)

*Moving to Houston June 2013*

I will be moving to Houston in June and have a couple years of experience including with a primary 911 company, what are the biggest 911 providing companies in Houston and surrounding areas? Thank you in advance for your help.


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## bigbaldguy (Oct 23, 2012)

Frogman said:


> I will be moving to Houston in June and have a couple years of experience including with a primary 911 company, what are the biggest 911 providing companies in Houston and surrounding areas? Thank you in advance for your help.



Houston Fire, cypress creek EMS, Montgomery county, ESD 1, Harris county hospital district off the top of my head. Lots of privates as well. You can't throw a rock without hitting an ambo here.


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## Metro EMS News (Jan 18, 2013)

*Reputable Transfer Companies*

If I wanted to work doing calls that weren't primarily 911, which company would best suit me? I like the transfer calls, and don't mind them being more routine. 
Any suggestions for companies in or surrounding Houston would be appreciated.
I'd also like your rationale as to why these companies are your choice.
Thanks.


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