# Cataldo Ambulance



## emtjoe10 (Apr 18, 2010)

Hello, so a quick question for any who work or have knowledge about Cataldo Ambulance. I am set up to be taking the pre-employment pre-test on the 26th of april and was looking for some help on what exactly they test you on or what i should study. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You..


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## JPINFV (Apr 18, 2010)

Cataldo's exam is essentially a 4 part exam. There's a multiple choice exam, a narritive writing section, a map reading section, and a practical section. If you pass the exam, you are then invited back for an interview with HR.


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## Danson (Apr 19, 2010)

Could you let us know how it goes?  I know I'll be interested...I'll be moving back home to Boston from Cali at the end of May and Cataldo is one of my top choices.


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## feldy (Apr 19, 2010)

Also keep us updated on the hiring process for Cataldo. They told me recently that they are hiring Basics but unfortunately because i am in school out of state, i can only committ to the summer and they are looking for a 6 month min employment time.


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## Raf (Apr 21, 2010)

When I did it, the HR interview was at the same time as the pre-employment test.

If you pass the test, and the interview..then you have to schedule a time to get a physical done. The physical includes a drug test, hearing, sight, peripheral vision, color blind, lifting 120 pounds, and spirometer test.

Once you're ok to go, you're invited to the orientation, following which, you then are able to sign up for shifts directly after.


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## nemedic (Apr 21, 2010)

did they say what status they were hiring for? Full time, part time, or per diem? i've gotten different answers from different people @cataldo/atlantic that are involved in the hiring process there?


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## Raf (Apr 21, 2010)

When I was getting hired they would not let you go per diem status unless you were with the company for a full year. They would never hire a fresh employee as per diem. Unfortunately I don't know the answer if this is still their policy, so please do not quote me on this. I do know that they also have a 6 month shift requirement in order to prevent college students staying for 3 months of the summer.


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## feldy (Apr 21, 2010)

Raf said:


> When I was getting hired they would not let you go per diem status unless you were with the company for a full year. They would never hire a fresh employee as per diem. Unfortunately I don't know the answer if this is still their policy, so please do not quote me on this. I do know that they also have a 6 month shift requirement in order to prevent college students staying for 3 months of the summer.



Unfortunately thats me...a lot of companies are like this right now in MA due to some of the lengthy orientations (anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months) and scheduling. It has made it very difficult to find work as an EMT for the summer, im trying my luck in ED's as a volunteer and have a few interviews lined up with some of the hospitals.


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## dmc2007 (Apr 22, 2010)

Raf said:


> When I was getting hired they would not let you go per diem status unless you were with the company for a full year. They would never hire a fresh employee as per diem. Unfortunately I don't know the answer if this is still their policy, so please do not quote me on this. I do know that they also have a 6 month shift requirement in order to prevent college students staying for 3 months of the summer.



On the flip side, will a lot of companies in the Boston area hire out-of-state students (but certified in MA) for the school year?


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## feldy (Apr 23, 2010)

im not sure. Boston EMS definitely not due to city job requirements and stuff like that. I Dont live in the city so i can not work for Boston EMS. Judging by your location, I believe your school is too far to work for them to. Look to see if your school has required ride time and a local affliate, i know mine does with the Major 911 in the city. If they dont, maybe that is a way to get on with a company in boston.

Also if you are certified in MA, you should not have a problem working. The only problem is if you can put in enough time with them.

I would just make some phone calls though and if you are on your schools EMS then maybe let them know that.


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## Danson (Apr 23, 2010)

so for Cataldo do you apply and then get asked to come in for testing, or do you just call and register for the test date and submit an application then?


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## rowcin7272 (Apr 23, 2010)

I registered for the exam (you can either over the phone or by email) and she sent me the application and the CORI form to bring in on test day.


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## huey28 (Apr 23, 2010)

if you are a medic look into action... medics there are busy have some good citys that run intercept


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## Raf (May 5, 2010)

dmc2007 said:


> On the flip side, will a lot of companies in the Boston area hire out-of-state students (but certified in MA) for the school year?



Sure why not. As long as you're committed to keeping a shift for 6-months.


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## feldy (May 6, 2010)

Ive called about 6 or 7 companies in the greater boston area that say they are hiring but six months is a minimum for most, mostly because thier individual training and orientation programs are about 3 months (to learn state and company protocals and policies) before you get to ride with and FTO. Unfortunatly for me this has made it very hard to get a job because i can only give about a 3 month commitment at a time because i go to school out of state and am only home on holidays and during the summer. But if anyone knows of any place that is hiring part time or seasonal, let me know.


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## Thanach (Jul 3, 2010)

Danson said:


> so for Cataldo do you apply and then get asked to come in for testing, or do you just call and register for the test date and submit an application then?



You call and register, get sent an application and cori form via email, and are requested to bring that, a copy of your driving record, and all of your certifications (EMT/EMT-P, BCLS, ACLS, Drivers License) in with you on the day of testing. 

You'll take the test, which is VERY hard, contains multiple choice questions, narrative writing section, map reading section, if you're a paramedic there are also sections on 12 lead interpretation and a section where you have to list treatments for a couple scenarios, and they expect you to go soup to nuts, everything listed, even the Med Control options. 

Then you do a practical, for BLS it's just like a simplified state test, for ALS it's 4 or 5 scenarios in a mega-code like setting. 

After all that you have an interview, usually with the HR person, sometime with their Clinical Director if the HR person is falling behind because there's a bunch of applicants.

IF you pass all that, you'll get a call in a week or two with an orientation date (they run one per month, usually in the second half of the month) and instructions to set up your physical ability test / drug screening.

Orientation is a 3 day process for BLS (Tues-Thurs), 4 days for ALS (Tues-Fri) with Friday being inter-facility transfers, pump operation, auto-pulse, vent operation, etc... Orientation finishes with a Protocol Exam for ALS, not sure about BLS.

After that you get scheduled for your FTO time,  BLS it's 40 hours, ALS it's 96 hours.

Once you're cleared from that you get a schedule that you're committed to for 6 months.

BLS, you will get 911 experience working here, when ALS is busy, BLS gets the calls, in some cities, the calls will be triaged by dispatch.

If you get to the Atlantic division, some cities have city-dedicated BLS 911 trucks.


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## dpopkin (Jul 26, 2010)

im taking the cataldo test this Thursday any one have suggestions i have been an emt for about 9 months and have about 6 months of experience.

thanks


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## Thanach (Jul 26, 2010)

dpopkin said:


> im taking the cataldo test this Thursday any one have suggestions i have been an emt for about 9 months and have about 6 months of experience.
> 
> thanks



You'll need to do CPR like at your state practical, have a written test, including a map reading section. They test you on the bls albuterol neb protocols, but if you don't know it cause your last employer didn't do it just be honest and tell them that, they wont hold it against you. 

Good luck, we always need more peoples


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## dpopkin (Jul 26, 2010)

thanks i forgot to mention i took it before about 7 months ago and didn't pass i was just seeing if anyone had new ideas 

thanks


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## Meursault (Jul 27, 2010)

For what it's worth, when they called with my results last week, they also told me that the schedule is completely full. I wouldn't count on getting a job even after you pass.
EDIT: For EMT-Bs, that is. I think they're still a bit desperate for medics.


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## dpopkin (Jul 27, 2010)

thanks lol


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## dpopkin (Jul 29, 2010)

i took the cataldo test today i did horrible i froze on the practical part i feel like an idiot now


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## feldy (Jul 29, 2010)

hey dpopkin check your PM


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## emtjoe10 (Aug 30, 2010)

*back*

so its been a while since i have been on here.. i took the test it was semi-difficult. the map reading sucked. lol. but again not bad. the thing is i failed my practical portion, i had an infant cyanotic, unresponsive and not breathing who ended up in cardiac arrest and no one in the family spoke english , i got flusterd and the guy testing me kind of kept throwing diffrent situations at me. well needless to say i failed the practical portion but was invited back to retest the practical. I didnt due to another job offer but im applying to atlantic now so lets see what happens .:unsure:


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## JPINFV (Aug 30, 2010)

Err... you might want to take them back up on that retest offer. Cataldo owns Atlantic Ambulance.


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## emtjoe10 (Aug 30, 2010)

*Atlantic*

Yea ,thank you, I'm aware of that, that's why I'm hoping I can retake the practical at this time. It was the end of April when I last took it.


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## andyman0291 (Nov 16, 2010)

does anyone know what the will or will not hire as far as cori check goes?   when do they check the cori? before or after you get a job offer?


thanks


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## Thanach (Nov 17, 2010)

They check before the offer, and as far as I'm aware it's a case by case basis depending on what it is and how lon ago it was. My best suggestion would be to be olen and upfront about it with HR


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## patriot1212 (Nov 18, 2010)

Hey guys, I'm taking the Cataldo exam next Wed. I was just wondering if you guys had any advice on the practical portion. Is it just one scenario based question or is it all different stations like the state exam?


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## Thanach (Nov 18, 2010)

The bls exam I'm not sure, I know it involves CPR with an aed and assembling an u2 tank and bvm

As for the ALS it's five scenarios in their mock ambulance sim lab type thing


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## patriot1212 (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm taking the BLS exam.  Thanks for your help.  I'm a little nervous, I took the class almost a year ago but this is the first job I've applied for because of other work and school... so I'm a little rusty


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## EMTRyan88 (Dec 21, 2010)

Did you get in? Because based off the time of your post you probably took the same pre hire test I did.


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## nemedic (Mar 8, 2011)

Without making another new thread about the exact same topic (though to the CLs, if i need to inorder to be in compliance with the rules, i will), i recently managed to get a slot for the pre-hire test at the end of the month. I was just wondering if anyone had taken it recently, and if the format is still the same (practical with CPR/AED and BVM/O2 bottle assembly, written test w/albuterol protocol and map reading, and the HR interview later. If not, any insight about any changes?


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