# Driving Commute



## djarmpit (Nov 8, 2012)

What's the farthest you drive/have driven for your EMT job?


----------



## throcktharock (Nov 8, 2012)

1 Hour. (50 Miles) one way

During school I drove up to 2 hours (100 miles) to some clinical sites. Never again.

Edited to add mileage.


----------



## TRSpeed (Nov 8, 2012)

Living in SoCal at only 18 years old. I drove 225 miles for my first EMT job that was also ALS 911 only in a rural no FD response area. We did do 72/96 though so it was worth it. No SSM and it was pretty mellow.


----------



## Anjel (Nov 8, 2012)

50 miles one way to work and school.


----------



## RocketMedic (Nov 8, 2012)

TRSpeed said:


> Living in SoCal at only 18 years old. I drove 225 miles for my first EMT job that was also ALS 911 only in a rural no FD response area. We did do 72/96 though so it was worth it. No SSM and it was pretty mellow.



Desert Ambulance, Barstow? Baker/Needles? Ridgecrest- Liberty Ambulance? Blythe? I know that area pretty well, fond memories.


----------



## Jambi (Nov 8, 2012)

Rocketmedic40 said:


> Desert Ambulance, Barstow? Baker/Needles? Ridgecrest- Liberty Ambulance? Blythe? I know that area pretty well, fond memories.



Blythe is a good one, but my first thought was morongo basin ambulance, or something in Imperial County


----------



## DesertMedic66 (Nov 8, 2012)

30-35 miles each way. But I'm currently driving on the complete opposite side of the USA for my EMT job, does that count?


----------



## TRSpeed (Nov 8, 2012)

Rocketmedic40 said:


> Desert Ambulance, Barstow? Baker/Needles? Ridgecrest- Liberty Ambulance? Blythe? I know that area pretty well, fond memories.




you guys are good.






Jambi said:


> Blythe is a good one, but my first thought was morongo basin ambulance, or something in Imperial County



No I have some buddies that work/ed there they like it.


----------



## Tigger (Nov 8, 2012)

Depending on the base, either 11 miles and 25-50 minutes or 25 miles and 30-40 minutes. 

I prefer the longer drive, there are like 26 stoplights on the 11 mile drive and that combined with rush hour city traffic makes me want to punch someone. The other one is nearly all highway.


----------



## DeepFreeze (Nov 8, 2012)

I think the furthest was 1 hour for a 24 hour shift. 

I made a rule for myself never to drive more than an hour for an <8 hour shift. So 30 minute commute (one way) for 8-16 hour shifts, up to an 1 hr away for 24 hour shifts To make it worth "my time" to drive.


----------



## Achilles (Nov 8, 2012)

One hour five minutes to school through construction both ways.


----------



## Wheel (Nov 9, 2012)

30 minutes all highway and interstate for a rotating 12 hour shift currently


----------



## TransportJockey (Nov 9, 2012)

Forty five minutes or so. Might start driving a couple hours soon


----------



## NYMedic828 (Nov 9, 2012)

Excluding days with traffic, 45 minutes.

I refuse to drive any substantial distance or pay a toll without compensation. Many parts of NYC require a fee sometimes as high as $10 to drive to. I work for the city, if I have to pay them to reach my station they put me in, it is a pay cut.


----------



## mycrofft (Nov 9, 2012)

Used to commute 48 miles each way 5 d/wk. Moved closer so that went to 17, then 23, for the remaining twenty years.

I occasionally drive over fifty miles to rescue abandoned CPR classes at a red cross office.


----------



## shfd739 (Nov 9, 2012)

Ummm....

Less than a mile and under 5mins if I catch the traffic lights.


----------



## Medic2409 (Dec 13, 2012)

Bwwaaahahahahahaha.....got you all beat!

The company I worked for was just bought out by another and the new folks closed my station.  Until another one opens, hopefully soon, 85 miles one way, 1.5 hours if no traffic, 2+ hours if traffic.  Right now is a 24 hour shift, so it's not bad, but they are talking about going to 12's.


----------



## firecoins (Dec 13, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> Excluding days with traffic, 45 minutes.
> 
> I refuse to drive any substantial distance or pay a toll without compensation. Many parts of NYC require a fee sometimes as high as $10 to drive to. I work for the city, if I have to pay them to reach my station they put me in, it is a pay cut.



Only $10 dollar?  Try $13 at teh GW now.  $14 next year.


----------



## DrParasite (Dec 13, 2012)

Currently 27 miles, and about 40 against traffic without tolls.  

the maximum I would travel is 2 hours, for a decent paying 24 hour shift.  For a 12 hour shift, only an hour is my maximum.  

If for some reason I was looking at a greater than 1 hour commute, I would be looking to relocate to somewhere closer to work.  Fuel is expensive, and tolls add up.

and the Verrazano is up to $15, and 12 on the Outerbridge.  Makes it hard to commute from NJ to Brooklyn for anything.


----------



## 9D4 (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm still in high school, taking an emt program, too though. I drive 20 minutes to my highschool (26 miles/ 75-85 MPH for 22 of them dependent on traffic), another 32 to my EMT class, 45 minutes, then I have to work another 20 minutes south from there. Makes my commute home around 1 hour 45 minutes in light traffic, normally get home 11:30 or so, if I'm unlucky and we close late then around 12:15. Then get right back up at 4:30 to start all over! Oh, the joys of high school... Who says this is the easiest time of our lives?? haha.
Forgot to say this, also. I make a whopping $4/ hr at my work... Whew, gonna be rich! haha.


----------



## Medic Tim (Dec 13, 2012)

I am currently about a mile from my primary base. I would be willing to drive more than an hour for 24 but we don't have 24s anymore .... When in school It was an hour drive each way 4 to 6 days a week for class, clinical, and preceptorship.... While working full time.


----------



## Hunter (Dec 13, 2012)

Medic2409 said:


> Bwwaaahahahahahaha.....got you all beat!
> 
> The company I worked for was just bought out by another and the new folks closed my station.  Until another one opens, hopefully soon, 85 miles one way, 1.5 hours if no traffic, 2+ hours if traffic.  Right now is a 24 hour shift, so it's not bad, but they are talking about going to 12's.



I converted some shifts as a favor, drove 3 hours in each direction, about 180 miles


----------



## Clare (Dec 13, 2012)

Most people live fairly close to their assigned station; average commute might be 10 to 20 minutes.  

We also have what are called a casual pool which is sort of what I am doing at the moment that do not have an assigned roster.  Furthest they might have to go is 45 minutes to an hour drive to Warkworth or Waiuku.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Dec 13, 2012)

I used to live in western Washington and commuted to Yakima. 198 miles from my house to the station. 400 mile round trip. But, we worked 48s, so I only did it once a week. 

But still... That sucked. 

At my current job Im on float, so I can be assigned to any station. Closest station is less than 10 minutes, furthest is about an hour. (And that's where I am this tour...)


----------



## usalsfyre (Dec 13, 2012)

Drove close to 100 one way while flying for a 24.

Currently about 20 miles one way...but five days a week..


----------



## JPINFV (Dec 13, 2012)

For my EMT jobs I've mostly been about 30-35 minutes away. For school, this month I'm about 1.5-2 hours away from my rotation site, but I'm car pooling with another student. However, for most of my rotations I'm about 10 minutes away from the hospital.


----------



## Christopher (Dec 13, 2012)

djarmpit said:


> What's the farthest you drive/have driven for your EMT job?



Furthest I have to go is ~15 miles (I live on the Western border of my county) either due East or due South.

Usually I go 3 blocks (ALS 3rd service) or 5 miles (ALS fire department).

Longest during clinicals was ~1 hour (40 miles).


----------



## Veneficus (Dec 13, 2012)

50 minutes at highway speeds for a 24 that often bevame a 48 because of voluntary OT.

I will never commute that far again. Too much uncompensated time.


----------



## med51fl (Dec 13, 2012)

Currently doing 2 1/2 hour commute each way for a 24 on / 48 off schedule.  The drive sucks, but the pay/benefits are excellent.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Dec 13, 2012)

I drive 10 minutes  more like 7 when I get off at 0-dark-thirty as long as the lights aren't being dumb.


----------



## adamjh3 (Dec 13, 2012)

For a 5 weeks I did 275 miles one way each weekend for 3 ~12-hour shifts. 
Granted, this was for stand-by work, and the boss paid for a hotel in the area. 

Right now my commute ranges from 5 to 100 miles depending on where I pick up work


----------



## chillybreeze (Dec 13, 2012)

I work at 2 different depts.  one is 25 miles away and the other one is 2 miles away.  Im full time at the one that is 2 miles away and part time at the one that is 25 miles away.  That will be changing after the first of the year and Ill be full time at the both of them.  Plus.....I work part time at an RV dealership that is 3 miles away!


----------



## JMorin95 (Dec 13, 2012)

I drive 20-25 minutes depending on the traffic lights.


----------



## highglyder (Dec 16, 2012)

My communte for my FT job is 16 km (10 mi) and takes me 17 minutes door to door.  For my PT job, it's 95 km (59 mi) and takes me about 65 minutes.  That's not bad since our cottage is a 15 minutes drive from that station.

The furthest I have ever driven was 350 km (218 mi) over 4 hours for a 24 hr shift.  The mileage pay was more than the shift so it was worth it!  Never did it again though.


----------



## DrParasite (Dec 16, 2012)

highglyder said:


> The furthest I have ever driven was 350 km (218 mi) over 4 hours for a 24 hr shift.  The mileage pay was more than the shift so it was worth it!  Never did it again though.


mileage pay? what's that?  and if the mileage pay is more than the shift, than either you aren't making much $$$ as a medic, or your company should only hire from a certain geographic area.

I would love to have a job that pays me mileage pay.....


----------



## Akulahawk (Dec 16, 2012)

The farthest I have ever driven for an EMS job is approximately 132 miles. My current job is 22 miles away, takes me about 25 min. door to door. Unfortunately it is a nonmedical job, so it does not really count for this particular question.


----------



## abckidsmom (Dec 17, 2012)

Today I'm going to the farthest station from my house. 30 minutes. Most days it's 800 yards.


----------



## lightsandsirens5 (Dec 17, 2012)

My home station is about 10 minutes now. I could drive for two hours and still be in the system though.


----------



## highglyder (Dec 17, 2012)

DrParasite said:


> mileage pay? what's that?  and if the mileage pay is more than the shift, than either you aren't making much $$$ as a medic, or your company should only hire from a certain geographic area.
> 
> I would love to have a job that pays me mileage pay.....



As mentioned, this is at my PT job.  To give you an idea of the area that we cover, you can find our map at http://www.msdsb.net/index.php/ems-station-locations.  (Note: We do not cover the City of Greater Sudbury, and as EMS is considered a provincial resource, no service is bound by municipal, district, or county borders.)  Our catchment is split into four service areas and mileage is paid to those who travel outside of their assigned area.  Staffing our northern stations used to be an issue, but has that has since been resolved.

Foleyet is 8 hours on-site with 16 hours of on call.  The reason that mileage paid better was 700km @ 42cents/km (294$) vs. 8 hours @ $27/h (214 + 60ish for the on call portion).


----------



## Trauma_Junkie (Dec 17, 2012)

I recently got on part-time at a company that is a 1hr drive (50 miles) one way for a 12hr shift. My job search radius is 2hrs max but then for me to take a job 2hrs out the pay and hours would have to be decent enough to justify the drive time and fuel.


----------

