# Getting a job in CO



## paradoqs (Sep 30, 2010)

Hi. I'm a new EMT in the Denver area with no professional experience, trying to get a job as an EMT or ED tech. I have recently added IV and EKG certification to my resume and was wondering what else might help me get a job. Is it worth getting an EMT-I for the ALS if I don't have time or money or any exp. for P-school. I am currently getting my CNA just so I can get some healthcare experience in order to get an emergency medicine job. Is there anything else I should look at? I also have wilderness EMT cert but no one cares about that in the urban setting.


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## LucidResq (Sep 30, 2010)

I am not really aware of any services in the metro area what use EMT-Is. There isn't much else you can do to increase your hirability. Just apply for one of the privates, such as R/M. They have very high turnover and are always looking for people, experienced or not. 

Getting in to the ED out here is going to be pretty much impossible without experience.


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## paradoqs (Sep 30, 2010)

Already applied there, but that was before I had IV and EKG. Guess I will reapply.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 30, 2010)

From what I've been told, RM gets so many applications lately, they have their pick. ACA seemed like they were always hiring. Pridemark... Don't bother right now, cause in about a month they turn into RM. I've still got applications in with RM and haven't heard anything in a while. But with them taking over PPS they might be hiring more soon


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## emtvirus (Oct 5, 2010)

I hear AMR is real big in that area too. Might give them a shot.


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## paradoqs (Oct 12, 2010)

Still havent found anything. About to finish my CNA cert to maybe get a hospital job and fenagle my way into the ED. May get around to hand delivering my resume to AMR and RM since they dont reply to email submissions apparently.


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## clibb (Oct 13, 2010)

Without an IV cert no one will basically look at you besides AMR, which isn't a company that I would recommend anyways.
I would look for an ED job in Denver. Some of out EMTs make up to $20-$25 an hour in the ED hospitals in Denver. 
Pridemark is a good place as a starting ground. They will work with you if you want to get your Paramedic certificate.

Other than that, I would just apply and apply as much as possible. You need to have connections man.


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## LucidResq (Oct 13, 2010)

clibb said:


> Some of out EMTs make up to $20-$25 an hour in the ED hospitals in Denver.



Uh... where? I've never heard of them getting paid more than $15 or so. 




clibb said:


> Pridemark is a good place as a starting ground. They will work with you if you want to get your Paramedic certificate.



Bear in mind they just got taken over by R/M. Pridemark has had a rep as a pretty good private amb company to work for in the past.... not sure how much the takeover is going to affect that.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 13, 2010)

clibb said:


> Without an IV cert no one will basically look at you besides AMR, which isn't a company that I would recommend anyways.
> I would look for an ED job in Denver. Some of out EMTs make up to $20-$25 an hour in the ED hospitals in Denver.
> Pridemark is a good place as a starting ground. They will work with you if you want to get your Paramedic certificate.
> 
> Other than that, I would just apply and apply as much as possible. You need to have connections man.



Not true. ACA will look at anyone, even though they prefer IV cert, they'll take anyone with a pulse. Not that I'm actually recommending them


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## clibb (Oct 13, 2010)

LucidResq said:


> Uh... where? I've never heard of them getting paid more than $15 or so.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Our Techs get paid more than $15 an hour. Our CNAs gets paid $12 an hour. 
I work with EMTs who are techs in Denver and they make around $20-$25.


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## sir.shocksalot (Oct 14, 2010)

R/M is kinda short people right now but with the merger people are too busy to put through an academy. Wait a few weeks and apply, make sure to follow up with a phone call to R/M they get a lot of applications. And as others have said that the merger of Pridemark and R/M should create a few openings simply from the fact that both places needed to hire before the merger and neither could during.
AMR is always hiring, again follow up with a phone call. Honestly there is no winning with the privates in the area, they all kinda suck in their own way, Pridemark was the best of the privates but there is some rumors that they are going to lose the boulder 911 contract and Arvarda Fire is trying to get their own ambulance running. AMR is mostly transfers, the 2 911 contracts are hard to get into because it is based on seniority. R/M's contract with Aurora Fire Department is awful, AFD has something called "med control" which means that they treat R/M like a strecher jockeys, and R/M can only sit there while AFD tries to kill patients; if R/M employees try to say anything they get fired. Denver Health is the last bastion of real EMS in Denver, but they only hire medics and have extremely high standards.
Any questions feel free to PM me.


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## LucidResq (Oct 14, 2010)

clibb said:


> I work with EMTs who are techs in Denver and they make around $20-$25.



That's what I asked... where? At DG? I know it's common for techs to make around $13-16, maybe a bit more with certain shift differentials and experience. I also know DG pays a bit more.... but I've never heard of people making $25.


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## srowell (Dec 6, 2010)

sir.shocksalot said:


> Honestly there is no winning with the privates in the area, they all kinda suck in their own way, Pridemark was the best of the privates but there is some rumors that they are going to lose the boulder 911 contract and Arvarda Fire is trying to get their own ambulance running.



It will be interesting to see who comes up with the Boulder County/Arvada contracts.  Seems like a bust for R/M if they don't get em.  I work for Northglenn and we just lost the 911 contract for the city of NG starting at the end of 2011.


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## dry-fly (Dec 7, 2010)

Does AMR have any 911 contracts in Colorado?  Who runs 911 in Ft. Collins?


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## SerumK (Dec 7, 2010)

dry-fly said:


> Does AMR have any 911 contracts in Colorado?  Who runs 911 in Ft. Collins?



I heard they have 911 in Grand Junction and Golden...


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## LucidResq (Dec 8, 2010)

dry-fly said:


> Does AMR have any 911 contracts in Colorado?  Who runs 911 in Ft. Collins?



+ Colorado Springs and Pueblo. 

Poudre Valley up in FoCo.


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## JackC83 (Dec 28, 2010)

Are there many openings for ED/ER Techs in Denver area?


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## clibb (Dec 28, 2010)

dry-fly said:


> Does AMR have any 911 contracts in Colorado?  Who runs 911 in Ft. Collins?



You usually do not get hired at PVH the first couple times you apply there unless you're on the inside. Most of the people I talk to get hired after applying 3-4 times. They have a volunteer program called the EMT-Reserves there which is an outstanding program. You ride as a third rider on the ambulance and is able to do exactly what other EMT-B's that are hired can do. 
They usually hired their EMT-Bs through the EMT- Reserves. After that you can work for PVH for a couple years and then they will send you through Paramedic school. I would say that about 70% of the new medics and EMTs have gone through the Reserves program. The rest get hired from the outside such as Denver Paramedics, West Metro, Weld County, or other agencies. 
The Reserve program does a bunch of events inside PVH's respond region. Such as CSU Football, Basketball, and Volleyball events. Also other events around town such as New West Fest, Tour De Fat, etc.

I have some friends at PVH and we work pretty close with that agency. Let me know if you have any questions.


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## TransportJockey (Dec 28, 2010)

JackC83 said:


> Are there many openings for ED/ER Techs in Denver area?



I know hte last time I looked (this summer) most hospitals had at least one opening. But getting on with an ED is difficult unless you know someone or have tons of experience and are a medic


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