# Wanted; Would the real Private Contractors please stand up?



## Lids

So I know people have been talking about being approached by private contractors who want to send people anywhere from South America to Alaskan oil rigs to even Kuwait and Rowanda... So here is my query; are any of these things actual fact? I'm EMS out in Florida at the moment (and for all of us out in Florida we ALL know about the layoffs) and I keep on hearing people talk... but here is the thing; I never hear a company name, nor have I actually spoken to anyone who has gone through any of the contracting jobs to go over-seas or work military posts. 

So I started poking around online, and have found a bunch of scams but nothing solid. I would like to know if anyone has actually worked something like this, and if they have what company did they work for and where. These offers seem too good to be true, and I don't want to see anyone get scammed into something that's not real, especially in this economy.


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## Aidey

Yes, I have, and I know other people who have also. There are many scams, but there are also private contractors that hire medics for oil rigs, middle eastern assignments, Antarctica, Wildland fires etc.


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## tjbroussard

*Private Contractors*

Our Safety Management Systems Division handles offshore and remote medics all the time.  However, the oil and gas industry is slow as well, so you may be experiencing some of that in your search.

You can look at their info at :    http://safetyms.com/site.php

You can contact their recruiter at 800-252-5522.

Hope that helped,
Terry


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## Luno

*Most are scams...*



Lids said:


> So I know people have been talking about being approached by private contractors who want to send people anywhere from South America to Alaskan oil rigs to even Kuwait and Rowanda... So here is my query; are any of these things actual fact? I'm EMS out in Florida at the moment (and for all of us out in Florida we ALL know about the layoffs) and I keep on hearing people talk... but here is the thing; I never hear a company name, nor have I actually spoken to anyone who has gone through any of the contracting jobs to go over-seas or work military posts.
> 
> So I started poking around online, and have found a bunch of scams but nothing solid. I would like to know if anyone has actually worked something like this, and if they have what company did they work for and where. These offers seem too good to be true, and I don't want to see anyone get scammed into something that's not real, especially in this economy.



Standing up... Been a contractor, no longer, for now.


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## Commonsavage

*Back Country Care International, Reviews?*

I'll be interviewing with them for Remote Medic position in Iraq or Kuwait. Anybody have experience or feedback?


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## akflightmedic

They started in 2007, relatively new company with minimal experience.

I have never heard of them, have asked around in my network and nothing comes up.

I advise to scrutinize everything heavily. PM me if you have questions after hearing their offers.

Questions to ask:

Do you already have a signed contract (the company, not you) as many employers advertise for positions when in reality they are merely bidding on jobs but need the bodies in case.

How long is the contract good for (theirs, not yours).

Do they provide food and housing? Is any of it deducted?

What is the schedule? What is the rotation?

How much of the airfare do they pay or reimburse?

Do you get paid less or not at all while on leave?

Security, who provides it? Secure bases or housing with hired third country nationals?

Quarters? Private or shared, how many to share? Internet available?

Just a few for starters...


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## akflightmedic

After reading their home page more closer, I am sending out some emails....

Castaneda's own the company...and I use the term "own" loosely as there is a reason they promote a female owned business and that is for preference with military contracts.

Joe Castaneda has worked for a major contractor in Iraq for 7 years or so and is very high in the food chain...meaning he has a lot of information about contracts and bidding.

He is still in that position so it seems there is a very self serving agenda here that could end poorly....just be careful because I am speaking of ethical violations or the potential for such.

I will let you know what else I find out from the ranks...


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## Commonsavage

*Excellent feedback*

AK, thanks for the excellent feedback. This is my first excursion into the higher risk medical mercenary field, and this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.of course, I went over their website,yet without prior experience in theater, I'm sure to gloss over some minute, yet crucial information.
I welcome anything more you, or anyone else, can offer.
Do you see any conflict of interest with Joe Castaneda? Any security concerns? Do you know who he's been working with?


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## dtrojan07

Lids said:


> So I know people have been talking about being approached by private contractors who want to send people anywhere from South America to Alaskan oil rigs to even Kuwait and Rowanda... So here is my query; are any of these things actual fact? I'm EMS out in Florida at the moment (and for all of us out in Florida we ALL know about the layoffs) and I keep on hearing people talk... but here is the thing; I never hear a company name, nor have I actually spoken to anyone who has gone through any of the contracting jobs to go over-seas or work military posts.
> 
> So I started poking around online, and have found a bunch of scams but nothing solid. I would like to know if anyone has actually worked something like this, and if they have what company did they work for and where. These offers seem too good to be true, and I don't want to see anyone get scammed into something that's not real, especially in this economy.


Are you serious? If you want to make money and can adapt, overcome and get along contract medics is the way PLUS see the world if you so want to..companies...KBR Dyn Corp, CHS, SRCA, Action Avation..just to name a few..there are so many i dont know HOW you can possbily search the internet and find these offers..I have had several contract offers been flown all over the country including Florida for interviews...I have friends in contracts in Iraq, Afganistan saudi arabia Brazil and now in Haiti..I leave for a 12month deployment next wed. for Saudi Arabia..
There are a few things you need to be looked at;
Paramedic
3yrs as a paramedic
passport
Be ready to go on short notice
you spend months filling out papers and then all of a sudden
you get a plane ticket and you have a few days to prepare
Good Luck in your search
BTW CHS recruiter is based out of Cape Canaveral


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## calimedic

*Overseas Paramedic Jobs*

There are alot of Jobs for Paramedics going in the Middle East right now. Saudi Red Cresent is Hiring, I know several medics who have gone over.

Hamad EMS in Qatar is looking for 30 Paramedics now. They are expanding their EMS service. They have a HEMS service and training jobs and rapid response cars.

Also Try Medhunters recruiting out of canada. They recruit for many hospitals in the middle east.

Read the book "Paramedic to the Prince" It is about my ten years working in Saudi Arabia. You can check it out on Amazon.

Good luck


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## ExpatMedic0

Agreed,

In fact ill see you soon in Saudi with SRCA. Before this gig I also did the week long interview in FL with CHS for the Kuwait gig. 

I have barley 2 years experience as a Paramedic and Ive had 3 offers... so there is a lot of good opportunities doing this rite now. Like dtrojan said....



dtrojan07 said:


> Are you serious? If you want to make money and can adapt, overcome and get along contract medics is the way PLUS see the world if you so want to..companies...KBR Dyn Corp, CHS, SRCA, Action Avation..just to name a few..there are so many i dont know HOW you can possbily search the internet and find these offers..I have had several contract offers been flown all over the country including Florida for interviews...I have friends in contracts in Iraq, Afganistan saudi arabia Brazil and now in Haiti..I leave for a 12month deployment next wed. for Saudi Arabia..
> There are a few things you need to be looked at;
> Paramedic
> 3yrs as a paramedic
> passport
> Be ready to go on short notice
> you spend months filling out papers and then all of a sudden
> you get a plane ticket and you have a few days to prepare
> Good Luck in your search
> BTW CHS recruiter is based out of Cape Canaveral


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## akflightmedic

I have been contacted via PM and asked to stop spreading rumors about BCI.

I politely responded and asked them to clarify which questions a potential candidate should NOT ask of a potential employer overseas. I also asked that they state the owners have no relationship to the person I mentioned earlier.

I posted my response in order to inform those considering going overseas. No recruiter will ever hold your hand and tell you everything you need to know. It is people like me who have been there and done that who inform you of the truth.

I also asked the company to post publicly to defend themselves and post past or current contracts. I have NOTHING to hide...

For the record, the PM states they are female owned which I did not dispute and said they know Castaneda but are not related...however from their web page, here are the owners names...

"Headquartered in the United States, Backcountry Care International, LLC was founded in 2007 by Moraima M. Castañeda and Leslie J. Castañeda. We are a Women-Owned, Minority-Owned, Small Business"

Make your own decisions and ALWAYS ask lots of questions....


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## Flight-LP

akflightmedic said:


> I have been contacted via PM and asked to stop spreading rumors about BCI.
> 
> I politely responded and asked them to clarify which questions a potential candidate should NOT ask of a potential employer overseas. I also asked that they state the owners have no relationship to the person I mentioned earlier.
> 
> I posted my response in order to inform those considering going overseas. No recruiter will ever hold your hand and tell you everything you need to know. It is people like me who have been there and done that who inform you of the truth.
> 
> I also asked the company to post publicly to defend themselves and post past or current contracts. I have NOTHING to hide...
> 
> For the record, the PM states they are female owned which I did not dispute and said they know Castaneda but are not related...however from their web page, here are the owners names...
> 
> "Headquartered in the United States, Backcountry Care International, LLC was founded in 2007 by Moraima M. Castañeda and Leslie J. Castañeda. We are a Women-Owned, Minority-Owned, Small Business"
> 
> Make your own decisions and ALWAYS ask lots of questions....



Joe get his panties in a wad????????

I did not see any rumors, just sound advice to unsuspecting medics seeking oversea's employment. As a former "red lanyard'er", one who had the opportunity to work hand in in hand with Mr. Castaneda, I see AK being spot on. There is more to the $$$ than meets the eye, as previously stated, ask a lot of questions. When you done, ask more...............


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## DogPoundMedic

Anyone know the turn arounf time on the Saudi Red Cresent? Just applied today, anyone have any intel on them?







calimedic said:


> There are alot of Jobs for Paramedics going in the Middle East right now. Saudi Red Cresent is Hiring, I know several medics who have gone over.
> 
> Hamad EMS in Qatar is looking for 30 Paramedics now. They are expanding their EMS service. They have a HEMS service and training jobs and rapid response cars.
> 
> Also Try Medhunters recruiting out of canada. They recruit for many hospitals in the middle east.
> 
> Read the book "Paramedic to the Prince" It is about my ten years working in Saudi Arabia. You can check it out on Amazon.
> 
> Good luck


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## KillTank

I am on a Contract in Kuwait. Be ready to be lied to. lol. I do not regret it though. This is one experience I will never let go and it look great on a resume.


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## MackTheKnife

*Pmc/medic*

I am a PMC and a medic (NREMT).  My contract is at a Navy learning site (CONUS)where we deliver high-risk training.  I am primarily the site manager with the medic role as a collateral duty. In reference to what you are asking, there are OCONUS positions available through companies like Blackwater. They look for EMT-I and EMT-P types.  I'm sure there are other companies with similar positions.  Haven't seen any EMT-B positions. Check out Dyncorp, L3 Communications, SAIC, O'Gara, Erinsys, MVM, Triple Canopy.  Be advised that a military background is usually a pre-requisite.


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## akflightmedic

Just a relevant update...

There are several large contracts up for bid right now...they have not been awarded. You will see many companies advertising but please remember to ask all the questions I have provided and remember to question them...is this a contract you already have or one you are bidding on; that way you are not built up on something that never comes through.

http://www.snagajob.com/job-seeker/jobs/job-description.aspx?postingId=3850651&ref=vseindeed


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## KillTank

akflightmedic said:


> Just a relevant update...
> 
> There are several large contracts up for bid right now...they have not been awarded. You will see many companies advertising but please remember to ask all the questions I have provided and remember to question them...is this a contract you already have or one you are bidding on; that way you are not built up on something that never comes through.
> 
> http://www.snagajob.com/job-seeker/jobs/job-description.aspx?postingId=3850651&ref=vseindeed



GW/ITT just wont the contract in kuwait and are now offering jobs for both Paramedic and EMT's. The transition will happen within the next 3 weeks.


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## akflightmedic

That has been official for a while...I am mostly referring to the 1 Billion+  in multiple contracts for hospitals, clinics, etc being currently bid on in Iraq and Africa, some things out of Afghan as well.


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## KillTank

akflightmedic said:


> That has been official for a while...I am mostly referring to the 1 Billion+  in multiple contracts for hospitals, clinics, etc being currently bid on in Iraq and Africa, some things out of Afghan as well.



Okie Dokie


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## Jon

akflightmedic said:


> That has been official for a while...I am mostly referring to the 1 Billion+  in multiple contracts for hospitals, clinics, etc being currently bid on in Iraq and Africa, some things out of Afghan as well.


Yeah... they are actually recruiting at the NCEMSF conference. 6-month and longer tours.

Sounds like a nice place, at least compared to KSA.


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## huskyguy

hey I have been an EMT-B for 2 years and worked for a 911 provider in southern California. I am currently finishing the classroom portion of medic school and am wondering if there are any companies that would hire fresh out of school. I was going to enlist right out of high school as a navy corpsman but while training to get in shape I dislocated my rt knee and took a 2 inch chunk of cartilage off the bottom of my femur which they screwed back on. I can now walk, run and pt like before but have been told by a few diff recruiters that I wouldn't make it past MEPS so I've been looking for the next best thing. Any information would be welcomed. thanks


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## akflightmedic

In short, no.

There are long lists of experienced medics with years of deployed experience currently looking...why would they go new grad in an austere, remote, hostile environment when they can pick from the cream of the crop of seasoned vets?

And again as stated, with the exception of 911 in Kuwait on a military base, working as a remote medic is a far cry from anything you learned in school and is no place for a new grad. Do not give me well the military does it line, because there is an exception to every rule and there are many military medical providers I would never want to touch me or my family.


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## Atomisk

Sept I leave to go back to Antarctica. My position is ARFF EMT for Mcmurdo Station. If you have no kids or significant other it's a great way to travel and make decent money.


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