18 year old soon to be EMT

EmergencyMedicalSike

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Hello everyone I have a question about being an EMT as I have finished the course/all ride along hours and am scheduled to take the NREMT by the end of this month. Is it possible for 18 year olds to land a job as an EMT? In regards to area, I live in California.
 

NomadicMedic

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Many places won't hire you til you're 21, due to insurance reasons. Just apply for jobs as see what happens. Good luck.
 

OnceAnEMT

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Just depends. I had an IFT job in Texas at 18 or 19. Another option would be to work non-transport (event standby), or in an ER. But I agree, don't let that thought stop you from applying.
 

VentMonkey

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Our company won't hire you until you're eligible to drive under their insurance (20). In the meantime, practice safe, and defensive driving...lots and lots of driving:).
 
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EmergencyMedicalSike

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Bumping this thread. Recently passed my nremt and am now in the process of being certified to work in LA county. I came across a posting from PRN ambulance saying the minimum age for an EMT position with them is at least 18 which is good news because I'm 18. I'm planning on applying to PRN. So to anyone working for PRN, how's the hiring process?
 

CALEMT

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Recently passed my nremt and am now in the process of being certified to work in LA county.

Because I know the Kern County Cult will strike... wait never mind you're 18. Riverside county and San Bernardino county are a gazillion times more better than LA county. AMR runs 911 in all of RIVCo and most of SBCo. You can get hired at 18 for AMR. Why work in the mother may I system when you can come over to SBCo or RIVCo and see/ get better 911 experience from a more expanded scope and standing orders.

/off my soapbox
 

VentMonkey

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Because I know the Kern County Cult will strike... wait never mind you're 18
IMG_0184.GIF
 
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EmergencyMedicalSike

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Because I know the Kern County Cult will strike... wait never mind you're 18. Riverside county and San Bernardino county are a gazillion times more better than LA county. AMR runs 911 in all of RIVCo and most of SBCo. You can get hired at 18 for AMR. Why work in the mother may I system when you can come over to SBCo or RIVCo and see/ get better 911 experience from a more expanded scope and standing orders.

/off my soapbox
I've been doing some research right now and...PRN isn't 911? After reading your post I'm now considering AMR but the only downside is I'm gonna have to drive pretty far to get to work. But other than that, I'm going to apply to a lot of different companies. Which other 911 providers hire 18 y/o?
 

CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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PRN isn't 911?

I wouldn't know to be honest. I'm not familiar with LACo in the slightest other than the system is well... stuck in the 70's.
 

Jim37F

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PRN isn't 911?
Nope. Only 4 of the 100 some odd private ambulance companies in LA/OC have any 911 contracts. Care has pretty much all of OC, and all of south east LA Co, McCormick has pretty much the whole South Bay, AMR has the Santa Clarita Valley and the deserts in northern LACo (Lancaster/Palmdale). Schaefer and AMR lost their San Gabriel Valley contracts to Care (I think they take over in like a month or two if they haven't already). AmeriCare, even though they're bigger than PRN, they have one 911 station for the City of Santa Monica (and like the I-5 corridor through Camp Pendleton down in San Diego Co I believe...)
 

VentMonkey

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Man, so crazy how these companies fight like rabid dogs for an EOA. When the first restructuring took place and AMR was finally losing their monopoly, any, and every company with the 5 year establishment mark was "rumored" to be bidding an EOA, or all.

It was laughable seeing a former AMR supe literally in a CARE truck now a CARE supe recruiting, or attempting to, some of the AMR faithful lol. They were at the edge of our parking lot waiting with business cards. All it told me was it was time to take moving up seriously.

My, how times haven't (nor will they ever) changed...
 

DrParasite

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Many places won't hire you til you're 21, due to insurance reasons. Just apply for jobs as see what happens. Good luck.
actually, its due to age discrimination, but it's legal to discriminate against the young, but not the old. But that's a rant for a different day.

Insurance rates are typically higher for younger drivers, but there is nothing preventing you from getting a job as an EMT at 18, other than the fact that California is over saturated with EMTs, some who have experience, and that whole age discrimination thing (many will take a 30 year old over an 18 year old, just because they are older). So while it isn't impossible, it can be an uphill battle.
 
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EmergencyMedicalSike

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actually, its due to age discrimination, but it's legal to discriminate against the young, but not the old. But that's a rant for a different day.

Insurance rates are typically higher for younger drivers, but there is nothing preventing you from getting a job as an EMT at 18, other than the fact that California is over saturated with EMTs, some who have experience, and that whole age discrimination thing (many will take a 30 year old over an 18 year old, just because they are older). So while it isn't impossible, it can be an uphill battle.
It sucks to hear about age discrimination but I'm going to apply to as many as I can. Speaking of which, I found a posting from McCormick for an EMT job in Hawthorne but it didn't state the minimum age requirement so I'm wondering if they do hire 18 year olds?
 

hometownmedic5

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I've been doing some research right now and...PRN isn't 911? After reading your post I'm now considering AMR but the only downside is I'm gonna have to drive pretty far to get to work. But other than that, I'm going to apply to a lot of different companies. Which other 911 providers hire 18 y/o?


Perhaps get some experience in the basics of the job before you try to be the hero. The number of paid systems that will put a day one rookie on a front line piece are ver, very few. It happens, but very rarely; so lets focus on developing your skill set before you take on saving the world.

On the original topic, its going to be dependent on your specific organization. Some companies hire unrestricted employees at 18, some 19, some 20 etc. I started working unrestricted at 18. Some might hire you as a tech only. Some wont even call you back. Sure, it sucks; but life tends to suck from time to time. The only way to find out is make the calls. I don't know where you live, but I would imagine you could make the calls to every company in your area in no more than a few hours. That would sure narrow down the list of places to bother applying too.
 
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EmergencyMedicalSike

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Perhaps get some experience in the basics of the job before you try to be the hero. The number of paid systems that will put a day one rookie on a front line piece are ver, very few. It happens, but very rarely; so lets focus on developing your skill set before you take on saving the world.

On the original topic, its going to be dependent on your specific organization. Some companies hire unrestricted employees at 18, some 19, some 20 etc. I started working unrestricted at 18. Some might hire you as a tech only. Some wont even call you back. Sure, it sucks; but life tends to suck from time to time. The only way to find out is make the calls. I don't know where you live, but I would imagine you could make the calls to every company in your area in no more than a few hours. That would sure narrow down the list of places to bother applying too.
By "getting experience" I'm assuming in the form of volunteer work/more ride alongs?
 

VentMonkey

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Perhaps get some experience in the basics of the job before you try to be the hero. The number of paid systems that will put a day one rookie on a front line piece are ver, very few. It happens, but very rarely; so lets focus on developing your skill set before you take on saving the world.
Quoted as the best free advice you've gotten so far on this thread, OP.
 

TransportJockey

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By "getting experience" I'm assuming in the form of volunteer work/more ride alongs?
No, by doing your time on a wheelchair van or BLS transfer truck. It'll teach you a lot

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VentMonkey

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By "getting experience" I'm assuming in the form of volunteer work/more ride alongs?
Take the PRN job, get experience with all the fundamentals such as driving, assessments, charting, etc. You're being paid to hone your fundamentals, who cares if it isn't as "cool" as a 911 job. You're 18, you can hardly afford to be picky.
 
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