Agency Affiliation

[codethree]

I am finding that it is extremely hard to find someone in Washington state to affiliate me, I have my NREMT and have contacted North Country, Fire district 6,hospitals everything and it is really hard because no one seems to be hiring. So how does one get reciprocity if they cant find anyone to hire them so they are affiliated. I have even tried just volunteering. Are fire departments and ambulance services the only people that can affiliate someone? This is very frustrating.

 

[Schroeder]

Where in washington are you? In seattle you can get your affiliation from a few places. Search and rescue, the detox clinic can affiliate EMT's. A few of the local fire departments will affiliate volunteers as well.

 

[leoemt]

Where in WA are you? I got my affiliation through Cascade Ambulance out of Bellingham.

AMR will affiliate, but it is rare. Northwest Ambulance (Arlington) also affiliates but they are not hiring new hires right now. They are also IFT only. Rural Metro doesn't like to affiliate. Olympic Ambulance will affiliate, as will Tri-med but its rare.

You need to look at the realities. Now that the EMT program is being offered at almost every community college, why would a company want to take a chance on a green employee when there are plenty of experienced EMT's out there.

There are a lot of EMT jobs but u need to know where to look.

 

[mrg86]

Try East Snohomish County; Sultan, Gold Bar and Index fire bring on people with no experience quite often and will all put you through a fire academy. You will have to do both fire and EMS with Sultan and Index but Gold Bar has a few EMS only volunteers.

 

[codethree]

I live in Vancouver Washington

 

[leoemt]

I live in Vancouver Washington

AMR, Olympic Ambulance, North Country EMS, Camas City Ambulance, Metro West, Community Ambulace, local fire departments, Search and Rescue.

Olympic (thurston county) and AMR (clark, lewis, and thurston counties) are probably your best bets for entry level ambulance work.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Have you looked into vollie agencies?

 

[leoemt]

Have you looked into vollie agencies?

Most, not all, Vollie agencies want fire fighters not EMS. Yes they will cross train you, but if your like me and not interested in being a hose jockey then they don't want you. I found that out the hard way when I was trying to get my affiliation. Fortunately for me there is a private ambulance company that does sponsorship.

The other option the OP would have would be to look into dual state certification and start looking in the portland area.

 

[codethree]

My license is in Oregon but I have the National Registry as well, which now Washington only requires. I also live in Vancouver. What is a "vollie agency"?

 

[leoemt]

My license is in Oregon but I have the National Registry as well, which now Washington only requires. I also live in Vancouver. What is a "vollie agency"?

Your a basic right? Your not licensed you're certified. I've had every job interview ask me for the difference so you better learn it, just sayin.

WA is not an nremt state and does not accept the national registry. WA uses the nremt test as the state certification test but that is it. You can go here to learn the reciprocity requirements: http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermi...tificationandRecertification/Reciprocity.aspx

If you are current with you nremt you will be able to file for reciprocity. I don't know if they allow dual certification or if you would have to surrender your Oregon cert.

vollie is volunteer department.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Most, not all, Vollie agencies want fire fighters not EMS. Yes they will cross train you, but if your like me and not interested in being a hose jockey then they don't want you. I found that out the hard way when I was trying to get my affiliation. Fortunately for me there is a private ambulance company that does sponsorship.

The other option the OP would have would be to look into dual state certification and start looking in the portland area.

That's a good point. I'm somewhat spoiled in that I am lucky enough to have an excellent all EMS department to vollie with. I also ran into the the "firewall" when looking into volunteering with a local fire/ems service. I had no interest in the fire side of operations and that was not an option.