AMR in King County, WA

[RanchoEMT]

So im in Seattle currently and I've noticed AMR has been going by the hotel code3, whats this all about??? I thought Medic One was the primary ALS Ambulance for all of King Co., WA??? (saw a Medic One Ambulance blocked by one of the FF's personal trucks in the fire station bay, thought maybe they're striking or something...) any input?? I would love to transfer if AMR is running 911 in seattle!

 

[STXmedic]

I would assume code to an contracted facility. That, or transporting code.

 

[RanchoEMT]

Im right by Pike Market in the city, and they've gone by maybe 3 times a night and shutdown a block or so away, im assuming OnScene. Unless they're going balls out to post...

 

[NomadicMedic]

AMR in Seattle is the BLS transport contractor for Seattle. They respond priority to every ambulance request to meet the response time requirement.

 

[medicsb]

Also, Seattle is covered by only 7 medic units. 2 of them are stationed at Harborview medical center, so whatever ambulance you saw was probably not one of the 7. There are, I think, 4 "aid cars", which are SFDs BLS ambulances.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Yes, but Seattle Fire aid cars do not, as a rule, transport BLS patients.

 

[Luno]

AMR Seattle provides BLS TXPT for Seattle FD, and responds priority because that is what is negotiated in their contract with Seattle FD, NOT because of the patient's needs...

 

[NomadicMedic]

AMR Seattle provides BLS TXPT for Seattle FD, and responds priority because that is what is negotiated in their contract with Seattle FD, NOT because of the patient's needs...

Just like TriMed in Kent and Bellevue… Who cares if they kill someone because they're going priority to a stubbed toe.

 

[RanchoEMT]

If u have to be on the FD to be a paramedic in Seattle how do u get experience as such, prior to getting hired???

 

[NomadicMedic]

If u have to be on the FD to be a paramedic in Seattle how do u get experience as such, prior to getting hired???

You work BLS for AMR, TriMed or Rural/Metro.

 

[RanchoEMT]

You work BLS for AMR, TriMed or Rural/Metro.

So if i moved to seattle with 4 years experience as an EMT, 2 of which are on a 911 ALS unit with a medic id have more experience than almost all ambulance EMT's in seattle?

 

[NomadicMedic]

Yep. EMTs for private BLS in King County are at the bottom of the heap. You're basically a stretcher fetcher and the fire department EMTs gofer. (and they get more respect then you do as an EMT). For most, a BLS job in Seattle or the surrounding area is simply a stepping stone, a spot to get your EMT card before a fire job. You should do a little research on how EMS in King County works before you get all excited.

If you work as a medic for Medic One, it's an outstanding place. If you work for a private, it's ... Well, let's just say its not good.

There are a zillion other places I'd recommend over King County.

 

[RanchoEMT]

Yep. EMTs for private BLS in King County are at the bottom of the heap. You're basically a stretcher fetcher and the fire department EMTs gofer. (and they get more respect then you do as an EMT). For most, a BLS job in Seattle or the surrounding area is simply a stepping stone, a spot to get your EMT card before a fire job. You should do a little research on how EMS in King County works before you get all excited.

If you work as a medic for Medic One, it's an outstanding place. If you work for a private, it's ... Well, let's just say its not good.

There are a zillion other places I'd recommend over King County.

By all means, recommend them.

 

[psyanotic]

King County

He's right about King County, it's definitely an interesting animal and unfortunately, private ambulance EMT's are at the bottom rung. I work for Tri-Med right now but have a ton of friends that work for AMR, it's pretty much the same. You'll rarely beat fire to scene, you typically just arrive on scene, load them up and try to get your demographic info before you get to the hospital. Not too much "patient care" going on (although you can definitely increase your patient care if you focus more on that and leave your dreaded report for later).

And while it's true that you don't receive as much respect as medics or fire, it's all dependent on your attitude on scene. If you've worked in an area for a little while and have established a good rapport with fd and pd, they treat you very well.

Pierce County (just south of King) is required to staff all ambulances with one basic and one medic, so that might be a better place to work if that's what you're going for.

Also, if your goal is to get on with medic one (difference between King County M1 and the different fire department M1's), the majority of people that actually get hired are already paramedics. For KCM1, you're not a FF/Medic, just a medic. That's probably the route you would want to go since the other medics are FF's and are required to work for their department for 3-5 years before they can apply for medic one.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Not exactly right. Even if you're already a medic, and have been for years, if you get hired at King County Medic One, the only non fire single role paramedic service in the county, you'll still attend a year of paramedic school at Harborview so they can teach you how to be a KING COUNTY medic.

KCM1 is a great service. Just ask them, they'll tell you. A mentor of mine summed up it best, "They write their own press releases. The problem is, they read 'em and believe them, too."



And while I had a great relationship with the fire crew on my shift, in my first due, I would often have to work with fire monkeys who treated me, and the patients with little respect, if not outright disdain. I complained about several firefighters in Burien and North Highline and was told to "keep quiet if I wanted to keep my job".

Yeah, I didn't need to be a stretcher fetcher that badly.

It's a lousy place. Unfortunatly, King County is famous for doing a great job resuscitating VF arrests and that's what overshadows the poor care in the rest of the system.

 

[Aidey]

KCM1 is a great service. Just ask them, they'll tell you.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Unfortunatly, King County is famous for doing a great job resuscitating VF arrests and that's what overshadows the poor care in the rest of the system.

Their fame is a perfect example of how statistics can be played with to make them show what you want them to show. Narrow the parameters enough and of course you are going to get a 50% save rate.

Granted, Seattle does have a higher percentage of lay people trained in CPR and public access to defibrillators but KCM1 can only take so much credit for that.

 

[psyanotic]

Not exactly right. Even if you're already a medic, and have been for years, if you get hired at King County Medic One, the only non fire single role paramedic service in the county, you'll still attend a year of paramedic school at Harborview so they can teach you how to be a KING COUNTY medic.

Right, what I was saying though is that the majority of the people who get hired have ALREADY been working as paramedics. Of course they need to go through Medic One's program, but my point is that there's some pretty tough competition to get accepted, given that the test is at a BLS level and the majority of successful applicants are ALS providers.

It's a lousy place. Unfortunatly, King County is famous for doing a great job resuscitating VF arrests and that's what overshadows the poor care in the rest of the system.

Haha not just FAMOUS, but OBSESSED. Have you guys heard about the new ALPS study? It starts in Seattle on Tuesday. Now if you go into cardiac arrest, you might get amiodarone, you might get lidocaine, or you might get a placebo (saline). They're trying to find out which, if any, are most effective for patients (cardiac arrest to discharge, not just to the hospital). Scary.

 

[RanchoEMT]

difference between King County M1 and the different fire department M1's

More detail, PLEASE!!! and TY

 

[RanchoEMT]

Also, this is for anyone, how is the pay in and around Seattle for EMS including FF? (Been getting mixed answers from the search)

AMR EMT SEATTLE-$_____/hr.
other Private company Medic SEATTLE-$_____/hr.
FD FF SEATTLE-$_____/hr.
FD Medic SEATTLE-$_____/hr.
EMT's around SEATTLE area-$_____/hr.
Medics around SEATTLE area-$_____/hr.

 

[STXmedic]

Haha not just FAMOUS, but OBSESSED. Have you guys heard about the new ALPS study? It starts in Seattle on Tuesday. Now if you go into cardiac arrest, you might get amiodarone, you might get lidocaine, or you might get a placebo (saline). They're trying to find out which, if any, are most effective for patients (cardiac arrest to discharge, not just to the hospital). Scary.

Why is that scary? That is absolutely a needed study. Props to them for stepping up and going through with it. I look forward to the results. I wonder if the area hospitals are going to be onboard as well, for those patients that go back into arrest at the hospital/icu.