Francisco
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Anyone worked here before that can me give me some insight about what kind of shifts are offered there ? Coverage area ? And etc. Any information will be appreciated thanks in advance.
AMR Victorville
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DesertMedic66
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I don’t work there but I know they are on 12s
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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3 on 4 off one week then 4 on 3 off the next. Relationship with SBCoFD in that area is rocky at best. Busy division, people in my medic class complain about having to go "up the hill" every shift to runs calls in VV. Same boat as DesertMedic66, I don't work there.
I'm a medic in VV. We do 8s, 12s, and 24s. Full time ALS positions are either 12s or 24s. We have 4 24 hour stations but have approximately 7 24 hour shifts. We also have what are called "power cars" which are incentive OT (12 and 24hr) shifts. Both medic and EMT get double time and if you run 5 transports you get to go home early with a full 12 hours of DT.
We cover Victorville, Apple Valley, Adelanto and Helendale. We also have weird little pockets in Phelan and cover El Mirage all the way out to the LA County line.
At the end of the day it's an AMR operation in SoCal but it's definitely not the worst place in the world to work. Our supervisors are super cool and don't really play the Corporate game with us. They don't look for ways to get you in trouble and will have your back even if it means angering Fire. As long as you were in the right that is.
The two departments we deal with are County Fire and Apple Valley. County Fire definitely has a bad repuation but not every crew is terrible and there are a couple of good medics out there. Apple Valley Fire is a little bit easier to get along with and there seems to be a little more pride in their work but is still far from perfect. One thing that is unique about the High Desert ops is that Fire usually couldn't care less about running calls so there is very little of butting heads. AMR runs the show and if Fire starts throwing attitude and AMR doesn't back down, no discipline falls on the AMR crew. Assuming they handle the situation professionally. This is way different from how AMR Rancho operates where if Fire complains, the AMR crew is in the hot seat.
We only have three hospitals up in the Desert and none of them are bases so we only really call base when we absolutely have to. Which is nice on the medic side of things.
The area is pretty rural and impoverished so you get pretty decent calls and some genuinely sick patients. We get a lot of traumas and TCs but also do a butt load of LDTs to the Kaisers.
Equipment is meh. We're getting transits but have almost all power cots and we use LP15s.
As with any operation we have some awesome medics and EMTs as well as some real dingleberries. It is a small operation so there can be some drama but if you keep your nose out of it then you will be just fine.
In the end, a lot of the negativity you hear about the op comes from Lifers at Victorville who always see the grass as greener and don't really have much to compare this operation by. Or they're 15-20 year employees who whine and complain about how things use to be and can't adjust to the times. There's a lot of salt but it isn't as bad as what everyone makes it out to be.
Feel free to ask anymore questions that you may have about the operation
We cover Victorville, Apple Valley, Adelanto and Helendale. We also have weird little pockets in Phelan and cover El Mirage all the way out to the LA County line.
At the end of the day it's an AMR operation in SoCal but it's definitely not the worst place in the world to work. Our supervisors are super cool and don't really play the Corporate game with us. They don't look for ways to get you in trouble and will have your back even if it means angering Fire. As long as you were in the right that is.
The two departments we deal with are County Fire and Apple Valley. County Fire definitely has a bad repuation but not every crew is terrible and there are a couple of good medics out there. Apple Valley Fire is a little bit easier to get along with and there seems to be a little more pride in their work but is still far from perfect. One thing that is unique about the High Desert ops is that Fire usually couldn't care less about running calls so there is very little of butting heads. AMR runs the show and if Fire starts throwing attitude and AMR doesn't back down, no discipline falls on the AMR crew. Assuming they handle the situation professionally. This is way different from how AMR Rancho operates where if Fire complains, the AMR crew is in the hot seat.
We only have three hospitals up in the Desert and none of them are bases so we only really call base when we absolutely have to. Which is nice on the medic side of things.
The area is pretty rural and impoverished so you get pretty decent calls and some genuinely sick patients. We get a lot of traumas and TCs but also do a butt load of LDTs to the Kaisers.
Equipment is meh. We're getting transits but have almost all power cots and we use LP15s.
As with any operation we have some awesome medics and EMTs as well as some real dingleberries. It is a small operation so there can be some drama but if you keep your nose out of it then you will be just fine.
In the end, a lot of the negativity you hear about the op comes from Lifers at Victorville who always see the grass as greener and don't really have much to compare this operation by. Or they're 15-20 year employees who whine and complain about how things use to be and can't adjust to the times. There's a lot of salt but it isn't as bad as what everyone makes it out to be.
Feel free to ask anymore questions that you may have about the operation
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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How's the pay?
wtferick
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What RocketMedic asked [:
I remember 5 years ago our local AMR ops manager said corporate decided nobody can run that schedule anymore. Funny that the #1 complaint from employees is that they want that schedule back. People still got held over. They just got held over fewer days.
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CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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If you're gonna work 12's I like that "rotating" day every other week. I'm part time so I don't really care just as long as I can pick up shifts.
That is what we worked at the time. Just thought it was funny that she used "because corporate said so" as an excuse.
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Starting pay for a new medic with 0 experience is 17.07 for a 12. 20.91 for an 8 and 13. something for a 24. OT after 8 for an 8 or 12. OT after 40 for a 24.
Starting EMT pay is 10.88.
We do the 4:3, 3:4 split for 12s and 24s are on set days.
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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With CA state taxes? That sounds terrible. Here in Texas, I'm at $21.50 an hour, regardless of schedule, and that's Houston-normal. Most medics out here are taking home around $50k.
I agree. Could be worse. AMR literally gave us a raise just because in an attmept to improve staffing. We went from 15.17 to 17.07 which was nice but did nothing to improve the staffing.
terrible one
Always wandering
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I used to work AMR VV back in the day. Wasn't a terrible spot to be at. But I could not stand county fire! Too bad Hesperia and Victorville don't form a district with apple valley or something. I heard they used to be good depts to work with before they went county. Oh well.
VentMonkey
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I can remember when the majority of rural Inland Empire's departments were BLS. Even Redlands had one SBCoFD station left in their coverage area that was staffed at the BLS level.
What's so bad about SBCoFD up that way these days? Seriously, I have no idea.
What's so bad about SBCoFD up that way these days? Seriously, I have no idea.
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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Per classmates SBCoFD paramedics make LACoFD look like doctors. Poor treatments and poor attitudes.
VentMonkey
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Remarkable.
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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My experience with them is limited to my 3 clinical shifts at Arrowhead Regional and a MCI training. I remember them bringing in a full arrest, unk down time, persistent asystole, 5mg epi on board, and tube with capno of like 5 oh and there was lividity. Meets the criterial for field termination. Why they transported the person I have no idea. Granted everywhere has bad and good medics, but from what I've witnessed with my limited experience with them I'm starting to believe my classmates rumors are indeed valid.
terrible one
Always wandering
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Terrible attitudes, poor patient care, the worst bedside manners, and for whatever reason they don't seem to play well with others on medical aides, fires, rescues, etc...
I've worked with them on calls as both a private medic and a firefighter. My feelings are shared by plenty of co-workers/colleagues. Where their sense of entitlement came from I don't know since they are a relatively new FD having only existed since 1998/1999.
VentMonkey
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They only covered a handful of unincorporated cities at the division I was at. Muscoy was the closest "County Fire" station to ours, and nothing out of the ordinary stands out when comparing them to, say, LACoFD.
I had an EMT partner who echoed similar sentiments about OCFA's fire medics. I imagine we're splitting hairs at this point.
I will say, I can't imagine that SBCoFD's approach to medicine has improved since taking over San Bernardino City, but again, I wouldn't know for sure. I do know that this city, and it's volume, put Compton to shame.
I had an EMT partner who echoed similar sentiments about OCFA's fire medics. I imagine we're splitting hairs at this point.
I will say, I can't imagine that SBCoFD's approach to medicine has improved since taking over San Bernardino City, but again, I wouldn't know for sure. I do know that this city, and it's volume, put Compton to shame.
terrible one
Always wandering
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I've worked in 5 different socal counties in various first responder roles, and probably with close to 50 different fire agencies. I can tell you by far my least favorite to deal with on scene is San Bernardino County Fire.