Best state and county to work as a paramedic! ?

[TransportJockey]

I know some of their emts pride themselves on having a special project waiver for albuterol and narcan at the BLS level. I've seen them bring in hypotensive pts BLS or diff breathers with albuterol administered BLS. If any ALS medication is given (based on state protocols) that Pt should be ALS. Yeah you can train emts to use albuterol and narcan but what about cardiac wheezes, no response to meds, and the such?

I keep forgetting narcan and albuterol aren't bls drugs everywhere

 

[teedubbyaw]

Whats your gripe with the hiring process? Not coming at you, just wondering as I just finished with it a couple months ago.

It's not so much the process as it is the people behind it. It's all about politics, and even if you rank #1, outperform everyone in every aspect of the hiring process, they'll find a way to screw you over if they can. Having a psychologist dictate whether you get hired or not is amusing. They should just make it pass/fail based on the written.

I've been through it with no issues, but close friends have been screwed.

But hey, if you're a basic, you can't beat the salary, updated equipment, and being able to run 911. Medics, on the other hand, don't want a 30 year retirement.

 

[Chewy20]

It's not so much the process as it is the people behind it. It's all about politics, and even if you rank #1, outperform everyone in every aspect of the hiring process, they'll find a way to screw you over if they can. Having a psychologist dictate whether you get hired or not is amusing. They should just make it pass/fail based on the written.

I've been through it with no issues, but close friends have been screwed.

But hey, if you're a basic, you can't beat the salary, updated equipment, and being able to run 911. Medics, on the other hand, don't want a 30 year retirement.

Not to sure what you mean by that to be honest. Its civil service, you either pass the steps or you don't. Everything is pass fail except for the written test which is what your ranking is based on. The oral board I can see getting a lot of people. But plenty of departments, not just in EMS require you to pass a psych doc interview.

 

[teedubbyaw]

Not to sure what you mean by that to be honest. Its civil service, you either pass the steps or you don't. Everything is pass fail except for the written test which is what your ranking is based on. The oral board I can see getting a lot of people. But plenty of departments, not just in EMS require you to pass a psych doc interview.

It's pass/fail up until psych. Very few agencies require a psych interview in Texas.

They refuse to look at you as a whole or how good of a medic you are. Again, one of the few agencies that does that. Perhaps that's why they have so many medics with poor customer service skills.

 

[Chewy20]

It's pass/fail up until psych. Very few agencies require a psych interview in Texas.

They refuse to look at you as a whole or how good of a medic you are. Again, one of the few agencies that does that. Perhaps that's why they have so many medics with poor customer service skills.

Like I just said, its all pass fail except for the very first test. You take a huge psych questionnaire then have a psych interview with the doc. If it were just based off the questionnaire than I probably would have not been hired. The interview is where they got to know me.

You pass you are hired, if you slip by the oral board and psych interview then you may get weeded out in academy or FTO phases. That's how civil service works. Show me a civil service department of any kind that does not have a psych part to it and I would be surprised.

Sorry just don't see what the issue is. Civil service usually has a lot of hoops to jump through.

 

[Tigger]

Like I just said, its all pass fail except for the very first test. You take a huge psych questionnaire then have a psych interview with the doc. If it were just based off the questionnaire than I probably would have not been hired. The interview is where they got to know me.

You pass you are hired, if you slip by the oral board and psych interview then you may get weeded out in academy or FTO phases. That's how civil service works. Show me a civil service department of any kind that does not have a psych part to it and I would be surprised.

Sorry just don't see what the issue is. Civil service usually has a lot of hoops to jump through.

Agreed, sounds like a standard civil service setup to me.

 

[teedubbyaw]

Like I just said, its all pass fail except for the very first test. You take a huge psych questionnaire then have a psych interview with the doc. If it were just based off the questionnaire than I probably would have not been hired. The interview is where they got to know me.

Um, so how is that pass/fail if you have a chance to speak for your answers on the written psych eval?

You are right in that a lot of aspects are pass/fail, which is a poor way to hire medics. Watching the FTO's throw a fit because they keep hiring 18 year old kids with no life experience, straight out of basic, and DQ'ing the overly qualified people who would be a phenomenal addition to their system is amusing.

Regardless, it's just my opinion. Basics get a great job, medics get the short end of the stick.

 

[Chewy20]

T

Um, so how is that pass/fail if you have a chance to speak for your answers on the written psych eval?

You are right in that a lot of aspects are pass/fail, which is a poor way to hire medics. Watching the FTO's throw a fit because they keep hiring 18 year old kids with no life experience, straight out of basic, and DQ'ing the overly qualified people who would be a phenomenal addition to their system is amusing.

Regardless, it's just my opinion. Basics get a great job, medics get the short end of the stick.

The doc either thinks you are fit for the job or doesn't. Pass fail.

Once again it doesn't matter your exp or anything like that. CIVIL SERVICE. Not saying anything more, you are not getting the simple concept. Right or wrong that's the way it works.

 

[teedubbyaw]

Teedubbyaw, I'm looking for exactly that- a great agency in Central Texas. Proximity to San Antonio a plus. Any advice?

I do! I'm open to all possibilities right now. I just dont know much about texas or where to begin looking besides what is mentioned on here.

ETA: yea i can get a live scan done easily. ill check and see if theyll accept that. I have to go through the packet a bit more thoroughly

Marble Falls and Hays county are more central to Austin, both growing systems with great team dynamics. Awesome protocols that give medics ample opportunity to practice medicine. The downside, is that they most always hire PRN then promote within. Not ideal if you're out of state and need the income.

Williamson county is phenomenal. The system backs their medics like no other, and expects that you perform to a high standard in return. Great benefits and retirement. A lot of competition in trying to get in with them.

Fayette county and Washington county are great systems as well. Washington having similar benefits/retirement as Williamson county, if I remember correctly.

Acadian does 911 in rural Bastrop county. From what I've heard, you can't specifically sign on with that district, but may get to do rotations out there. Everything else they do here are IFT's. I doubt either of you would be interested in the private companies here -- they're mostly IFT or medical standby and low pay.

Scott & White runs 911 in Temple (50 or so miles north of Austin). Don't have much info. on them as it's run by a hospital.

Georgetown Fire Department just recently (as in last month) took over the town for EMS, which was ran by Williamson County EMS. Very new system, but may be worth looking in to.

That's all I got. STX may know places closer to San Antonio.

 

[teedubbyaw]

T


The doc either thinks you are fit for the job or doesn't. Pass fail.

Once again it doesn't matter your exp or anything like that. CIVIL SERVICE. Not saying anything more, you are not getting the simple concept. Right or wrong that's the way it works.

I get it just fine. You obviously haven't been behind the scenes of their hiring process.

 

[Chewy20]

I get it just fine. You obviously haven't been behind the scenes of their hiring process.

Lol you're right I haven't. My job was to get hired, not hire people.

 

[Tigger]

I get it just fine. You obviously haven't been behind the scenes of their hiring process.

You seem to have some sort of agenda here...

 

[RocketMedic]

Thanks, Teedubbyaw. I am already fairly unimpressed with Acadian. Just not my cup of tea.

Washington County looks pretty cool.

Austin/Travis County honestly seems like a system to attract the young (brand-new), the submissive and the very, very patient. To me, as a somewhat-seasoned medic, the purpose of the ATC process is to filter out people like me with my own experience and workflow and instill the ATC Way.

 

[wanderingmedic]

Scott & White runs 911 in Temple (50 or so miles north of Austin). Don't have much info. on them as it's run by a hospital.

Scott & White is partially owned by the hospital and partially owned by Community EMS. I don't know how similar Scott & White is to other Community operations, but the Community EMS companies I have seen are pretty typical services. Nothing really notable.

 

[JDEMT18]

If you are an EMT-P in the US preferably a state with a large scope of practice work in the UK or Australia. They have a great mindset to prehospital care and are so ahead of the U.S. If you want to see where the US is in 10 years look at the UK or Australia. Also the naming in the UK an AU is misleading because if you are an EMT-P you can work as a critical care paramedic in those countries. When just paramedic in the UK and AU is the US equivalent of a EMT-I99 or AEMT-CC. 1 or 2 US states use the UK/AU style of naming where AEMTs are medics and EMT-P are Mobile Intensive Care or Critical Care Paramedics. Also if you like rescue and special op stuff both countries have EMT-P Hazmat, USAR etc teams rather than an FD. Those countries FDs do that stuff but if you are on these teams you can work as MICP and also work with them on calls with basic Hazmat/USAR/etc duties or due ALS treatment in those areas rather than PD FD brining patients to you. So you get to preform a lot of advance care in different places with a good salary and a lot more ALS experience.

 

[ZootownMedic]

I started my career and came up here in Colorado so this is all I know but from my experience here and knowledge of other states/counties protocols we have it pretty good here. I have worked in Arapahoe/Douglas/Denver counties (greater Denver area) and currently work in El Paso COunty (Colorado Springs) and it rocks. EMT's here can do IV's, D50, narcan and ODT zofran and are about to get IO's at my agency and have them at many others already. As a paramedic I dont remember the last time I called in for an intervention or med. Pay is ok, pretty busy systems. I have been in the private industry for the past 5 years and got hired on with a small FD just in the last few weeks. We run 15-20 calls in a 24 with 2 medic units and 20-25 min transport times. Great mix of urban and suburban setting, stretches of highway for decent MVA's/TA's, and a wide variety of medicals and traumas. I have heard great things about texas but if CO is on your radar give it a shot. Aside from the great EMS work environment we have an outdoor paradise....and the best beer around

 

[DrParasite]

I think my gripe with ATC comes from most (not all, you aren't there yet Chewy [emoji6] ) ATC medics I know being exceptionally arrogant and cocky. They think their **** doesn't stink, they're god's gift to paramedicine, their system is the best in the country, and every other system is garbage. Even with that attitude, I have only considered one of them a truly good medic (albeit my standards are set pretty high), and I don't think as a system they do anything special or ground-breaking. The Kool-aid there is exceptionally potent, and undeservedly so.

I would wage you would get the same attitude from every "best EMS system in the nation" whether it be Wake EMS in NC, Seattle Medic One, or Ada County in Idaho. Of course, Miami Dade & LAFD could be even worse, but when you are regarded as one of the elite in the country, you start to believe your own hype.