Hi y'all, I've been following this forum for a while, and I just wanted to start by saying thank you to yall that post here alot, some of yall have inspired me to go to Medic school... but anyways, I am in Medic school right now at college of the siskiyous in weed,ca, and I'm a couple of months from finishing... I keep racking my brain as to where I should work, where the best systems are in ca, where the best pay would be (compared to cost of living), etc. I have the option to go anywhere, although I would like to stay in ca for the next couple of years as my folks live in the bay area and I'd like to help them out in there transition to retiring (I just want to try to be at the most an 8 or 9 hour drive from them). Any and every comment is greatly appreciated. Thank you guys!
California Questions
- Thread starter nwarren
- Start date
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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Texas. The disappointment Dorito is affordable and fun.
Failing that, Sonoma Life Support, Riggs and *potentially* Falck in Oakland if you can live with your parents. $$$ is an issue. Hall has a reputation for quality.
@VentMonkey this is your lane more than mine.
Failing that, Sonoma Life Support, Riggs and *potentially* Falck in Oakland if you can live with your parents. $$$ is an issue. Hall has a reputation for quality.
@VentMonkey this is your lane more than mine.
Thank you. I was born and raised in texas, and I dont know if I'm too excited to get back there. I want to live the cali life at least a bit longer.
VentMonkey
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I could answer questions specific to Kern County mostly. I know a little bit about Tulare and Fresno/ Kings Counties.
@CentralCalEMT would be that portion of the Central Valley’s corridor, @Addrobo is the Central Coast, and @Aprz is the Yay Area’s.
That covers most of your 8-9 hour drive criteria. Company-wise YMMV.
@CentralCalEMT would be that portion of the Central Valley’s corridor, @Addrobo is the Central Coast, and @Aprz is the Yay Area’s.
That covers most of your 8-9 hour drive criteria. Company-wise YMMV.
I interviewed for EMT at Hall before I knew I was going to medic school up north but they got me on my tattoo behind my ear, said it was a no go due to that... I've been thinking about getting it removed, cause I really liked hall. What else in the kern county/inland empire area is good?
VentMonkey
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AMR is the major player in the I.E. That said, it’s probably way out of your driving requirement as you’d be traversing through some of SoCal’s worst traffic to and from your folks. That’s why I did not tag those savages in on this thread.
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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It’s honestly almost the exact same. More nice Beaches here, fewer mountains, you have more earthquakes and fires, we’ve got occasional hurricanes. You have better football, we’ve got more zealous football. And our state gas tax is only .20 a gallon, no state income tax. A new medic at my agency will clear 60k their first year. Most Texas agencies are the same.
I tried last year to move back to CA. Got a few offers, and the license, but I just couldn’t afford it. Even at a decade of experience and a laundry list of credentials, CA wages sucked. AMR offered 15.45 in Riverside and I giggled. Y’all offered 18.91 for a 24, hard pass. Falck pays well but the cost of living is insane.
I tried last year to move back to CA. Got a few offers, and the license, but I just couldn’t afford it. Even at a decade of experience and a laundry list of credentials, CA wages sucked. AMR offered 15.45 in Riverside and I giggled. Y’all offered 18.91 for a 24, hard pass. Falck pays well but the cost of living is insane.
Where abouts in Texas are you? I agree, it's ridiculous out here in cali
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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Northeast texas, Longview area.
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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If you want to know about Riverside county @DesertMedic66 and I know the system.
How was SD? It's always been a dream of mine to down there
Mine too lol. I work for a FD in the rural east county. The urban areas are garbage unless you are Fire. AMR offered me 10.40 an hour in 2007, as a medic. A couple of FD's have Non-safety Paramedic positions, however, these are usually stepping stones to Firefighter spots. Ive heard the pay is still crap for AMR. Mercy Ambulance has the contract for a lot of rural areas, but I believe they are now an AMR subsidiary as well.
Redlands is San Bernardino County, so ICEMA. Decent protocols. Most guys I know from Redlands Division like it. They cover San Bernardino City, which is straight hood. Redlands itself is nice, as is Yucaipa. Yucaipa FD is Cal Fire, nice guys when we used to come in from Calimesa. Redlands Fire ive heard good and bad. SB City is now SBCoFD. I think they have a few other areas but Im not sure.
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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AMR SD offered me 14.95 an hour last year, so hard pass.
That's such a bummer
VentMonkey
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Worked there as a paramedic well over a decade ago, so it’s outdated info. Pretty much all urban interface EMS.
Loma Linda and Arrowhead are the 2 trauma centers with other basic hospitals scattered about, as well as Kaiser Fontucky.
The only FD I think @jgmedic may have forgotten to mention was Colton Fire. All the FD’s were/ are ALS and some played nicer than others. Also, like he’d mentioned, Redlands Fire had a rep, but I’d never had issues with them. Cal Fire Yucktown was chill and the better spot to be.
SB City and Highland are pretty much one in the same, and great for one thing: experience.
If they still have the same Ops manager, he seemed to legitimately try and do the best with what he was given (seemingly not a lot). He was also the only Ops manager I had seen hop on a unit and run calls in my 5 years at AMR.