Community College EMT program.

[EMT707]

Hello everyone! My name is Michael. I currently live in a rural part of Solano County California near the Sacramento County line. I've applied to our local volunteer fire department and passed their Physical Agility test. Currently waiting on the next step in the process. I've looked up a few EMT programs at local community collages within half hours drive, because I am also interested just as much in EMS as Firefighting, and the EMT is pretty much required everywhere I thought I might get a jump start.

Los Medanos College has what appears to be a pretty decent EMT program, and they offer two formats starting June 2, 2014. Both formats are 3 days a week but one class is 8 hours a day as opposed to 4. So the 8 hour a day class runs 2 months as opposed to 4 months the other way around. Does anyone have any suggestions? Either format better than the other? I am personally leaning towards the 8 hour a day/2 month format, because I also work a full time job and would be rearranging my schedule to take the class.

Does anyone have any first hand info on LMC's program? Thanks again.

 

[GoldcrossEMTbasic]

In my training it was once a week at 4 hours, From August through December, 5 months it was a semester course at Ridgewater college, Willmar, MN. I suppose hours vary from state to state. The curriculum was online classroom "lecture" and practice skills, we used the JB learning text and online ebook too. and then we practiced the skills in the class throughout the semester we took the "Fisdap" tests, x2 Trauma, Cardiac, CPR, Medical, Operations. and then a Final to get 70 percent or better to go for the NREMT. Has anybody ever used Fisdap? "I thought the fisdap was harder than the NREMT." :rofl:

 

[EMT707]

Never heard of FISDAP?

The class I'm interested in is 0900-1200 (Lecture) and 1230-1640 (Lab) according to the course catalog, from 6/2/14 to 8/8/14 Monday/Wed/Thur. So a little over two months. I don't think the patient contacts or ride along stuff is factored in there? Not sure.

My other question would be, as an EMT-1 would I be able to life on an entry level wage? I am currently a light/medium duty tow truck operator making slightly under 50k a year. I WOULD like to find an EMT/EMS related job after the EMT training, as that's where my heart is, my skill set is just orientated to a different profession.

 

[9D4]

We use FISDAP for our charting.
EMStesting.com for our actual classroom testing.

EMT class used JBlearning through and through.

Salary is all where you work. I currently make more at an entry level call center job that hires 18 years old fresh out of high school, than I will after I graduate as a medic, if I start working at a local private company.
The local companies start EMTs at about $9.25, paramedics at $10.75. If you go fire, you'll be making a comparable salary to what you do now.

 

[EMT707]

My preference would be to work on an Ambulance after certification however less than $10/hr wouldn't be workable here for my situation so I may just stick to my day job and volunteer my time.

9D4, I'd be in the same situation with my towing job.