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GusD EMT

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Hey guys I hope that everyone is doing good. Well I have a couple of question?
1. why do EMT ambulance company look at your credit score
2. Will they hire anyone with bad or some what bad credit
3. what companies check your credit score?
 
Most companies are not going to check your credit score. If in question, contact your prospective agencies and ask them.
 
GusD EMT said:
Hey guys I hope that everyone is doing good. Well I have a couple of question?
1. why do EMT ambulance company look at your credit score
2. Will they hire anyone with bad or some what bad credit
3. what companies check your credit score?
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If you can't show responsibility with your own money, how are you to show responsibility with peoples lives, really expensive equipment, or even the company's money?


Maybe, maybe not. That's a question for your prospective company.


Considering there are thousands of agencies, it's crazy to think we can name who will or will not.
 
I have awful credit. I was young and stupid and had a bit of a rough patch. I am a hell of a provider, so I'm told.

My credit score was never checked. I can't think of a single service I applied or worked for who checked credit scores. Especially with the economy in shambles I don't think anyone will hold it against you.

Sent from LuLu using Tapatalk
 
I know most county services around here check them. I'm not sure if it's more of a corruptibility thing or responsibility thing. I have never heard of someone getting turned down due to their credit score though
 
Most of the time it's not an actual credit check, it's a "consumer report" used to verify employment.
 
1. A credit score can be used to help determine if you're a responsible person. Especially in the finance industry, employers want to make sure that you were fiscally responsible.

2. Fortunately for you, many people I know in EMS, and many not in EMS, have horrible credit. Like anything, it may be one piece of a total equation used decide your compatibility with a service.

3. I find that many municipal/government agencies check credit score as part of their process, and that it isn't as prevalent in private EMS.

Maintaining a good credit score is important. Fortunately it's a dynamic record, and the decisions you make today will impact your overall score. Ultimately you're the one that controls it.

Good luck!
 
Linuss said:
If you can't show responsibility with your own money, how are you to show responsibility with peoples lives, really expensive equipment, or even the company's money?


Maybe, maybe not. That's a question for your prospective company.


Considering there are thousands of agencies, it's crazy to think we can name who will or will not.
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My opinion is that a credit rating does not reflect a person's level of responsibility or even accountability. There are so many variables that come into play at different points of a persons life that can destroy a credit rating. And none of those variables indicates how an EMT or Paramedic is going to perform, take care of equipment, or be as a person in general.

Many people go through rough times and decide to go to school so that they can get a better job and start to have more money and pay their bills. Why should they be penalized for taking corrective action in their life?

I agree with Sasha... I made some really bad financial decisions when I was younger and that has no bearing on how I am now. A credit rating doesn't improve at the same rate it declines either.

I have never heard of an EMS or Fire company checking a credit report.
 
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Around here (SoCal) most public jobs PD/FD will include credit history as part of the backgrounds invetigation. Private companies generally don't - just a normal background that will not bring up if you have a score of 450 or 700.
 
A lot of public agencies, including law enforcement (and I guess it can be fire/EMS) can come under scrutiny at times.

You hear of the occasional FF/EMT/LEO taking personal possessions of patients and that not only makes news, but brings bad light on a company. Again, you hear the bad things in the news, rarely you hear about a good job done well.

I know the military will deny certain jobs and security clearances from someone has a history of financial indebtedness, because of the possibility they can be bribed.

On the flip side of things, I've never heard of anyone being denied a job because they have previously been irresponsible with their finances.
 
18G said:
My opinion is that a credit rating does not reflect a person's level of responsibility or even accountability. There are so many variables that come into play at different points of a persons life that can destroy a credit rating. And none of those variables indicates how an EMT or Paramedic is going to perform, take care of equipment, or be as a person in general.

Many people go through rough times and decide to go to school so that they can get a better job and start to have more money and pay their bills. Why should they be penalized for taking corrective action in their life?

I agree with Sasha... I made some really bad financial decisions when I was younger and that has no bearing on how I am now. A credit rating doesn't improve at the same rate it declines either.

I have never heard of an EMS or Fire company checking a credit report.
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From what I understand many departments in San Bernardino county do ask for a credit report along with a polygraph test.
 
I think credit scores are a great way for many lucrative agencies to weed out the comp. I know many recruits who have failed out of backgrounds because of there credit score, and hundreds of more applicants ready and willing to take there place.
 
atropine said:
I think credit scores are a great way for many lucrative agencies to weed out the comp. I know many recruits who have failed out of backgrounds because of there credit score, and hundreds of more applicants ready and willing to take there place.
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I think there are much better methods to be utilized to "weed out" potential EMS employees other than a credit score. Someone with a credit score of 700 isn't going to be any better of a Paramedic then a person with a score of 400.

It's really along the same lines as using relationship history as a method of determining employment. For example, someone who is married for ten years, has two kids, and appears happy as can be, will make a better employee than someone who has been divorced twice and is in and out of relationships. An employer could take the divorced person and think to themselves, "wow, this person must be a real a*sshole, dishonest in the relationship, never does what they say, etc, etc, etc... hmm... do we want this person working for us?". And that is so BS. And to me it is along the same lines as using a credit history to help determine how a person will be as an EMS provider. The only difference is credit histories are tracked and obtainable.

And further, a lot of people go to college to get an education so that they can get better jobs so that they can start to pay their bills and be more financially grounded which improves credit scores. If an employer is going to deny them a job based on a credit score, how is that a service to anyone?

Is there any study out there that gives weight to employers using a credit report to determine a potential employee's character and work ethic?
 
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As a small business owner, a credit report can save me a LOT of headache. If you have leans, judgements, wage garnishments, etc.....I just may pass on you for an equally suitable candidate. It is my prerogative to do so regardless of how great you are...as I seriously do not want to deal with the extra issues.

Time is money and every hour I spend addressing an employee's financial issues is time not spent on more important things which costs me a lot of money. This can really add up fast and take a toll on a small business owner.
 
akflightmedic said:
As a small business owner, a credit report can save me a LOT of headache. If you have leans, judgements, wage garnishments, etc.....I just may pass on you for an equally suitable candidate. It is my prerogative to do so regardless of how great you are...as I seriously do not want to deal with the extra issues.

Time is money and every hour I spend addressing an employee's financial issues is time not spent on more important things which costs me a lot of money. This can really add up fast and take a toll on a small business owner.
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So you wouldn't hire someone who pay's child support either? Because it takes too much time to write a check and send it to the State Disbursement Office?
 
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I have the option to not do so...you are correct.

I am not the welfare system here, I have a small business to run and until you are in that position you can not appreciate the full scope of maximizing the use of every single minute.

So yes, if I have two equally qualified candidates and one has child support which is going to cause me problems and extra time/resources, I will take a pass.

I am not here for them, I am here for myself and my business.

My obligations are for my current staff and my business and I have to scrutinize every situation to make sure I am doing the best I can by all involved.
 
akflightmedic said:
I have the option to not do so...you are correct.

I am not the welfare system here, I have a small business to run and until you are in that position you can not appreciate the full scope of maximizing the use of every single minute.

So yes, if I have two equally qualified candidates and one has child support which is going to cause me problems and extra time/resources, I will take a pass.

I am not here for them, I am here for myself and my business.

My obligations are for my current staff and my business and I have to scrutinize every situation to make sure I am doing the best I can by all involved.
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Child support has nothing to do with welfare.

As a business owner, how do you have knowledge of who pay's child support and who doesn't prior to hiring them? When doing payroll, does the 5mins it takes to write a check, place it in an envelope with a stamp, and put it in the mail box really take away from your bottom line? Heck, be like my employer and charge a fee for doing the deduction (as much as I feel that is unfair).

Personally, I don't feel that is being a good small business owner when you don't hire people who work and support their kids, but whatever... I more than likely would avoid a small business who I knew would not hire someone who paid child support. To me that doesn't say much about the business/employer.

And seeing how the family dynamic has changed dramatically and the number of people who pay child support is growing, you are really limiting yourself from tapping into a pool of great candidates to work for your business. If your expecting society to conform to you, good luck with that.

But what do I know!
 
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I did not say child support was welfare, I stated I am not welfare...meaning it is not my responsibility to look after people's personal affairs. I am to compare and evaluate similar candidates and if one is easier to manage over time than another, then that is a factor in the hiring decision...like it or not, that is business.

I did not say I had knowledge of their affairs, I stated that if a credit report shows judgements, leans, etc then I would take a pass...it was you who presented the child support question as a relevant tangent. If I do not have that knowledge before hand, obviously I cannot factor it in.

Your lack of experience and knowledge oversimplifies the process. You make the same assumption many employees make about anything they deem small. Constantly stating how much time does it take to do xyz or why is this not done this way when all it is is something as small as xyz negates all the other factors which go into that process. Not having the big picture is a very common yet annoying occurrence amongst employees which we (business owners) simply have to deal with. Admittedly I made similar assumptions until I became one.

The talent pool actually is not that limited so do not get overly concerned about my prospects.

Small business practices are delicate and one poor choice can devastate and near destroy said business. I have already been in that situation and was very lucky. I absolutely would work for someone who watched every financial move to ensure my work environment was safe and my pay was secure--especially in today's environment.
 
akflightmedic said:
I did not say child support was welfare, I stated I am not welfare...meaning it is not my responsibility to look after people's personal affairs. I am to compare and evaluate similar candidates and if one is easier to manage over time than another, then that is a factor in the hiring decision...like it or not, that is business.

I did not say I had knowledge of their affairs, I stated that if a credit report shows judgements, leans, etc then I would take a pass...it was you who presented the child support question as a relevant tangent. If I do not have that knowledge before hand, obviously I cannot factor it in.

Your lack of experience and knowledge oversimplifies the process. You make the same assumption many employees make about anything they deem small. Constantly stating how much time does it take to do xyz or why is this not done this way when all it is is something as small as xyz negates all the other factors which go into that process. Not having the big picture is a very common yet annoying occurrence amongst employees which we (business owners) simply have to deal with. Admittedly I made similar assumptions until I became one.

The talent pool actually is not that limited so do not get overly concerned about my prospects.

Small business practices are delicate and one poor choice can devastate and near destroy said business. I have already been in that situation and was very lucky. I absolutely would work for someone who watched every financial move to ensure my work environment was safe and my pay was secure--especially in today's environment.
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While not a business owner, I do realize that resources are much smaller and understand that more careful planning need's to happen to ensure time is best utilized to keep things going smoothly. I am not completely ignorant to that fact.

I was just trying to say that people who are well qualified for a position should not be looked over because they work to support their kids or have made poor financial decisions at some point in their life.

Sure, things may be going good for some now, but that doesn't mean they will always be good. When your the separated or divorced parent or the one who loses a job and takes a big hit on the credit report, maybe the thinking and understanding will be a bit different. It doesn't hurt a business to be a little empathetic.

An employer/employee relationship isn't a one way street. The employer has a direct responsibility to the employee and needs to understand personal and family issues. Believe me, I have seen companies who don't consider personal lives of their employees and they are horrible places to work.
 
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Why should they not be overlooked--because they had kids or made poor financial decisions and now it is up to me--a private business owner who risked everything to start up an operation and struggles to survive once open---and now it is MY issue to take on extra expense for others situations when I have an equally qualified candidate who has none of those issues??

Remember I am a liberal but where does the kindness cease? You keep relating this to one employee but let us increase it. What if it is half my staff, what if it is 75% of my staff. How much time am I exerting now for those with these issues? How much is it costing me? Now I have to implement tracking systems and more accounting procedures. What about when there are issues with the government agency I am mailing to? Now I spend more time fixing those issues too? Then I have the employee calling or visiting and wasting more time as well...it all compounds.

And again, I stated if I have 2 equally qualified candidates, financial concerns will be a factor.

I have been dirt poor and I have suffered through several sudden job losses. I worked hard to put together my business and I going to do what it takes to ensure it survives as that is an obligation to my family first, employees second. And it is along those lines that I have to be selective about who comes along next as it takes away from those who have already been there.

Addressing the one way street comment at the end of your post...

Remember, they are not employees yet. We are discussing pre hire...I have total understanding of issues which occur after I agree to take them on, but if I can mitigate my risks pre-hire...it will be done.
 
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