Does anyone know anything about Community Bridges in AZ?

[bethanphetamine]

I've heard that they pay pretty decent starting out, but I've also heard bad things about them. Does anyone know anything about them? I know they do drug rehab, so most patients are intoxicated. It sounds like they may actually hire people in rehab or something though too. That kind of freaks me out.

 

[Neck]

I can only recite some information from a former EMT-B partner.

His first (and semi-frequent) assignment from them was to be the night admittance person. This means that you sit in a small box out front of the actual facility, kinda like a secretary. You are locked out from the actual facility. The door to the front only open when you buzz someone into them. Thus, when a walk-in pt is admitted, you are locked in a box without any significant backup with some very altered pts at times. I do not know your level of self defense, but this can be scary for anyone, and it was for him many many times, ultimately leading to his leaving employment with them. These are not the only pts admitted, often you get transfer rigs from other facilities and law enforcement drop offs. Again, once you sign for them, you are alone initially with the pt, but when they come from other places, they usually aren't spun out of their mind on meth.

He also stated that his EMT partners that he occasionally worked with that were recovering addicts were often of a much lower caliber of person than you would want on scene of a medical emergency. To the point where they did not understand some of the names of the gear, etc. This did not happen to him all the time.

On the positive side, he learned simple intake assessment skills very well, he got to experience some seizures, other ALOC calls, airway obstructions, and decisions to notify ALS or law enforcement. Some of these skills are hard to come by, especially if your first BLS gig is a nursing home transfer runner or CNA type work in some long term care situation.

From my understanding, the job pays between $11-12 per hour, standard in AZ for an EMT.

 

[bethanphetamine]

Thanks so much for the info! The job I applied for is at one of their stabilization and recover units out in a rural area. The one thing that seems to be interesting to me is that they seem to have many different positions for EMT-Bs. I know that some work in areas such as your friend did, others seem to be in transport, and so on. I am hoping I don't need to brush up on my Kung fu skills or whatnot. It is particularly difficult to find anything to start out with around here as a newish EMT, so I'm pretty desperate for any experience in the field.

I am definitely concerned about unreliability in other employees if there are tons of recovering addicts working there (despite what my username implies to some, I've never used or truthfully even seen most drugs in person). I've known some awesome people that were recovered addicts, but I'm worried that a couple months sober is all that they might require, and I've seen other ex-employees complain that they need to test these employees regularly because often they don't stay sober. I can handle pts on drugs for the most part, but I do not want to have to rely on coworkers that are using.

12/h seems to be starting pay. But that's comparable with the hospitals from what I've heard. Rural metro starts at less, I believe.

So it seems like a viable option. Every job has good and bad.

 

[slarve23]

I am not trying to bad mouth community bridges but every call we have run there the staff seem to be to be burnt out and just going through the motions. We run there frequently. Also with workin for one of the rm ambos which is pretty much the only option unless your working with phoenix, you do make a little less but it makes up end the long run because you recieve a incentive bonus while working IF.

 

[bethanphetamine]

Thanks so much for your input. I'm not terribly familiar with all of the valley's options for EMTs. RM is apparently impossible to get into right now. I've tried everything to get an interview there. I have applied at numerous hospitals, but they seem to not bother with anyone that doesn't have experience.

 

[ECHO3ONE]

What is RM? I am an EMT in Arizona, and never heard of it.

 

[bethanphetamine]

Rural Metro

 

[slarve23]

In the phoenix area there are 2 private ambulance companies not including rural metro. Phoenix I believe is the only dep to use there own, southwest and pmt run the majority of it all. Also pmt and southwest are both owned by rural metro as well.