FEMA CERTIFICATIONS

gotshirtz001 said:
The OP does not strike me as a 10 year, working EMT. (Not a bad thing)

Those who are willing to "do extra work" will find demonstrable ways to use the training that they take and will have a line item on their resume under EXPERIENCE rather than simply a certificate under EDUCATION... These are not the people I am talking about.

I am simply saying that as a student, or one learning your craft, stick to classes that will make you better at what you are actually doing. A seasonal firefighter who is certified as a Strike Team Leader is a toolbag and won't be working with me at my station.

There are plenty of officers out there who value the cert collecting golden children... No one really likes to work with/for them, either.
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Just got off shift so I can type a response now. Yes experience is a great thing to have on a resume, however in some areas getting the experience is very hard to do. Anything you can put on your resume to make yourself stand out from John Q Public will help you land a decent job.

In my area of SoCal everyone has their EMT cert and a lot of them are looking for jobs. A definite way to stand out is to have more than the entry requirements. Normally it shows they are really trying to get a job and not just "putting in an application just because".

Experience is not everything. Education is also a huge factor. I would be shocked if you didn't know a medic or EMT with a lot of experience who is horrible at patient care. I can easily name a lot. I can also name a lot of amazing medics who have very little experience but a good deal of education.
 
JosephDurham said:
So, I'm curious, the more FEMA certificates that one has, does that make ones resume look better? For the EMT-B I had to take 100 & 700 already, but there are a ton out there to take. Just curious.

Thanks,

Joseph
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I think ICS 100, 200, 700 & 800 are useful and can set you apart without looking like a whacker.

If you roll up on an MCI having a basic idea of what the command structure will look like is important and these courses help.

A sufficiently motivated EMT could do ACLS but so could a suficientity motivated accountant. It's algorithms. But there is no need as you can learn how to be an effective team member during a code without the course just read your protocols and talk to your partner. An EMT with ACLS or PALS will look like a whacker.
 
Seems like I raised an interesting issue here lol
 
Ewok Jerky said:
I think ICS 100, 200, 700 & 800 are useful and can set you apart without looking like a whacker.

If you roll up on an MCI having a basic idea of what the command structure will look like is important and these courses help.

A sufficiently motivated EMT could do ACLS but so could a suficientity motivated accountant. It's algorithms. But there is no need as you can learn how to be an effective team member during a code without the course just read your protocols and talk to your partner. An EMT with ACLS or PALS will look like a whacker.
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Im going to add a couple to Beano's list here. IS 907 (active shooter) and IS 5a (intro to hazmat). What Beano listed is the requirement for most ambulance companies down here (So CAL) and in my own opinion it never hurts to get more certs, but then again I'm relating to the fire dept side of things. Other than IS 100, 200, 700, 800, 907, and 5a you don't need much more than that (for a job).
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Just got off shift so I can type a response now. Yes experience is a great thing to have on a resume, however in some areas getting the experience is very hard to do. Anything you can put on your resume to make yourself stand out from John Q Public will help you land a decent job.

In my area of SoCal everyone has their EMT cert and a lot of them are looking for jobs. A definite way to stand out is to have more than the entry requirements. Normally it shows they are really trying to get a job and not just "putting in an application just because".

Experience is not everything. Education is also a huge factor. I would be shocked if you didn't know a medic or EMT with a lot of experience who is horrible at patient care. I can easily name a lot. I can also name a lot of amazing medics who have very little experience but a good deal of education.
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I will reiterate what I said in my very first response:

Obtain certs that will help you do your current job or the job you are applying/promoting to.

For firefighters, this means taking S-290 or Fire Control 3 or even Art of Reading Smoke before taking Driver Operator.

For EMTs, this means focusing on Paramedic prereqs before taking something cool like Tactical medicine.

Lastly, I do not know any "amazing medics" that have very little experience. An amazing medic is one who has the knowledge to do the job, the experience to have developed a functional intuition and the bedside manner to manage the emotional side of the pt; nobody has all of these things these out of the gate.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
i
Experience is not everything.
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I believe I used to say the same thing before I had experience.

Spend your time finding translatable experience rather than taking classes you will not use. The department you go to work for will provide the specific training you need beyond the basics. What they want to hear from you is a story about something you did that nobody else has done.
 
gotshirtz001 said:
I believe I used to say the same thing before I had experience.

Spend your time finding translatable experience rather than taking classes you will not use. The department you go to work for will provide the specific training you need beyond the basics. What they want to hear from you is a story about something you did that nobody else has done.
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I have experience and still say the same thing. Experience is a good thing but it's not everything.
 
TransportJockey said:
I have experience and still say the same thing. Experience is a good thing but it's not everything.
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Never once have I said experience is everything nor have I said that education is irrelevant. My advice to OP was to get training that was pertinent and find experience to complement and avoid classes that are way out of the scope.

Imagine 2 EMTs applying for an IFT job; both have the required certs but one has a year volunteering with the target population and the other has an ultrasound certificate with no time working with pts.

Maybe you choose the ultrasound guy. I choose the volunteer.
 
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gotshirtz001 said:
Never once have I said experience is everything nor have I said that education is irrelevant. My advice to OP was to get training that was pertinent and find experience to complement and avoid classes that are way out of the scope.

Imagine 2 EMTs applying for an IFT job; both have the required certs but one has a year volunteering with the target population and the other has an ultrasound certificate with no time working with pts.

Maybe you choose the ultrasound guy. I choose the volunteer.
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Volunteering isn't possible in all areas. So if that is the case where the OP is at I would rather see someone take classes than sit on their butt for months waiting. Not all volunteer positions are beneficial.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Volunteering isn't possible in all areas. So if that is the case where the OP is at I would rather see someone take classes than sit on their butt for months waiting. Not all volunteer positions are beneficial.
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Dude, the advice is sound.
You don't like it? Don't follow it.
ZFG over here.
 
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gotshirtz001 said:
Dude, the advice is sound.
You don't like it? Don't follow it.
ZFG over here.
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If you were in the only person incharge of hiring EMTs then your advise would be sound. However you are not.
 
Dudes calm down. Advice is never 100% right for 100% of people. You both gave good advice.
 
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