General EMT career questions

[flyinfitz1]

Hi Everyone,

I am interested in becoming an EMT. I have a few questions regarding this field that Im sure can be answered fairly easily on here.

A little background on me: I have a BA in Economics with a minor in Bus. Admin. I recently resigned from my job as a private consultant and am looking for a change of pace for a while. During college I worked as an in home healthcare worker and enjoyed that. Ultimately I would like to become a Dentist and feel that the work environment of an EMT would allow me to work and still prepare myself for dental school.

So the questions:

1. I have a DUI and a shaky driving record. Will this automatically exclude me from being hired?

2. On average do EMT's work 24hr shifts? I would prefer this as compared to a 9 to 5 job.

3. Im in CA how much would I make?

Let me know if any of this is vague or needs clarification. I appreciate all the responses!

 

[daedalus]

Hi there!

Ill try and answer your questions to the best of my ability. I have worked as an EMT in California for about a year now.

1. Your DUI and shaky driving record will almost certainly exclude you from being hired as a driver. It is more difficult to get hired as an attendant only, because than they cannot be flexible with you on the schedule. Be prepared to sell yourself. You may also look into jobs such as ER tech, and theme park EMT (universal studios, raging waters, magic mountain, disney, there are many).

2. Working for a private ambulance company, you will get the opportunity to work 24 hour shifts. Most companies will allow you to work back to back shifts. The exception here is AMR, and other 911 companies, which run day cars and night cars to prevent driver fatigue. The usual deal here is 3 to 4 ten-hour shifts a week.

3. I have worked for a few private companies, and applied for many many more. You will make 8.00-11.00/hr. Many start around 9.50 in the greater LA area. Now, you have to pay attention. Some companies pay 8 bucks/hour and pay you for a full 24 hour shift. That is, they pay you for all 24 hours worked, plus overtime. Other companies will only pay you 14 out of 24 hours at 10/hr. This means they clock you out after a certain hour but you are still posting or at station. You will be clocked in again should you get a call.

If you need help with finding companies, or have more questions, PM me. I know a lot about the private scene in california.