Got my first job as a medic! Not allowed to drive though

[HeatStroke]

Hey all, I don't post much but I do read the forum quite a bit. After finally graduating and being certified for about 2 months I got a job with a large urban EMS company.

The only caveat is that I'm not allowed to drive the ambulances because of my 2 speeding tickets in the past 3 years. Has anybody had this issue? I was offered the job but I had to sign a paper saying I wouldn't be allowed to drive. Now I know I won't be driving if there's a patient but I would still like to be able to drive on the way to a call and what not. They ran my MVR and said I had 10 points on my license, one speeding ticket worth 6 and one speeding ticket worth 4.

My questions are:

1. According to this website, speeding tickets are only ever worth 3 points regardless of the speed over the limit or anything. Should I contact the Dmv and get it cleared up?

2. Will it be a big deal if I can't drive? For all medics reading this how often do you guys drive?

Thanks for any responses guys I appreciate it. I'm really excited, I start in March!

 

[Underoath87]

If you're a medic, not being able to drive shouldn't affect much. Some of my medic partners choose to to run all the calls, since they would rather do patient care than run the risks associated with driving an ambulance.

 

[HeatStroke]

Sorry I just changed it, I made my account about 2 years ago or so when I was an EMT

 

[mycrofft]

I don't see how we can be of any help here except to say drive sanely, accept that new guys usually don't drive so much, and welcome to the forum!
Why are you so hot to drive anyway?…...:glare:

 

[HeatStroke]

I don't see how we can be of any help here except to say drive sanely, accept that new guys usually don't drive so much, and welcome to the forum!
Why are you so hot to drive anyway?…...:glare:

I was just wondering about what you guys thought about it. It's not that I desperately want to drive, it's just that being told I'm not allowed to sucks is all.

 

[chaz90]

It probably has nothing to do with whether there's a patient in the back or not. If the company's insurance won't cover you to drive their vehicles, you can't drive them under any circumstances. Attending every single call and always riding shotgun would probably get a bit old after a while for me, but a job is a job. If your driving record is blemished, I'd be grateful for an EMS job period and hope that eventually your record will be clear.

 

[mycrofft]

My second company didn't let me drive because they had more experienced local guys and women to drive. So I did more patient care. I won.
Hang in there.

 

[medicdan]

Hey all, I don't post much but I do read the forum quite a bit. After finally graduating and being certified for about 2 months I got a job with a large urban EMS company.

The only caveat is that I'm not allowed to drive the ambulances because of my 2 speeding tickets in the past 3 years. Has anybody had this issue? I was offered the job but I had to sign a paper saying I wouldn't be allowed to drive. Now I know I won't be driving if there's a patient but I would still like to be able to drive on the way to a call and what not. They ran my MVR and said I had 10 points on my license, one speeding ticket worth 6 and one speeding ticket worth 4.

My questions are:

1. According to this website, speeding tickets are only ever worth 3 points regardless of the speed over the limit or anything. Should I contact the Dmv and get it cleared up?

2. Will it be a big deal if I can't drive? For all medics reading this how often do you guys drive?

Thanks for any responses guys I appreciate it. I'm really excited, I start in March!

Meh, I don't think its a big deal. Overall, I think its a good idea for a new medic to tech all (or nearly all) calls for their first 6 or 12 months. Focus on being the best patient care provider you can be and driving your personal vehicle safely.

 

[EMSComeLately]

Hey all, I don't post much but I do read the forum quite a bit. After finally graduating and being certified for about 2 months I got a job with a large urban EMS company.

I'm still an EMT student so my perspective might not be fully evolved.

However, intuitively I'd say its no big deal. You get all the patient care experience without any of the driver liability, right?

Unless there is a pay disparity for those that drive and those that can't, it seems like a great deal to me.

 

[Anjel]

Wait till the points fall off then ask them to reevaluate the ability to insure you.

Just deal with riding shotgun until then. Our company has the same policy.

 

[medicdan]

I'm still an EMT student so my perspective might not be fully evolved.

However, intuitively I'd say its no big deal. You get all the patient care experience without any of the driver liability, right?

Unless there is a pay disparity for those that drive and those that can't, it seems like a great deal to me.

Some people don't like always having to do the paperwork, and others hate driving all day (feeling like a chauffeur).

 

[EMSComeLately]

Some people don't like always having to do the paperwork, and others hate driving all day (feeling like a chauffeur).

Completely fair and anticipated; I'm sure extremes of either is not what any of us signed up for. My POV is from someone who'd be new to the position, likely wanting a greater amount of Pt care experience upfront.

Being so early in the process, I can only hope for a day in the distant future reaching grizzled veteran status to gain a different perspective as well.