H8 - Part time San Francisco Fire Department paramedic.

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BeachMedic

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So is SFFD EMS and Suppression totally separated then? Like once you cross train as a FF and move from the ambulance to the Engine/Ladder, do you ever still work shifts on the ambulance? Or once your a FF you only work Suppression apparatus with no cross over between FFs and EMT/PMs?
Not totally.

After your cross train any shifts you work on the ambulance are completely voluntary. Not a lot of firefighters pick up ambulance shifts though. I've only done it twice because they let me pick my partner and hours. A few do to keep their skills up and a few do it because they love overtime. We're super short on suppression and EMS though so most firefighters are working suppression OT right now.

There are no ambulances out of the firehouses. They deploy dynamically from the street and have a giant ambulance barn called Station 49 (EMS personnel are called the 49ers haha) right behind our Station 9 fire station.

In recent years if a firefighter wants to promote to firefighter paramedic they make them spend six months or 1000 hours on an ambulance before they can go back to an Engine and their seniority goes to the bottom of the firefighter paramedic list even if they have like 20 years as a firefighter. Both those things stop a lot firefighters with their paramedic license from going that route. First or second year firefighters promoting to fire medic makes the most sense because you have no seniority and it ends up being like a 50,000 raise in like the first year. I think our firefighters start at like 76 or 80k and our first step firefighter paramedic is like 132k now or something. We just got a raise so I don't know the numbers anymore.

If a regular firefighter wants to pick up OT on the ambulance they have to do a two day class. Personally, I'm just happy to have the option if I ever wanted to pick up a box shift and visit the ER staff I miss haha.

If you get hired in EMS you have to do a two month academy and a year of probation. You cross train in the same academy as all the civilian firefighters but that is 5 months. I've done both academies. Always thought it was funny that when firefighters came over for OT they were expected to know in a two day class what I learned in a two month academy. Kind of shows what the department thinks of EMS lol. Our Chief now is an ex-fire medic though so she kind of gets it.

There's also a lot of cross over in training because obviously all our EMS training is done primarily by EMS personnel and captains. Firefighters can also promote up the EMS ranks but if you do that you're basically kissing suppression goodbye. There are "rescue captain" positions which is basically a paramedic supervisor and they respond out of 4 of our fire stations in buggies to all critical calls or MCIs but it'll take a decade of seniority to make a field RC spot at this point. You'll either get stuck in radio or training or station 49. Oh there's also a field RC spot at the airport but you need to be cross trained suppression to go work at the airport.

When I was with Honolulu EMS there were all kinds of merger rumors with HFD lol (SFFD merged or more like took over EMS from the Department of Public health a little over 20 years ago now only a few DPHers left on suppression). Thought it might happen at the time. HFD will never go ALS though haha. Firefighter paramedic is a great gig though. I get to fight fires and I only have to stick around in the back of an ambulance for the cool or fun EMS calls.
 

Jim37F

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When I was with Honolulu EMS there were all kinds of merger rumors with HFD lol
Without intending to derail anything... rumors still lersist but are still just rumors. Although EMS is apparently trialing a new dark blue uniform a lot closer in color to FDs vs the white shirts they wear, and at least a few units in Downtown Honolulu are being converted to BLS units with a couple Medic SUVs (Rapid Response Units), so a couple medics floated the theory that that could serve as a basis for a model where BLS Fire guys can do BLS ambulance with the ALS Medics in SUVs Squad style.... there's absolutely nothing from our Chiefs to even support any of that, but since pretty much our entire Executive Staff (Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, and all the Assistant Chiefs) are changing out this year we'll see if any of that ends up gaining traction....
 

Medic510

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Ambulance only.

Protocols aren't super progressive but the pay can't be beat. In recent history it's been a way to get your name out there and to get hired on as a fulltime EMT with the department.

Our system isn't perfect but it definitely turns a job into a career. There are promotional opportunities for both the EMS branch and the Fire suppression branch.

It's also a great part time gig for people who just want a supplemental ambulance job.
Very interested in this PT gig. Only interested in the EMS, not fire suppression, side of SFFD. Love working as a medic but tired of these private ambulance companies. With that being said, I see the PT gig is still available. I meet all the qualifications, but my ACLS/PALS/ITLS is expired. Would it be best to submit my app now, including copies of my expired certs, or wait until I've taken the classes again in a few weeks? Don't want to miss this opportunity..
 

Aprz

The New Beach Medic
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Very interested in this PT gig. Only interested in the EMS, not fire suppression, side of SFFD. Love working as a medic but tired of these private ambulance companies. With that being said, I see the PT gig is still available. I meet all the qualifications, but my ACLS/PALS/ITLS is expired. Would it be best to submit my app now, including copies of my expired certs, or wait until I've taken the classes again in a few weeks? Don't want to miss this opportunity..
I don't think the part time/per diem thing is open now otherwise I'd probably apply.
 
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BeachMedic

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Very interested in this PT gig. Only interested in the EMS, not fire suppression, side of SFFD. Love working as a medic but tired of these private ambulance companies. With that being said, I see the PT gig is still available. I meet all the qualifications, but my ACLS/PALS/ITLS is expired. Would it be best to submit my app now, including copies of my expired certs, or wait until I've taken the classes again in a few weeks? Don't want to miss this opportunity..
I'd just apply.

The worst they can do is say no. I doubt they will.

I'd also apply for the full-time EMT spot and just go through the process. It might not open again for another four years.
You don't have to take the job if you don't want it but it might be a nice option to have a couple years down the road.
 

Aprz

The New Beach Medic
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I don't see the part time gig available. Is it?
 

andrewr1296

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Came across this while looking into the department. So currently I’m an EMT have been since 2016 in Fresno. Just about done with medic school and I have a fire academy. I applied as just a EMT yesterday with SFFD. How do recommend I approach this situation as by the time they could even contact me I could be a medic and would it be worth it or even possible for me to get hired as a Fire Medic. Or would my hopes just lie in the EMS Medic.
 
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BeachMedic

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Two ways to become a Firefighter paramedic.

Get hired as an H3 EMT and promote up which could take years.
Get hired as an H2 FF and promote up - which comes with a fat raise but you gotta spend six months on an ambulance.

Firefighter paramedic rank is getting pretty full though.
Not a lot of firefighters really want to be a firefighter paramedic around here.
Probably easier to just get hired as a straight firefighter then promote up then to go the EMT ambulance route.

Getting hired as a firefighter paramedic from the start won't happen. They hired lateral firefighter paramedics once but that was over 20
years ago.

**** always changes around here though. I know it's confusing but if you want to be a firefighter just apply for the H2 firefighter job
opening. Apply to both H2 and H3 if it's just about getting on and getting your retirement started.
 

Aprz

The New Beach Medic
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Just keeping my eye out for a part time ambulance paramedic position. Seems like nobody is hiring part time at all. My options are very limited since I cannot work AMR; They made me quit since they consider my current job a conflict of interest. I've thought about reaching out and asking people if they'd be interested in a part time paramedic even though it just says full time online.
 
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BeachMedic

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Tbh I don't know if they'll do it again. A lot of the part timers never pick up shifts.

They have an academy of 50 EMTs starting soon I hear though.

I'll give you a heads up if I hear anything but I'm not as in tune with the EMS division as I used to be.
 

andrewr1296

Forum Ride Along
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Two ways to become a Firefighter paramedic.

Get hired as an H3 EMT and promote up which could take years.
Get hired as an H2 FF and promote up - which comes with a fat raise but you gotta spend six months on an ambulance.

Firefighter paramedic rank is getting pretty full though.
Not a lot of firefighters really want to be a firefighter paramedic around here.
Probably easier to just get hired as a straight firefighter then promote up then to go the EMT ambulance route.

Getting hired as a firefighter paramedic from the start won't happen. They hired lateral firefighter paramedics once but that was over 20
years ago.

**** always changes around here though. I know it's confusing but if you want to be a firefighter just apply for the H2 firefighter job
opening. Apply to both H2 and H3 if it's just about getting on and getting your retirement started.
Applied to both. Do they hire just straight medics? I don’t mind th
Tbh I don't know if they'll do it again. A lot of the part timers never pick up shifts.

They have an academy of 50 EMTs starting soon I hear though.

I'll give you a heads up if I hear anything but I'm not as in tune with the EMS division as I used to be.
they have the applications up. I applied to both like recommended and am doing the NTN test on Monday. I guess we’ll see. I’m hoping to get on full time if they offer that and if they’ll even look at me for being like a month or so away from having my medic license. SFFD really interests me cause I honestly love the EMS side and like that I can get paid fire wages and still work on a box there.
 
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BeachMedic

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Well looks like they are going to hire straight medics for the first time in like 10 years. Don't have to be an EMT for 8 months like I did.
 

RogelioG

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Well looks like they are going to hire straight medics for the first time in like 10 years. Don't have to be an EMT for 8 months like I did.
Hello BeachMedic. I recently applied for the H003 Emt position and went through half way the hiring process. Took the initial exam, PAT test and finally made it to the first interview. Its been over two weeks since i had the interview and im getting kind of anxious/nervous about it. I have yet to recieve any form indicating if i am going to proceed or i just simply didnt make the cut. Does anyone here have experience with SFFD's hiring process and how long they take for them to reply? Do they also also let you know if you are goingto proceed or you just dont simply qualify for their department? I heard that they take a very long time to reach back out, and can even take up to a year for them to respond. If thats the case, i unfortunately i will have to look at other avenues although i would really like to work for them. Thank you all in advance.
 

gclol

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Hello BeachMedic. I recently applied for the H003 Emt position and went through half way the hiring process. Took the initial exam, PAT test and finally made it to the first interview. Its been over two weeks since i had the interview and im getting kind of anxious/nervous about it. I have yet to recieve any form indicating if i am going to proceed or i just simply didnt make the cut. Does anyone here have experience with SFFD's hiring process and how long they take for them to reply? Do they also also let you know if you are goingto proceed or you just dont simply qualify for their department? I heard that they take a very long time to reach back out, and can even take up to a year for them to respond. If thats the case, i unfortunately i will have to look at other avenues although i would really like to work for them. Thank you all in advance.
Sffd is slowing down on hiring. The window for mass hire was all last year . So the extra 100 people who got in were lucky. It took roughly 4 years to hear back after doing all those testing and interview so keep in mind that it can take that long
 
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