I need advice

[John Trammell Jr]

I am currently 17 and plan on taking an EMT B class in march when im 18 at ictc. Do i need CPR certification before enrolling? Where should i get my CPR certification? Is the EMT B class hard? Will i be able to get a paid job as an EMT at 18? And will the salary be enough?

 

[StCEMT]

Yes you need CPR. Get it wherever you can, just do a Google search for your area. No EMT isn't hard, but it is a lot of new material. You should be able to get a job, but you might have to start at a private service doing transfers before you get a 911 job. Depends on what is enough for you. Texas enough is not California enough.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Look at the program and call them. For the majority of EMT classes in my area, they include CPR in the class. So going out and doing a CPR class on your own would be a waste of money and time.

 

[hometownmedic5]

If you read, write, and speak English at at least an 8th grade level, have no learning disabilities(or have control of them), and have the capacity(maturity) to learn in a quasi adult setting; then emt school should be an easily attainable goal. It's really little more than an advanced band aid course. Its barely the mole hill in the the analogy.

Most emt schools include cpr in the course. If yours does not, any aha/arc class should do. Google cpr class in .... And away you go.

Some companies hire at 18. Some do not. Some do, but won't let you drive. You should be able to find work, but I don't know your area so no promises.

I can't possibly say whether an EMT job will pay your bills. You could have three kids, five Schnauzers or an eight ball a day blow habit. You could be one of these guys who spends thirty grand souping up a 94 Civic hatchback. Without an intimate knowledge of your financial situation(which I have no interest in acquiring), we couldn't possibly say. I can tell you you'll make crap money as a baby basic in almost every market. Minimum wage in some places to mid teens in others(where 15 bucks an hour is a functional minimum wage due to the cost of living). It's not a career. It's an entry level job. Go to class because you want to. Do the job for a year and then reevaluate.

 

[DesertMedic66]

If you read, write, and speak English at at least an 8th grade level, have no learning disabilities(or have control of them), and have the capacity(maturity) to learn in a quasi adult setting; then emt school should be an easily attainable goal. It's really little more than an advanced band aid course. Its barely the mole hill in the the analogy.

Most emt schools include cpr in the course. If yours does not, any aha/arc class should do. Google cpr class in .... And away you go.

Some companies hire at 18. Some do not. Some do, but won't let you drive. You should be able to find work, but I don't know your area so no promises.

I can't possibly say whether an EMT job will pay your bills. You could have three kids, five Schnauzers or an eight ball a day blow habit. You could be one of these guys who spends thirty grand souping up a 94 Civic hatchback. Without an intimate knowledge of your financial situation(which I have no interest in acquiring), we couldn't possibly say. I can tell you you'll make crap money as a baby basic in almost every market. Minimum wage in some places to mid teens in others(where 15 bucks an hour is a functional minimum wage due to the cost of living). It's not a career. It's an entry level job. Go to class because you want to. Do the job for a year and then reevaluate.

I would avoid the ARC CPR classes. I have nothing against them however it seems as if the medical field only accepts AHA classes.

 

[DrParasite]

lets go question by questions

I am currently 17 and plan on taking an EMT B class in march when im 18 at ictc.

Some states will allow you to start the class before you turn 18; some will even let you become certified before you turn 18. all depends on your individual state

Do i need CPR certification before enrolling?

depends on the course. most places will include a CPR course (or at least a skills verification) during the class; however, I would recommend taking an AHA BLS provider course before you start. it's less than $100, and it gives you a little bit of a heads up on what is going to be covered. Again, just my personal opinion. But even better would be to ask the EMT program you will be attending if they require CPR before the course starts.

Where should i get my CPR certification?

any AHA instructor can run one; just google CPR class in (insert your town/county/state here).

Is the EMT B class hard?

ehhh, it's far from impossible, but if you do all the reading, study, pay attention in class, do the homework, and ask questions when things are unclear, you should have no problems. That being said, if you don't put the time in, the chances of you having issues increases significantly.

Will i be able to get a paid job as an EMT at 18?

maybe. depends on where you live, what you want to do, and if you can convince someone to hire you.

And will the salary be enough?

enough to do what? live a luxurious life? absolutely not. afford a 7 bedroom house? probably not.

you're 18 years old; either live at home, or find some roommates. your first job will probably pay your poorly. most first jobs out of HS tend to suck. Do it for a year and see what your financial situation is.

my first EMT job was $10.25 an hour. a week later i was offered a position making $11.25/hr. when I wanted to find a full time position, they offered me $9 an hour. Several years later, I was offered a part time position making $12/hr. a year later, I was making $15 an hour. When I left that job, I was making $20/hr, and I left for a union EMS job making $18 an hour, and 5 years later, I left, making $22 an hour, and moved south, and was making $15 an hour. And then got hired part time at another agency making $12.50 an hour.

Salaries go up and down depending on your employer, your experience level, the job you will be done, the schedule, and how much they want to pay you, but when you are break into a new field, especially in EMS, don't expect to get rich overnight.