Is it a good idea to call my local Ambulance service?

[hurt88]

New member here with a few questions on getting setup as an emt

I am considering taking an EMT-B certification class this upcoming semester and I would really like to get an idea on how often my local ambulance service hires, hours, pay, advancement, etc...before I decide to take the class for sure or not. Is it a good idea to call them and get this information or should I expect them to probably not answer those types of questions. Also, who should I call and talk to about this if not them.

Thanks Alot

 

[Shishkabob]

Sure. It's always smart to know the things you'll be getting if you get in to the field. Call and ask to speak to some person in HR.


However, depending on where you live, you might have to become a Paramedic to get a job, but bar non, to get any decent career in single-service EMS you will want to become a Paramedic anyhow.

 

[hurt88]

Sure. It's always smart to know the things you'll be getting if you get in to the field. Call and ask to speak to some person in HR.


However, depending on where you live, you might have to become a Paramedic to get a job, but bar non, to get any decent career in single-service EMS you will want to become a Paramedic anyhow.

Thanks for the quick reply. I do plan on eventually becoming a Paramedic but I would like to just get some hands on time to see if this is the profession for me. Its seems like something I would really like but its hard to justify spending the money and becoming a emt-b to begin with if I won't even be able to get a job in my area. I live in southern illinois in a small town of 7,000 so I'm afraid work in my area may be a little limited. I'll give them a call though and see what they have to say about the hiring process.

 

[TraprMike]

MAYBE IF you promis to work for them for a couple years, they might pay for your class..

 

[Old Road Dog and Sidekick]

hon, here is what i suggest: is there a local voly dept near you? fire/ems, either or? if so, join up. a small town will always need people, and its free to join. you'll just be a volunteer. but the voly service should pay for your fire and emt-b training. probably first responder class first, and you'll see if you like it. and you'll get plenty of ride alongs and hands on training and you might have some fun too!

 

[gw812]

I'll be perfectly honest - even if I never get hired ANYWHERE, I'm still glad I took the class. You learn a lot of interesting things, and more so you learn how that biology, chemistry, and physics you learned in high school actually works in real life in the human body. This stuff is the kind of knowledge that everyone should have. You are not going to regret it. Register for class.

 

[hurt88]

hon, here is what i suggest: is there a local voly dept near you? fire/ems, either or? if so, join up. a small town will always need people, and its free to join. you'll just be a volunteer. but the voly service should pay for your fire and emt-b training. probably first responder class first, and you'll see if you like it. and you'll get plenty of ride alongs and hands on training and you might have some fun too!

Volunteer work to get started would be awesome to do but I have no clue where I would even begin. I mean it feels like I would need some sort of knowledge of the job in order to volunteer to help out. Plus I already work full time so if they were willing to let me volunteer on my days off then by all means that would be great...I'll have to look into all of this for sure

 

[emt seeking first job]

I would say that the EMT class is usefull even if you will not be a paid EMT.

I could see it being useful to a lawyer or an insurance person, to have an overview of pre-hospital care.

You get a good overview of anatomy and how do handle medical emergencies to 'package' someone and sustain a life until you can get to a physician in a hospital.

The instructors where I went, two of them, really zeroed in on basic principals and fundemental thinging behind what EMTs do.

150 hours and $1,000.oo is not too much time to invest in something that you can use for a volunteer or paid position.

Some people spend that over six months at a bar.........( I have ) with nothing to show for it....

 

[hurt88]

Well just a little update here...I tried calling my local private ambulance service and they said that it isn't uncommon for them to hire EMT-B's fresh out of school but primarily just for P/T work...I also asked about volunteer work and they said they don't do anything like that so hopefully I can find somewhere that would

 

[Tizzy]

I had no idea to start, either. I live in a really rural area, there's only about 14 EMTs in the EMS, the fire side is much bigger. I just got ahold of some people, and went to the EMT/fire meeting, and I just got done volunteering at a fair with FF/EMT.

We sold food, did raffles, etc. and the money goes to the station. I've been talking to some people, and they're really excited to get me my EVOC asap, so that I can start getting some experience before I even finish my EMTB class which starts on the 24th.

Just poke around, and talk to people. It never hurts for people to see your face around.

 

[adamjh3]

Just poke around, and talk to people. It never hurts for people to see your face around.

This is probably some of the best advice in the thread. Just remember that every single day is a job interview, especially in rural areas, because you never know who knows who.

 

[Tizzy]

Exactly. I went up to people at the fair to help out, and they knew who I was before I had ever met them for this reason.

 

[SR17]

Well just a little update here...I tried calling my local private ambulance service and they said that it isn't uncommon for them to hire EMT-B's fresh out of school but primarily just for P/T work...I also asked about volunteer work and they said they don't do anything like that so hopefully I can find somewhere that would

Heres the deal brother. If you like what you are doing now, then why switch into something you are unsure about? I don't mean to sound harsh, but its an all or nothing thing, in my opinion.

As some said, getting your EMT-B maybe beneficial if you actually used it. Don't waste your time in getting it if your are not going to go into the field. How many times have you been in a position to save a life as it is, slim to never. Before even looking at money, hours, ect. go to the local fire dept or Ambo service, bring some ice cream (i am being serious about that too) and ask if you can ride with them.

Once you ride, run a few calls as an observer, you will know then and there if this is going to be for you.

I started all this 4 years ago and I now am in a position to become a paid firefighter, (which requires a lot more school) but you could get hired right off the boat with a rescue company (out of EMT class) in most cases if its what you want to do.

I'll tell you this, after my first ride along with the fire dept (never stepped foot in a fire house nor ran any emergency calls) I was enrolled in the EMT class at my local community college the next day. I have done multiple ride alongs and have been a volly for 2 years now. Left a great paying job to follow this, and it sure as hell been worth it. Get a ride along or two in and you will know if this is your gig.

 

[hurt88]

Heres the deal brother. If you like what you are doing now, then why switch into something you are unsure about? I don't mean to sound harsh, but its an all or nothing thing, in my opinion.

As some said, getting your EMT-B maybe beneficial if you actually used it. Don't waste your time in getting it if your are not going to go into the field. How many times have you been in a position to save a life as it is, slim to never. Before even looking at money, hours, ect. go to the local fire dept or Ambo service, bring some ice cream (i am being serious about that too) and ask if you can ride with them.

Once you ride, run a few calls as an observer, you will know then and there if this is going to be for you.

I started all this 4 years ago and I now am in a position to become a paid firefighter, (which requires a lot more school) but you could get hired right off the boat with a rescue company (out of EMT class) in most cases if its what you want to do.

I'll tell you this, after my first ride along with the fire dept (never stepped foot in a fire house nor ran any emergency calls) I was enrolled in the EMT class at my local community college the next day. Left a great paying job to follow this, and it sure as hell been worth it. Get a ride along or two in and you will know if this is your gig.

Im going to try hard to get some ride alongs if possible...I already enrolled and payed for the class so its pretty much all or nothing from here on out..I was torn between becoming an EMT or going for a Computer related degree when I first started college and I chose the computer route and started a Computer Information Systems associates degree and into my last semester of that I decided I didn't want to sit behind a desk everyday and I wanted my day to be different day in day out and help people out so I'm pretty sure I will be happy with this in the long run.

Regardless of what happens though, I'm really excited to get started and hope this is what I'm going to be doing for a long time to come

 

[SR17]

Im going to try hard to get some ride alongs if possible...I already enrolled and payed for the class so its pretty much all or nothing from here on out..I was torn between becoming an EMT or going for a Computer related degree when I first started college and I chose the computer route and started a Computer Information Systems associates degree and into my last semester of that I decided I didn't want to sit behind a desk everyday and I wanted my day to be different day in day out and help people out so I'm pretty sure I will be happy with this in the long run.

Regardless of what happens though, I'm really excited to get started and hope this is what I'm going to be doing for a long time to come

Good stuff man. you will have a lot of fun, and meet some good people during your schooling.

Try and ride as much as you can whether you want to go into fire or not ride with either fire or rescue. If you just want to hope on a n ambo and go, ride with them, a lot. Get your name and face out there, follow directions, don't get in anyones way, and ask a lot of questions. Once you get around there enough, after EMT graduation, you have a solid chance at becoming a paid EMT.

good luck man, and welcome to ems.

 

[hurt88]

Good stuff man. you will have a lot of fun, and meet some good people during your schooling.

Try and ride as much as you can whether you want to go into fire or not ride with either fire or rescue. If you just want to hope on a n ambo and go, ride with them, a lot. Get your name and face out there, follow directions, don't get in anyones way, and ask a lot of questions. Once you get around there enough, after EMT graduation, you have a solid chance at becoming a paid EMT.

good luck man, and welcome to ems.

Thanks man, and I think the hardest part now is going to be finding a place that will let me ride along with them..I've already talked to my local place here and they don't allow any type of volunteer work but I didn't ask about observing ride alongs. I may have to try something along those lines I guess.

 

[SR17]

Thanks man, and I think the hardest part now is going to be finding a place that will let me ride along with them..I've already talked to my local place here and they don't allow any type of volunteer work but I didn't ask about observing ride alongs. I may have to try something along those lines I guess.

Every dept, whether it be paid or vol. Will let you ride, well most will. Just ask if you could do a ride along, go to the station yourself and ask when would be a good time.