livescan what states require them to get licensced
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JPINFV
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You only need it for your county license and your ambulance drivers certificate [through the DMV] for California.
Livescan is a thorough fingerprint and national database search for criminal background ,as far as i know . What i dont know is how far back they go and what they are looking for as far as disqualifying a person from getting an emt-bstate license.Any answers anyone?
roxychick
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i think they look for criminal histories, background check, credit check and such. If you haven't committed a crime then I believe theres really nothing to worry about. when i did mines I had to get one to get the county cert and another one for the dmv for my ambulance cert. i'm not sure if you will need to have it redone if you want to transfer to another state but when you do get one here in san diego or any other place they will give you a receipt/document that you keep...perhaps you can just show that as evidence that you have done a livescan and such.
JPINFV
Gadfly
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You need it in most but not all counties in California. There was a big controversy last year regarding this because you don't have to be licensed in the county that you work in. (note: Some counties, like Orange County, have it set up so that you essentially have to be certified in county due to the county's "Ambulance Attendant license") Due to that, there were people going 2-3 counties away to one of the few that didn't require a Live Scan to avoid the requirement. If it hasn't already, expect the rules regarding Live Scan to change relatively soon.
Of course the DMV is going to require a separate Live Scan for the driving certificate regardless of which county you live in.
I called CA DMV the other day to ask if I needed a separate Livescan in addition to the one I filed with the county. The guy I talked to led me to believe that I just needed to bring in one of the copies of my county Livescan request. His tone was not convincing though. Is he right or do I need to go get a second one done that will be reported directly to DMV?
roxychick
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That's what I did too but the guy obviously didn't know what to say. He told me that I could take the test and then turn in the paperworks. lol But here's what you do! Go to your local dmv and ask them the paperworks you need for your ambulance cert. It should be this really long paper that you need to fill out, a small packet for your physical test from a dr, and the paperwork you need for your livescan. I believe that paperwork is different than the actual livescan for your county. So fill the paperworks, get your physical, and livescan...then study for the ambulance cert test! It's 30 questions and you can only miss 4! ^_^
Hope that helped!
But look at the number of people with some serious criminal records that have caused several black eyes to the profession in areas that don't do background checks.
California had to take several media hits to spur a change in legislation. Imagine being able to commit a crime that results in loss of licensure in one county but still able to get a license in another county. That is a very broken system when that can happen.
You are entering homes and working with people at a very vulnerable moment in their lives. They deserve to have a little piece of mind.
Background checks have been standard for many other health professions for many years. The live scan beats going to the PD to have two sets of finger print cards made to be sent to state and Federal agencies which takes 6 - 12 weeks in some areas.
It took me 6 months to get an RCP (RRT) license in California 10 years ago with the old finger print system along with their Board's check of all of my education, employment, all credentials in every state licensed in and credit history.
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JPINFV
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The other thing to realize is that you don't have to be an EMT-B to get an ambulance drivers certificate. You simply have to be one within either 6 or 12 months (I can't remember) after obtaining the cert. If the laws were changed so that you had to get a live scan to be certified as an EMT-B and you had to be an EMT-B to get an ambulance driver certificate, then I could see a compelling reason to drop one of the background checks. Until then, we're just SOL.
Livescan isn't a company, it's just the process that the State of California Department of Justice uses for quick fingerprint input and data reporting. You do have to do a separate livescan for each agency (EMS, DMV, etc) but that's because the law is currently written to prohibit any agency from sharing this information. Plus it ensures that the person who presents the application is, in fact, the person he/she claims to be. After your livescan, the appropriate agency receives both your current record, and also is notified of any subsequent arrests. Unfortunately this has become necessary due to several instances of EMTs and paramedics involved in some unsavory activities. The full text of the regulations is available at the California EMS Authority website, or check the local EMS agency policy for EMT certification. Is it a pain in the butt and wallet to do multiple livescans? Yup, sure is. But its cheaper than being charged for a background investigation as a condition of employment. BTW, in California, only government agencies can receive Livescan information, not private entities, so you shouldn't have to livescan for your employer.
disassociative
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TN requires that all EMT-IV and Paramedic applicants have TBI(Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) and FBI background checks as well as ALL 10 fingerprints on file before each licensure.
Ridryder911
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I am always concerned about anyone that is concerned about any background investigation (especially fingerprinting). More background and knowledge about the individual we have the better.
R/r 911
R/r 911
Well, the good news is that it isn't a recurring fee!
DT4EMS
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Livescan is simply "AFIS". It is a computerized version of the 10 print plus writers palm and such. We can get results in a matter of minutes now, not waiting for days after faxing prints.
JPINFV
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I've never had a problem with background checks. Nor have I ever had a problem with being asked to pee in a cup. What does drive me batty, though, is having 2 government agencies [County EMS and the Department of Motor Vehicles] both require the exact same background check, but can't share information. This forces the applicant to get not 1, but 2 background checks from the exact same system.
MizRizQuick
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Louisiana doesn't require it. In fact, I've never heard of it.