Los Angeles - What good opportunities for employment?

[daedalus]

Who comes up with this stuff, better yet who allows it?

After Gerber and Santa Monica FD started being dispatched by LA County Fire's dispatch center (giving up their proprietary center), I believe they did away with the ridiculous (that is not a strong enough word) rule that Gerber units had to stage a block away so that the city fire medics could get on scene first, and than the silly private ambulance could roll up quietly with no l/s as to keep the glory with the fire medics. I was told this practice has been abolished recently.

 

[AJ Hidell]

Who comes up with this stuff, better yet who allows it?

Your friends at the IAFF and IAFC. Heaven forbid that the public come to realize that the ambulance drivers can get there faster and render the same care as the FD, plus transport them to the hospital, unlike the FD. If that were to become common knowledge, people in an already bankrupt state might begin to ask really uncomfortable questions, like "why are we paying two different entities to do the same job here when one is obviously capable of doing it themselves?" And when they learned that the ones doing the least are making four times more than those doing the most, well... it would be really embarrassing to our city managers, and some fire budgets might have to suffer. We can't be having that now, can we?

 

[PeterB]

San Fernando Valley

Thanks Anthony and others. I live in North Hollywood, one block from McCormick Station #6. Burbank is a half mile away. Would be nice to work around here, but I want to do 911 calls to get experience, even if that experience is farther away.

I was a personal trainer for years, I always wanted to be a Paramedic. I enjoy being the person who helps those having a rough situation. Not sure if I have the skills yet, I am good at book stuff, not so much at practical stuff.

I have checked online, on Monster.com, there is not a lot of calls for EMT's. Strange. Neither at hospital websites under 'careers'.

I just got my L.A. County Card and my Ambulance Certificate, so i am ready to go.

Any more info you guys and gals have, thanks.

Peter

 

[AnthonyM83]

After Gerber and Santa Monica FD started being dispatched by LA County Fire's dispatch center (giving up their proprietary center), I believe they did away with the ridiculous (that is not a strong enough word) rule that Gerber units had to stage a block away so that the city fire medics could get on scene first, and than the silly private ambulance could roll up quietly with no l/s as to keep the glory with the fire medics. I was told this practice has been abolished recently.

I have been told it was done away with for Santa Monica FD, but Torrance FD still requires it (the two FDs that Gerber Ambulance runs with in Los Angeles). This is second hand information, though, so treat appropriately.



Peter,

The private ambulance companies have an extremely high turn-over rate. If one isn't hiring at the moment, the other four will be. That tends to be the trend. The IFT companies are always out recruiting, in case you need a job, now. The 911 companies have stacks of applications, so might take a few weeks to get the process going.

I would also call local hospitals and speak to HR or their ER coordinators directly if you really want to find a spot. For now, I would just start setting up ride-alongs with the different companies.

 

[AJ Hidell]

I have checked online, on Monster.com, there is not a lot of calls for EMT's. Strange. Neither at hospital websites under 'careers'.

Could be because being an EMT is not a career. It's just a job, like driving a taxi or a wrecker, but with a lot fewer openings, and a lot more people seeking them. There are a dozen schools cranking out hundreds more EMTs every month in LA. Most of them never, ever get an EMS job. And those that do won't keep it for too long before moving on to something that pays more than $10 dollars an hour max. With all those people running around LA, so desperate for any ambulance job that they'll work for nearly minimum wage, why would any employer advertise?

 

[EMT-StudxMuffin]

Could be because being an EMT is not a career. It's just a job, like driving a taxi or a wrecker, but with a lot fewer openings, and a lot more people seeking them. There are a dozen schools cranking out hundreds more EMTs every month in LA. Most of them never, ever get an EMS job. And those that do won't keep it for too long before moving on to something that pays more than $10 dollars an hour max. With all those people running around LA, so desperate for any ambulance job that they'll work for nearly minimum wage, why would any employer advertise?

wow....that's depressing..... :sad:

 

[AnthonyM83]

Agreed.

In Los Angeles, EMS is run by fire departments. FDs that do not transport contract private EMT ambulances for transport. Medic jumps onto the BLS ambulance with his equipment if he deems it ALS (99.9% of ALS runs are code 3, even if patient is 100% stable but meets ALS criteria). If it's BLS, the EMTs transport code 2 on their own.

I would say 75% of these EMTs are simply trying to get onto a FD and that most seem to have no interest or actually hate EMS. Many go onto paramedic school to become a more attractive FD applicant while they openly "hate medical stuff". Often, once hired, they are forced to attend paramedic school, anyway. The other 25% are students who wish to be doctors, RN, and PA's. Some PD hopefuls, too.

Since the 911 companies often pay minimum wage, there's no alternative but to make it a stepping stone job. I'd say most EMTs are between 18 and 24. Even those who want to be career paramedics, can't, as they would have to become firefighters (a VERY lengthy process here...years of applying, usually).

So, what you end up with are companies with ridiculously high turnovers who know they can get away with paying minimum wage (and to be fair, the companies themselves don't seem to rake in THAT much money...). A senior EMT or Field Training Officer tends to be one with 1 or 2 years on. You do get an occasional "lifer" who makes it his career...but it's limiting...just transporting for the FD (even if you have a medic cert, private ambulance companies wish you to follow FD's orders to maintain their contracts).

It is definitely depressing if you care about EMS...especially when you get a look at how things are outside the local area and when you go to school for higher levels of care and realize the negligence being done by those who were forced to attend medic school. That's our daily lives here.


Still, Los Angeles is a busy area and a good opportunity to get call volume and experience. Just know that your idea of what EMS is will be warped.

 

[daedalus]

Agreed.

In Los Angeles, EMS is run by fire departments. FDs that do not transport contract private EMT ambulances for transport. Medic jumps onto the BLS ambulance with his equipment if he deems it ALS (99.9% of ALS runs are code 3, even if patient is 100% stable but meets ALS criteria). If it's BLS, the EMTs transport code 2 on their own.

I would say 75% of these EMTs are simply trying to get onto a FD and that most seem to have no interest or actually hate EMS. Many go onto paramedic school to become a more attractive FD applicant while they openly "hate medical stuff". Often, once hired, they are forced to attend paramedic school, anyway. The other 25% are students who wish to be doctors, RN, and PA's. Some PD hopefuls, too.

Since the 911 companies often pay minimum wage, there's no alternative but to make it a stepping stone job. I'd say most EMTs are between 18 and 24. Even those who want to be career paramedics, can't, as they would have to become firefighters (a VERY lengthy process here...years of applying, usually).

So, what you end up with are companies with ridiculously high turnovers who know they can get away with paying minimum wage (and to be fair, the companies themselves don't seem to rake in THAT much money...). A senior EMT or Field Training Officer tends to be one with 1 or 2 years on. You do get an occasional "lifer" who makes it his career...but it's limiting...just transporting for the FD (even if you have a medic cert, private ambulance companies wish you to follow FD's orders to maintain their contracts).

It is definitely depressing if you care about EMS...especially when you get a look at how things are outside the local area and when you go to school for higher levels of care and realize the negligence being done by those who were forced to attend medic school. That's our daily lives here.


Still, Los Angeles is a busy area and a good opportunity to get call volume and experience. Just know that your idea of what EMS is will be warped.

Great insights, Anthony.

Los Angeles is spoiled to me by the EMS system, otherwise I would have loved to make the area the place of my employ. There are beautiful areas here and it depresses me that I will have to leave.

 

[EMT-StudxMuffin]

Agreed.

In Los Angeles, EMS is run by fire departments. FDs that do not transport contract private EMT ambulances for transport. Medic jumps onto the BLS ambulance with his equipment if he deems it ALS (99.9% of ALS runs are code 3, even if patient is 100% stable but meets ALS criteria). If it's BLS, the EMTs transport code 2 on their own.

I would say 75% of these EMTs are simply trying to get onto a FD and that most seem to have no interest or actually hate EMS. Many go onto paramedic school to become a more attractive FD applicant while they openly "hate medical stuff". Often, once hired, they are forced to attend paramedic school, anyway. The other 25% are students who wish to be doctors, RN, and PA's. Some PD hopefuls, too.

Since the 911 companies often pay minimum wage, there's no alternative but to make it a stepping stone job. I'd say most EMTs are between 18 and 24. Even those who want to be career paramedics, can't, as they would have to become firefighters (a VERY lengthy process here...years of applying, usually).

So, what you end up with are companies with ridiculously high turnovers who know they can get away with paying minimum wage (and to be fair, the companies themselves don't seem to rake in THAT much money...). A senior EMT or Field Training Officer tends to be one with 1 or 2 years on. You do get an occasional "lifer" who makes it his career...but it's limiting...just transporting for the FD (even if you have a medic cert, private ambulance companies wish you to follow FD's orders to maintain their contracts).

It is definitely depressing if you care about EMS...especially when you get a look at how things are outside the local area and when you go to school for higher levels of care and realize the negligence being done by those who were forced to attend medic school. That's our daily lives here.


Still, Los Angeles is a busy area and a good opportunity to get call volume and experience. Just know that your idea of what EMS is will be warped.

So I was looking around trying to find some info but I came up empty handed maybe you guys can help me out.

I'm moving to the O.C. area, south of L.A. In order to work as an EMT in that general area, I need to become a FF also? or can i just work with the EMS side of that FD? If I were to move there, what can I do with my EMT certification? Thanks in advance

 

[CAOX3]

Could be because being an EMT is not a career. It's just a job, like driving a taxi or a wrecker, but with a lot fewer openings, and a lot more people seeking them. There are a dozen schools cranking out hundreds more EMTs every month in LA. Most of them never, ever get an EMS job. And those that do won't keep it for too long before moving on to something that pays more than $10 dollars an hour max. With all those people running around LA, so desperate for any ambulance job that they'll work for nearly minimum wage, why would any employer advertise?

Wow that is depressing.

 

[JPINFV]

So I was looking around trying to find some info but I came up empty handed maybe you guys can help me out.

I'm moving to the O.C. area, south of L.A. In order to work as an EMT in that general area, I need to become a FF also? or can i just work with the EMS side of that FD? If I were to move there, what can I do with my EMT certification? Thanks in advance

Orange County is even worse than LA. At least LA allows private companies to have paramedics while in Orange County only the fire department has paramedics. They're currently looking at allowing the private companies to have something that looks like a quarter of a medic (monitor/defib, a few non-cardiac drugs, and combitubes), but even that hasn't been approved yet.

 

[Sapphyre]

So I was looking around trying to find some info but I came up empty handed maybe you guys can help me out.

I'm moving to the O.C. area, south of L.A. In order to work as an EMT in that general area, I need to become a FF also? or can i just work with the EMS side of that FD? If I were to move there, what can I do with my EMT certification? Thanks in advance

As an EMT in OC, you can work for a private transport company, which transports under contract for the local fire departments, with out actually being a fire fighter. Of course, this means you also don't get to benefit from FD pay. As a medic in OC, you also need to be a firefighter. That is, if you want to work 911.

If you want to work transfers, you do NOT have the option of joining fire, and, like jpinfv already said, you don't get to be a medic either.

Working in the surrounding counties is a little better, LA, San Bernardino, Riverside.... San Bernardino and Riverside you can even be a 911 medic without being part of fire, although, you are under contract to fire (again, the pay is no where near what fire makes).

 

[PeterB]

Thanks Anthony and others.

So I have applied to those four companies. Only Gerber has contacted me and they want me to go to a 4-day school while being paid. More school. Sheesh. Then a probationary period.

All of this for $9 hour?

I wish I could get on with McCormick, but no word yet.

What's really weird to me is that I also work occasionally as an interpreter at a college. I make $27 an hour, and if I am the only interpreter, they pay me double. So last month I got $53 per hour to interpret a college class for a entire semester.

And saving lives is $9 per hour? What is going on people?

 

[PeterB]

But interpreting is NOT what I want to do. I guess if I really want to go for it, I should try Paramedic. I am not a young dude though, but I am in good shape.

Does anyone have any info about the Paramedic Training Institute? Hard to get in? Why is it so much cheaper than Daniel Freeman?

Maybe that's for another thread?

Let me know, this is all learning for me.

Peter

 

[AnthonyM83]

But interpreting is NOT what I want to do. I guess if I really want to go for it, I should try Paramedic. I am not a young dude though, but I am in good shape.

Does anyone have any info about the Paramedic Training Institute? Hard to get in? Why is it so much cheaper than Daniel Freeman?

I haven't been through PTI, but what its graduates have told me is "it sucks". You get only the basics. It's a FF/Medic mill. Again, I haven't attended it, but its reputation is for teaching you only the bare minimum and that while staff says they'll be supportive, not much effort is put in into helping you through. Last I heard, you have to have fire academy to go through it.

I heard UCLA might now be getting a financial aid program setup...so it might not be as bad.

 

[Sapphyre]

I haven't been through PTI, but what its graduates have told me is "it sucks". You get only the basics. It's a FF/Medic mill. Again, I haven't attended it, but its reputation is for teaching you only the bare minimum and that while staff says they'll be supportive, not much effort is put in into helping you through. Last I heard, you have to have fire academy to go through it.

Hmmmm, I thought you also had to be sponsored by a fire department as well. Maybe not...

 

[JPINFV]

Why does the thought of the EMS based fire suppression agencies in LA County having their own paramedic training institute scare the crap out of me?

 

[medic417]

Why does the thought of the EMS based fire suppression agencies in LA County having their own paramedic training institute scare the crap out of me?

I don't see a problem. In fact I think I may rent my mother-in-law an apartment out there.h34r:

 

[Sapphyre]

Why does the thought of the EMS based fire suppression agencies in LA County having their own paramedic training institute scare the crap out of me?

Just don't get seriously hurt or sick in LA County to where you'll need medics. But, yeah, the guys that come out of there are even more scary than the ones that come out of Freeman.

 

[JPINFV]

Wow. The sad part was that I always assumed that Freeman would be a good program since it's associated with UCLA.