Metro Area Ambulance Bismarck, ND

MedicJon88

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Hey fellow EMS providers,

Anyone know anything about Metro Area Ambulance or EMS in North Dakota in general- looking into a potential job there and would like any insight that anyone can provide.

Thanks!
 

Emergency Metaphysics

Forum Lieutenant
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Hey fellow EMS providers,

Anyone know anything about Metro Area Ambulance or EMS in North Dakota in general- looking into a potential job there and would like any insight that anyone can provide.

Thanks!

Howdy,

I see that you're from L.A., and if you plan to move to North Dakota we should talk. I live in South Dakota, in the state's largest city (165,000), and we use Rural Metro for most of our 911 and IFT calls, but the surrounding communities are served by MedStar and some volunteer outfits.

While I don't have any direct feedback to give you about Metro in N.D., you should ask yourself whether this would be the state for you after having lived in L.A. South Dakota is sparsely populated, many Native American reservations, and very, very rural. You're about an hour away from a town in any direction. North Dakota is even worse. It's even less populated, more rural, and frankly the weather sucks more there than it does here in South Dakota -- and South Dakota winters can be BRUTAL. And in the Dakotas it's "winter" 6 months of the year or more.

I bring all of that up because as I've spoken with folks who are cops here or EMS here, one of their chief regrets about working here is the weather. Jobs here are highly competitive in these two fields as well. You might actually have better luck in South Dakota, as Sioux Falls (where I live) has two major hospitals, including a trauma center, a heart hospital, two children's hospitals, a V.A. hospital, and several ambulance providers inside and outside of Sioux Falls. I'd also check West River (meaning the Rapid City area on the Western half of the state). The West Side of South Dakota is absolutely gorgeous with the Black Hills and National Parks. The East Side is flat farmland. Imagine the East Side of South Dakota as a state and you'll have North Dakota.

Bleh.

M.
 

azbrewcrew

Forum Crew Member
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Not to hijack this thread, but im curious how Rural Metro is perceived in Sioux Falls. Ive considered transferring there but id rather make an upwards move than a lateral move if that makes sense.
 

Emergency Metaphysics

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Not to hijack this thread, but im curious how Rural Metro is perceived in Sioux Falls. Ive considered transferring there but id rather make an upwards move than a lateral move if that makes sense.
They essentially have the monoply in Sioux Falls, so in the past they have been seen as a bully company out to crush the few attempts by other services to open up shop here. Everything else I know is simply stuff from the rumor mill. For what it's worth, the interactions I've seen between RM and other providers has been good and professional. When I've needed them they've always treated me well.
 
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MedicJon88

MedicJon88

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Hey thanks for the info.

I know how sparsely populated ND is.. and it is definitely a concern of mine.
South bay, where I live in LA have more people than the entire state of ND... however, I did train as a paramedic almost 200 miles away in Ridgecrest, CA the gateway to Death Valley, North of Lancaster, with less than 30,000 people and only 1 'hospital' within 1.5hrs- calling it a "community hospital" is being quite generous.

I'm not adverse to terrible weather I'm one of those weird californians- I don't need the Sun (i work nights); Plus I lived through the terrible storm back in '06 in Seattle- basically was snowed-in for 2 months.

I'm interested in ND because its the fastest growing State, Population and economic growth wise. They supposedly went from no Trauma Center to 6 level IIs in a few years. The Oil boom has rapidly increase the EMS demand of the State and Metro Area Amb. is expanding its operation due to the Oil boom from the west spreading toward the Center of the State.

I need to read up on the protocols from the State EMS but I'd Imagine it would be pretty progressive like those that I have come to know and love for training in Kern County, a pretty rural county.

I've been looking everywhere in the US for jobs no limited to ND (didn't even cross my mind)- Metro Area Amb. is the only one that got back to me with a legitimate interests in hiring a medic ASAP. However, I reserve any judgments till I actually visit the Bismarck/Mandan area next week.

Let me know of if you hear or know anything else about the area.
 
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Emergency Metaphysics

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Sounds great, Jon. You're right about the oil boom. It might be worth your time to take the drive down to Sioux Fall, SD, and talk to Rural Metro and Medstar out of Brandon, which is suburb of Sioux Falls. I think you'd really like living here based on what you mentioned. Sioux Falls is a pretty, clean, safe city.

Cheers.
 
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