New Bay Area EMT, Starting to get Interviews, have questions?

[Sliding]

So i just recently got all my post emt-b course stuff done, and about a week ago i started applying at every BLS company in the tri county area.
I had an interview at Rural Metro yesterday which i am probably not going to get because i choked on the scenario question. I had been preoccupied with getting all the post class stuff done that i forgot about my primary and secondary and i froze. As soon as the interview was over it all came back to me, and i felt like an idiot all day yesterday.
I went over my primary and secondary all day yesterday and it is all back in my head, i wish i would have spent just a little bit of time on it because i would have really loved to work for rural metro, but it slipped my mind and nothing i can do about it now.

Sorry about that just had to rant a little about my situation, now for my actual concerns.

I Have an interview at ProTransport-1 in Richmond which is a pretty far commute for me from San Jose. I plan on going to the interview regardless but my question is about the reputation of the company, and wages, My instructors say to just get your foot in the door but when i googled them i found some posts that are a few years old of nothing about bad things for this company, Should i consider it or not?

I also have an interview with Great America coming up to work as an EMT there, i was wondering about wages and hours there if anyone has current or previous experience with them.

I ask because i just got a job opportunity where i would get around $11.00 per hour and i am signing up for RockMed, i figure i can work and make some money, and volunteer to get some experience, rather than commute an hour for less than 10. But with Great America i would be more than willing to take the pay cut if they provided hours because it would mean i would get EMT experience and i can still volunteer at rockmed to boost my resume up a bit.

So pretty much how much should i consider protransport-1 compared to GA, and my current opportunity?

Sorry for the excruciatingly long post, I really appreciate your time and input.
-Thank you very much

 

[Angel]

there is a old thread about PT-1 aprz wrote VERY thoroughly I'd reccommend you read if you havent. But they are definetly a place to get your foot in the door and make some decent money. They have a station in santa clara so you might consider working there (additional certs and what not are needed, after you pass FTO its realitively easy picking up shifts in your area so long as they are open! the new bid is starting soon so it might be more difficult but as people leave and let go more shifts will pop up).

They are recently unionized and depending on who you ask that is a good or bad thing. They are growing like crazy so it's the perfect opportunity especially when most people are laying off employees. The interview and orientation date are pretty simple, its the FTO that usually gets people.

There isn't much in the way of 911 calls (a CCT here and there and code 3 calls are R A R E) but what else is there?
Not sure if GA offers benefits (its a seasonal job right) but there's definetly room to grow and expand if you stick it out the first few months.

 

[Sliding]

Yea i am pretty sure i just found the thread. thank you very much. I am a tad bit more concerned about the commute now however since i found out that it is an on call thing from that thread and not sure how many hours i would work. I definitely know that i do not want to commute an hour for 4 hours of work.
I really wish i could have done a lot of this post class stuff while i was attending class. so that i could apply while everything was fresh. now im rushing to remember all the most important stuff and it is a little nerve racking.
Would you be able to point me into a direction for FTO stuff along with scenarios. i feel i really need the practice at the moment.

 

[Aprz]

I think ProTransport-1 starts at $11.75/hour with union, union dues is 1.45% of whatever you make. I'm unsure what it is like with union and securing shifts. Back then, a noob would have to suck it up for a couple of months and pick-up whatever shift they can get, they still could get 40 hours/week, and after 3 months/shift bid, you could secure a full time shift at a station near you. That's what it was like when I worked there, but I didn't stick around much longer after they became unionized. I left on good terms and would be happy to work there again if my currents plan don't work out.

I've choked at every interview I've gone to, but still have managed to land a position somehow. From what I hear, Rural/Metro of Northern California really needs people so I wouldn't be too surprised if they looked over some things as long as you didn't really blow it. Rural//Metro has 8, 10, and 12 hour shifts. It's difficult to get a fulltime shift out of the Santa Clara station. They will likely have you work out of Alameda County or Contra Costa County. From what inexperienced EMTs who got hired there told me, they were started at $11.50/hour. They tried to match the experienced EMTs with what their previouscompany paid plus a little more.

I think the difficult thing for new people to do is find their way around, paperwork, using a gurney, and moving patients. Some people struggle with vital signs. I'm on my phone so it's difficult for me to type my experience for you, but when I get the time, I'll share non proprietary detailz.

 

[Sliding]

cool, thank you Aprz. appreciate the info

 

[Angel]

yea FTO is basically monkey see monkey do, my FTO showed me how to do a sit pick for instance. I had no idea what it was before that day but we do it semi regularly. vital signs, this was drilled to us in class but my first day I had a hard time coordinating v/s with a head to toe (we dont ask many hx questions because most of its in the pt chart and the pt is most likely altered so they cant help anyway) in the short drives (coco county everything is really close together). Other things are knowing what to look for in the patient chart and getting those signatures, your PCR requires 4 signatures and forgetting one could mean you either kidnapped or abandoned the patient. youll have to learn to maneuvar the gurney in cramped rooms for sheet pulls (we do this ALOT), rig check out is important too, how to use the radio (calling in times and how to give a ring down) what the buttons in the ambulance are (lights, sirens how to use what when runnng code 3) and how to talk to your patients was by far the hardest for me. go into a room introduce yourself and strike up a communication all the while trying to get a 1st set of v/s and noting any important things to tell your partner (whos the tech) for the initial assessment. and getting comfortable driving that gigantic vehicle, I have a small car so I was overly cautious with everything the first month or so.
DIRECTIONS since you dont live in the county youre working GPS will be your friend and enemy!

if by the 2nd 3rd day you cant get it together and atleast look like you know what youre doing then be kind of concerned. v/s are the meat and potatoes IMO, lifting and moving the gurney too, you have to be able to do it safely and communicate with your partner.

starting pay is $11.05/hr until you reach about 520hrs then it goes up to 11.75 until probation is over. (the short answer in regards to call bonuses is, you wont get any until after the 520hrs, its more complicated than that but ill just keep it simple)

as far as picking up shifts and the drive: your FTO will be at your "home station" and you cannot pick up shifts anywhere else until you passed, so you will be stuck commuting BUT atleast where I work, those short 4,5,6hr shifts are typically downed and no one ends up working them. after my FTO cleared I was working 30-40 hrs a week, no problem at all. especially when the shift bid is almost over there are more shifts because once someone leaves or is fired their shift for the rest of the 4 months is up for grabs.

i mostly picked up 10hr shifts and now theres a lot of 8s so I got those 2. now that Ive worked there and built up their version of seniority, I have a guarenteed 32hrs a week and can pick up another shift I need be.

Rural Metro seems like a good company to me because they have 911 so you can always get your year experience and move on as a medic or emt running 911 which is what everyone wants to do so it is a win win.

PT has ALS but where I live they run about 60% ALS 40% BLS and thats being generous. ALS is not really established yet and dont confuse ALS with 911 because like I said somewhere "we" rarely go lights and sirens.