Palm Springs AMR Schedules

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Hi everyone, this is my first post!

I am looking forward to a phone interview with Palm Springs AMR next week. I am a new EMT. I'm so excited to work in EMS! I got to ride-along with some great folks at San Francisco AMR recently.

A recruiting coordinator contacted me shortly after I submitted my application. However, she informed me Palm Springs AMR was only looking for full-time EMTs (although I'm fairly certain I saw that the job posting mentioned part-time as well). I was hoping to work part-time, as I have a few other commitments I'm juggling, so I was definitely disappointed. I'm not opposed to full-time, but I would have to make some difficult decisions to make it work. She proposed I schedule the interview anyway and ask my questions about the full-time schedule then as she didn't have concrete details for me. She also said she would get back to me about scheduling the interview after she inquires with Palm Springs about the possibility of part-time.

As I am trying to think through if I can make full-time work, I am wondering if I could find some information before the interview so that I might have time to process the decisions I have to make. Does anyone out there have any insight as to how likely it would be for the Palm Springs station to hire a new EMT for part-time? (Is this just wishful thinking on my part?) What if I could offer full-time to start then go part-time after two months? Also, what do the full-time and part-time schedules look like? How far in advance do you receive your schedule and can you make requests? Have you guys found it pretty easy to get your shifts covered if you need to? Do you feel like you have flexibility?

Thanks so much for any insight or even guesses regarding Palm Springs, part-timing for newbies, AMR in general...
 
Part time schedule: used to be you would have to have 3 days of availability per month. You may or may not work those shifts if there were any openings. However, it was recently changed to you have to have 6 days of availability per month. What those days are are your decision.

Full time schedule: 3 shifts one week and 4 shifts the next week. The primary rotation they do is a front half and back half. Front half works every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and every other Wednesday. Back half is every other Wednesday, every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

They will hire EMTs fresh into the part time slot only if there is openings. The company is only given X number of employees who are allowed to be part time. If that number is full then it is not possible to go part time. If there are open slots then you can go part time.

For full time the shifts are given out in 6 month cycles. Every 6 months you bid with a partner on a shift that you want. It’s a point system based on seniority. So as a new employee you are typically stuck working back half night shifts. Management will release the results of the shift bid and what shift you got determines your schedule. So if you got Medic 101A then your shift will be 0400-1600 on the front half for the next 6 months.

As a new EMT you will be placed on a BLS unit. BLS units can be hard to find coverage for because they are hated by 99% of the staff as it is a full 12 hour shifts with little downtime of 5150 holds (psych transfers).

if you get on good terms with management they will really help you out to the best of their ability with getting your shift covered or finding other work arounds to get you the day off however nothing is guaranteed.

TLDR: if there is a current opening for Part Time then they will gladly hire a new EMT for it as it is done all the time. If you get hired full time and want to go part time, it’s going to depend if there is an opening for it. If there isn’t an opening then your choices are to stay full time, stay full time and wait for an opening, or to quit.

There are several members of the forum who are current and past employees of AMR - Palm Springs.

If you have any other questions feel free to shoot me a private message and I will supply you with some answers.
 
Thank you so much, DesertMedic66, for answering all my questions, this is so helpful!
 
My interview at AMR Alameda County is Thursday. PT as well. This seems like what others have told me about what to expect.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
Part time schedule: used to be you would have to have 3 days of availability per month. You may or may not work those shifts if there were any openings. However, it was recently changed to you have to have 6 days of availability per month.
Click to expand...

Went from only 3 days to 6? That kinda sucks although when I was PT I was working FT hours.
 
CALEMT said:
Went from only 3 days to 6? That kinda sucks although when I was PT I was working FT hours.
Click to expand...
Yes sir. I am grandfathered into the 3 shifts per month. Anyone new is the 6 per month.
 
Three shifts a month is cake. You're very lucky. Some of the AMR people in Contra Costa County still get strike pay for everything up to 4:00 a.m. or past. It's like $15 an hour extra I think. Something crazy.
 
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