Private ambulances and calls?

[heavenjoans7]

I am in school right now to become an EMT and interested in getting a job with a private ambulance here in Socal. I wanted to know if any of you know what kind of calls they get? Like, do they get emergency calls or mostly non-emergency like driving a patient to dialysis? Because in my area, whenever there is an emergency I only see ambulances from the fire department. And getting a job in the fire department is hard since they don't hire all the time.

 

[Jim37F]

Where at in So Cal are you? LA is different from San Bernardino for example.....but here in LA, the vast majority of private ambulance calls are non emergent IFTs, things like dialysis transfers, discharges from hospital to SNF, SNF to hospital /doctors office etc etc. (BLS level here) There's something like what, 80+ companies running around here, and only 5 (AMR, Schaefer, Care, McCormick, and AmeriCare who still holds onto Santa Monica) have primary 911 contracts.

Orange County is very similar except that for all the privates running around pretty much only Care does 911 there (a couple of exceptions).

I'm far less familiar with other areas, but my basic understanding for Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, AMR is the primary 911 ambulance (alongside FDs in their respective pockets).

San Diego County I believe is mostly AMR or local FD except for the City of San Diego itself who uses Rural/Metro for 911 transport.

Any other private company, except for the very occasional mutual aid pretty much will not do 911.

 

[heavenjoans7]

I live in the san fernando valley in LA. The ambulances here that I know of are Bowers, Impulse, PRN, and some other ones that I dont remember.

 

[Jim37F]

I live in the san fernando valley in LA.

Yup SFV is all LA City Fire.

The ambulances here that I know of are Bowers, Impulse, PRN, and some other ones that I dont remember.

PRN has their main station in North Hills, when I was there I always thought it was a good company, though apparently since then they've come under new ownership and *may* have gone downhill from there.

Bowers has always had a great reputation. You're not to far from AMR Santa Clarita...or better yet AMR Ventura County.

If you're not tied to LA you can look into Hall up in Bakersfield (there's plenty on these forums that'll say turn around and never look back on LA to work at Hall lol, they've got that good a reputation)

If you already had your cert I'd say you're not too late to apply for Glendale Fire Ambulance Operator (but we close the filling period soon) so don't forget some departments do have AO programs

 

[NPO]

Come to Hall

If you're not already in EMT class, we will hire you and put you through it, all paid. EMT Academy Students are paid around $11/hr while in school.

If you're already in class, then when you finish and apply to Hall (because I have faith that you will), you'll find yourself staffing a BLS unit for 6-months. Either 8 or 12-hour shifts. You will run a combination of transfers and low level 911 calls. We are currently moving to utilizing BLS units on higher level 911 calls to free up ALS units for critical calls.

After your 6-months of BLS you will likely want to move to an ALS shift. After you do 6-months on ALS, and if you mind your P's and Q's, you may find your butt in a seat in Paramedic School, sponsored by Hall Ambulance.

You'll enjoy driving a modernized fleet of ambulances (even our older ones are well taken care of, with the exception of 1 or 2 ready for retirement) as well as good equipment, and a new, progressive medical director who has visions of advancing EMS to a new level.

Or you can work for PRN and run Kaiser ER to ER transfers all day. I worked at PRN for 3 days. I didn't like it for those few days.

 

[LACoGurneyjockey]

Come to Hall

If you're not already in EMT class, we will hire you and put you through it, all paid. EMT Academy Students are paid around $11/hr while in school.

If you're already in class, then when you finish and apply to Hall (because I have faith that you will), you'll find yourself staffing a BLS unit for 6-months. Either 8 or 12-hour shifts. You will run a combination of transfers and low level 911 calls. We are currently moving to utilizing BLS units on higher level 911 calls to free up ALS units for critical calls.

After your 6-months of BLS you will likely want to move to an ALS shift. After you do 6-months on ALS, and if you mind your P's and Q's, you may find your butt in a seat in Paramedic School, sponsored by Hall Ambulance.

You'll enjoy driving a modernized fleet of ambulances (even our older ones are well taken care of, with the exception of 1 or 2 ready for retirement) as well as good equipment, and a new, progressive medical director who has visions of advancing EMS to a new level.

Or you can work for PRN and run Kaiser ER to ER transfers all day. I worked at PRN for 3 days. I didn't like it for those few days.

This guy seems to know what he's talking about...

Seriously, I don't even work there, but I see them almost every shift and I couldn't make a stronger recommendation than suck it up, move to Bakersfield, and go work for Hall. It's the single best thing you could do for your EMS career. I have several friends working there, and every one of them would recommend it in a heart beat. It's EMS as you imagined it when you signed up for school, not this LA county BS playing the lottery to see if you get picked up by an FD in 5-10 years.

But, if you're dead set on LA keep your standards high. Go work for AMR, CARE, McCormick, or Bowers. PRN if you must. Stay away from impulse, lifeline, Americare, and anyone advertising on craigslist.

I got the same advice and I didn't listen for a year. And it's a year I wasted. I wish I would've gone to Kern county from day 1, instead of running dialysis transfers and ER discharges home all day.

 

[CALEMT]

Come to Hall

If you're not already in EMT class, we will hire you and put you through it, all paid. EMT Academy Students are paid around $11/hr while in school.

If you're already in class, then when you finish and apply to Hall (because I have faith that you will), you'll find yourself staffing a BLS unit for 6-months. Either 8 or 12-hour shifts. You will run a combination of transfers and low level 911 calls. We are currently moving to utilizing BLS units on higher level 911 calls to free up ALS units for critical calls.

After your 6-months of BLS you will likely want to move to an ALS shift. After you do 6-months on ALS, and if you mind your P's and Q's, you may find your butt in a seat in Paramedic School, sponsored by Hall Ambulance.

You'll enjoy driving a modernized fleet of ambulances (even our older ones are well taken care of, with the exception of 1 or 2 ready for retirement) as well as good equipment, and a new, progressive medical director who has visions of advancing EMS to a new level.

Or you can work for PRN and run Kaiser ER to ER transfers all day. I worked at PRN for 3 days. I didn't like it for those few days.

Hall is a diamond in a goats arse for Commie...California. I'd give my left nut to work for Hall but living in Riverside county and currently living rent free is keeping me from moving up there. I drove to Tulare Co. last year for a seasonal firefighter gig and the commute wasn't to desirable.

As Jim stated yes AMR holds the 911 contract for Riverside County. The 3 divisions are Riverside, Hemet, and Palm Springs. Not to educated on San Bernaghetto...Bernardino but AMR is 911 (want to say for the whole county but not to sure) and those divisions are Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, and Victorville. I know as a EMT for AMR ICEMA you work IFT for awhile. For REMS Palm Springs you'll be IFT doing 5150's and Riverside you'll be IFT. Not to sure about Hemet, I think it may be 5150's IFT.

If you can, work for Hall.