Are those muni third service, or private?
What does that acronym stand for? I haven't see that one yet. PM me if it's profane.
Quality EMS agencies
- Thread starter 46Young
- Start date
Are those muni third service, or private?
What does that acronym stand for? I haven't see that one yet. PM me if it's profane.
As far as being a FF, different strokes for different folks. Some would sell their first born to be a FF, others want nothing to do with running into burning buildings. Don't hate. Those that rag on FD's seem to harbor some jealousy toward FD employee working conditions/hookups. Pot shots and cute remarks seems to be the only way to make themselves feel better. I recognize that many want FD type conditions, but be EMS only. That's one of the reasons I started this thread.
EMTinNEPA
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AREA, Greater Columbia, and Berwick are private (Berwick is a private not-for-profit), Evan and Tyler are hospital-based chase trucks, while I believe the rest are muni third services.
Actually, I can see why some have poor opinions towards FF's. Talking with EMTin NEPA reminded me of this thread: http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=95312&highlight=fdny+ems Check post #201.
I don't get where all the FD-EMS animosity comes from. We're supposed to be helping each other. FD has been at odds with LE on numerous occasions as well. I don't know of many LE-EMS feuds, only a few incidents where techs were ticketed for some driving infraction.
Thanks to all for posting so far.
I don't get where all the FD-EMS animosity comes from. We're supposed to be helping each other. FD has been at odds with LE on numerous occasions as well. I don't know of many LE-EMS feuds, only a few incidents where techs were ticketed for some driving infraction.
Thanks to all for posting so far.
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In NY, NSLIJ CEMS is an excellent employer. They have both a NYC 911 division, and an interfacility division. Your shift will be either 911 or IFT depending on the shift, which will be 8/12/16 hours max.
When I left in 10/07, they had 3 medic units(46Young being one of them) and 6 BLS units. With the closing of St. John's and Mary Immaculate Hosps, NSLIJ grabbed another two or three BLS spots in Queens. Protocols can be found at nycremsco.
The interfacility division is quite busy and has BLS, medic I(new medic), medic II(experienced medic), and CC medic units. They do everything from NH discharges up through cardiac rescues(txp to cath lab), vented/sedated neurosurgical txps, baloon pump jobs without teams, but with at least two medics onboard. NICU txp's obviously get a team, and certain PICUs get an RN or a team based on the facility's decision. Most of the IFT business comes from within the hosp system, of which there are quite a few. Dialysis txp's are generally not done, due to poor reimbursement.
The IFT division also provides one 911 medic unit(one and one) to Rockville Centre LI, I think. Ther are 911 fly cars, medic only, in the Islips, funded fully by NSLIJ. It was part of an agreement to allow the system to purchase several hospitals on the island. That obligation will be over soon, and so will that program.
When I left, EMT's topped out after 1 1/2 years at a little over 20/hr. Medic I's at about 22, medic II's at 30+, CC medics at 33 or so. All shifts have a night differential of 10%. A workweek is 37.5 hours, 40 scheduled. IF yoou work the entire shift, you get the 1/2 hour as time and a half(.75 on 12, 1 hr on 16). Pay increases are now performance based, and not arbitrary.
Retirement is 403b, 6% matching, vested after 5 years. Tuition reimbursement is(was?) available.
Good place to work, but the retirement and career advancement isn't there. Housing and cost of living is just too high. Damn fine stepping stone agency, though. I left to find a pension job for either in TSEMS or FBEMS, whoever will hire me first. CCEMS sucked, Fairfax called, I dropped that job like a hot pop tart.
When I left in 10/07, they had 3 medic units(46Young being one of them) and 6 BLS units. With the closing of St. John's and Mary Immaculate Hosps, NSLIJ grabbed another two or three BLS spots in Queens. Protocols can be found at nycremsco.
The interfacility division is quite busy and has BLS, medic I(new medic), medic II(experienced medic), and CC medic units. They do everything from NH discharges up through cardiac rescues(txp to cath lab), vented/sedated neurosurgical txps, baloon pump jobs without teams, but with at least two medics onboard. NICU txp's obviously get a team, and certain PICUs get an RN or a team based on the facility's decision. Most of the IFT business comes from within the hosp system, of which there are quite a few. Dialysis txp's are generally not done, due to poor reimbursement.
The IFT division also provides one 911 medic unit(one and one) to Rockville Centre LI, I think. Ther are 911 fly cars, medic only, in the Islips, funded fully by NSLIJ. It was part of an agreement to allow the system to purchase several hospitals on the island. That obligation will be over soon, and so will that program.
When I left, EMT's topped out after 1 1/2 years at a little over 20/hr. Medic I's at about 22, medic II's at 30+, CC medics at 33 or so. All shifts have a night differential of 10%. A workweek is 37.5 hours, 40 scheduled. IF yoou work the entire shift, you get the 1/2 hour as time and a half(.75 on 12, 1 hr on 16). Pay increases are now performance based, and not arbitrary.
Retirement is 403b, 6% matching, vested after 5 years. Tuition reimbursement is(was?) available.
Good place to work, but the retirement and career advancement isn't there. Housing and cost of living is just too high. Damn fine stepping stone agency, though. I left to find a pension job for either in TSEMS or FBEMS, whoever will hire me first. CCEMS sucked, Fairfax called, I dropped that job like a hot pop tart.
http://www.northshorelij.com/body.cfm?id=556&oTopID=556&PLinkID=160 It's a little dated.
http://www.swambulance.com/ Anyone know anything about them? The site looks legit. When we were facing layoffs last April I thought about checking them out. It's also a private provider with a pension. PENSION!
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Charleston County EMS, SC, looked good on paper. Start as a medic crew member at a rate of 38000/yr, then upgrade to crew chief after six months for a base of 45,000/yr, top out of 68,000/yr. Shifts are 24/48, no kelly's, or 12 hrs - XXXOOXXOOO. Beautiful place to live, but the surfing sucked.
It takes 10 years to top out. No union. Promotions are of the good ole' boy methodology. All units have at least one medic. Paramilitary structure - EMT=private, medic crew member=corporal, crew chief=sergeant, station medic crew chief officer=Lt. Supervisors are Lt II, Capt I, CaptII(I think) major, and the director.
All ALS 911 only County based third service, ran out of stations. Work environment varies from ghetto urban to suburban, to McMansions, to straight up rural. RSI capable.
28 year state retirement at 50%, OT not factored in. Medical coverage leaves much to be desired with large deductables.
To get off for a holiday, you MUST get someone to cover, or you're SOL. It saves them the headache of filling vacancies, speaking of which...... 12 hour personnel can be held for up to 36 hours total. 24 hour personnel for 48 hours, as often as necessary. Twice monthly, you're on call for 12 hours. You're only paid if you're called in, no compensation for having to be readily available. You'll be recalled as often as necessary, irrespective of how much OT you sign up for.
When you take sick or personal time, your OT hours will convert to straight time. Example: 56 hours scheduled = 40 straight time, 16 time and a half. If you take 12 hours off, you're paid 40 straight time, 4 time and a half, and 12 additional hours straight time.
The EPCR is used for reports. Reports are able to be sent electronically to the hosp. Oftentimes, you'll roll up at the hosp, and the next job is already on the screen. You need to offload the pt as quickly as possible, get the RN to sign the blank tablet, and go to the next call, pronto. Multiply this by about 6-10 jobs, then fast forward to 0230 hours, where you're trying to play catch-up. Is it 0700 already? No problem! Just sync your unfinished reports to the station computer and keep going. Stuck for an additional 24 hours? Deal with it.
When you check your rig, it had better have EXACTLY the correct number of everything. 24 4x4's, not 23 or 25. 20 band aids. No kidding, no exaggeration. I was written up for stuff like that, as were others.
At any time, you can be rotated to another station or a street corner for coverage. This typically happens 1-3 times nightly, breaking up any chance at sleep. The rule for converting a 24 hour rig to a 12 hour one is if the unit is out of the station for call more than 60% of the time. Those sleep depriving relocations don't count, however.
Local FDs give BLS back, except for Mt. Pleasant, who have engine medics.
Ther are a number of good ole' boys who are still fighting the war. I've been told that the war isn't over, it's only halftime. Ther are so many from Ohio, that natives started this website: www.gobacktoohio.com
Frequently I witnessed medics just loading the pt and taking off, maybe getting some thing done. I don't like to stay on scene for long, but I do like to get some things squared away so I can better manage the pt when I'm alone in the back, should they have the CTD potential. "Just take 'em to the hospital, boy, what are we gonna do for 'em?" is what I've heard on more than one occasion.
Turnover is huge there. You do the math on that.
Other choices include hospital based IFT with either MUSC or Roper hosp, both excellent choices. Other neighboring EMS agencies are either low paying TSEMS or FBEMS dual role.
CME's are mandatory and are given monthly in 6 hour blocks, for straight time, on your off day. Held over after your shift is over? Find a way to attend the other session(mutual or paid time off) or be written up. Even if you were held over repeatedly.
there RSI QA/QI was such a fiasco, the dept made up a reference chart with dosages given based on pt weight in #'s in 25 lb increments
When I had the chance, I broke out like a 14 year old going through puberty.
It takes 10 years to top out. No union. Promotions are of the good ole' boy methodology. All units have at least one medic. Paramilitary structure - EMT=private, medic crew member=corporal, crew chief=sergeant, station medic crew chief officer=Lt. Supervisors are Lt II, Capt I, CaptII(I think) major, and the director.
All ALS 911 only County based third service, ran out of stations. Work environment varies from ghetto urban to suburban, to McMansions, to straight up rural. RSI capable.
28 year state retirement at 50%, OT not factored in. Medical coverage leaves much to be desired with large deductables.
To get off for a holiday, you MUST get someone to cover, or you're SOL. It saves them the headache of filling vacancies, speaking of which...... 12 hour personnel can be held for up to 36 hours total. 24 hour personnel for 48 hours, as often as necessary. Twice monthly, you're on call for 12 hours. You're only paid if you're called in, no compensation for having to be readily available. You'll be recalled as often as necessary, irrespective of how much OT you sign up for.
When you take sick or personal time, your OT hours will convert to straight time. Example: 56 hours scheduled = 40 straight time, 16 time and a half. If you take 12 hours off, you're paid 40 straight time, 4 time and a half, and 12 additional hours straight time.
The EPCR is used for reports. Reports are able to be sent electronically to the hosp. Oftentimes, you'll roll up at the hosp, and the next job is already on the screen. You need to offload the pt as quickly as possible, get the RN to sign the blank tablet, and go to the next call, pronto. Multiply this by about 6-10 jobs, then fast forward to 0230 hours, where you're trying to play catch-up. Is it 0700 already? No problem! Just sync your unfinished reports to the station computer and keep going. Stuck for an additional 24 hours? Deal with it.
When you check your rig, it had better have EXACTLY the correct number of everything. 24 4x4's, not 23 or 25. 20 band aids. No kidding, no exaggeration. I was written up for stuff like that, as were others.
At any time, you can be rotated to another station or a street corner for coverage. This typically happens 1-3 times nightly, breaking up any chance at sleep. The rule for converting a 24 hour rig to a 12 hour one is if the unit is out of the station for call more than 60% of the time. Those sleep depriving relocations don't count, however.
Local FDs give BLS back, except for Mt. Pleasant, who have engine medics.
Ther are a number of good ole' boys who are still fighting the war. I've been told that the war isn't over, it's only halftime. Ther are so many from Ohio, that natives started this website: www.gobacktoohio.com
Frequently I witnessed medics just loading the pt and taking off, maybe getting some thing done. I don't like to stay on scene for long, but I do like to get some things squared away so I can better manage the pt when I'm alone in the back, should they have the CTD potential. "Just take 'em to the hospital, boy, what are we gonna do for 'em?" is what I've heard on more than one occasion.
Turnover is huge there. You do the math on that.
Other choices include hospital based IFT with either MUSC or Roper hosp, both excellent choices. Other neighboring EMS agencies are either low paying TSEMS or FBEMS dual role.
CME's are mandatory and are given monthly in 6 hour blocks, for straight time, on your off day. Held over after your shift is over? Find a way to attend the other session(mutual or paid time off) or be written up. Even if you were held over repeatedly.
there RSI QA/QI was such a fiasco, the dept made up a reference chart with dosages given based on pt weight in #'s in 25 lb increments
When I had the chance, I broke out like a 14 year old going through puberty.
https://jobsweb.charlestoncounty.org/hronline/public/vacancylisting.aspx If you're cool with all of that, go ahead and apply. You can be working in less than a month.
http://www.traditionapts.net/ Good place to rent, movie theater, in ground pool with hot tub, outdoor grill/fridge with screens to keep out bugs, weight/cardio room. Right off of 26, straight shot into the county.
http://www.traditionapts.net/ Good place to rent, movie theater, in ground pool with hot tub, outdoor grill/fridge with screens to keep out bugs, weight/cardio room. Right off of 26, straight shot into the county.
Mishka
Forum Ride Along
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Hey all. Im sorry that I cant provide too many details on services i'll talk about further but just main point-outs for someone who wants to try EMS in NYC.
911 Services:
1) NSLIJ CEMS---> Queens East/West. Great place to work, good benefits excellent people. I am currently employed by them and and very happy. More details...look for 6Y post on page 2.
2) BUHMC/JHMC/FHMC---> Queens East/West, Brooklyn Central. Good place, good people, great areas especially on Brookdale side of town if you like busy and cool. I work there and very happy.
3) FDNY---> All 5 boroughs. Spoken of tons of times. www.nyc.gov/fdny
4) Booth Memorial---> Queens East and West. Good place by words of many. Hard to get in.
5) Maimonides MC EMS---> Brooklyn South, dont know too much about them.
6) Lutheran MC EMS---> Brooklyn South, dont have details.
7) NYP---> Manhattan mostly, The Bronx, some Brooklyn South (I believe 33B and 33U out of NYCH).
8) Transcare---> A lot of Manhattan, a lot of The Bronx. Different accounts by different people.
9) St Lukes Roosevelt---> Manhattan. NFI
10) SVCMC---> Manhattan. Spoken of as a great place with great staff.
11) Lenox Hill EMS---> Manhattan. Very busy service. NFI.
Sorry if I left anyone out.
Private Services.
AMR, Transcare, Assist, SeniorCare, Citywide, Midwood---> basic pt transport with ethnic 911 variations (Assist and AMR are serving russian community in Brooklyn South NOT a part of NYC 911 system) and Transcare having 911 division.
Volleys.
I know only three good volleys in queens that we deal with all the time---> Glendale, Forest Hills and Corona VAC's. Not to put down any other volleys, just did not interfere with any other ones.
Hope it helps anyone who is interested in coming into the city. A lot of links to the above mentioned servies can be found on www.nycems.com, if its still up and running.
Best Regards, Mike.
911 Services:
1) NSLIJ CEMS---> Queens East/West. Great place to work, good benefits excellent people. I am currently employed by them and and very happy. More details...look for 6Y post on page 2.
2) BUHMC/JHMC/FHMC---> Queens East/West, Brooklyn Central. Good place, good people, great areas especially on Brookdale side of town if you like busy and cool. I work there and very happy.
3) FDNY---> All 5 boroughs. Spoken of tons of times. www.nyc.gov/fdny
4) Booth Memorial---> Queens East and West. Good place by words of many. Hard to get in.
5) Maimonides MC EMS---> Brooklyn South, dont know too much about them.
6) Lutheran MC EMS---> Brooklyn South, dont have details.
7) NYP---> Manhattan mostly, The Bronx, some Brooklyn South (I believe 33B and 33U out of NYCH).
8) Transcare---> A lot of Manhattan, a lot of The Bronx. Different accounts by different people.
9) St Lukes Roosevelt---> Manhattan. NFI
10) SVCMC---> Manhattan. Spoken of as a great place with great staff.
11) Lenox Hill EMS---> Manhattan. Very busy service. NFI.
Sorry if I left anyone out.
Private Services.
AMR, Transcare, Assist, SeniorCare, Citywide, Midwood---> basic pt transport with ethnic 911 variations (Assist and AMR are serving russian community in Brooklyn South NOT a part of NYC 911 system) and Transcare having 911 division.
Volleys.
I know only three good volleys in queens that we deal with all the time---> Glendale, Forest Hills and Corona VAC's. Not to put down any other volleys, just did not interfere with any other ones.
Hope it helps anyone who is interested in coming into the city. A lot of links to the above mentioned servies can be found on www.nycems.com, if its still up and running.
Best Regards, Mike.
VCEMT
Forum Captain
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I work for one of the three companies in Ventura County. Either company is high quality. The pay is great and the experiences here, are not available in L.A. County.
firemoose0827
Forum Probie
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I have worked for 2 companies in New York, both private EMS. When I graduated High School I got hired at Response Ambulance. Nice little company with good pay for a guy fresh out of HS. Than it was purchased by Rural Metro. They have 3 stations in my area; One in the City of Herkimer (station 2), they are busy, run 2-3 buses per shift. One in the Town of Nelliston, Montgomery County NY which is Station 1, it runs 2 rigs during the week days and one bus 24/7. Thats where our repair garage is and offices. Than there is a station in Cobleskill NY, Schoharie County, station 3. Thats where I live and work PT for them. We have one 24 hour ALS crew. Decent pay and benefits, and the people are great. Equipment is a little abused and old, we get the hand-me-downs from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse divisions of RM. We are the "Inter mountain" division of Rural Metro.
djmedic913
Forum Lieutenant
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I have recently have relocated and now work for 2 companies in NJ. AtlantiCare in Atlantic City seems pretty good. Jersey City is the same as most EMS.
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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daaaaaammmmmmnnnnnn. Tell AJ I said hi :-D
btw, the damn is because AtlantiCare is in the extreme south of NJ and JC is in the north east part of the state.... a little bit of a commute, depending on where you live.
UMDNJ in Newark is probably one of the best places to work full time in NJ; state pension, union, opportunities to transfer, and they have a line of applicants to get in. The downside is that you are in Newark, and you will run your *** off (routinely ranked as one of the busiest agencies per unit in the nation). Definitely a good place to gain experience, but due to the high call volume the burnout rate is pretty high.
Very often it an agency is good depending on what you want. there are some super busy agencies, while some slow ones. some have stocked ambulances, while others are bare bones. some have you posted in stations, others on a street corner. some you deal with volunteers, others are 100% paid. some are urban, while others are in the burbs or rural areas. some have ALS transport, others are flycar only. And of course, once you do find the agency that is what you like, finding out if they have openings, and when they will be hiring
oh, and the other thing I always look for when discussing a "good" EMS agency. don't ask people what they think, because you will often find disgruntled people. Instead look at how long people have been there. if you look at an agency (like UMDNJ for example) and find people who say they aren't happy, but have been there full timefor 5,10, 15, 20+ years, well, there must be some pretty redeeming qualities of the agency that are causing people to stay, instead of leaving for other places of employment.
FLEMTP
Forum Captain
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Lee County EMS in Fort Myers, FL
www.lee-ems.com
County ran EMS agency....EMT's start at 45k a year, medics at around 51k
24/48's and some 12 hour shifts available
We do IFT's and 911.. and there is a separate IFT division so typically the 911 units dont end up doing IFT's
HEMS program
www.medstar.cc
Pension is through the Florida retirement system aka FRS
retire with 25 years of service or age 52... vested after 6 years...3% multiplier with no cap on total years.
They do offer a DROP program for up to 5 years
If you're single health insurance is free.. and its top notch health insurance.
If you have a family its still very affordable, about 200 bucks a month
Lee EMS does not use protocols, they have Medical Guidelines, and encourage free thinking outside the box. Nothing is set in stone.
approx 32 trucks on the road...about 80% housed in Fire stations with FD, the other 20% are stand alone EMS stations.
Total of approx 300 employees
E-PCR's using imagetrend software and toughbook computers.
MDC's in every truck, also toughbooks
Dunno what else to tell ya'll.. but any questions feel free to PM me..
Oh, and no .. Lee EMS is NOT currently hiring
www.lee-ems.com
County ran EMS agency....EMT's start at 45k a year, medics at around 51k
24/48's and some 12 hour shifts available
We do IFT's and 911.. and there is a separate IFT division so typically the 911 units dont end up doing IFT's
HEMS program
www.medstar.cc
Pension is through the Florida retirement system aka FRS
retire with 25 years of service or age 52... vested after 6 years...3% multiplier with no cap on total years.
They do offer a DROP program for up to 5 years
If you're single health insurance is free.. and its top notch health insurance.
If you have a family its still very affordable, about 200 bucks a month
Lee EMS does not use protocols, they have Medical Guidelines, and encourage free thinking outside the box. Nothing is set in stone.
approx 32 trucks on the road...about 80% housed in Fire stations with FD, the other 20% are stand alone EMS stations.
Total of approx 300 employees
E-PCR's using imagetrend software and toughbook computers.
MDC's in every truck, also toughbooks
Dunno what else to tell ya'll.. but any questions feel free to PM me..
Oh, and no .. Lee EMS is NOT currently hiring
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I tried to get on with Lee County EMS as a first choice before either Charleston or Fairfax. They probably have an absurd amount of apps on file, and for good reason. I heard that real estate in Ft. Myers dropped and is quite affordable at the present.
djmedic913
Forum Lieutenant
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Hey 46Young...how is it going? yeah it has been a while...been busy...and now working in 2 places and volunteering at a 3rd...and my little girl is 2 1/2 and can be adorable or a terror...lol... but I paced the EMS bug onto my wife, she starts her Basic class next week...
Yeah, it is a bit of a commute for both but I live in Brick, NJ, so I am right in the middle. I worked with AJ a few weeks ago. Next time I see him, I will tell him you said hi
It took a little adjustment but I think I have settled into NJ EMS well. Not really a bad system...a little behind the times, but not too bad.
Northeast Texas has two hospital based services covering the majority of it's servcie area along with a couple of smaller services and a smattering of fire-based and volunteer EMS.
Currently work for Champion EMS, attached to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. Mostly rural service area, a couple of towns with populations of 10-15k. 24/48's, no Kelly's with a few 12hr trucks sprinkled in (usually looking at a lot of senority to get those spots). Any mandatory holds are on a rotating basis, so you won't get stuck everytime, and in addition we have float positions that take up a lot of the open spots. Call volume ranges from mildly busy to "we've got a call?". Post moves are common, however do count towards utilization.
Very, very agressive and progressive clinical practice guidelines with involved medical direction. CE used to be on you own, however we are in the process of converting it over to a fomalized system with OT paid. We have a strong QA/QI system place as well.
Wages are liveable, but you certainly won't get rich. You do get paid OT at 80hrs, there is no "buying the night" and any additional CE, ect you attend are OT. PTO does convert at straight time. Retirement is 403B.
Advancement opportunities are limited, Station Captain or a latteral to our HEMS program, Flight for Life(very limited spots). We are oppening FTO spots for the first time ever, unsure at this time if that will be a promotion or not.
I am very happy here. May not be the place for everyone, but this is what I'm looking for at this point. I have worked for our larger competitor ETMC EMS and one of the fire-based services in the area, and think where I am now is better. PM me for details on the other two if you want.
Currently work for Champion EMS, attached to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. Mostly rural service area, a couple of towns with populations of 10-15k. 24/48's, no Kelly's with a few 12hr trucks sprinkled in (usually looking at a lot of senority to get those spots). Any mandatory holds are on a rotating basis, so you won't get stuck everytime, and in addition we have float positions that take up a lot of the open spots. Call volume ranges from mildly busy to "we've got a call?". Post moves are common, however do count towards utilization.
Very, very agressive and progressive clinical practice guidelines with involved medical direction. CE used to be on you own, however we are in the process of converting it over to a fomalized system with OT paid. We have a strong QA/QI system place as well.
Wages are liveable, but you certainly won't get rich. You do get paid OT at 80hrs, there is no "buying the night" and any additional CE, ect you attend are OT. PTO does convert at straight time. Retirement is 403B.
Advancement opportunities are limited, Station Captain or a latteral to our HEMS program, Flight for Life(very limited spots). We are oppening FTO spots for the first time ever, unsure at this time if that will be a promotion or not.
I am very happy here. May not be the place for everyone, but this is what I'm looking for at this point. I have worked for our larger competitor ETMC EMS and one of the fire-based services in the area, and think where I am now is better. PM me for details on the other two if you want.
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