Rookie EMT-B & Sunstar Paramedics

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Emergency Metaphysics

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Greetings all,

The "parent" company of Sunstar Paramedics -- "Paramedics Plus" --stand a chance of taking over the ambulance service from Rural Metro in my hometown/district. They undoubtedly will have openings if and when they start operations here. Have any of you had experience working for them?

How about experience with Sunstar Paramedics in Florida? I see they're hiring EMT-Bs, too.

I'll take (and pass!) my NREMT in a few weeks, so I'm thinking about applying to whatever happens to open up, but would like a little information from knowledgable sources on these two companies.

Cheers, and thanks,
M.
 
Emergency Metaphysics said:
Greetings all,

The "parent" company of Sunstar Paramedics -- "Paramedics Plus" --stand a chance of taking over the ambulance service from Rural Metro in my hometown/district. They undoubtedly will have openings if and when they start operations here. Have any of you had experience working for them?

How about experience with Sunstar Paramedics in Florida? I see they're hiring EMT-Bs, too.

I'll take (and pass!) my NREMT in a few weeks, so I'm thinking about applying to whatever happens to open up, but would like a little information from knowledgable sources on these two companies.

Cheers, and thanks,
M.
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I've worked for Sunstar on and off for 13 years. I left when I enlisted in the army and it was run by AMR and came back 6.5 years later when it was paramedics plus. I enjoy it here but beware; we are a busy system. A lot of people don't stay long due to the high call volume. Last year we did something along the lines of 186,000 calls and 162,000 transports. While we're not the busiest in the world you'd never know it for a county that is about 270 square miles and has a year round population of about 920,000. At the height of snowbird season it will reach about 1.1 million and we get about 4.5-5 million visitors to the county every year. It's a great place to work but you won't get rich here (or anywhere else in EMS). Hope this helps.
 
AndrewNREMTP said:
I've worked for Sunstar on and off for 13 years. I left when I enlisted in the army and it was run by AMR and came back 6.5 years later when it was paramedics plus. I enjoy it here but beware; we are a busy system. A lot of people don't stay long due to the high call volume. Last year we did something along the lines of 186,000 calls and 162,000 transports. While we're not the busiest in the world you'd never know it for a county that is about 270 square miles and has a year round population of about 920,000. At the height of snowbird season it will reach about 1.1 million and we get about 4.5-5 million visitors to the county every year. It's a great place to work but you won't get rich here (or anywhere else in EMS). Hope this helps.
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Thank yo uso much for the honest reply. I'll make sure to incorporate your feedback into my job-hunting. Since I last posted on this thread Paramedics Plus/Sunstar was awarded the contract for my city. To their credit they have agreed to take on the EMTs and paramedics formerly employed by Rural Metro. Undoubtedly they will still need to do some hiring, so I may apply for any positions opened locally.

The business doesn't bother me so much. It certainly will shorten the learning curve. Besides, I'm looking down the road to a potential run at a physician's assistant program, but want to be in EMS for a while before I more seriously contemplate that alternate path.

Thanks again for your input.

Cheers,
M.
 
Also note that these companies with operations nationwide do not necessarily run their operations anywhere remotely similar. Pay/benefits, equipment, staffing, it can all very place to place even though the logo on the door is the same.
 
Tigger said:
Also note that these companies with operations nationwide do not necessarily run their operations anywhere remotely similar. Pay/benefits, equipment, staffing, it can all very place to place even though the logo on the door is the same.
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Agreed. As I've read the forums over the months I've that seems to be a common theme: national does equal universal in terms of pay, benefits, etc. Always a good thing to keep in mind. Yet, at this point, I feel like beggars can't be choosers, either.
 
Emergency Metaphysics said:
Agreed. As I've read the forums over the months I've that seems to be a common theme: national does equal universal in terms of pay, benefits, etc. Always a good thing to keep in mind. Yet, at this point, I feel like beggars can't be choosers, either.
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I was gonna say, just take whatever job is offered to you. If you want something different, find it. Always easier to get a job while you have a job.
 
Sunstar made me want to leave EMS altogether. The company boasts about an 80% turnaround rate and has mediocre pay.
 
Ciara510 said:
Sunstar made me want to leave EMS altogether. The company boasts about an 80% turnaround rate and has mediocre pay.
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You work EMS for a private company; you're not going to get rich. Sunstar pays a decent wage for EMS. Paramedics in Texas start around $11/hr, Michigan $10/hr, etc. The turnover is due to the recruiter hiring idiots who suddenly realize that EMS isn't the magical wonderland that tv depicts it to be. If you don't like it there then pack your bags. There are plenty of people right out of school looking for a job.
 
I'll give you that but I've been in county EMS for several years and noticed a drastic shift in mindset. I knew people there who were happy with their jobs. Some of the things that stood out to me were the FD priority and payment-based approach. Working for a county service your supervisors aren't focused on making money but rather keeping the population happy.
 
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