Schaefer vs. Liberty Ambulance, Los Angeles

[FoleyArtist]

hey everyone, i just found out about this site and not a moment to soon. i'm in a pickle. i'm a new medic, no experience, end goal PA. i was just offered 2 jobs as a medic, one with Liberty and one with Schaefer. I got the Schaefer call as i was getting my drug screen for liberty. I don't know much about either company. I'm looking for job stability through school. I know one does only ifts and one mostly does 911. but i hear CARE is going after schaefers contracts and if that happens i wonder if i'd have a job still if i worked for them. Liberty runs 8,10,12s. schaefer 24s paid straight. One company has a higher hourly rate by a couple bucks. i did the math without OT and before taxes its all the same give or take.

any help please! thanks

 

[Amberlamps916]

Ummmmmm, the contract you are referring to is not up until 2016.

In regards to employment, either company would have you do IFT only operating as a Paramedic. Check out AMR is San Bernardino County and Riverside County if you want to be a 911 Paramedic.

 

[FoleyArtist]

Ummmmmm, the contract you are referring to is not up until 2016.

In regards to employment, either company would have you do IFT only operating as a Paramedic. Check out AMR is San Bernardino County and Riverside County if you want to be a 911 Paramedic.

I'm trying to stay out of the IE at the moment. Personal reasons, but trust me i know. I loved AMR riverside during school. thanks, but did you have any other insight into the two mentioned on topic?

 

[TRSpeed]

Go to Schaefer if you want stability. From the few EMTs and medics I know from liberty, Its OK but have had many issues especially as a medic. As in paying you emt pay but if you get a als transfer they pay you Your als rate, short hours, etc.

You will probably get payed slightly more hourly at liberty but won't work as many hours as you would at schaefer.

 

[Jim37F]

Which division at Schaefer did you apply? Los Angeles or Pomona? It sounds like you probably applied at their LA division (I just checked their website, they're only looking for EMTs in Pomona right now) Because its their Pomona division that services their 911 area, to the best of my knowledge Schaefer LA is going to be almost all IFTs just like Liberty.

I don't know how much covering down they'll do, but you most certainly won't be first in anywhere, especially as a medic. All ALS 911 calls are handled by the fire department, even in Pomona, the ambulance will just be two EMTs and the LACo Fire Medic will hop in the back for ALS transport.

If you are covering down in the 911 zone you'll still only be operating as a EMT-Basic, unless the fire medics like and trust you, because since they're technically in charge, it'll be on them if you screw up an ALS skill, at least from everything I've ever heard.

Pretty much if you are a Paramedic in LA County your going to be doing IFT unless you're in a fire department.

 

[energystar]

This information about schaefer is a little outdated, about a year old. Schaefer requires all full time employees to work 24s. The schedule is week A three 24s and week B four 24s. If you are in school it will be really hard to do well in class if you are working that much. Things may have changed as I mentioned this is old information, but it is probably worth asking prior to employment if you choose to work there.