So little about Arizona!

[EMT Nax]

I've found very little to no information on EMT's in Arizona on the internet and here at EMTLife. Frankly, I would just like some thoughts on AZ and it's EMT's!

Is anyone here from AZ; how's EMT life; any advice for a prospective EMT in Phoenix/Scottsdale area?

Looking to get NREMT by August here, would love to hear from some fellow Arizonians.

Warm Regards,

EMT Nax

 

[wanderingmedic]

i'm from the valley originally. I live in Michigan now and am in nursing skoul, as well as in the process of finishing my medic training. here are my thoughts on phoenix/scottsdale/mesa/glendale.

1) PMT, Rural Metro, and Southwest are all owned by the same company.
2) Fire departments rule in the phoenix area. Most 911 is handled by fire, unless you are on the west side or in scottsdale. Scottsdale dispatches fire first who then requests PMT for transport. Phoenix fire handles all their calls on their own.
3) Most EMT's who work for private companies just do IFT.
4) 911 ambos in the valley are staffed with one medic and one EMT. EMT drives, medic provides care in the back, EMT helps on scene.
5) It is super competitive to get hired by a fire department. the fire department is a career, so dont apply if you are not planning on staying.

 

[EMT Nax]

i'm from the valley originally. I live in Michigan now and am in nursing skoul, as well as in the process of finishing my medic training. here are my thoughts on phoenix/scottsdale/mesa/glendale.

1) PMT, Rural Metro, and Southwest are all owned by the same company.
2) Fire departments rule in the phoenix area. Most 911 is handled by fire, unless you are on the west side or in scottsdale. Scottsdale dispatches fire first who then requests PMT for transport. Phoenix fire handles all their calls on their own.
3) Most EMT's who work for private companies just do IFT.
4) 911 ambos in the valley are staffed with one medic and one EMT. EMT drives, medic provides care in the back, EMT helps on scene.
5) It is super competitive to get hired by a fire department. the fire department is a career, so dont apply if you are not planning on staying.

Thanks for the quick response! I am in Scottsdale area, and don't necessarily PLAN to make a career out of it. I think that I would greatly enjoy the work, even if it is in the meantime of being schooled for my target degree. The skills are great for life on every end, otherwise. Additionally, I will be moving up to Redmond, WA in the near future, where I hear they treat EMT's pretty well, or at least EMT-B's are employed quicker than average.

Do you recall anything regarding wages?

Thanks again!

 

[HeatStroke]

Thanks for the quick response! I am in Scottsdale area, and don't necessarily PLAN to make a career out of it. I think that I would greatly enjoy the work, even if it is in the meantime of being schooled for my target degree. The skills are great for life on every end, otherwise. Additionally, I will be moving up to Redmond, WA in the near future, where I hear they treat EMT's pretty well, or at least EMT-B's are employed quicker than average.

Do you recall anything regarding wages?

Thanks again!

Yes EMT-B's make roughly 9.75/hr full time w/ minimal benefits working for one of those private gigs.

 

[wanderingmedic]

Yes EMT-B's make roughly 9.75/hr full time w/ minimal benefits working for one of those private gigs.

yep. sounds about right. medics do slightly better.

be willing to drive a little too. PMT's ops center is in mesa, so if you get a gig with them expect to drive down there daily (not to bad of a drive from scottsdale 101 -> US 60 ~30-45 minutes)

if you have a clean driving record and are over 21 then its pretty easy to get hired by one of the local privates.

 

[Handsome Robb]

the fire department is a career, so dont apply if you are not planning on staying.

I absolutely disagree with this. I know more than a few people that worked fire for a while and decided they wanted I do something different or just added in another interest on the side. With that said, a rotating fire schedule can be tough with school but its generally pretty easy to trade shifts around, from what I'm told by all my friends that work fire. That's going to vary from department to department though. Would be a question worth asking dying your interview when they ask if you have any questions for them. Showing an interest to further your education isn't going to hurt and will probably help, provided you word it correctly and say nursing is something you'd like to do in addition to fire.

If you think fire is something you'd enjoy apply away and pursue those applications. Sure its competitive and if you do end up in an interview process tell them you're looking for a career because if you say otherwise you can wave your opportunity goodbye.

Maybe it turns out you love it and it does become a career? you'd never know if you didn't apply and start doing the work...

A rotating FF schedule and working PRN/Per Diem a couple days a month as a nurse would be a rad setup. Talk about rollin' in the Benjamin's and still have more days off than your average Joe.

 

[EMT Nax]

Wow, you guys are awesome. Rarely do you see such vivacity on a message board. I really appreciate all of the information you guys are supplying me with here. My EMT104 class starts July 1, and the NREMT exam is mid August I believe.

I'll keep in touch with where things are going; like you said, you never know what I may end up enjoying the most.

Thanks! ^_^

 

[Impulse]

There are plenty of jobs for EMT's in the valley, but none of them involve riding on a ambulance. ER techs, Detox intake etc etc.

 

[EMT Nax]

There are plenty of jobs for EMT's in the valley, but none of them involve riding on a ambulance. ER techs, Detox intake etc etc.

See, this is where there seems to be a gap in information. Some say that my biggest hope is to be in PMT, even though the management sucks, it's low paying, and the benefits are null.

Though from another perspective, I've been told that there are a ton of great opportunities open, most of which start around $22/hr.

There is a large gap between 9 and 22.

 

[MagicTyler]

See, this is where there seems to be a gap in information. Some say that my biggest hope is to be in PMT, even though the management sucks, it's low paying, and the benefits are null.

Though from another perspective, I've been told that there are a ton of great opportunities open, most of which start around $22/hr.

There is a large gap between 9 and 22.

If there is a job in AZ paying basics $22 an hour let me know! I'd work as a medic for that in a heartbeat!

 

[46Young]

I absolutely disagree with this. I know more than a few people that worked fire for a while and decided they wanted I do something different or just added in another interest on the side. With that said, a rotating fire schedule can be tough with school but its generally pretty easy to trade shifts around, from what I'm told by all my friends that work fire. That's going to vary from department to department though. Would be a question worth asking dying your interview when they ask if you have any questions for them. Showing an interest to further your education isn't going to hurt and will probably help, provided you word it correctly and say nursing is something you'd like to do in addition to fire.

If you think fire is something you'd enjoy apply away and pursue those applications. Sure its competitive and if you do end up in an interview process tell them you're looking for a career because if you say otherwise you can wave your opportunity goodbye.

Maybe it turns out you love it and it does become a career? you'd never know if you didn't apply and start doing the work...

A rotating FF schedule and working PRN/Per Diem a couple days a month as a nurse would be a rad setup. Talk about rollin' in the Benjamin's and still have more days off than your average Joe.

What Azemt is getting at is that a person that takes up a spot in the academy with no intention of staying more than a few years is taking away that opportunity from someone that wants very much to do this for a career. Attrition in the fire service is much more expensive than it is in EMS, if they're doing their own academy. I was told that it costs well over $100k to hire and train me as a ff/medic and be released as operational. It's well over $50k for basic firefighters as well. This cost negatively affects our budget.