(very) part time emt work

HesDeadJim

HesDeadJim

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I volunteer with my local search and rescue team. I have a full time job in business/finance that I'm not planning on abandoning.

I got my EMT-B to be a more useful member of my team. I'd like to eventually like to get into a paramedic program. My two problems:

  1. There are a couple of programs around me that allow you into the paramedic program without any paid EMT experience, but those programs aren't really the best in my area.
  2. The good programs (from asking around) generally require 1,000-2,000 hours of paid EMT-B pre-hospital service.
I'm not paid in my SAR role. We do a lot of training and I go to a lot of calls, but I can easily spend 90% of a 48 hour call just hunting around for someone rather than touching a subject, and it's unpaid, so I can't really count that as real paid EMT service.

Just curious if there are any pre-hospital EMS jobs for EMT-B's out there that are to the tune of ~8 hours a week. I don't really need the money, I just want to have the experience.

Looking for ideas, and also checking to see if I'm looking at this correctly.
 
I think a lot depends on location. Where I am (Indianapolis metro area) there are paid part-time EMT jobs, most have an hours requirement, 90 hours/quarter is average. So that's 30 hours a month.

Before I was allowed to go PT at my gig, I had to compete my probationary period (6 months) full-time. Though that's not required at all agencies.
 
I'm part time at my company. My only "full time" schedule was in field training where I did 4 on 3 off one week, then the other week was 3 on 4 off. My company only requires 3 shifts (12 hr shifts is what we work) a month and I can choose when and where I want to work. Thats the bare minimum, sometime I work more hours than the full time employees and sometimes I only work 3 shifts a month.

For school and other jobs part time is the way to go at my company, if you talk to the sup you could even get bumped down to only working a minimum of 1 shift a month. If you want to go to medic school, part time will get you the required amount of hours but it'll take you some time.
 
A few questions:

After medic, where will you use your ALS skills? Your area might require you to "be a paramedic" to renew every so many years.

Is there something in particular about the programs that would admit you now that you don't like or have heard is not good?
 
Money talks, I'm sure where ever you apply they will take you.
 
In the same boat as you, where are you located though? In southern California, there are alot of IFT companies that will hire you part time ( maybe work a couple of short shift a week, 12-16 hours in total).
That's what I'm doing at least, good luck.
 
Even if you complete a "good" paramedic program, you may not be able to become licensed. In my county you have to be sponsored by an authorized EMS agency to apply for county accreditation, but that doesn't really stop you from getting the state license, it just wouldn't be worth anything in my county.

Also, just because you are trained, and even potentially licensed as a Paramedic, does not mean you can BE a Paramedic. Without a medical director you're limited to basic interventions that a layperson can do.

If it's just the knowledge you see, then perhaps you can find other college level classes. Physiology wouldn't be bad, as I imagine quite a few lost hikers have electrolyte imbalances. Additionally you can find W-EMT or "Wilderness EMT" courses at some community colleges or other EMS education agencies. These programs are not very standardized and not recognized as an official certification or by the NREMT, but in your case, it may be very applicable.
 
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