WA State EMT Cert

[leoemt]

Does anyone know how long the WA State Dept. of Health typically takes on processing applications? I just got hired by Cascade Ambulance and I can't start until I get my card from the State.

The DOH received my paperwork on or about July 12th and according to the website when I look up my name it says it is Pending.

I know it varies for people and their caseload but I'm wondering if someone can give me a general idea for how long I can expect to wait.

I have been out of work for 18 months and I am anxious to get back to working.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Anywhere from 5 days to 8 weeks. It's usually around a month to 6 weeks for initial certification.

 

[leoemt]

Ugh thanks, I was afraid of that. Oh well, nothing I can do but hope its sooner rather than later.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I just got a PM that told me it's now between 2 to 4 months to get certs in WA.

Oy vey.

 

[leoemt]

Wow! That sucks. I hope it doesn't take that long. You would think the State would do a temporary one like they do for security. Maybe something that would allow you to work as a 3rd and limit you to vitals or something.

I can't imagine these ambulance companies and fire departments like to wait that long to get their EMT's on the road.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Why? It's Washington State. EMTs are a dime a dozen. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting one.

And Washington is notoriously slow in the EMS Arena.

 

[Remeber343]

Slow in the ems arena as in with certs? Or it being a progressive ems field...?

 

[MexDefender]

we applied at the beginning of our EMT class and didnt even get processed until 2 months later when we finished the class.

I have been applying but there are almost no jobs in washington state.

 

[leoemt]

we applied at the beginning of our EMT class and didnt even get processed until 2 months later when we finished the class.

I have been applying but there are almost no jobs in washington state.

How were you able to apply without your NREMT and a sponsorship? The State wouldn't even look at my app until I had my NREMT and a sponsorship.

Where in WA are you at? I just got hired by Cascade Ambulance as an on-call EMT. Olympic is hiring as well. I've also just applied to a fulltime position at another company as well.

August and September are the best times to apply at private Ambo's because the turnover is high due to college. AMR should be opening up their application process for EMT's here in the next few weeks.

 

[NomadicMedic]

You didn't actually "apply". You filled out the paperwork. You can't actually apply for certification in till you have passed the national registry and you have an affiliation.

Olympic is a great place to work, especially if you're doing 911. As a medic, Bremerton is the cake job. It's all ALS IFT and the pay is phenomenal.

 

[Natren]

Congrats on your Cascade job! Great place to work! Wenatchee is a beautiful place. I miss it there. If you bug the DOH, they are faster. I did that and it pushed things a lot faster than other members in my class, but it still takes a while. Call everyday if you really need it to move. Have fun in Der Town!

 

[leoemt]

Congrats on your Cascade job! Great place to work! Wenatchee is a beautiful place. I miss it there. If you bug the DOH, they are faster. I did that and it pushed things a lot faster than other members in my class, but it still takes a while. Call everyday if you really need it to move. Have fun in Der Town!

Thanks, I got hired by Cascade Ambulance out of Ferndale. I think you are refering to Cascade Valley Ambulance out of Leavenworth?

 

[MexDefender]

How were you able to apply without your NREMT and a sponsorship? The State wouldn't even look at my app until I had my NREMT and a sponsorship.

Where in WA are you at? I just got hired by Cascade Ambulance as an on-call EMT. Olympic is hiring as well. I've also just applied to a fulltime position at another company as well.

August and September are the best times to apply at private Ambo's because the turnover is high due to college. AMR should be opening up their application process for EMT's here in the next few weeks.

as the other poster said I just sent in the paperwork and when i get a job i send in the final sheet so its all ready to send a card.

I am in the spokane area hoping to venture west because that is where the jobs are. I will get ready for applying then, I have applied to 12 so far and no call backs even after I called.

 

[leoemt]

as the other poster said I just sent in the paperwork and when i get a job i send in the final sheet so its all ready to send a card.

I am in the spokane area hoping to venture west because that is where the jobs are. I will get ready for applying then, I have applied to 12 so far and no call backs even after I called.

AMR should be hiring in Spokane here in the next few weeks. Sheriffs Ambulance in Colville is always seeking new EMT's - though you are only paid when you have a patient. I was at Mount Carmel ER in Colville once (I got family that live there) and I could hear the EMS radio. From the chatter they seem to be very busy even though its not as populated as Spokane County.

Not sure but maybe consider ID as well, though I don't know how there reciprocity works.

Just trying to give you some leads. Good luck to you, hope you get on soon.

 

[Natren]

Thanks, I got hired by Cascade Ambulance out of Ferndale. I think you are refering to Cascade Valley Ambulance out of Leavenworth?

yes! oh ferndale is great too. i didnt know there were two cascades in the state. haha. I am from Lynden too so I should have known that.

 

[MexDefender]

AMR should be hiring in Spokane here in the next few weeks. Sheriffs Ambulance in Colville is always seeking new EMT's - though you are only paid when you have a patient. I was at Mount Carmel ER in Colville once (I got family that live there) and I could hear the EMS radio. From the chatter they seem to be very busy even though its not as populated as Spokane County.

Not sure but maybe consider ID as well, though I don't know how there reciprocity works.

Just trying to give you some leads. Good luck to you, hope you get on soon.

From what I was told Idaho doesn't use the national registry and you would have to go through their testing but I'm not sure if they even recognize the education I received. Spokane hopefully opens up but from AMRs hiring website nothing has come up and I check daily. I came to terms I have to venture out of state if I want a full time job that could be beneficial in the long run when I decide to come back to Spokane. Also deerpark ambulance hires volunteers and they usually take all the people who apply due to people finding jobs or moving for better work.

 

[leoemt]

When I took my EMT class through AMR they told me they hire sporadically through the year but their biggest hiring is done in August and September. They get a lot of turnover due to employees leaving for college. They also get high turnover when the fire departments start hiring.

As others have said there is an abundance of basics here. You need to make yourself stand out. My advice would be to get on with a volunteer out fit like now. Whether its deer park or Sheriffs Ambulance (the latter probably the better choice since you would make at least a few bucks), you would get your card through them. Private companies would rather hire employees with a card rather than have to sponsor them initially. Not that entry level is bad but as I am finding out it takes a looong time to get that card.

AMR was just hiring for moses lake and tri cities as recently as a couple of weeks ago.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Slow in the ems arena as in with certs? Or it being a progressive ems field...?

Both, unfortunately. Its sad because this state used to be a national leader in EMS. Back in the good old days (Johnny and Roy timeframe) There was sort of a three way tie between LA County in California, King County in Washington and Duval County in Florida for top dog EMS wise. Progressive stuff was coing out of King County (and consequently the rest of the state) left and right. Nowadays, we seem to lag being most of the rest of the US. And not just in protocols either. I think it was January of this year, we became the 49th state to accept the National Registry standard. 2nd to last....how stellar.

 

[NomadicMedic]

The King County guys are great. Just ask em, they'll tell you.

 

[leoemt]

The King County guys are great. Just ask em, they'll tell you.

The ones I have met have actually been awesome. When I was at Harborview for Clinicals KCMO brought in a female who OD'd on Heroin. Needless to say she got the Narcan ride. The medic crew recognized me as a student and pulled me and my partner aside. They asked if we knew about Narcan and OD's then proceeded to take the next 30 mins to explain the whole pathology to us. Just because its out of our scope of practice doesn't mean we still can't learn.

We had 3 separate KCMO crews come in that night and every crew took the time to explain their interventions to us.

Didn't understand most of it but was still quite the experience.

I know there are those that think they are Paragods, but as a system I have great respect not only for KCMO but also the medic one program here in WA and the medics that staff it.