What do I do now?

[gapierce]

I have been looking for some information on this topic and I have not found anything specific. Is there anything I can do now while I am waiting to go to school for my EMT-B. Can I work with a volunteer fire department or and ambulance service?

 

[KEVD18]

sure, if you can find a fire department or ambulance service thats will take you.

with no medical or fire training, you'll be resigned to administrative or ancillary duties until you get some training. maybe some ride alongs here and there, but as a gofer type person, not actually providing care(at least thats how it would be in ma)

you could also look into cert or emergency management.

 

[SemiMedic]

As far as I know there is nothing you can do as of right now except research the topic at hand. You'd have to have your certifications in order to do anything. A guy in my old class, however, went and did some work with a hometown fire department near my house, it's on an on-call basis but still got him some experiance, however I beleive he was in the fire academy. So I don't beleive that counts.

 

[FF894]

Start searching companies in your area. Search the different threads on here about new EMTs starting and what to expect/look for and all that. Then you go check out all companies near you and find the one you think would best suit you. Talk to people who work there, hang around the base. Ask if theere is anything you can do to help out, sweep the bay, stock the stock room. Show them you can work hard. Then during your class see if they will let you ride along. Ask them questions during class, have them show you stuff on the trucks. Once you are certified you are in!

 

[Dobo]

Hospitals are always welcome to take on volunteers. You won't get any medical experience but you can certainly learn some bedside manner and grow accustomed to being around people who are in need of medical help.

 

[chocchipsmom]

Check into local volunteer departments. While you won't get your hands dirty right away, you will begin to get an idea of how to assess situations, and how to safely approach scenes.

 

[BossyCow]

Hospitals are always welcome to take on volunteers. You won't get any medical experience but you can certainly learn some bedside manner and grow accustomed to being around people who are in need of medical help.

You most certainly can get 'medical experience'

 

[Dobo]

You most certainly can get 'medical experience'

I am just going by what I learnt at the local hospital here you are as a volunteer assigned to tasks such as simple helping people get around the hospital, taking patients down for a CT scan or what ever and doing fundraising, they as far as I could tell did not allow you to perform any medical services. Hospitals elsewhere may be different. I looked into it for the same reason gapierce is looking into it. I would have done it but they wanted a one year commitment and I was only able to commit for a few months

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Start searching for a job. I know that was the biggest advantage I had. I started looking for a job in may and submitted some applications. They told me as soon as I finished my class and passed, they would interview me and I could be hired when I passed the NREMT and OH cert requirements. My class ended on a Friday and I had my first interview the next monday and one other one that same week. Took the NREMT on a Wednesday or Thursday I think and submitted my application for ohio licensure that same week. With a passing NREMT, I was hired that following Monday to start doing training and ride-alongs and by the end of the week, they electronically verified my card (the card takes a week or 2 to come by mail, but the cert is posted online) and I was allowed to start working my own shift.

Researching the companies in your area will give you a very large advantage because even if your turnaround time is not as quick as mine, you'll be able to go out and start making money much quicker than if you wait to fill out applications for employment and to hear back from them and to schedule interviews after you're done with class.

It should be noted that some companies will not take an application until after passing everything and having a physical card.

 

[KEVD18]

It should be noted that some companies will not take an application until after passing everything and having a physical card.

the experiences of the above poster are vbery very much not the nor, at least in my area. im not saying doing some preliminary research is a bad thing, but going to the extent of actually trying to hir on with a company before you have your ticket up here will not get you very far. on every application for an ambulance service in metro boston i have ever seen either requires you to put down your emt number or check the yes box for the question "do you currently posses an emt certification". without either of those, they wont even look at you(unless your applying for a chair car job).

now that i think of it, you could do that. hire on with a company that does both ambulance and wheelchair van. the requirements for that up here are valid dl, clean record, cpr/1aid. that would get you in with a company and a starting idea of your service area.

 

[mycrofft]

Yeah get that foot in the door!

Also, any ancillary classes such as driving or professional CPR or even CPR instructor prep classes? Any currcula vita looks better without gaps. Maybe stuff on anatomy?