Where to work?

[EMTelite]

Hey everyone so not sure if this scenario has been played out here yet but here is my situation:

I was talking with my wife the other day we are both local born California residents, but at the same time we are both out doors people, hunting, fishing, camping, horses, 4wheeling you name it we do it.

Anyway when talking with my wife we both started to realize that neither of us truly want to live here anymore and there are no great opportunities for me in EMS whilst living here, unless I decide to go the fire route in which case CDF isn't always the best option, especially salary wise.

We decided that after I finish paramedic school next fall we will be wanting to take a road trip across the country and look at a few select states for a few days, explore the landscape, immerse ourselves in a few things that the state has to offer, as well as become educated on the EMS system in that state...

Does anyone have any suggestions for us?

What we are looking for:

1. State with lower cost of living (than california)
2. State that has room so we can comfortably live on property with our horses.
3. State with either a third service EMS or a well treated private company
4. State with good paramedic protocols

I know this might be asking for a lot but this is where I am looking to settle down for a long time and finish my career.

I appreciate all your guys help thank you very much.

 

[STXmedic]

Colorado seems like a good option. Maybe not incredibly cheaper cost of living, but still not bad. Plenty to do outdoors and a few good systems to work at.

Texas wouldn't be a bad option either- especially central Texas (Austin and areas just west and north/northeast. Plenty of land, good systems, cheap cost of living, and plenty to do.

 

[Mariemt]

From Colorado here and to have horses will cost you an arm an leg. No good grazing and buying water rights is a pain.

What are you looking for as for weather? Warm climate? Mixed?

Wyoming , Montana Idaho, Oregon are all nice .

 

[EMTelite]

Yeah I mean as far as weather, my wife and I love the snow... we hate the 120* heat, I would love to have place for my horses.

 

[Cleric]

Washington state has some great paramedic protocols, at least in Snohomish and King counties. The cost of living can be pretty high but there are places where it's lower, and if you go out east there's a lot of good space for horses as well. Even next to Seattle, maybe 45 to 60 minutes outside of Seattle there's plenty of farms with cows and horses.

 

[EMTelite]

Awesome... Yeah basically where I am currently from our Paramedics are not treated very well.... I would honestly like to go to a EMS system with ALS Box and BLS fire... here in California we have too many chiefs and not enough indians .

 

[chaz90]

I'll put in another mention for Colorado. Northern Colorado (Poudre Valley EMS, Thompson Valley EMS, Estes Park) all have ALS ambulances and BLS fire. More room up there to have horses and land than you'd get down in the Denver metro area, and outdoor activities galore.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Washington state has some great paramedic protocols, at least in Snohomish and King counties. The cost of living can be pretty high but there are places where it's lower, and if you go out east there's a lot of good space for horses as well. Even next to Seattle, maybe 45 to 60 minutes outside of Seattle there's plenty of farms with cows and horses.

It's very difficult to land a paramedic job there. Most is Fire based ALS. And if you think about moving and working East, like Yakima, medics make a barely liveable wage.

But it is beautiful.

 

[troymclure]

avoid louisiana. "sportsman's paradise" my arse!

the only outdoors stuff you can do is if you own/lease lots of land(cheaper than cali, and lots of horses in the northern half) or own a boat.

plus its flat, no hiking, etc...

 

[medictinysc]

I would suggest the upstate of South Carolina. We have good land, great protocols, no fire based EMS. The cost living is a fraction of California

 

[AtlasFlyer]

Mid to Downstate Indiana has several large state parks, moderate winters, hot but not obnoxious summers. It's a little on the flat side, no mountains or anything, that's for sure. The cost of living is VERY reasonable, pay isn't stellar but it's countered by the previously mentioned cheap cost of living, especially real estate. Room for horses isn't a problem at all.

 

[EMTelite]

I really appreciate everyone's input so here is my next challenge

If you were planning a road trip to hit 5 states starting in california that meet all of my move criteria where would you go and how

 

[troymclure]

i drove I-5 from seattle to I-10 in socal.

took I-10 to louisiana.

except for the pass in cali its all fairly flat desert.