working for the fire dept.

[LNL07]

what's the difference between working as an emt and also as a paramedic for the fire dept. and private services? i've heard the diffferences are like night and day. also would it be better working for a city fire dept. or a county fire dept.-for a person who is single- reguarding pay, benifits, experience-ex. lots of calls vs. a bunch of down time?

i've also heard that when on shift at the FD their base is kind of like a house. do they only stay there for their shift and then they go back to their own homes when they get off work? also what types of shifts do FDs run? 24 hrs. working then 48 hrs. off?

:unsure: sorry for all the questions.

 

[doctorfodder]

Sorry, I'm unable to give you the kind of information you seek.

Here, the fire and EMS don't really play well together. EMS generally sees fire as the guys that get in the way. Fire looks at EMS as the pushy guys who just transport the patient to the hospital. Oh, fire likes to stay behind and take the credit.

 

[VentMedic]

Here, the fire and EMS don't really play well together. EMS generally sees fire as the guys that get in the way. Fire looks at EMS as the pushy guys who just transport the patient to the hospital. Oh, fire likes to stay behind and take the credit.

In many places Fire is EMS and they are not separate which also includes the transporting ambulance.

In some areas EMS might be part of the FD but do not have the firefighting responsibilities.

In some areas, only the Privates do 911.

It also depends on where you are talking about private IFT as an ALS and CCT company. Rarely do FDs provide advanced level of care such as ALS transfer or CCT and in that respect the private Paramedics may have additional training for a higher level of care.

It is difficult to make a statement about which is better since there are many, many different situations in the U.S.

If you WANT to be a FF, join the FD. If you are only joining a FF to get an EMT job and have no interest in fighting a fire, you will be a danger to the other FFs. If you get your Paramedic just to join the FD and have no interest in patient care, you may be a danger to the patients. If you join the FD just to play house with the guys, then you may have another situation.

 

[fast65]

Around here the FD is EMS, the medics are firefighters. They've been running 5 person shifts, 48 hours on, 72 off (I think), they keep 3 people on the engine and then the other 2 are on the medic unit. During a lot of calls they'll page out an engine and they'll page out an ambulance, it seems to work pretty well. I don't know if you wanted to know any of that, but there ya go.

 

[redcrossemt]

If you join the FD just to play house with the guys, then you may have another situation.

:lol::lol:

 

[redcrossemt]

what's the difference between working as an emt and also as a paramedic for the fire dept. and private services? i've heard the diffferences are like night and day. also would it be better working for a city fire dept. or a county fire dept.-for a person who is single- reguarding pay, benifits, experience-ex. lots of calls vs. a bunch of down time?

i've also heard that when on shift at the FD their base is kind of like a house. do they only stay there for their shift and then they go back to their own homes when they get off work? also what types of shifts do FDs run? 24 hrs. working then 48 hrs. off?

:unsure: sorry for all the questions.

As Vent said, it's different everywhere. Benefits are different everywhere, as are working conditions, hours, call volume, training, etc. Your answers will be found by doing research on your local departments.

In just the few counties that surround me, we have a wide variety of situations:

* County-contracted private EMS with some FD's providing BLS first response
* County-based third service EMS with all FD's doing BLS first response
* City-contracted private EMS with a County Deputy-Paramedic PSO program first responding, and some FD's first responding
* City-based EMS - some FD's do ALS transport, some do ALS FR, some cities contract private EMS for ALS with FD BLS, etc.

And this is just in four counties! In addition, each private, third service, and FD has different hours, salaries, benefits, etc. It WILL vary in your area.

You can post elsewhere in this forum if you have a question about specific departments, or about suggestions for work in a specific region. But, as I said, do some research on the internet, with local EMS/FD staff, and by calling the departments you want to know about. No better source than the source itself!

 

[firetender]

If you want to get analytical about this, first you have to figure out the county or area that you want to work, because every county (or city for that matter) has its own system, with any (and sometimes ALL) of the combination of services as described.

From that point on, it's about that local culture. All you have to do is take the time to visit a fire station or two, and a few of the EMS stations (if not the same) and talk to the people on duty. Don't arrange anything formal, just drop in (discreetly and appropriately, of course). Ask them what you're asking us and BOY! will you find out what they think. Also, consider questions about EMT vs Paramedic services WITHIN the departments and the like.

It's useful to get a sense of the degree of cooperation or competition that's going on in the area you work; that will paint you a picture of a significant part of your working environment; the scene.

 

[doctorfodder]

In many places Fire is EMS and they are not separate which also includes the transporting ambulance.

In some areas EMS might be part of the FD but do not have the firefighting responsibilities.

In some areas, only the Privates do 911.

It also depends on where you are talking about private IFT as an ALS and CCT company. Rarely do FDs provide advanced level of care such as ALS transfer or CCT and in that respect the private Paramedics may have additional training for a higher level of care.

It is difficult to make a statement about which is better since there are many, many different situations in the U.S.

If you WANT to be a FF, join the FD. If you are only joining a FF to get an EMT job and have no interest in fighting a fire, you will be a danger to the other FFs. If you get your Paramedic just to join the FD and have no interest in patient care, you may be a danger to the patients. If you join the FD just to play house with the guys, then you may have another situation.

Ours is completely separate.

 

[46Young]

Don't do dual role fire based EMS unless you truly want to do both sides. Otherwise, your job performance will suffer on the side that you dislike. That can result in people, citizens and co-workers alike, getting injured or dying, which would be your fault.

If you want to be proficient as a firemedic, here's the best route to go:
Get your EMT-P via the degree process, the EMS AAS. Work as a medic, preferably for a 911 agency, or at least a busy IFT company. Do this while you apply to various FD's. Choose one that allocates the appropriate resources toward EMS, as I've heard on these forums that a good number of FD's don't. This FD should be for a large dept, preferably urban or suburban with a large population. This dept should have their own academy that trains you for FF1/FF2. Complete your probie year. Complete a two year fire science degree. Then, you can comnplete a BA in EMS if EMS admin interests you. You can add two years to your fire science degree if suppression is your thing. You could also go into nursing if it interests you. An injury could force early retirement, and the ASN at a minimum will earn a decent paycheck to supplement your disability.

I've found that a medic with experience will do well as a firemedic, but one that just graduated and gets picked up by a FD will not do as well. If you've just graduated, you're basically learning two disciplines at once. If you're already a decent medic, more attention can be given to suppression. Having prior suppression experience will only go so far, since each dept has different ways to perform fireground tasks, and have differing operations manuals. Patients are basically the same wherever you go. The rules of A&P and pharm will be the same. Firefighting can vary greatly from dept to dept due to differences in building construction, topography, weather patterns, population density, staffing, and water supply to name a few.