Any EMT/Paramedics on here?

Defe. is something I'm considering getting into.

Even as a "basic" EMT(No IVs, medications, etc), you make about 12 an hour.

As you progress, and get your "paramedics" license, pay goes 30+ per hour.

Just looking for some outsight and advice.

I'm retired did my 20 years and out ...
Unless you get in a City FD the $30 is WAY high ...
Certain Volunteer departments will PAY for your training as well as pay for you to respond to calls ect

I think David is, Pontiac4Ever. Haven't seen him or his brother Goph in years though.

i'm a volunteer FF. joined when i was 16, am now 27. I'm about to start working on getting my EMT so i can do part times at other companies for some extra money. I don't know how it is in Ohio but in my part of PA to do any kind of EMT work at a station if it has fire also no one is hiring just EMTs they want cross trained ppl so you can help out on both sides. Now you could work for like a medical transport company but trust me it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay boring. you'd basically just transport the sick elderly from nursing homes to hospitals and vise versa.

Any other questions let me know.

im taking my emt class right now and were im at we have our ems and fd.
they are two seperate departments...

if you get your emt cert. you dont have to just run with the ems or fd, you could also work in the hospital as an er tech... not sure what the job is but its another option to think about..

oh and if you do get your emt make sure you get your cevo license... my instuctor wont let me cause i guess im not old enough to do it....

A little off topic but i heard this on the radio yesterday

http://www.masscops.com/forums/fire-ems-medical...irefighter-recruits-too-fat.html

What company is going to pay 12 bucks a hour to start as a basic? Sign me up

private ambulance def sucks ass 75 percent take granny places, 25 percent are 911. but its good when your new to learn stuff. im on a fire dept too. You see some **** up ****.

paramedic school is very hard..

Yeah, I got on my local volunteer department, so I'm slowly working towards combining them.

Firedogg - I've heard its very difficult, and very long - but its something I wouldn't mind doing.

I've thought about joining the EMT. I'm friends with most of them in the area. A guy I was talking to said that the EMT company would pay for all my classes, but I would have to do 6 months unpaid in return.... Majority of the calls they get are just for transporting people with colds and **** like that. I've noticed a lot of "shortness of breaths", but these people are almost always 200 lbs overweight.

I have since decided against joining for other reasons as well. I have nothing but respect for those guys and will go out of my way anytime for any of them.

That's cool SickWitIt. Joining a volunteer company is a good way to learn and kind of ease ur way into it.

Yes as you've heard Paramedic school is very hard and a long process. Though having ur medic license def gives you a little more to offer to be hired full time.

Ur volunteer company would most likely pay for your classes and such and probably would ask that you are active in the company for at least a year afterwards or they'll expect you to repay them for the classes (that's what my company does)

It depends WHERE you take the paramedic school , we had a neighboring department bring in an acredited teacher then did the inhospital at the local hospital , If you payed attention he fed you the answers fairly well and I passed the first time ...
My wife went to a hospital for her medic ... The course was three times longer and she had to take it three times to pass ...
Ohio has been considering makingthe medic course into a college program

Great times as an EMT and ER tech. Definitely something I'd suggest to anyone. Did local volunteer rescue squad, they paid for the EMT class. 911 calls there then ended working in the ER as a tech. Finally landed in med school... one heck of a journey all starting with 9/11 and the fire dept.

Hello all long time since ive been around thought i would check in and saw this post. I have to say EMT/Paramedic is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Unfortunatly im no longer involved in EMS anymore for personal reasons. During my time i was the director of our local EMS service and also im still involved with the fire dept. It takes a special person to be able to perform in this job and enjoy it. The class to become a paramedic is long and difficult but if you allow it all to build on top of each thing you learn it will fall into place for you. You have to remember that you have your heroic moment and interesting calls but with that also comes the hard ones. The call that stands out he most in my mind is when we were paged to a unresponsive 2- month old. i responded in my car (vol. dept.) and was first on scene. I initiated CPR and myself and the other EMT(whom i would trust with my life) tried everything we could but with no results. After meeting a paramedic tier and arriving at the ER she was pronounced dead. The most painful moment for me was the thought of having to walk out the doors and walk past her parents and to have to look in there eyes and know i couldnt help there little girl. I went out a side door to pack things away and cried. These moments will always stay with us but the thing that makes you keep getting out of bed at 3 in the morning for the same BS call to the same house is the love for the job and the knowledge that you are making a difference in someones life weather they say it or not. Another one was a time i heard a page in the near by town that i was in that night for a 10-50 (car accident) i was going that way so i responded to help the paid paramedic dept. I was there for 10 min before i looked at one of the cars and relized it was my best friend that they were cutting out of the car. I went to help backboard her and as she saw me she burst into tears. She ended up with a few staples in her head but nothing major. My dad Always asked me when i started what i would do if i ever came upon a bad call and it was one of my friends. That night I went home and told him "I did my job". In short I want to tell you to go for it. It just might turn out to be your one true love like it did mine.
If you have any questions or want anymore good stories let me know.


PS update on my life to those who remember me or care. I am working at a coop now as a semi driver and custom fertilizer and pesticide applicator. I will be marrying my beautiful fiance exactly 2 months from today. We just in the past month bought our first home. Goph is renting a bedroom out from us for now(helps pay for the new funiture and appliances). For all the car guys i sold my Grand prix gtp last year and bought a Dodge Magnum R/T with the 5.7L HEMI. Good can and will work down the road when the little ones start coming.

Damn, it seems like all the old people are popping up lately...

Got almost all the way through that thinking "I wonder what Goph has been up to..."

Back on topic though - it is something I've considered, and something I would be interested in doing, but I'm not sure if I could handle stories like yours - first aid stuff? Easy - more serious things....I'm not sure

Although only one way to find out, I suppose...

As another paramedic put it to me...

"When you're at the scene, you HAVE TO act strong - because at that point YOU are the strongest link for the families affected"

When I started here as a police officer, I was required to be certified as an EMT-B. Since then, the job requirement has been lowered to First Responder, but all of us old-timers keep recertifying as EMT-Bs.

While I basically just assist, on occasion my involvement gets pretty hands-on. Some calls give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, like when you save an old lady using what USED to be called the Heimlich Maneuver. Some calls haunt you, like when you push the dying driver who doesn't have a chance in hell out of the way so you can get to the two badly injured, screaming passengers who DO have a chance, even though both have head injuries and one will lose an eye.

I went on a call once for my granddaughter, who was choking. When I got to the front door, my daughter-in-law met me there with the baby in her arms, and she was fine. Here's the thing: there was a lot of snow on the ground. Their yard was raised up about 2 feet with a retaining wall. When I turned away from the porch, I could see my footprints in the snow. They were about 6 feet apart, and the first one was about 4 feet from the retaining wall. After I left, I had to pull over, because I was shaking like a leaf in a tornado. I wasn't cold. During the call, I was fine. The shakes always hit you AFTER the adrenaline stops flowing. Sometimes you puke, or break out in hives.

I've seen what the full-time EMTs do. They spend a lot of time cleaning equipment.

It wouldn't be a bad job. Just don't forget to factor in the emotional rollercoaster aspect.

I appreciate all the opinions guys.

i'm going to throw out a preemptive "thank you" to any EMTs/Paramedics whose services I will undoubtedly require in my crazy-@$$ life.

Well, got an update.

Went to my meeting with the community board, and the committee members of the local volunteer fire department.

Let's just say I've got to schedule my training, and going to get fitted for gear tomorrow afternoon.

I'm excited!!!

thats awesome! yeah my dad is an EMT-IV and hes been doing it for about 25 years and absolutely loves it! i highly recommend it! it pays well and down here they dont have to be a ff too. and most places work 24 on-48 off so its a great situation for families too! you can be with children and family 66% of the time and still make a good amt of money! and my dad says that the things you experience as an EMT/Paramedic are just incredible. its amazing how many people remember him and will walk up to him after theyve recovered and thank him. he said thats just the best feeling a man could ever have to save another persons life.

If I had to run squad all the time I'd be nuts I liked running fire and EMS / We ran one week EMS and one week fire That way you'd likely get sleep one week , up most of the night the next week ... The schedule is AWESOME with Kelly days and time off for extra duty call ins /coverage I'd take a month off at a time