LoneRider

Few people ever think to look beyond the one or two schools in their immediate area. That would take too much effort.

Well I found two very good programs in my AO (Orlando, FL): Valencia Community College and Seminole Community College.

Now while I'm serving my active duty time I intend to reaccquire my CPR certificate (I think the US Army uses Red Cross, just like Navy SAR swimmers do for CPR). What's the periodicity of a CPR card, one year before I must be recertified by competent authority? Who qualifies as competent authority in that instance?

Much good advice here.

my experience which is over 18 years.

Started in 1990 as a emt student. Took 110 hours and thought I was a hero.

Spent the first 6 months in a 911 system being a dispatcher which at that time required me to answer the phone from the fire department dispatch center and they gave me the address and also the complaint. Nothing more. I was unable to use my emt cert for NOTHING for those 6 months.

I then was able to get a job at the same service as an emt driver. I was a bonafide cot jockey or gopher.

I then worked at the same service for their non-emergency transfer service that took patients from the hospitals to the nursing homes. I drove and did no patient care.

So in 2 years as an EMT I did NO I repeat ZERO patient care.

I decided to during this 2 years to get my medic. On my off days I was at my work station in class. On my on days I was doing transfers.

I got my medic and began at a service that was all ALS. I was put with a experienced AWESOME medic named Ron Dalton and worked occasionally with his wife Nancy Dalton and those from Missouri will know this lady.

So, go get your EMT then medic and skip working as an EMT, the experience you get (however limited) will only have to be unlearned when you begin to do assessments as a medic.

If I had it to do over again I would have gotten the 2 semesters of A&P, One semester of pharmacology and a smattering of other science based classes.

My educational resume is a Bachelor's of Arts, and a Masters in Project Management. All nice pieces of paper but do nothing for you in medicine.

I figure I will finish EMT-B then move onto EMT-Paramedic straight away.

Does anyone know how tolerant or understanding most EMT-B or Paramedic programs are towards military reservists? I'm gonna speak to the admissions guys for the ones I'm interested in to find out specifics, but I'd figure I'd ask on a general basis about how tolerant EMT training programs can be towards guys in military reserves.

I also intend to attain my FF1 and FF2 after attaining my EMT-Paramedic certification before I job search.

Yes. I just followed them recently, thanks. Thanks to jetlag and a little sleep deprivation together with the great logistical moving machine that is military personnel transportation I'd almost totally forgotten the links before I clicked on them this morning.

Thanks Dustdevil and all others who have replied to this post. I'm actually going to serve three more years active duty (this time in the Army with the Corps of Engineers) before I transfer to Florida's Army National Guard as either an Engineer Officer or put myself through Selection.

The reason I chose to do three years active in the Army instead of the Navy was this last tour ISO an Army battalion. I had a tremendous respect for the professionalism and camaraderie that the all ranks in my unit showed and I was able to understand their methodology, culture, and language within two weeks and functioned well as a member of that team.

I figure I'll do three more years active duty in addition to the five in the Navy I already have to remove IRR time and then transfer to the Guard.

How understanding are EMT/EMS programs or fire departments towards military reservists?

I became interested in EMS after attending Surface Rescue Swimmer School in the Navy last year. The idea of saving people's lives as a firefighter/paramedic appeals to me. Of all the Navy and recently Army schools (I'm a Navy IA) I attended SAR and CLS training were the most rewarding.

I attended the US Navy Surface Rescue Swimmer School in 2008 and Army CLS as part of pre-deployment as an attached member to an Army Battalion.

On the firefighting end I served as a repair locker officer for two years on a Navy surface ship so I've got a little practical knowledge on firefighting (admittedly from drills) and I accept that firefighting like military service is a constant learning process. According to a wise old Master Chief: "The day you quit learning is the day you die."

Your prior education has obviously helped you to become an effective communicator, and communications is absolutely the most important skill a paramedic can have.

That's why I chose my degree to be in English. The professors in the Humanities department where I studied were some of the best people I learned from (minus my NCOs and my family) in years.

Now you just need to build a scientific foundation from which to build your medical education. That means all of those courses that VentMedic mentioned, and even if the school you choose does not require those particular courses. Unfortunately, many schools dumb-down the curriculum because of the low quality of candidates we usually attract. Rise above that and strive to be the best you can be.

Do community college training programs do as you stated? And will prior training in military trauma management (I paid a lot of attention and keep my CLS certificate current with the help of our Battalion surgeon and Medical NCOIC) help?

Be sure to choose a school that is on the CAAHEP and CoAEMSP accreditation list

Forgive the dumb questions but what is CAAHEP and CoAEMSP?

Lone Rider, are you aware that there really are no real EMS jobs for you in the Orlando area unless you become a fireman? Floridia is much like California, in that about 95 percent of the state has their EMS run by firemen. There are maybe half a dozen counties in Floridia that employ paramedics to be only paramedics, and they aren't anywhere near Orlando

DustDevil. Reconnaissance of Orlando and Florida EMS has revealed that data and I am well aware of it. I'm really not bothered by the prospect of having to be a fireman to have a decent EMS job and am well aware fire departments have decent benefits and retirements and pay.

I'm curious why exactly you want to be a paramedic. A great many people enter EMS with completely mistaken notions of what it is like and what it is all about, as well as delusions about the job prospects and potential to make a living at it. I'd just like to make sure you know exactly what you're getting into, and not thinking this is anything like you see on TV. It is not.

I became interested in EMS after attending Surface Rescue Swimmer School in the Navy last year. The idea of saving people's lives as a firefighter/paramedic appeals to me. Of all the Navy and recently Army schools (I'm a Navy IA) I attended SAR and CLS training were the most rewarding.

To get "certified" can take what, six months at quickie tech school for cook book firemedics who require a cert or it can take four years at a Bachelors program; or somewhere in between.

"Training" never ends, as a medical professional you will always be learning new things and should see education as a lifelong processs. Unfortunatley too few medics I know auctually take an active interest in post certification education; don't be one of them.

You need college level A&P, pharmacology and pathophysiology; the quick, cut down chapter in the Paramedic textbook is nowhere near good enough; I have A&P books that rival the length of my Paramedic book alone.

Although you may very well end up wtih required texts, here are my suggestions for some light reading (and you can probably get a decent workout if you bench them) ...

Marieb's human A&P

Lippincott's ECG Interpretation (little brown book ... reads almost identical to Portable ECG Interpretation also by Lippincott)

Bryant's Pharmacology

I'm probably gonna go the community college training route for the paramedic training. I realize like any professional that training never stops and that there are always ways to make one better at one's job. Right now though I'm more curious about finding the right training program (probably training at either Seminole or Valencia Community College for my EMT-B/EMT-P courses) in order to become a practicing paramedic.

VentMedic, yes I intend to train and operate in the state of Florida.

I thought you had a degree in English?

Did it include 2 semesters of Anatomy and Physiology with lab, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology etc?

If you just want a certificate there are plenty of tech schools, both private and public, that will get you in and out quicker.

Are you still considering the Orlando area in Florida?

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?showtopic=14350&hl=

No my degree did not include anything medically based. I'm willing to tackle a second degree in any case and I am considering the Orlando or Daytona Beach areas of Florida for training and working.

Do you happen to be a Corpsman?

I plan on going into the EMS field after the Marines!

No I'm not a Corpsman.

Find yourself a degree awarding, accredited program in which to enroll. I think you'll find you'll have much better luck. A real paramedic program, including prerequisites, can be completed in two to three years (depending on what classes you've already taken and summer classes once accepted).

Already having a degree can I simply focus on the EMT/Paramedic courses?

To go from zero to hero, around 3yrs all said and done. That doesn't include that years of experience you should have between EMT and Paramedic though.

Sorry to be a pain but can you elaborate the years of experience bit? I gather that means I will do some time as an EMT-B/first responder before I start Paramedic school?

As some already know I intend to go into the EMS community as a paramedic after my stint with the Navy expires later this year. I already have a bachelor's degree in English and I figured that depending on the program I go into (I'm gonna go the community college route) I can focus almost entirely on the EMT and Paramedic courses. I was wondering how long training takes normally. Two years? Three? Five years?

Ideally, you should NOT break up the medical education process. If you take EMT, then months and months of fire training, you're going to be clueless when you get to paramedic school. The best plan would be to take the fire training first, get it out of the way, then go to EMT school and directly to paramedic school. Many of the physical concepts (hydraulics, thermodynamics, structural integrity, etc...) that you learn in the fire school can be helpful to you in paramedic school. Of course, you can't do it that way because EMT is required for fire training (I believe. Correct me if I am wrong). Another serious sign that the fire service is clueless about what makes good EMS.

Consequently, your options are limited to either:

EMT > fire > medic

EMT > medic > fire

The latter would be the most preferable option for several reasons. First off, it maximizes your medical training process by getting you straight through with no time to go stale on your EMT knowledge. There is no better way to go with that. Plus, it also gives you a certification that you can immediately get a job with, unlike fire certs. That way, you can start making money right away, getting valuable experience, while working on fire certs. Fire certs are not a sure thing for an immediate job. There are a lot more applicants than jobs at most departments, so you could be waiting for awhile. Get the medical education first, and get a quality one. Then you'll be employable and be a much better medic when the FD finally hires you.

Good luck and OOOORAH!

I think that is the smartest option, going EMT>medic>fire. With the G.I. Bill I'll be able to at least partially pay through the pipeline.

I'll hazard a guess that you're a member of the USMC with you're last post.

Stay away from FMTI. At all costs.

As for Fire Academy training, you can NOT beat the education you will get at the state fire college, or at Central Florida Fire Academy.

Central Florida Fire Academy sounds like a good program and in the area I want to train and work in too. Question? After I get my EMT-B certification do I go to FF I and II or the Paramedic course next?

Daytona State doesn't require anything. Your first lab night they have a CPR class for healthcare workers so that you're certified immediately. No extra charge, it's covered in your tuition. Also, EMT at Daytona State College is eligible for financial aid...so if you're needing help paying for the class, you can do that as well.

Thanks cpat1723, Daytona State College (I still remember when it was DBCC) sounds like another great program.

Does anyone know anything about Valencia Community College's EMT program?

Hey, I wasn't the one who mentioned OPSEC....

Anywho, some schools require your CPR (BLS) card prior to entry, others may provide it as part of the class.

Either way, it should be fairly easy for you to do the class where you are currently and have it in hand. If there is anything else I can assist with, feel free to hit my inbox and we can exchange emails there.

AK....

Sorry AK, I for some reason thought you, not Dustdevil had said that. A consequence of being up late working and dashing off a quick reply.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Regards,

LoneRider

I'm in the EMT program at Daytona State College, and it's going really well. They have a few courses a year, and it's 14 weeks long. It's taught by local EMS personell, so every day is an interview, and it includes clinicals and everything. DEF worth it. They only allow 40 or so people each class cycle, and they have night and weekend classes.

Check it out at daytonastate.edu and do a search for EMT.

AKMEDIC, of course I know about OPSEC, sailor that I am. And of course I know the sandbox, for a sandbox sailor I am right now.

cpat1723, I'll think about it. I'll keep an ear to the ground.

Also, what's this I hear about CPR being a pre-requisite for EMT-B training? I have a Red Cross card but it's expired. I'll ask our medics if I can get my CPR qualification through them...

Regards,

LoneRider

Good on ya for already having a degree. My advice is to stay away from any school that ends with Institute. As you search more, you will see a few others that also end in Institute.

Seminole CC and Valencia both have decent programs. I highly recommend you continue looking in the CC direction. I live in Orlando myself but I do have a question for you. Is this where you plan on living and working?

There are several nearby counties which have community colleges with great medic and fire programs. I went to Brevard Community College for my fire training. Seminole CC also has a decent Fire program as well.

At least you realize you will need fire and medic to get a decent job so you are one step ahead in the Florida game. Stay away from the medic mills.

You will need nothing else to get a job from the list you created. The ancillary courses (ALS, BLS, etc) should be included in your programs at the colleges. FF I and II, EMT B and eventually Medic will get you hired.

Yes, I plan to live and work in the Orlando area. I've also considered the Daytona Beach area as well. Thanks for the tip on the medic mills, by the way, would you know of any others I should avoid?

Also on another note your label had me under the impression you worked in Alaska. What part of Orlando do you work in and for which service?

I'm currently active duty Navy and I'm considering going into EMS in Florida if I get out of the Navy a year or so from now. I'm currently in Iraq as an Individual Augmentee (i.e. a sailor providing help to an Army battalion in some support capacity).

I'm curious about what EMT-B/Paramedic programs are available in the Orlando area. I've looked up Seminole Community College, Valencia Community College and the Orlando Medical Institute as my top three so far. Does anyone have any recommendations as to which program to choose.

The only medical training I have so far is basic Combat Life Saver (first aid and trauma management), so I know I'd need to start at EMT-B and achieve my Firefighting certificate in order to practice in the state of Florida.

I already have a college degree, so I can focus exclusively on the paramedic program. Exactly which certs would I need other than EMT-B, FF1 and FF2, and EMT-Paramedic/ALS to pratice in the state of Florida?

Thank you,

LoneRider

Greetings,

I'm considering becoming an EMT-Paramedic after my hitch with the Navy expires (I already have a college degree, so I can focus exclusively on the EMT program).

I'm curious about what Orlando Area providers exist? I personally wouldn't mind working with an FD as well (I've got almost two years working with damage control onboard my last ship).

Currently I'm on an Individual Augmentee assignment here in Iraq (basically a sailor supporting an Army battalion) and I've gotten CLS (Combat Life Saver) qualified. Basically it states I can do basic combat life saving, up to inserting an IV into someone and I'm doing some sustainment training with my unit's medics and our medical officer. I also saved the text book for that CLS course and am studying it.

Also, how good are most area providers at supporting National Guard/Reservists? I'm definitely converting to the Army National Guard after my Navy hitch expires, to work in Florida.

Regards,

LoneRider