MattW

Agree with #12

I called all the companies I could find in the Detroit area last summer...none said they were hiring. Now I am told by a friend in the business (Who used to work for Universal, and is now at a hospital) that companies are hiring now, but according to the websites only Community EMS is announcing openings for EMT-B's. I'm not going to start a program until this summer...so there is some time. Do some Detroit-area companies have better reputations than others?

Hello Shannon

Looks like we have some quite talented poets here.

Hello, I'm glad I found this site. I guess I might be unusual among people considering going into EMS. I am 29, and since graduating high school, I got an undergrad degree and went to law school, practiced as a lawyer for less than a year, and found out it wasn't for me, I returned to school to get my teaching certificate, worked as a substitute teacher for a year and now teach middle school, and am also not happy. A friend of mine suggested I go to EMS academy last summer (when I was still looking, apparently in vain, for teaching jobs), and lately, I haven't been able to shake the thought. I like the idea of helping people, as well as the excitement and variety of things I will see during an EMS shift. I must also say, though, that the idea of a workday that has a definite start-and-end time, even if extremely long, is appealing to me. I am not squeamish and also am focused and confident that I can complete the program. I understand the pay is low, especially to begin. I guess my main questions are? 1) Will completing the EMT program at a community college truly prepare me for what I am going to be expected to do as an EMT? 2) What are job prospects for EMT's in the metro Detroit area? 3) How out of place am I going to be in this field, given my age and background? 4) Is it practice for ambulance companies to offer ride-alongs to those considering entering a program, or is that something that is done once you are in? If anyone has any answers to the above, I would truly appreciate it. I look forward to participating more in this forum.