Need a Mentor

[tndad]

Hello Everyone...Nashville, TN...looking for some answers. First, my apologies if this isn't the correct forum. My wife and I are expecting our first child, and I need to make some changes in my career so we can have a stable and rewarding life. I have a desire to become an EMT, however I do not have the slightest clue where to start. I've tried the net but unable to pull a lot of info about what steps I need to take in starting the Training and Classes I will need. If you could please guide me and let me know any particulars and the advise you have, I would greatly appreciate it. From what I've read there are different stages in being an EMT, I'd be interested in knowing how to start and where. Are there online classes for all or some of the training and education? Is prior college or degree a must? Salary? Of course I'm not looking for riches, but it would be nice to know... Thank You All So Much

[spenac]

Here are a couple of quality online programs. You will still have to attend skills classes as well as clinicals(hospital and ambulance skill practice with real patients).

www.percomonline.com

www.techproservices.net

I do suggest you go all the way to paramedic. Start with EMT basic then immediately continue your education to paramedic. Do not stop, slow down,etc.

[FormerEMSLT297]

"Stable and rewarding " are 2 words I would not use to describe the life of an EMT.

Stable= bank teller, Mon-Fri 7-4 weekends and holidays off, no midnights, weekends, evenings holidays

First, you work rotating shifts, at all hours of day/night, and weekends holidays too, so you can and will be away from your new family, not as bad as military, but a close 2nd or 3rd.

Rewarding, sometimes, the question always is, do we cheat death, or merely prolong life? We do help people so, that can be rewarding.

As far as salary do not expect to make more than $20-36K as a EMT-Basic, As far as where to start, I have no idea, in TN, try community colleges, local EMS/Fire stations they can steer you in the right direction.

As for your 3rd question NO, you can not take EMT on line as far as I know, you need to be in class to practice patient assessment, bandaging, splinting, CPR and stuff like that,

I am not aware of any EMT program that allows for on line study, you may get homework or extra stuff on line, but you'll need to be in class, either 2-3 days per week in evening part time or some are M-F full time for about 3-4 weeks.

Good luck

[spenac]

Salary? Most areas barely minimum wage for EMT basics. In west Texas at full time job EMT-basics get $13/hr and paramedics get $18/hr plus OT and benefits. There are now some services paying paramedics $25/hr in west Texas. But again sadly most places pay much less.

Congrats on the addition to your family.

[FormerEMSLT297]

As an Example of the lack of Stability ...

I personally have missed the last 15 Thanksgiving dinners ,

All of the July 4th for the past 12 years, Memorial day for past 15 years,,

Have never been home for New Years eve, extra mandatory overtime for high call volume

Christmas N/A cause I do not celebrate it, but ,,, for my co-workers that do,,,, they have missed about 8 out of 10 years,,,, not to mention kids special days at school, Karate demos, soccer, football, baseball games, Gymnastics demos, I hope you get the point.

[spenac]

But not to completely dampen your enthusiasm the plus is at a slow service like I work I will work several 24's in a row then have a week off. I hate being gone several days in a row but I usually have at least 14 24's a month off work, often more.

[Capman]

As an Example of the lack of Stability ...

I personally have missed the last 15 Thanksgiving dinners ,

All of the July 4th for the past 12 years, Memorial day for past 15 years,,

Have never been home for New Years eve, extra mandatory overtime for high call volume

Christmas N/A cause I do not celebrate it, but ,,, for my co-workers that do,,,, they have missed about 8 out of 10 years,,,, not to mention kids special days at school, Karate demos, soccer, football, baseball games, Gymnastics demos, I hope you get the point.

True to some extent, but not every service falls into such extreme lack of stability. As for me, it's about 50/50 of what is described above. The problem with this is that you can never make plans that follow a shift, and it's a definite strain on marriage and family life. If your wife has a firm understanding of what's involved in working in an EMS system, then it may not be so bad.

My wife is an RN that works for the hospital that owns our ambulance service. She is no stranger to what it is like to be married to an EMT. Our marriage is fine, I do miss the time with her and my children though. Especially when plans are walked on by a long distance transfer of 8 + hours leaving 2 hours before my shift ends and other similar reasons for keeping me beyond my shift.

Not trying to scare you off, but be aware of how easy it is to fall into this typical work pattern that is very common among EMS services.

Good luck, and start with your local fire department to guide you in the right direction for schooling or to a local EMS service. They are the ones who will know what's local for EMS education. You will not find anything online that will give you everything you need to be an EMT.

Matt

[TheOldMan]

Well lets see, about 11 years ago, I started as a Vol. FF, through the department I had my first EMT-B class paid for, and passed. I had a year or so under my belt, and managed to get on a paid service. I agree that sometimes your family suffers, my personal experience was; lack of holidays, lack of sleep, divorce (yes the D-word), spent my time doing countless transfers, mixed in with some emergency calls, then with seniority made it to a "911 Truck". Two years ago, the local college started a Paramedic program, I made it through the program, and passed the NR test. I was probably the hardest two years of college, I spent 4 in college right after high school. Lets say you will not get rich in this profession, if I had to support my family on what I make, I would need to have 3 jobs, I have 2 now. I would ask the people in your area, what exactly the steps are, because it varies from state to state. If you do decide to get into a program, commit yourself to the program, read anything and everything you can get. There is a computer term GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out), so, do get a quality program and a quality education. Also, never stop learning, when you feel you know it all, it is time to quit.

[Richard B the EMT]

The FDNY EMS, and before that, the NYC HHC (Health and Hospitals Corporation) EMS, have one simple thing in mind, as alluded to by FormerEMSLT297. They want crew butts in the ambulance crew seats, and the ambulances to become available ASAP to handle more and more calls.

(On a personal note, FormerEMSLT297 used to be one of my partners at the old NYC HHC EMS Communications Bureau, now known as FDNY EMS EMD, and then my lieutenant at FDNY EMS Station 47. Took me a while to figure that out.)