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Living in BC, schoolling in AB?


reina_

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Hi there. In a few years I'm planning on going to SAIT and complete the EMT program there. I will have completed the 15-day EMR course in Kelowna, BC, which is only a 1-1/2 hour drive from home. I have looked into the prerequisites which include Language Arts 30-1, Biology 30-1, and Applied Math 11. Since I finished Highschool in BC after moving from Alberta, I do have the same levels of prerequisites, BC-style.

My question is, do you think that I will be just as easily hired in Kamloops if I have the EMT certification from SAIT then as if I had it from JIBC or a school in BC? My reason for wanting to go to Calgary for it is because I have a relative that is letting me stay there for the 10 month period. The boards on campus in Kelowna are at least 3 grande and I'd rather not spend that much extra. Is there a difference between certifications in each province?

Thanks.

Reina

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Hello,

SIAT's program is CMA approved. So SAIT's EMT (PCP) is the same as the JI's PCP (EMT). No problem.

The question I would ask is, "Can you get a job with BCAS in Kamloops?" From talking to different BCAS paramedics I have found that they have some odd rules about were you can work for senority reasons.

D

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Thanks. I think I'll phone BCAS and find out. :)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it is extremely unlikely you will be able to go back to Kamloops right away. Here is how the process works. It's pretty complicated so if you have any further questions feel free to PM me.

First off. To practise in BC you require a valid EMA license (EMR, PCP, PCP-IV, ACP-R, ACP, CCP), and a class 4 drivers license (taxi, chauffer etc.). Following that you will need to complete a hiring package. If you live in Kamloops you're in luck as the regional HR office is in Kamloops. After handing in the package it's a waiting game to find out if you will be granted an interview. If you are selected for interview it will follow the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioural interviews. If you pass the interview your name will go into a hiring pool from which stations, needing to fill positions that can not be filled via lateral transfers, will draw from. That's just to get your foot in the door as a part time PCP. ACP's that are hired will go imediately to full time postitions as there is a serious shortage of ACP providers. Desirable stations that take part-time staff like 314 and 315 in Kamloops fill the available part-time positions with lateral transfers from other stations.

If you would like to know what it's like to work all the time and still be classed as part time let me know. I can tell you all about it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi there. In a few years I'm planning on going to SAIT and complete the EMT program there. I will have completed the 15-day EMR course in Kelowna, BC, which is only a 1-1/2 hour drive from home. I have looked into the prerequisites which include Language Arts 30-1, Biology 30-1, and Applied Math 11. Since I finished Highschool in BC after moving from Alberta, I do have the same levels of prerequisites, BC-style.

My question is, do you think that I will be just as easily hired in Kamloops if I have the EMT certification from SAIT then as if I had it from JIBC or a school in BC? My reason for wanting to go to Calgary for it is because I have a relative that is letting me stay there for the 10 month period. The boards on campus in Kelowna are at least 3 grande and I'd rather not spend that much extra. Is there a difference between certifications in each province?

Thanks.

Reina

If your doing school here in Calgary @ SAIT, why not just register with ACOP and work in the province? Oh you don't want to deal with the non sense......now I understand... I think to work for BCAS you have to put in a minimum of 5 years as a part time PCP before you can advance or apply to a fulltime job pool. I'm not to sure about the process and it's entirety. Anyways,goodluck with your program.

cheers

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If your doing school here in Calgary @ SAIT, why not just register with ACOP and work in the province? Oh you don't want to deal with the non sense......now I understand... I think to work for BCAS you have to put in a minimum of 5 years as a part time PCP before you can advance or apply to a fulltime job pool. I'm not to sure about the process and it's entirety. Anyways,goodluck with your program.

cheers

You can expect to work part time in BC for about 5 years before you will be able to get into a full time position. Full time positions are filled on a "senority" basis. All full time staff have higher senority than part time staff. If there is not a full time member who puts in for a full time posting, the posting will go to the part time paramedic with the earliest date of hire. If you decide to come back to BC and go through the whole process you can expect to end up in the Lower Mainland working as an irregularly scheduled employee at multiple stations for 3-4 years before you have the senority required to obtain a regularly scheduled spot at a regular station. It will take 5-10 years of working in the lower mainland as a full timer before you are able to return to the interior.

This is the current situation. Things will change in the not too distant future. The number of retirements in the next 5 years is enormous. There are also other ways to shorten the wait. You can sentence yourself to three years in dispatch. You can sentence yourself to trasnfer fleet. Or you can educate yourself to the ACP level and obtain a full time position far quicker (There is a drastic shortage of ACP's in BC).

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You can expect to work part time in BC for about 5 years before you will be able to get into a full time position. Full time positions are filled on a "senority" basis. All full time staff have higher senority than part time staff. If there is not a full time member who puts in for a full time posting, the posting will go to the part time paramedic with the earliest date of hire. If you decide to come back to BC and go through the whole process you can expect to end up in the Lower Mainland working as an irregularly scheduled employee at multiple stations for 3-4 years before you have the senority required to obtain a regularly scheduled spot at a regular station. It will take 5-10 years of working in the lower mainland as a full timer before you are able to return to the interior.

This is the current situation. Things will change in the not too distant future. The number of retirements in the next 5 years is enormous. There are also other ways to shorten the wait. You can sentence yourself to three years in dispatch. You can sentence yourself to trasnfer fleet. Or you can educate yourself to the ACP level and obtain a full time position far quicker (There is a drastic shortage of ACP's in BC).

Thanks for the clarification. I was given the impression you had to spend a minimum of 5 years with BCAS before you could even apply for ACP. Thanks for the info.

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