Hiring myself out as an EMT? Legal?

[Alex691]

This is my first post, so please be gentle with me!

Hello all, my name is Alex and I have a few questions to ask...

I am a college student with a Basic certification in Indiana and soon in Michigan, I am also nationally registered.

I live in Michigan, which is going through some pretty difficult times, jobs are hard to find so I thought, why not make my own?

I know that sometimes EMT's and Paramedics get hired to do events, like a cruise ship or some sort of sporting event.

How those EMT's go about getting those jobs?

Is there a agency that has EMT's that are sent out, or do individual EMT's go into business for themselves?

I have never worked for a service and got my certification last summer after my senior year of high school.

Is working as a private EMT good training for the real thing? Or should I wait until I have worked for a service before going private?

Also I was wondering about the legality of hiring myself out... If you are being paid to render service, are you covered by the good Samaritan laws?

Sorry about my profound lack of knowledge, I figure that emtcity is the best place to ask these questions.

[maverick56]

As an EMT, you have no license to practice medicine. You are an extension of a medical director, practicing under his/her license as an MD. No med control - no license. I feel your pain, having been unemployed in Michigan for over a year now, but, no, you can't hire yourself out as an EMT. As for an agency to cover events etc, I don't know but you can always look. I do know that a couple services in Detroit were hiring for on-call/contingent Basics to cover Wings games and stuff at Cobo. When I was job hunting this fall, before I started medic school, there were positions posted in GR, Detroit and the Flint area. Look more metro. I'm in small-town northern MI so I can't really tell much more than that. Good luck!

Edited May 3, 2010 by maverick56

[emtannie]

Well, I am not from Michigan, but I hope I can answer some of your questions.

Check with your state regulations regarding occupational health and safety (I think in the US it is referred to as OSHA, or maybe that is federal).

If you work on your own, you will need insurance of some kind, to cover liability issues. Some insurance companies specialize in this kind of thing. Not only will you need liability insurance, but you will probably need some kind of workers compensation insurance, in the event that you get injured on the job.

Some companies do this kind of thing, where they specialize in providing EMS staff for special events. I know of a company close to me that specializes in hiring EMS staff for movie sets.

If you are on your own, you will probably be expected to provide all your own equipment. This could be very expensive, so keep that in mind.

As you would be getting paid to provide a service, you would not be covered by the Good Samaritan laws.

If this is truly the route you are considering taking, you will have to do a lot of homework. Essentially, you are starting your own business, so you should do a business plan, research on line sites on starting your own business, and talk to organizations that work with people who are entrepreneurs. If you are going to be doing this yourself, you also will need to ask yourself:

- am I going to work as a self-employed business, or am I going to incorporate?

- am I going to work under a trade name, or will I have an incorporated name (there are different taxation and legal implications of each)

- how much insurance do I need

- where will I get the money to pay for my start-up costs - incorporation, buying my equipment and supplies, advertising, bookkeeping....

- how am I going to advertise and how much is that going to cost

There is a lot of planning involved in going out on your own.

My suggestion is to try to gain experience somewhere else first. I know that jobs are not plentiful as you said, but keep looking. The reason I suggest this is: if you were running a large public event, and needed EMS staff, would you hire someone who has staff who are experienced, or someone with no experience? It will be a tough sell to get business with no experience.

Now that I have probably rained on your parade, do keep your chin up, and do keep looking... you need the experience.

[Richard B the EMT]

Somewhere, EMTs and Paramedics work on film sets, in case someone gets hurt. I don't know where the production companies get them. Just something to consider.

[Steph]

I know in PA there is a company that provides EMT's for concerts, races, county fairs, etc called National Event Services. Whether this is actually national, or just in the PA area, I'm not sure. Perhaps there is a company like that in your area.

[KBiz]

Alex, I have a suggestion. I play rugby at my university; it's one of like 50 or 60 club sports teams and there are about 10 of them that are serious contact sports. Hockey, rugby, football, boxing, idk all of them. In any case, every club whose sports have serious contact, has to have an EMT present any time we have a game on campus. I'd imagine a lot of universities are like this; I'd imagine a lot of city clubs for these same sports also have a similar policy. If you were to contact them personally (most city clubs and university clubs have a website), explain the work you're looking for, and offer to underbid whoever is currently doing it- I'll bet you could find work. Worst thing that could happen is they don't hire you, but they'll have your name and contact information for any future tournaments or needs.

[maverick56]

Alex, here's a little more concrete info for you from the Michigan Public Health Code:

Nontransport prehospital life support operation - licensing

Act 368 of 1978

333.20927 Nontransport prehospital life support operation; duties; prohibitions.

Sec. 20927.

(1) A nontransport prehospital life support operation shall:

a. Provide at least 1 nontransport prehospital life support vehicle with proper equipment and personnel available for response to requests for emergency assistance on a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week basis in accordance with local medical control authority protocols.

b. Respond or ensure that a response is provided to all requests for emergency assistance originating from within the bounds of its primary dispatch service area.

c. Operate only under the direction of a medical control authority.

d. Notify the department of any change that would alter the information contained on its application for a nontransport prehospital life support operation license or renewal.

e. Provide life support consistent with its license and approved local medical control authority protocols to all patients without prior inquiry into ability to pay or source of payment.

(2) A nontransport prehospital life support operation shall not knowingly provide any person with false or misleading information concerning the time at which an emergency response will be initiated or the location from which the response is being initiated.

(3) A nontransport prehospital life support operation shall not operate a nontransport prehospital life support vehicle unless it is staffed, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as follows:

a. If designated as providing basic life support, with at least 1 emergency medical technician who is on board that vehicle or if approved by the local medical control authority with at least 1 emergency medical technician who is at the emergency scene.

b. If designated as providing limited advanced life support, with at least 1 emergency medical technician specialist.

c. If designated as providing advanced life support, with at least 1 paramedic.

You should also look over state EMS licensing info: MDCH. Basically, it's possible to start a business, but it's not as simple as saying "hey, I'm an EMT, I'll work you're event." Where are you at exactly? A lot of larger campuses have on-campus first response units they may use for events. Also, have you tried any security firms? They often hire EMT/guards that work various locations. Check out Securitas.

edited for formatting

Edited May 3, 2010 by maverick56

[tcripp]

Somewhere, EMTs and Paramedics work on film sets, in case someone gets hurt. I don't know where the production companies get them. Just something to consider.

Those people are hired through either an agency or a service who does standby events...and are under a medical directors protocols.

[Dustdevil]

...offer to underbid whoever is currently doing it- I'll bet you could find work. Worst thing that could happen is they don't hire you, but they'll have your name and contact information for any future tournaments or needs.

No. The worst that could happen is that you screw up (because you have a whole 120 hours of monkey training and no practical experience) and are found liable for civil damages and criminal negligence, as well as being sued by the state for income tax evasion, who takes what is left of what you own after the victim takes his share. Oh, and of course, you'll lose your EMT cert too, and have a criminal record for a lifetime, but that's the least of your worries.

Get a job. A real job. This isn't a game or a hobby.

[emtannie]

Quote from Kbiz: “..offer to underbid whoever is currently doing it- I'll bet you could find work. Worst thing that could happen is they don't hire you, but they'll have your name and contact information for any future tournaments or needs. “

1. Underbidding to get jobs is not a good idea. You get what you pay for, and there is usually a reason you get what you pay for – in this case, 0 experience.

2. As a business owner myself, I don’t want to work to lose money – I want to work to make money, and underbidding is not the way to do it.

Quote from Dust: “No. The worst that could happen is that you screw up (because you have a whole 120 hours of monkey training and no practical experience) and are found liable for civil damages and criminal negligence, as well as being sued by the state for income tax evasion, who takes what is left of what you own after the victim takes his share. Oh, and of course, you'll lose your EMT cert too, and have a criminal record for a lifetime, but that's the least of your worries.”

Absolutely, Dust!