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My Paramedic Cert lapsed while I was in Afghanistan


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Is there anyone out there that can help me or knows someone who can. I am based in okinawa im a navy corpsman based w/ marines. In okinawa there is no Paramedic program, nor does anyone in the military really care to help you out if you are. I set up my own program and worked directly under a LCDR in the ER and took an emt-basic refresher. Soon as i returned from the ER I was told I was going to afghanistan although i still needed a few signatures, one way or the other I had to hand it off to my Leading petty officer at my clinic w/ instructions on how to mail it. Anyway NREMT got it and returned it saying there were things missing (while im in afghanistan) my LPO went to our doctor and got the rest done and sent it off. NREMT never got it.. then I told him to just mail it to my mother and she'll take care of it. she never got it. Long story short Im back from afghan no record of my recert around and its been a year.. NOT TO MENTION in okinawa its impossible to recert. Is there any law or protocol for something like this, am i really to blame for serving over seas and in afghanistan? Taking time off to take a real legit refresher in the states was NOT an option. Please if anyone can help I'd greatly appreciate it.

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Hey my fellow Corspman. I am an HMC now in the reserves. I am truely sorry for your LPO not getting the things done in a timely manner for you. Here are some quick questions first.

1) Are you National Reg.?

2) While on deployment did you do any type of training?

3) if so what? Besides hand to hand and weapons training.......

4) Where you able to keep up your basic stuff, cpr, acls, stuff like that.?

5) How many hours was the emt basic recert time...?

Now here are some options contact the National Reg you can take the test which is now computer based. I don't know how long it has been since you certed. To recert. You can also when you talk to national reg. speak to the military spec. They are great.

Welcome home SAILOR. Sorry you are having such a time if you need anything contact me

@ fireflightmedic1@gmail.com

HAROLD PEACE

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First, thanks for your service.

Talk to the state that holds your license. Because of your service, you may qualify for an exemption or an extension to get your con-ed hours up to date, take quick refresher, do some ER time, etc.

Explain your situation, and see if they can make an exception and/or help you out. I'm quite sure you are not the first to experience this problem, so there must be some mechanism in place to accommodate our service people.

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Presumably, since your LPO was able to attempt to send it to your mother after trying to send it to NR that you have copies of your paper work. Am I reading this correctly?

Make sure you have the copies of the paperwork and call them. Tell them your situation and ask what options you have available to you. Stress your military attachment AND deployment. I have no idea if it'll help you in terms of dealing with them or not. But it's all I could think of and I'd hate to see you get shafted because of a deployment.

Good luck.

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Presumably, since your LPO was able to attempt to send it to your mother after trying to send it to NR that you have copies of your paper work. Am I reading this correctly?

Make sure you have the copies of the paperwork and call them. Tell them your situation and ask what options you have available to you. Stress your military attachment AND deployment. I have no idea if it'll help you in terms of dealing with them or not. But it's all I could think of and I'd hate to see you get shafted because of a deployment.

Good luck.

Ive been down this road, as of now i have no copies, from all that i made my hm1 lost the one i left in the BAS and I cant find the extra that i had prior to my deployment. That is my fault and i do take responsibility for that. The wall that I keep hitting is I cant speak to anyone besides the basic "contact us" numbers of NREMT. im also calling from skype and i have to stay up till midnight here to give them a call, not impossible just makes the whole situation worse..ive called a number of times for the phone to just ring. I didnt know if anyone knew a better point of contact for official NREMT policy?

thanks for your response

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ParamedicMike is on the right path, even if you don't have any of the paperwork from when you were overseas. At minimum, I would send (certified mail with return receipt), copies of your orders sending you overseas, and the orders returning you stateside, with a cover letter indicating the attempt to maintain your certification/licence while you were deployed, to your home state's DoH.

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Hey Wigger! Good to see you sticking around. Sorry I wasn't around to keep in touch during your deployment.

No worries on the cert thing, as far as NR goes. I went through this same thing. They have a "re-entry" policy that allows you to simply take a refresher course, send in a course completion certificate, along with a letter from your medical director saying that he supports your re-entry, and they'll recert you.

There used to be an entire explanation of this on the NREMT.org website, but I can't find it anymore. Their website sucks arse, much like the organisation itself. No search feature = FAIL. But there's a front page article about some joker in Ohio being appointed as recert coordinator. Contact him and make him earn his paycheque!

If for some bizarre reason you are keeping a state cert, then the story may well change.

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  • 2 weeks later...

MrWig,

The NR and DOD have an agreement that if Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen NREMT lapse while individuals are deployed they have up to 90 days to re-reigister before you have to take a refresher class and the test again.

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