Maryland EMS service advice...

[codesurfer]

Have a few questions about MD, VA, and DC EMS. I don't know if anyone on here is from/working in that area and can help answer some questions.

I will be finally moving back north to Maryland in a few months and am looking for some advice about the services up there. Basically who to work for and who to avoid. I lived and worked on the Eastern shore (some of you will know what that means) and don't really know too much about the way things go in the DC/VA Metro area.

I have heard from multiple people to avoid DC Fire/EMS for various reasons, so that's probably out of the picture. As of right now Baltimore City is one of my top picks due to the call volume and schedule, it seems to be the closest to the county I currently work for. My husband will be working in VA, so I am not opposed to VA EMS but know absolutely nothing about how it works over there!!

Advice of any kind is greatly appreciated, I feel lost in my job search and have no idea where to start! Thank you!

Edited September 14, 2011 by codesurfer

[paramedicmike]

Where in Virginia will he be working? Where do you guys plan to live? Are you planning on working for the Fire Department?

Commuting from the Baltimore area to Northern VA is not fun. Think of the traffic on US 50 to Ocean City at the start of Memorial Day weekend... only worse. And almost all the time anymore.

Any of the county FDs in MD or VA wouldn't be too bad. Some are more heavily fire oriented than others (PG, MontCo in MD, for example). Anne Arundel County, MD seemed to have struck a pretty decent balance between fire and EMS for a while and I knew a lot more people who worked there than in other counties. But these are county positions and you'll have to go through the county hiring process and probably the academy, too. I haven't looked recently but I don't know how often any of these places are putting classes through anymore.

If you head out to Washington County (Hagerstown area) they're trying to start a county EMS system but there are still smaller independent squads that run 911. It's a nice area with a brand new hospital. Certainly worth looking at.

Both MD and VA are Registry states. So once you earn your NR Paramedic you'll need it for jobs and to keep your job.

And you received good advice with regards to staying away from DC Fire. Just say no.

Can you narrow down where you're looking to live? That might help with employer ideas.

[codesurfer]

He will be working in Springfield, VA which I believe is outside of Alexandria a bit. But I think will eventually be working for PG County. I don't particularly like fire, but I know that it is just something I am going to have to suck up and deal with if I want to work for a county 911 service. I know I can make it through the fire academy but I would like to work somewhere where I don't have to go interior on a fire if I don't have to.

What's the deal with DC? People tell me to avoid it but I have no idea why! LOL.

I am not even sure I know exactly where Hagerstown is, but I will definitely check it out.

We are looking at houses in Laurel, MD right now. It kind of seems like the happy medium between DC and Baltimore for us without being in the middle of the ghetto. I was looking at Howard County last night but couldn't find much information about them. I also saw the City of Laurel has an EMS department but hadn't heard anything about it and can't find anything online either!

[usalsfyre]

Baltimore to Springfield is a LONG commute to make regularly...

In the metro area your looking almost exclusively at fire department based EMS. Meaning interior firefighting is in your job description, and expected of you. It's not fair to yourself, your coworkers or your employer to take a job knowing your not willing to fufil all of the job requirements.

That said, single role EMS exist at the City of Alexandria VA and I believe Baltimore City. DC FEMS is a seriously dysfunctional department. The single role EMS department had some issues prior to the merger, then you throw an uninterested management and disgruntled employees in and you've got a recipe for disaster. Which if you google DC EMS, you'll see has happened over and over.

Another option if you can stand interior firefighting is Fairfax County VA. You will do some time on an engine but there are career tracks that are primarily EMS based.

[paramedicmike]

Yeah. Fairfax County wouldn't be a bad place to work, either. Decent department with the opportunity for a variety of neighborhoods and types of calls. It'd be convenient, too, in that Springfield is in Fairfax County.

USALSFYRE is correct in his assessment regarding working for a FD. If fire is not what you're interested in then it's probably better not to work for a FD.

The greater DC Metro Area is a tough place in that commuting makes everything worse. Traffic is miserable pretty much all the time. If you haven't been to the area before then I suggest a visit and some test drives during rush hour from places where you think you'd like to live to places where you think you'd like to work.

Good luck.

edit: Double post.

Edited September 16, 2011 by paramedicmike

[usalsfyre]

Some days I miss NOVA pretty badly. Most of the time though, not so much and I NEVER miss trying to get somewhere during the rush-three-hours.

[paramedicmike]

Same here. I like going back to visit from time to time. But I don't know that I miss living there. Which is kind of a shame. DC is one of my favourite cities.

[codesurfer]

Sorry it's taken so long to respond guys! I'm in my last week of in class paramedic stuff and take the last exam on Thursday so I've been avoiding all studying distractions! LOL.

I am not quite sure how I feel about interior firefighting. I have never been in a house fire, but grew up in San Diego and have a pure hatred for wildfires, but maybe I'll have a different outlook if I was trained in it. I don't want to rule out any agencies because I would have to be a firefighter for that reason. I don't know if I'll like it until I do it...

I've always had an interest in working in DC since I moved to the east coast because like you, I just love that city. I really do wish it was somewhere that would be as great to work in.

Oh yeah traffic is a constant battle up there! But like I said earlier growing up in SD and LA traffic is actually relaxing to me, it gives me time to wind down before getting home. As crazy as that sounds!!!

Are there any nice places to live in Fairfax County, close to springfield. I was looking at houses in VA a few months ago online and I may be wrong but it looked like all of them seemed to be a little on the ghetto side, and I do not see the point in paying $300,000 for an apartment in Fairfax or Alexandria!

Thanks for all your help and advice! It is helping me tremendously! =D

[FormerEMSLT297]

OK, So Ive read all your posts, and I have to admit I'm a little LOST.

Your are going to work for P.G. County Fire, yet you do not want to do firefighting ???? Hmmm... Let's just say that there are VERY FEW stand alone EMS ONLY Departments left in the DC/Baltimore Area. Career ones are even less.

The following will require you to at least attend and complete basic fire school:

DC Fire/EMS

PG Fire/EMS

Anne Arundel Co. Fire/EMS

Fairfax Co. Fire/EMS

Fairfax City Fire/EMS

Alexandria Fire/EMS

Arlington Co. Fire/EMS

Baltimore County Fire/EMS

Prince William Co. Fire/EMS (6 month academy)

three of that I know do not require a full firefighting academy are:

(paid) Charles County Emergency Services which provide EMS and ALS services as well as Haz-mat and tech. rescue

Calvert ALS, which is the last all volunteer fly car medic unit in the Maryland

and Saint Mary;s County ALS -which is also a volunteer ALS fly car system.

PM me with further questions cause I worok in DC and I volunteer in both Calvert and AA Co.

[Asysin2leads]

And the IAFF marches on...