EMT Job Opening, Why Then A Firefighter Exam?

[thbarnes]

I got a big eye-opener into how EMS is still the red-headed step-child of Fire this afternoon when I went in for an interview for an EMT position and ended up sitting for a fire fighting tactics exam. I am lucky enough to have some experience in this field and I passed, but what about EMTs and Paramedics with no fire experience? On Saturday I have a physical agility exam, again for an EMT position, that includes hitting a block of wood 130 times with a 10-pound sledgehammer, rolling and unrolling fire hose, opening and closing fire hydrants, donning SCBA and hauling a dummy. As an EMT, I hope I never need to drag anyone anywhere. I'm a good 6'2", 185lbs, I've passed these physical agility exams before, but for fire jobs, not for EMT jobs, what gives? Does anyone else have any experience with this? How standard is it for fire department to require their EMTs (who will never fight fire) to pass fire tactics exams?

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

1.) when taking these exams, are you sure your job description for the job your applying for doesnt include some sort of fire suppression?

If not, i can only think that they are trying to test for canadates with a more rounded background, and cross trained. Or, they are stupid, and you should run...

[AnatomyChick]

ok.. time for a stupid question... Did you apply for a job at the Fire Dept? If so, then they will typically make sure that you can complete any demands that may be asked of you in that line of work.

[Dustdevil]

Or, they are stupid, and you should run...

We have a winner. :thumbleft:

Several potential strains of stupidity come immediately to mind:

• They simply don't have the intelligence to comprehend the inappropriateness of the process.

They don't have the imagination to think of a more appropriate process.

They're too lazy to develop a more appropriate process.

They're setting you up for forced integration in the future.

The union has a contract clause that requires all operational employees to meet the same standards.

• Regardless, yeah... run. Life is too short to work for idiots.

[SuperKoopa]

I am definitely thinking this is how my city is run. Take a look at the EMS division. Those are the paid personnel, and they're all obviously FF/Paras.. steep requirements here for pay.. but excellent pay according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[thbarnes]

ok.. time for a stupid question... Did you apply for a job at the Fire Dept? If so, then they will typically make sure that you can complete any demands that may be asked of you in that line of work.

Yes, I did apply at a fire department, but for a job as an EMT and only an EMT. As far as I understand, some of their firefighters are EMTs but most of ambulance crew members (EMTs and Medics which work only on the ambulances) are not firefighters, get what I mean?

But maybe they are looking for cross-train. I didn't answer any advert in particular. My paramedic instructor mentioned they were hiring EMTs so I dropped in one day and applied, she's not fire, so I don't think she would recommend it if it was. I was asked to come in for a test, I asked if it was an EMT skills exam and he said no, so I figured it was a personality test.

[thbarnes]

you should run...

A couple reasons I'm just going to smile and nod...best pay in the city, the only service with 24-hour shifts AND bunks to sleep in, and I just put in my two weeks at that awful job as a tech at the hospital, so I'm kinda scrambling. They'll also work around Medic school.

Maybe they just don't have any other way to test EMTs and Paramedics, I would hope they would take into consideration any lack of fire experience. A decent EMT-I or Paramedic would do fine with the math on the test (GPM or mg/ml, it's high school math) and well enough on the reading comprehension. As for the fire suppression stuff...who knows. I think what it really discriminates against is people who are bad at tests!

I'm more worried about being able to strike a block of wood 130 times with a 10-lb sledgehammer after a 12-hour shift in the ED on Saturday morning at 8am. I've seen a few of the EMTs working for that service (and others) who are busting 450lb easily or hovering at 90lb (members of the fairer sex) deliver us patients at the ED, so how hard can the physical agility test be?

[Dustdevil]

I've seen a few of the EMTs working for that service (and others) who are busting 450lb easily or hovering at 90lb (members of the fairer sex) deliver us patients at the ED, so how hard can the physical agility test be?

Don't forget, 90# females typically get points for hottness. They don't have to do well on the test. You do. :wink:

Also, some departments don't have a formal "pass or fail" system on their exams. They simply use the scores to rate you on the list of applicants. While poor performance or scores definitely puts you way down on the list, it does not actually disqualify you. It just means that you hope others score as poorly or worse. That's how the munchkins and whales get in. Obviously, they are taking other factors into consideration in the hiring process and just using physical agility as a measure of potential.