Help getting into Oil and Gas

[tniuqs]

In Conclusion:

And no offence to climberguy, he has hat on the right way, just can't treat too much because his hands are tied up by ACoP.

Timmy: it sounds like I have to cash in my airmiles and do a walk about, will you teach me how to speak OZ?

cheers

[climberguy]

In Conclusion:

And no offence to climberguy, he has hat on the right way, just can't treat too much because his hands are tied up by ACoP.

Timmy: it sounds like I have to cash in my airmiles and do a walk about, will you teach me how to speak OZ?

cheers

No offense taken as I think we are on the same page. Personally, I don't think that EMR's or even EMT's have any business doing medical standby 3 hours from the nearest hospital. I say this as an EMR that has over 2 years up "there". I have heard way to many horror stories about "bandaids" that did not know wtf to do when the shit hit the fan.

So yeah...if you want to stagnate, be lazy, get fat and gain absolutely no EMS experience then the oil patch is the perfect place to be. The money is good though...but it's a double edged sword. I had all these plans to quickly save cash and to move on to EMT as fast as possible. The reality is frequent shutdowns due to rain along with other reasons, getting to work to start your 3 week shift and then sitting around for a week or more waiting for a job, then you get one and it shuts down in a week. Or you look at the consultant wrong, or if he wanted a female medic then your out.

It's fine if you are single, but if you are married it is really really tough. You can't just wait up there indefinately while your family is back home wondering how long you will be gone for. I fell into a trap of working up there for a few weeks, getting a huge cheque or 2 and then stretching out my $$ and time off for as long as possible so I did not have to return to that hole. I would look at local "average" jobs and think...no way...why take X amount when I am making this much. Then run low on cash and head back up. It's really easy to fall into this loop. There is a plus side though. I would get tons of time off and was able to get out into the mountains for weeks at a time to play. The lack of consistency and inability to plan finances is what eventually made me leave....equal to being sick of not getting any real experience and the money never came to be able to pay outright for an EMT course. Only an idiot expects change while doing the same thing over and over.

If you are single though, and have no commitments you can save money quite quickly. If I was to do it again (if I were single) I would move out of my place. No rent....all accomodation paid for up there. When you do get your time off go travel with your tent if you are the "outdoorsy" type. Instead of rent, sock away your cash and pay for further training and then get out of there asap.

I make half of what I was making up north per day and yet, I am making more in the end. If it rains I still have work now. I actually live where I live now...full time and I no longer have to go up to that hole. I am finally able to actually start putting away coin for an EMT course. I have my foot in the door and once my commitment of this position is up, I will be able to make the move (hopefully) into real EMS work.

I was once "skidded" off a site for not entering a smoke filled trailer...even though I had no breathing apparatus. Sorry bub, I don't enter burning buildings with or without PPE.

Here's some quotes.

I show up at a job site and a supervisor says to me "where's your tits?".

Showed up late (due to horrible directions) at a job site and yokel Joe tells us "we started the frac and the consultant made us the designated medics until you showed up." These guys had standard CPR. Keep in mind that fracs are considered very high risk jobs.

"I only like female medics because it's a woman's job. Men should be on the rigs"

"Hey Barb, put the bandaid to work in the kitchen. He can help you bake cookies hahaha"

"Women have no place here because all they do is cause trouble and distract the boys."

"Is it really neccessary to write up paperwork on this? We will loose our safety days bonus if you do." Leaves all pissed off after I told him why it was neccessary - Rig manager

"If anything happens we won't call you anyways. You don't need to be here. We always just drive any one with injuries to the hospital our self." - Rig Manager :roll:

"So last night we got to practice IV's. We got pissed and "she" didn't want to be hung over so she tried to start an IV on herself and ended up stabbing herself like 5 times hahahaha. She finally got it but she's got bruises all over her arms now hahaha." - a medic on location. This other "medic" was responsible for a rig that was running 24 hours. This is a fine example of the scum that is keeping the respect away from our positions up there.

"This guy had his arm crushed and we called the medic and she got there and totally froze up. She could not even speak, all she did was stare. We had to call another medic from the next location to come over." - rig manager

"I don't like any medics on my location anymore, they are lazy, no offense to you."

- consultant

He then goes on to tell me how she was lazy and never wanted to do anything including meetings. He tells me that one of the boys was injured and had to go to the hospital. She gets half hour down the road during transport and runs out of gas. Too lazy to even fill the tank apparantly.

This is what we are up against up there. The first half a week or so at any location I went to consisted of casually "educating" the boys of what our role was up there and listening to their stories of "bandaids" gone wrong and letting them know that for every bad "bandaid" up there, there were several of us that were using the time to further their education and move on to higher goals. For the few bad lazy ones that are only in it for the money and not wanting to work for it, there are more that are not lazy and do not want to sit on there ass for the money.

Once you let them know you are up there to look out for them and not sit on your ass for "easy money" you get accpetance and some respect. That's actually a nick name some of the guys would call us. Instead of "bandaid" it was "easy money".

Keep in mind that there is a flip side to this aswell. There are a few folks up there that want you there and have their own stories of how the "medic" saved some ones ass.

Quotes:

"Your worth your weight in gold and you guys earn every cent when the shit hits the fan."

"I wouldn't want to work on a site without having one of you guys there."

"We don't want to see you working because if you're working that means some ones injured."

[a_shane2_go]

I agree with everyone's statement saying that oilpatch is NOT EMS. For the majority of its you are in fact just sitting on site in your truck, one up from that in a trailer. I have since moved on over the last two years to work on car full time and once you get the experience there is no going back... or at least full time.

With bills from school adding up i find myself doing an industrial gig once more after a 2 year absence. However i will recommend this to you, now that i've done it myself. If its any industrial you do try to get on at a large job/plant. Me and my PARTNER are both on call at the same time and are well compensated. But the biggest difference is here they try and make life liveable. A full gym (cardio equipment, weights 2 large plasma TV"s) , internet (which i'm on right now), TV in every room, rec room, lounge, free food (per usual at camps.)

But of course comes the "calls" as others were saying their all just cuts, strains, etc mind you 5-7 patients a day, but really nothing that a first aider couldn't handle. Its a good part time gig to make up money, 6 on 6 off for my on car job then come out here for a few days on my days off. I'm already going insane being bored... BUT i am able to stad it in this position. Just hard to find (if you have no experience.)

[OffshoreMedic70433]

When I have seen ads for medical coverage in an oilfield, it seems that they were in Saudi Arabia, or some other middle Eastern country.

I have never worked an oilfield, at home (USA) or away (the rest of the world), so I am unqualified to answer this question, so I'll ask it of those who have worked internationally: What about working somewhere "offshore" or internationally?

All I can speak about is US Offshore, you work 14 days on and 14 days Off. Is it traditional EMS? NO. Its more like clinical work with your own little hospital. Depending on your employer, your accomodations is the near the best on the platform. Safety is usually a big part of your job and is just as rewarding as working the "truck". It is not for Adrenaline Junkies by no means, If you are still stuck in the "Lights and Sirens" phase of your career, then you will probably not make it. Hope this gave you some insight.

[canadian_ghost]

And really, I could not care less about anybody in BC anyhow.

Didn't your mother ever tell you "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all"? Unless that was you being humorous, that was not called for Dust. I honestly don't care if you are a EMT City Idol, you have no right saying that. I was offended even if it was a joke.

[6Echo25]

I concur. As an EMT it's easy to make $350 a day with the right company and sure it's great when you want a new TV or to get a fat ass, but there's nothing EMS about industrial. There's nothing emergent or medical, it's just a service. Whoopedy doo.

[Dustdevil]

Didn't your mother ever tell you "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all"? Unless that was you being humorous, that was not called for Dust. I honestly don't care if you are a EMT City Idol, you have no right saying that. I was offended even if it was a joke.

It took you four whole months to get offended, so I'm not that worried about it. :roll:

Minus 10 for bringing up anybody's Mother. That should be a banning offence.