livescan what states require them to get licensced

[dreamthis]

I am in california and wanted to know what states require a live scan to get emt-b license.Do you need it for nremt test or for after you pass to apply for state license?

[JPINFV]

You only need it for your county license and your ambulance drivers certificate [through the DMV] for California.

[dreamthis]

Do you need it in all counties in and out of california

[james]

what is live scan and does only go for cali ems

[dreamthis]

Livescan is a thorough fingerprint and national database search for criminal background ,as far as i know . What i dont know is how far back they go and what they are looking for as far as disqualifying a person from getting an emt-bstate license.Any answers anyone?

[roxychick]

i think they look for criminal histories, background check, credit check and such. If you haven't committed a crime then I believe theres really nothing to worry about. when i did mines I had to get one to get the county cert and another one for the dmv for my ambulance cert. i'm not sure if you will need to have it redone if you want to transfer to another state but when you do get one here in san diego or any other place they will give you a receipt/document that you keep...perhaps you can just show that as evidence that you have done a livescan and such.

[JPINFV]

Do you need it in all counties in and out of california

You need it in most but not all counties in California. There was a big controversy last year regarding this because you don't have to be licensed in the county that you work in. (note: Some counties, like Orange County, have it set up so that you essentially have to be certified in county due to the county's "Ambulance Attendant license") Due to that, there were people going 2-3 counties away to one of the few that didn't require a Live Scan to avoid the requirement. If it hasn't already, expect the rules regarding Live Scan to change relatively soon.

Of course the DMV is going to require a separate Live Scan for the driving certificate regardless of which county you live in.

[amonteve]

I called CA DMV the other day to ask if I needed a separate Livescan in addition to the one I filed with the county. The guy I talked to led me to believe that I just needed to bring in one of the copies of my county Livescan request. His tone was not convincing though. Is he right or do I need to go get a second one done that will be reported directly to DMV?

[roxychick]

I called CA DMV the other day to ask if I needed a separate Livescan in addition to the one I filed with the county. The guy I talked to led me to believe that I just needed to bring in one of the copies of my county Livescan request. His tone was not convincing though. Is he right or do I need to go get a second one done that will be reported directly to DMV?

That's what I did too but the guy obviously didn't know what to say. He told me that I could take the test and then turn in the paperworks. lol But here's what you do! Go to your local dmv and ask them the paperworks you need for your ambulance cert. It should be this really long paper that you need to fill out, a small packet for your physical test from a dr, and the paperwork you need for your livescan. I believe that paperwork is different than the actual livescan for your county. So fill the paperworks, get your physical, and livescan...then study for the ambulance cert test! It's 30 questions and you can only miss 4! ^_^

Hope that helped!

[amonteve]

Livescan has quite a racket going.
I actually already did the medical exam, got the green card, etc. They were able to give me all of that at the doctor's office.
The DMV test/livescan is the last thing I have to do.
Thanks for the info.

[VentMedic]

Livescan has quite a racket going.


But look at the number of people with some serious criminal records that have caused several black eyes to the profession in areas that don't do background checks.

California had to take several media hits to spur a change in legislation. Imagine being able to commit a crime that results in loss of licensure in one county but still able to get a license in another county. That is a very broken system when that can happen.

You are entering homes and working with people at a very vulnerable moment in their lives. They deserve to have a little piece of mind.

Background checks have been standard for many other health professions for many years. The live scan beats going to the PD to have two sets of finger print cards made to be sent to state and Federal agencies which takes 6 - 12 weeks in some areas.

It took me 6 months to get an RCP (RRT) license in California 10 years ago with the old finger print system along with their Board's check of all of my education, employment, all credentials in every state licensed in and credit history.

[JPINFV]

The other thing to realize is that you don't have to be an EMT-B to get an ambulance drivers certificate. You simply have to be one within either 6 or 12 months (I can't remember) after obtaining the cert. If the laws were changed so that you had to get a live scan to be certified as an EMT-B and you had to be an EMT-B to get an ambulance driver certificate, then I could see a compelling reason to drop one of the background checks. Until then, we're just SOL.

[MedicDoug]

Livescan has quite a racket going.
Livescan isn't a company, it's just the process that the State of California Department of Justice uses for quick fingerprint input and data reporting. You do have to do a separate livescan for each agency (EMS, DMV, etc) but that's because the law is currently written to prohibit any agency from sharing this information. Plus it ensures that the person who presents the application is, in fact, the person he/she claims to be. After your livescan, the appropriate agency receives both your current record, and also is notified of any subsequent arrests. Unfortunately this has become necessary due to several instances of EMTs and paramedics involved in some unsavory activities. The full text of the regulations is available at the California EMS Authority website, or check the local EMS agency policy for EMT certification. Is it a pain in the butt and wallet to do multiple livescans? Yup, sure is. But its cheaper than being charged for a background investigation as a condition of employment. BTW, in California, only government agencies can receive Livescan information, not private entities, so you shouldn't have to livescan for your employer.

[disassociative]

TN requires that all EMT-IV and Paramedic applicants have TBI(Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) and FBI background checks as well as ALL 10 fingerprints on file before each licensure.

[amonteve]

Agreed. And it does makes sense.
I was mostly being sarcastic and writing that at the end of a couple weeks that involved paying for nremt, county cert, medical exam, livescan #1, and some other miscellanea and my checking account was feeling pretty sore.

[Ridryder911]

I am always concerned about anyone that is concerned about any background investigation (especially fingerprinting). More background and knowledge about the individual we have the better.


R/r 911

[MedicDoug]

Agreed. And it does makes sense.
I was mostly being sarcastic and writing that at the end of a couple weeks that involved paying for nremt, county cert, medical exam, livescan #1, and some other miscellanea and my checking account was feeling pretty sore.
Well, the good news is that it isn't a recurring fee!

[DT4EMS]

Livescan is simply "AFIS". It is a computerized version of the 10 print plus writers palm and such. We can get results in a matter of minutes now, not waiting for days after faxing prints.

[JPINFV]

I am always concerned about anyone that is concerned about any background investigation (especially fingerprinting). More background and knowledge about the individual we have the better.


R/r 911

I've never had a problem with background checks. Nor have I ever had a problem with being asked to pee in a cup. What does drive me batty, though, is having 2 government agencies [County EMS and the Department of Motor Vehicles] both require the exact same background check, but can't share information. This forces the applicant to get not 1, but 2 background checks from the exact same system.

[MizRizQuick]

Louisiana doesn't require it. In fact, I've never heard of it.

[MedicDoug]

I've never had a problem with background checks. Nor have I ever had a problem with being asked to pee in a cup. What does drive me batty, though, is having 2 government agencies [County EMS and the Department of Motor Vehicles] both require the exact same background check, but can't share information. This forces the applicant to get not 1, but 2 background checks from the exact same system. There is a move afoot in CA to allow you to specify more than one agency to receive your livescan results (some reasonable number, like 2 or 3). This will require a change in regulation and maybe statute, so the paramedics three generations down the road who come to haul us out of our con-home beds might not have to submit multiple forms and pay multiple fees. BTW, a friend of mine is a substitute high school teacher and she had to do 5 Livescans to be able to teach iin each of the 5 schools in our school district... yikes!

[Sapphyre]

Yikes on the five live scans for 5 schools, in the same district. My husband is a sub, and he had to submit one for each district he subs in (at the moment one, but when he started, 2). They're good for all schools in the district.

[firecoins]

Why does California do things by county? New York does a state backround check with your personal information. Although NY licensed securty guards are required to get fingerprinted with only 8 hours of training.

[JPINFV]

Probably the same reason that we call our Basics [officially, at least] EMT-I's [Roman numeral 1. EMT-Intermediates [which are geographically restricted making them rare] are called EMT-II (2)], tradition. The same question could be asked why places do their things by service [each service has their own medical director and protocols] or region [NY for example].

[VentMedic]

Why does California do things by county? New York does a state backround check with your personal information. Although NY licensed securty guards are required to get fingerprinted with only 8 hours of training.


California EMSA wanted each county to retain its own governing authority for regulations. Unfortunately that is what partially created the mess they are in now.

Many different employers (hotels, restaurants, retail stores, 7-11s etc) can require fingerprinting for their employees prior to hire.

25 years ago for insurance purposes in some parts of the country, EMTs and Drivers were sent to a bonding agency.

[MedicDoug]

Why does California do things by county? New York does a state backround check with your personal information. Although NY licensed securty guards are required to get fingerprinted with only 8 hours of training. I think the California situation is a result of being one of the first states to have a true pre-hospital system, and those systems grew up in separate areas of the state with different medical directors and different situations. And California is a geographically large state with huge variations in population, geography, etc. There are 31 (!) local EMS agencies in the state, each with slightly different protocols and procedures. At this point the only way to fix it would be to blow up the entire system and start over, and nobody has the stomach, political will, or funding to do THAT! I am jealous of medics and EMTs who work in states with statewide certification/licensing, consistent pre-hospital treatment policies, and a strong state presence. True, too, that we just have to be a little bit different out here ;>)

[dreamthis]

Well let me inform any interested in knowing nremt will not let you take the test if you answer yes to criminal felony convictions past , because if you do take the test , pass and apply in your local county ems agency(california) and they become aware of your past criminal history they will pull/revoke your nremt card /cert or whatever it is they give you and as i was told ,once taken from you cannot be given to you again .I dont know for sure but i was told by a very nice lady at NREMTto be sure a local county agency will hire me w/ my past before i take the nremt test, as to not risk permanetly ruining my chance at becoming an EMT . She unlike a couple of people unfortunatly ive come across on this site , was very understanding to the fact that things happen ,and people do make mistakes in choices and sometimes even though someone may have a blemish can be one of the most caring reliable valiant great person you would ever come across . its not what happens that defines you but how you deal with it .So does any one know of what counties may in california give me that chance ive worked and dreamed so hard for. PLEASE HELP ME ANYONE. Thank you.never give up no matter how hard it may seem . =)

[firecoins]

NYS is broken down into regions but it seems ALS protocols change from region to region. Every medic must pass the state test and than the remac test for each region they may work in. A medic must follow the protocols for each region which is not particularly difficult to do but it may be a slight hassle.