Alaska Paramedic Job?

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Fwgun

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I am currently an NREMT - P in Indiana, I have been a paramedic for approx 4 months, working full time for a critical care transport service, and part time for a 911 service. I am interested in moving to Alaska and working for a year or 2 while I am still young, single, and have nothing holding me back.

I have been doing quite a bit of searching online, but not had much luck. Anyone know of any of the main services in Alaska (other than LifeMed Alaska) that is hiring? I found some fire departments but not really interested in that.

Any input would help! Especially from medics that currently work in Alaska.
 
All depends on where you want to work. Alaska is big. Additionally, your options are VERY limited. There are a lot of volunteer agencies in Alaska and actual paramedics are few and far between. Alaska has EMT I, II and III which are certifications and then paramedics are called MICPs which is licensed. The EMT IIIs are pseudo medics in the sense that they do ACLS measures, so most communities just use them. Cheaper and easier to get.

So where do you want to go because the answer will be different depending on that.

My AK MICP number is 3 digits....LOL.
 
akflightmedic said:
All depends on where you want to work. Alaska is big. Additionally, your options are VERY limited. There are a lot of volunteer agencies in Alaska and actual paramedics are few and far between. Alaska has EMT I, II and III which are certifications and then paramedics are called MICPs which is licensed. The EMT IIIs are pseudo medics in the sense that they do ACLS measures, so most communities just use them. Cheaper and easier to get.

So where do you want to go because the answer will be different depending on that.

My AK MICP number is 3 digits....LOL.
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I'm really open for anywhere in Alaska, I thought about LifeMed alaska, not sure how willing they are to work with someone out of state because of the licensing. Also looked into North Slope, but not much housing available there.

Any idea how long it would take for Alaska to issue a license for me? I am nationally registered, but only licensed in Indiana.

I would need full time employment, could you name off a few that you know that i can look into?

@akflightmedic
 
Being that you are so new, I would rule out most of the remote areas (Nome, Barrow/North Slope, Dutch Harbor, etc). Not saying they would not hire you, however they look for more experienced and seasoned medics due to the austere environment. For example, my typical medevac flight lasted anywhere from 3-24 hours depending on weather. Take a critical patient whether trauma or medical and then manage them for that length of time. On the plus side, if you get in one of those areas, you will have some serious experience under your belt that most in the lower 48 will never see. I did my first field chest tube in Alaska, numerous surgical crics, hung blood, fibrinolytics, and delivered babies.

I recommend you look in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau or Soldotna. You can get just an EMS job in the last 3, Anchorage is Fire-Rescue but they may be willing to train you since you will have MICP status. Juneau look for Capitol City EMS. Other possibilities but rare are in Ketchikan or Sitka. Keep in mind the majority of these areas have a heavy volunteer base and a lot of them simply have paid on call staff as well. If you want FT employment seek out the big 3 listed above.

If you can get in the North Slope, go for it! You will get lots of training and the pay is ok. When you see those $25-30/hour salaries do not forget the cost of living is HIGH. $6 for a gallon of milk is normal. Do not worry about housing as most of those remote places either have housing you can rent or some even provide it. It all comes down to negotiations when you interview, including moving costs, etc. Of course the city EMS or Fire services wont do that, just the remote areas.

In order to apply for a MICP you actually have to have an AK Medical Director already so that means you must get a job before you can apply. The departments know this and they work around it if they want you. Once you relocate, you get a provisional license but the MICP may take 4-8 weeks. I hate asking this, but have you visited Alaska? It is beautiful but a completely different way of life. It is a big jump if you are not as informed.

http://www.matsugov.us/admin/hr/jobopportunities
https://www.nortonsoundhealth.org/Join-NSHC/Vacancy-List
http://www.egovlink.com/ketchikan/postings.asp?listtype=JOB
http://www.cityofsitka.com/government/departments/fire/
http://www.juneau.org/ccfr/
http://www.cityofkotzebue.com/fire
http://www.north-slope.org/
This is a great resource http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/

Also do not forget about USA JOBS as there are many military positions available in Alaska.
 
akflightmedic said:
Being that you are so new, I would rule out most of the remote areas (Nome, Barrow/North Slope, Dutch Harbor, etc). Not saying they would not hire you, however they look for more experienced and seasoned medics due to the austere environment. For example, my typical medevac flight lasted anywhere from 3-24 hours depending on weather. Take a critical patient whether trauma or medical and then manage them for that length of time. On the plus side, if you get in one of those areas, you will have some serious experience under your belt that most in the lower 48 will never see. I did my first field chest tube in Alaska, numerous surgical crics, hung blood, fibrinolytics, and delivered babies.

I recommend you look in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau or Soldotna. You can get just an EMS job in the last 3, Anchorage is Fire-Rescue but they may be willing to train you since you will have MICP status. Juneau look for Capitol City EMS. Other possibilities but rare are in Ketchikan or Sitka. Keep in mind the majority of these areas have a heavy volunteer base and a lot of them simply have paid on call staff as well. If you want FT employment seek out the big 3 listed above.

If you can get in the North Slope, go for it! You will get lots of training and the pay is ok. When you see those $25-30/hour salaries do not forget the cost of living is HIGH. $6 for a gallon of milk is normal. Do not worry about housing as most of those remote places either have housing you can rent or some even provide it. It all comes down to negotiations when you interview, including moving costs, etc. Of course the city EMS or Fire services wont do that, just the remote areas.

In order to apply for a MICP you actually have to have an AK Medical Director already so that means you must get a job before you can apply. The departments know this and they work around it if they want you. Once you relocate, you get a provisional license but the MICP may take 4-8 weeks. I hate asking this, but have you visited Alaska? It is beautiful but a completely different way of life. It is a big jump if you are not as informed.

http://www.matsugov.us/admin/hr/jobopportunities
https://www.nortonsoundhealth.org/Join-NSHC/Vacancy-List
http://www.egovlink.com/ketchikan/postings.asp?listtype=JOB
http://www.cityofsitka.com/government/departments/fire/
http://www.juneau.org/ccfr/
http://www.cityofkotzebue.com/fire
http://www.north-slope.org/
This is a great resource http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/

Also do not forget about USA JOBS as there are many military positions available in Alaska.
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Do the military positions use nremt just like they do in the lower 48? I know that to work as a civilian medic on a base in CONUS all you need is registry, not state most times.
 
I really appreciate your insight on this! I've been making a lot of calls around to see what I can work out.

Do you know much about LifeMed Alaska, what would a ground paramedic do for them, and are they are good company to work for?

@akflightmedic
 
Lifemed primarily hired only flight nurses unless that has changed in recent years. If you were a ground paramedic for them I would assume you would drive. Many other flight services employ this same model, they hire a medic for the ground transports which means you help load and offload the patient from the aircraft to the ambulance and you drive when weather is too inclement. Give them a call and ask...
 
I went to their website and I see they have a flight medic opening in FB and Ground medic in Anchorage...so at least they are flying medics. As a ground medic however, you would be doing the interfacilities as 911 is handled by the AFD. There was only one other ground transport service in Anchorage when I flew in there, trying to remember their name as they were who we hired to pick us up. Options are definitely limited but having MICP elevates you on the field.
 
akflightmedic said:
I went to their website and I see they have a flight medic opening in FB and Ground medic in Anchorage...so at least they are flying medics. As a ground medic however, you would be doing the interfacilities as 911 is handled by the AFD. There was only one other ground transport service in Anchorage when I flew in there, trying to remember their name as they were who we hired to pick us up. Options are definitely limited but having MICP elevates you on the field.
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I was thinking maybe try to get on as a ground paramedic with them which will at least get me a job in Alaska and get my the MICP license, then once I'm in alaska and have that license it will be easier to find something else if I didn't like it there.

I currently work in Critical Care in Indiana and don't mind it, has its challenges, I work in 911 as well though and enjoy that much more. The other option is to work as a Community Health Aide for a year just to get my licensing and get moved there then move into a paramedic job.

Does the company you work for hire medics with less than 1 year experience?

@akflightmedic
 
I am no longer in Alaska however most did not hire those with only a year. However, as things change you should still pursue...you simply never know without trying. I have no contacts or I would pass those along.

Are you talking Community Health Aide in Alaska? Those positions are typically Native. We used to fly in villagers with potential and train them to be CHA which essentially was less than an EMT. It is a government program to foster education and employment in the villages, some areas are a success and others are a waste. If you know anything about reservations, the same scenarios apply in the villages. Some of the larger villages do get a PA who rotates through and provides training as well, but becoming a CHA in Alaska would simply not be possible for you unless you are a Native and a member of that community already. :)
 
akflightmedic said:
If you can get in the North Slope, go for it! You will get lots of training and the pay is ok. When you see those $25-30/hour salaries do not forget the cost of living is HIGH. $6 for a gallon of milk is normal. Do not worry about housing as most of those remote places either have housing you can rent or some even provide it. It all comes down to negotiations when you interview, including moving costs, etc. Of course the city EMS or Fire services wont do that, just the remote areas.
Click to expand...
As a general FYI, there's almost no housing available in Barrow at the moment. I was speaking with 2 good friends who are still living/working there last week; both said since Shell Oil came to town for work the housing has gone from tight to nil, and the costs from bad to outrageous. As an example, when I was there in 2004-2005, I was paying $900 a month for a 2-bedroom place rented from the housing authority (TNHA). That was WITH a $600/month subsidy. Nowadays even shared rooms are allegedly fetching upwards of $600/month, and my old 2-br was last rented to Shell for $4600/month. The last place to provide housing is apparently the PD, which only allows their officers a 60-day stay before they have to find a place of their own.
 
First of all, I am sorry for resurrecting such an old thread. However, I wonder if there is anymore up to date information on this? Speicifically on any information about temporary seasonal positions and contracts? How do taxes work there if you work there but reside outside of Alaska? Thanks in advance
 
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There are no state taxes. You will pay Federal taxes of course...and if your primary state has state tax, then you are obligated to report and pay taxes there, however you need to check with that particular state. If you reside out of the country, then state tax is non issue, but still on hook for Federal.

In all my years there, I really did not see or hear of too many seasonal positions worth pursuing. You get some remote logging or gold mine projects but that is all HSE type work with the occasional thrill, but the pay was not much to cluck about. A lot of guys worked the pipeline where they had staging points at certain "mile markers' or what not...basically never see/do anything and fight boredom to extreme. They must pay well enough to live on as openings were scarce and it was set up 2 week on 2 week off rotation for some.

Start some research here... http://www.alyeska-pipe.com/ Might be of some use and great starting point.

Actual paramedics (called MICPs) up there are not all that common. My Medic number was 3 digits long and started with a 5.
A lot of the temporary or remote assignments when I was stomping around used EMT IIIs (pseudo medics) as they are cheaper and easier to find.

A lot of the opportunities in Alaska are found on specific sites pertaining to Alaska, usually buried in the state website or in local town papers (online). They just never needed to advertise that much.
 
Hello,
@Fwgun and @akflightmedic
I am in Paramedic school in CT and will be testing for my NR in August 2020. I am interested in moving to AK as a medic. I am a Pilot (fixed-wing, single-engine). I could work as a pilot or as a medic, but I really would like to work as a FT medic. I am willing to move anywhere in the state. I don't really want to be FF, but I'm ok with being EMS only in a Fire Department.
Fwgun, did you end up moving to AK and becoming a medic? Where did you find a job.
 
FutureFlight said:
Hello,
@Fwgun and @akflightmedic
I am in Paramedic school in CT and will be testing for my NR in August 2020. I am interested in moving to AK as a medic. I am a Pilot (fixed-wing, single-engine). I could work as a pilot or as a medic, but I really would like to work as a FT medic. I am willing to move anywhere in the state. I don't really want to be FF, but I'm ok with being EMS only in a Fire Department.
Fwgun, did you end up moving to AK and becoming a medic? Where did you find a job.
Click to expand...


Give me a call when you get a chance, I would like to discuss what your looking for.

907-310-9001

Cory Hughes
Operations Manager
Medevac Alaska
 
chughes said:
Give me a call when you get a chance, I would like to discuss what your looking for.

907-310-9001

Cory Hughes
Operations Manager
Medevac Alaska
Click to expand...
I'd love to work in Alaska as a flight medic. I miss rural medicine and am loving the flights I do.

Maybe someday I'll find a way to convince my wife to move. Or I'll commute 😆
 
I have looked into rotational stuff on northslope with a well known company in the area. The hourly pay was not as good as I had hoped. No day rate despite being on call 24/7 while ok project site. Only a little OT paid. Maybe I just found a bad contract...
 
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