AMR questions

[Breakfast Fox]

Heya all, just had a couple quick questions.

I've been trying for a while (several months) to enter the local EMS system. It's so competitive around here that the only way to get into the ambulance service is to join the volunteer reserve program first, and then transfer (I tried joining the reserves and was not accepted, and was told to try again at the beginning of next year). I've been checking alternatives, and one that came up was AMR.

In my browsing of this forum, I've seen quite a few "alternative names" for AMR. My question is, is AMR as bad as everyone seems to think? At this point I just want to use my certification and gain experience, I'm not picky about how. Can anyone tell me about AMR's reputation, and your thoughts/experiences with it? I'm an EMT-B with basic EKG interpretation and IV therapy training - not exactly additional certifications, but they're good to know, and I hope they'll help me land a job.

Thanks for any responses!

 

[jeepmedic]

I have never worked for AMR. But I have heard both good and bad about them from diffrent Forums. I will say this no matter where you go and who you work for you will find people that speak both good and bad about a Company. My advice is to apply, try to get a job and then decide for yourself. If you like it or not. You will find people that both Love and Hate it.


Make your own mind up and go into it with an open mind.

 

[Airwaygoddess]

I agree with JeepMedic, put your best foot forward and give them a try, you will learn something along the way. Good luck!

 

[KEVD18]

it is my opinion that everybody is looking for something different from their employment situation. be it great pay or benefits, great employee to employee or management to employee relations, schedule etc. you have your number one priority, everything else is tertiary. for example, my number one is great employee to employee relations. i have to like and trust the people i work with. to get this, i might compromise and take a job with lower pay, or not so nice a sched or even work for an ahole. as long as i like my crew.

you have your number one too. ask yourself what that is. then see if amr offers it. if they do, you'll be happy there. if not, it doesnt matter what else they offer you. you wont be happy.

i have worked for amr. i didnt find what i was looking for there so i left. consequently, i have a bad taste in my mouth regarding that company, hence me never failing to bash them publicly or privatley. the best advice i can give you is find out for yourself.

 

[jedirye]

I'm actually in the process of getting hired myself! Well, I'm hired already but still going through orientation. I can easily see how some people would bash AMR and others praise it. I think it depends on who is in charge at your local branch. I'm a brand new EMT myself and was looking for a basic place to just gain experience with patients, etc. I'm not ready to play hero so I don't mind transports. There are a lot of aspects about AMR I love so far and I have yet to find some that I hate, but once again I'm still just going through orientation. I say check it out and if you like what you see, go for it!

-rye

 

[gradygirl]

I'm having a grand ol' time working in AMR's Greater Hartford division. Everyone is, more or less, pretty darn cool and we have some outstanding EMT/medics.

As far as the "name game" question, name me one ambulance service that doesn't have some sort of nickname. After that, then tell me if you're that surprised that a national company has so many nicknames.

To be somewhat cliche, don't judge a book by its cover, because you might be missing out on an incredible story...

 

[Jon]

as I've said before... AMR is a National company.... there are good and bad benifits to working for them. The worst, I think, is that, above my manager, I am just a number. I'm not on a first-name basis with the regional VP, or the CEO, etc. When I worked at smaller companies, everyone knew the owner/president. The downside, of course, is that there is no way to appeal to your boss's boss like there is with a national company.

Anyway... I currently work part-time for them. I enjoy it, and the beinfets and pay are "OK" (Uniforms are good quality, but pay is average).

The apparatus is usually in decent shape, although we have a few rolling junk heaps

anyway... give it a try.... you might like it. You will PROBABLY start out doing BLS transfers, so nothing exciting... but it is a good experience, I think, for any EMT to have.

Jon

 

[gradygirl]

anyway... give it a try.... you might like it. You will PROBABLY start out doing BLS transfers, so nothing exciting... but it is a good experience, I think, for any EMT to have.

i'm not sure if this is just because i work in a very busy city, but on my first day after being cut loose from my fto, i was out doing 911 calls with the rest of them. yeah, we did a few transfers, but more than half of our call volume that night were priority 1 911 calls. even when i was still with my fto, we were sent to the worst calls because of my partners' seniority.

 

[Jon]

i'm not sure if this is just because i work in a very busy city, but on my first day after being cut loose from my fto, i was out doing 911 calls with the rest of them. yeah, we did a few transfers, but more than half of our call volume that night were priority 1 911 calls. even when i was still with my fto, we were sent to the worst calls because of my partners' seniority.

You might have been precepted on an emergency truck... From what I understand, where AMR has both transport and 911 operations... a new hire often starts on the transport side and then starts running 911 when they've been there a little while.

Of course, we are JUST transport here, except for the Special Events.

 

[premedtim]

It's the same way for AMR in Stockton, Cali atleast...you do BLS transport for 6 months and then after that you can switch to 911 calls.

 

[gradygirl]

come to think of it, we only have two trucks that are strictly transport, our "high performance" trucks. other than that, everyone in our fleet, excepting our chair car drivers, are expected to do 911 calls and transfers both.