AMR's DRT

[Ewok Jerky]

I work at an outside company. The closest AMR is over an hour from me, so I'm trying to decide if having to regularly make the commute is worth it for a chance to get on the ERT.

No. Just working for amr does not guarantee a chance to be on a DRT. Being on a DRT does not guarantee a deployment.

 

[Rin]

My current commute is almost an hour, so it wouldn't kill me to drive a little further. Thanks all for filling in some details for me.

 

[DesertMedic66]

My current commute is almost an hour, so it wouldn't kill me to drive a little further. Thanks all for filling in some details for me.

Let us know if you have any other questions

 

[DesertMedic66]

Just some numbers incase you are interested.

There are currently 1,781 active DRT/ERT members and 42 inactive members.

 

[DeepFreeze]

During deployment you are on the clock and getting paid 24/7 with no days off

Wasn't there also an issue with the partying during Katrina/Rita? I remember hearing a something about that, and the argument of "Off Duty"/"deployment" came into affect.

One of the benefits of being deployed, again because AMR DRT is being used by the gov't (correct me if I'm wrong), is that you are paid "Portal to Portal". So that the minute you are activated, to the minute you are back home...you are getting paid,hence always on the clock.

Depending on your certification level, another way to do deployments (and better organized) is to do it with a FEMA Task Force. I know friends who went into AMR's DRT (they didn't work for AMR) and guys who went to the same location with FEMA. FEMA's people were way better fed and better equipped and better taken care of in general. I know in New England, Paramedic and higher are needed on the FEMA team

My same friend who was on the AMR team had to steal MRE's due to poor planning. Plus he was on the Katrina deployment, was halfway back home and they sent him back out again to RITA. A couple other stories he had convinced me not to apply.

But I guess you could say that about any disaster deployment.

 

[Rin]

I wonder if the 'no fraternization' policy is still in effect if they put you up in a hotel (vs. being in squads/tents). Sounds kind of hard to enforce, unless they purposefully split up the men & women. Do they just room you with whoever your partner is or assign a random roommate? Something about that could be a bit more awkward when you're not roughing it.

 

[TransportJockey]

I wonder if the 'no fraternization' policy is still in effect if they put you up in a hotel (vs. being in squads/tents). Sounds kind of hard to enforce, unless they purposefully split up the men & women. Do they just room you with whoever your partner is or assign a random roommate? Something about that could be a bit more awkward when you're not roughing it.

I know when I did my personnel shortage deployment I was with a random guy in a hotel room. Didn't stop any of us from spending nights in female rooms.
On deployment for.Isaac I was primarily in the ambulance with my female partner who happened to be my boss.back home

 

[Jon]

DRT can be fun, but you've got to be able/willing to be flexible and make do with very little in the way of creature comforts.



Someone mentioned partying during Katrina.

I was in Louisiana for about 3 weeks with DRT... If there was partying, I didn't know about it.