Central Texas ems

[Acesfull0515]

ATCEMS vs WILcoEMS. Both are open for hiring. Out of state medic looking for more info other than websites. Personal experiences? Pros or cons? Biased and unbiased feedback appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[DrParasite]

the new COO of Harris County ESD11 is from my old stomping ground, and they are actively hiring EMTs, Paramedics, and Supervisors

 

[jgmedic]

I went through WilCo's process and am actively mulling over an offer. I posted in the old WilCo thread but to piggyback on this, I'd love any first hand info from current or recent employees.

 

[Anon666]

Current ATCEMS employee here.

Stay away from Austin EMS. We currently have the lowest morale I have ever experienced in all of my years working EMS. Our interim chief is running amock, increasing burdens on field crews by adding on call shifts every two weeks to shoulder our staffing crisis; he isn’t even a credentialed provider - never having worked in the field. We have a physician working for the OMD who is vindictive and decredentials providers to be punitive.

We have the lowest starting pay compared to other systems in the region. And it doesn’t look good for us this collective bargaining season. The list for reasons not to work for us is long. In short, your parameter for where you should work should be based on employee morale.

 

[Rano Pano]

Current ATCEMS employee here.

Stay away from Austin EMS. We currently have the lowest morale I have ever experienced in all of my years working EMS. Our interim chief is running amock, increasing burdens on field crews by adding on call shifts every two weeks to shoulder our staffing crisis; he isn’t even a credentialed provider - never having worked in the field. We have a physician working for the OMD who is vindictive and decredentials providers to be punitive.

We have the lowest starting pay compared to other systems in the region. And it doesn’t look good for us this collective bargaining season. The list for reasons not to work for us is long. In short, your parameter for where you should work should be based on employee morale.

I’m not replying to discredit your opinion. Accounts made just to vent normally don’t hold much weight, so I’d like to address what you’ve said for anyone genuinely interested in ATC.

ATCEMS is far from perfect. Their are issues within the department, and the morale is hurting/frustrated. The second OCP is terrible. No one likes it. I may be naive but I have hope it does come to a end. We will have permanent chief elected before the end of the year.

I have an idea what doc you’re referring to as there’s been rumors flying around but I know nothing.

The lowest starting pay? To who? If your looking at it from the POV you enter as a Medic 1 and you’re already a paramedic then I guess I can follow. The reality is our hourly and schedule is better then anyone else around. I still think we are underpaid.

Hoping the upcoming CBA goes well.

Their are a lot of different avenues of EMS and this department is better then most. Definitely room for improvement and we have a lot of uncertainty going on, but to absolutely sway people? This is a step up for the majority applying.

 

[RocketMedic]

ATCEMS looks like punishment. Tired, overworked, a management culture that seems to want to wring the last drop out of its people and watches everything like hawks…hard pass. Plus you’re not actually a paramedic for quite a while. Why not make more, work less and be a real medic from day one in a neighboring department like Lockhart?