EMSA OKLAHOMA to SEATTLE

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BasicBek

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Hey everyone.

I know there is a ton of Seattle EMS posts and I've found some good advice in them but none answering just quite what I'm looking for.

I am planning on MAYBE moving back home to Seattle to work after being here in Oklahoma working for EMSA the past few years.

Can anyone give me any insight as far as a company that runs similar to how it is here? I am an EMT-B working on an ALS unit with my partner Paramedic. I understand there are quite a few BLS services there, but are there any that run like it is here? We are the only service here, there is no tier and no BLS services. The experience here is unlike mostly anywhere else, and that is what has made me stay here this long but I miss home. I have never worked on a unit that was not ALS.

I'd like more information on TriMed, AMR, Falck and whatever else, Olympic? Anywhere from Seattle to Olympia. Who (not counting Fire) is running most of the 911, even BLS calls and the least transfers?

Thanks.
 
There is nothing in Seattle that runs like anything you are used to.
 
Just curious, but what makes EMSA so unique for you?
 
Tigger said:
Just curious, but what makes EMSA so unique for you?
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It isn't unique to me. It is the only system I know with the exception of some information from people at various other services around the US and any reading I've done over the past few years. It's the only company in this city so I don't have much comparison to go on.

I just want to move home and know which BLS or ALS services there are that are more recommended. EMSA was just taken by AMR so I'd especially like to know about AMR in the NW.
 
DEmedic said:
There is nothing in Seattle that runs like anything you are used to.
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Well I've heard TriMed runs a lot of calls, but is it so much that there is no downtime? Is it 24s?

I'm ready to be done with being so busy, I'd like something a little more laid back.
 
When I said a service like here, I specifically meant there being 1 EMT and 1 Paramedic on a unit, not referring to anything more.
 
Depends on how close to seattle you want to be. If you want to work in King county seattle area all you will be is a basic working with a basic or MAYBE an RN if you get "lucky" (depends on who you talk to) and get a CCT shift. (though KCMO is hiring if you want to go to medic school and be a medic). If you go north to sno county and above all ALS is done by Fire. South (so pierce county, thurston etc.) You can work for Rural Metro or AMR and work on a ALS rig with a medic but a lot of it is transport for fire. AMR in spokane will be first in for some 911 calls if you want to live all the way over there. Just do your research. OH!!! ALS in Yakama. They do 911. But I don't know if that is Medic/Basic or Medic/Medic.
 
FireWA1 said:
Depends on how close to seattle you want to be. If you want to work in King county seattle area all you will be is a basic working with a basic or MAYBE an RN if you get "lucky" (depends on who you talk to) and get a CCT shift. (though KCMO is hiring if you want to go to medic school and be a medic). If you go north to sno county and above all ALS is done by Fire. South (so pierce county, thurston etc.) You can work for Rural Metro or AMR and work on a ALS rig with a medic but a lot of it is transport for fire. AMR in spokane will be first in for some 911 calls if you want to live all the way over there. Just do your research. OH!!! ALS in Yakama. They do 911. But I don't know if that is Medic/Basic or Medic/Medic.
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Thank you. I appreciate your input. I don't mind being on a BLS unit, It'd be a different experience. Do you know any info about the BLS services in Seattle/Tacoma/Everett area? Maybe which are doing some 911 or a lot? Less IFT?
 
All the BLS services in Seattle do a mix of 911 and IFT, but no ALS. Any transport you'll run will be strictly BLS. All of the ALS is run by either fire or KCM1.

TriMed was running a mix of 24s and day shifts. The 24s are a modified Detroit schedule. It's not so busy that there's no down time, but it IS busy. AMR in Seattle is strictly BLS, a mix of 911 with fire and IFT and they do SSM. They spend all day and night running all over the city from post to post.
 
DEmedic said:
All the BLS services in Seattle do a mix of 911 and IFT, but no ALS. Any transport you'll run will be strictly BLS. All of the ALS is run by either fire or KCM1.

TriMed was running a mix of 24s and day shifts. The 24s are a modified Detroit schedule. It's not so busy that there's no down time, but it IS busy. AMR in Seattle is strictly BLS, a mix of 911 with fire and IFT and they do SSM. They spend all day and night running all over the city from post to post.
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Thank you, that's very helpful. Maybe I'll see about an AMR transfer. I like SSM, unless there is a service with a station where you actually get to see it. :p And I'd like to try 24s too...
 
If you get far enough away from Seattle, there are some places with third service or hospital based EMS that do 911 response and, I think, still run medic/emt crews (Skagit County Medic One, Whidbey General EMS, possibly others. Good luck getting hired at one of them; turnover is low.

I think Olympic Ambulance over on the peninsula does 911 ALS response in some areas. Don't know about their staffing.

Pierce County ambulances typically run medic/emt, but you're doing interfacility transport and pick ups in the field from the first-responding fire units. AMR in Yakima or Vancouver might do medic/emt.
 
Oly in Bremerton doesn't do ALS 911, only ALS IFT. However, for medics it's a gret PT gig. Only in Port Angeles does medic/basic trucks for some 911, but that's a loooong ride from Seattle.

Mason County Medic One is a private company, owned by Oly. They also do P/B 911 and IFT. Very difficult to get hired there. Nobody ever leaves. I did some per diem shifts there, a lot of fun.

I'd suggest the east side of the cascades. Yakima gets great stuff and the EMTs there are treated a LOT better than they are in Seattle.
 
DEmedic said:
Oly in Bremerton doesn't do ALS 911, only ALS IFT. However, for medics it's a gret PT gig. Only in Port Angeles does medic/basic trucks for some 911, but that's a loooong ride from Seattle.

Mason County Medic One is a private company, owned by Oly. They also do P/B 911 and IFT. Very difficult to get hired there. Nobody ever leaves. I did some per diem shifts there, a lot of fun.

I'd suggest the east side of the cascades. Yakima gets great stuff and the EMTs there are treated a LOT better than they are in Seattle.
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Isn't Yakima an AMR location?
 
There are a couple of AMR units that share the city with Advanced Life Systems. AMR had a larger presence in the lower valley. In Yakima, Fire dispatch picks the closest ambulance based on AVL.
 
As much as Yakima is a possibility, my main point in returning home is because I miss my family and they are in Tacoma and Seattle. I know it's not as far as HERE. But I'm ready to be actually home. I plan on getting my Para and I know that will give me more/different options later on. All of your input has greatly helped.

Since ALS seems not a possibility who would you all most recommend as far as working BLS goes? If you were an EMT in King/Snohomish/Pierce county and even Bremerton area who would you most recommend?
 
BasicBek, if you're looking to remain a basic but want more, practically anywhere will offer that. If you want to be a pmed, though, don't move yet.
 
RocketMedic said:
BasicBek, if you're looking to remain a basic but want more, practically anywhere will offer that. If you want to be a pmed, though, don't move yet.
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You recommend I do Paramedic school here huh? =( when I've researched school up there it seems either difficult or rare... Surely it can't be impossible though?
 
Paramedic school in the Seattle area of Washington is basically three choices. Tacoma Community College, Central Washington University or the Harborview program. TCC and CWU are not impossible to get into. Harborview is for Medic One hires or sponsored candidates only. (Some of the outlying counties send their guys there)

If I were going back to work BLS only, I'd work for either TriMed or Oly in Brem. (The EMTs in Brem are treated pretty well by fire, as long as they aren't total toolbags)
 
BasicBek, I'm Robert Martin from work. EMSA is not perfect for work as a paramedic, but it is far, far, far less competitive to get into paramedic school here than on the West Coast.

EOC, Gordon Cooper, OCCC, OKC-OSU, Redlands off the top of my head.
 
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