I have been an EMT-B in the southern california LA/OC for too long now. I recently have found the possibility to move out to Portland OR and that sounds nice. However the logistics of transitioning up there are seeming pretty daunting. Would I be able to find work out there as an emt-B? how easy is it to get though emt-I classes? What is the EMS scene like up there? How does the standard of living for emt-b up there compare? What am I missing? Any experience about the area would be really appreciated.
EMT trying to Leave CA go to OR maybe
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fast65
Doogie Howser FP-C
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It's debatable on whether or not you will be able to find work as an EMT-B. 911 jobs seem to be pretty scarce here for paramedics, let alone EMT-B's, so chances are if you find work as an EMT-B, it would be on a wheel chair van.
As far as EMT-I classes go, I suppose it depends on what you consider "easy". From what I've heard from friends who have done EMT-I classes, they're not inherently difficult by any means.
What do you mean by the "EMS scene"? It varies a good amount by the area you're in. As far as Portland is concerned, it's mostly 3rd party to my understanding. Clackamas and Multonomah counties are run by AMR, and Washington county is run by Metro West. I know Metro West runs paramedic/basic configurations unless they have someone in FTO, and I think AMR is the same.
I can't really speak as to the standard of living.
Keep in mind that for reciprocity you'll need to have the following:
-NREMT-B
-California EMT-B in good standing
-Training in:
As far as EMT-I classes go, I suppose it depends on what you consider "easy". From what I've heard from friends who have done EMT-I classes, they're not inherently difficult by any means.
What do you mean by the "EMS scene"? It varies a good amount by the area you're in. As far as Portland is concerned, it's mostly 3rd party to my understanding. Clackamas and Multonomah counties are run by AMR, and Washington county is run by Metro West. I know Metro West runs paramedic/basic configurations unless they have someone in FTO, and I think AMR is the same.
I can't really speak as to the standard of living.
Keep in mind that for reciprocity you'll need to have the following:
-NREMT-B
-California EMT-B in good standing
-Training in:
- Subcutaneous epinephrine administration
- Supraglottic airways
- CBG
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I would certainly listen to what this guy has to say. Oregon is different from California, in many respects, EMS is one of them. If you do move to Oregon, just remember that you need to leave California in California.
I wouldn't mind BLSing up there till I got situated, got a lay of the land and figured out how to deal with real weather. Gotta paythe bills. Probably best rhat way anyway.
I ment easy to get through emt b --> I as in availity and duration of classes vs. information provided and passrate.
I ment ems scene as how the industry operates in the area. For example in LA city it is inumerable shady bls companies that people kick around in waiting to go 9/11 or fire.
What are the levels of employment vs job seeking? Useual starting pay/hours. Whatis the size of the ems pool and how much is each level of intefmediate?
I am not sure I fully understand what you are saying with that.
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fast65
Doogie Howser FP-C
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There are a few community colleges throughout the state that offer EMT-I classes, one of which is in Portland (PCC). I don't have any info on the difficulty of admission, nor on the pass rate. However, I believe the typical length is about two terms.
To the best of my knowledge, there aren't too many "shady" companies up here. Granted you will have "shady" companies in any bigger city, but they're not nearly as prevalent as they are in California.
Typically up here you will start on the wheelchair/stretcher transfer side of things for a private company, then if you're lucky, a spot will open up on a 911 unit. That being said, you could get lucky and get an ER tech position, but that will depend on how much experience you have in EMS. Depending on the company, EMT-B's can start anywhere from minimum wage ($8.80/hr) up to $12/hr, of course that's a rough estimate though. ER tech's start around $10-13/hr I believe. As far as hours are concerned, that depends on the company. Metro West runs 8, 10, or 12 hour days to the best of my knowledge, and I think AMR runs 8 or 12 hour days, but don't quote me on that.
What do you mean by "what's size of the EMS pool, and what's the level of each intermediate?"?