Questions about ride alongs

[rugrat]

Hey,

So here is the deal I have been applying to lots of places and it looks rather hopeful at one company (if they don't hire me in the next few days maybe they will in a few months)

Anyways it has still been over 6 months since class and the clinicals for the class sucked (aka only ER time and no ride alongs)/ So meanwhile I have been really wanting to do some.

So the dorm in which I live at the university I am attending is right across the street from one of the best and biggest ER's in the state. They also have a very good EMS system (one of the top ten in the US from what I have heard) They only hire paramedics (they also denote experienced EMT's) ... but I am thinking I could still maybe score some ride alongs?

There is a lot where they always have a few ambulances ready to go (usually with crews waiting in the rig.) Would it be proper (not illegal or rude) to walk up and see if any of them are interested in me doing a ride a long?

I unfortunately know no any EMT's or Paramedics in my area. The one Medic I know of at the specific EMS agency mentioned isn't running the streets at the moment.

Also if it was your rig and I was doing a ride along what would be the best way for me to pay back in friendly way? (gift card, take you out for coffee, cover lunch etc?)

I am thinking it might be good for me to get some ride alongs so I can refresh memory, learn some new stuff, and hopefully make some friends in the field...

Thanks guys,
Rugrat

 

[Handsome Robb]

If you're not a student you're not going to be allowed to do anything during that ride. You'll purely be an observer.

For what it's worth observers with us are not allowed to touch equipment or patients. Now if I ask you to hand me a supply that's not a big deal. No carrying, lifting, ect.

I'd contact a supervisor or their PR dept rather than just walking up to a unit/the station. Most every agency has a policy about community riders. We used to allow anyone and everyone, as of a couple months ago, only students from out education center can ride until we fix our staffing levels.

You don't have to pay us back( just don't make our jobs more difficult, don't be annoying, and listen to what they have to say. Definitely don't talk bak or argue unless it's a safety issue and even then use caution unless someone is in immediate danger. Depends on the crew but many won't accept things from riders, especially students. That way you can't come at me and be like "I bought you lunch you have to pass me!" Or "you only passed them because they bought you stuff all day." Coffee though...is a different story.

Call your friend that works there. I'm sure s/he can point you in the right direction.

 

[rugrat]

I realize that, but still as on observer I will be able to learn and retain knowledge.

Haha that hospital is huge after a couple of transfers I finally got the EMS person who manages ride alongs and she said to call back in a month or two... :glare: haha hope I will have a job by then!

 

[RebelAngel]

Wow. That's crazy to me. Like you I feel that Observering is going to help me a learn, retain, and process information in a "real life" setting....there are just things you can't learn from a book, and I'd rather learn as much as I can as Observer so I have that knowledge when I'm on my own as EMT.

I am a member of our volunteer fire department EMS, so my two ride alongs so far have been with the department I will be volunteering for. We are very small and rather slow so over the last few weeks I've been working on going on ride alongs with bigger companies in the area.

For one, I talked to the Chief of our FD, and he got in touch with a friend of his that runs with a very large company in the area and started the ball rolling. For the other smaller company that has more calls than ours, I contacted the Mayor (he's a friend and on the board of the EMS company) and he contacted the man in charge. That man contacted me and he said he's going to put me on the schedule.

I am planning to do my Clinicals on an ambulance, whether it's ours, the bigger company, or one of the other two companies in the area....or maybe a mixture of both. I can be a pushy little thing and keep pushing until I achieve what I want to achieve, some people like it and others don't.

 

[rugrat]

That hospital (I won't name drop) is frustrating! After I got my EMT 6 months ago I tried several times to get a job as an ER tech. Who doesn't want a job that is across the street from where you live right?

Anyways the HR told me they did not have any jobs and that any would be posted online. 9Keep in mind this hospital employees like 7000 people or something like that... anyways I had been looking at the website for openings long before I became an EMT and for 8-9 months they had nothing and the HR had no idea why or even who to talk to??? They would give a me a phone number who they though might be a good person to talk to? I got transferred like 8 times to different people and finally left a message on someone's phone who never called me back... Finally about a month ago a position opened up (it took over an hour to complete all of the application stuff (which you have to fill out for every single application!) and the job opening was gone in less than 24 hours!

I have heard from a nurse who works there that you have to know someone or literally like wait behind the ER or something... I am not to keen on that idea... would rather not start a police record now...


Oh and @Robb
The reason I would like to is purely to be nice. I don't want to make anyone's day harder or anything. Just I am a big fan of saying thanks to people and that often comes through gifts (not intending to bribe anybody... and hey as I am not a student anymore they can consider the gift as a civilian saying thanks )


I know the human resources people at one company here in MN. They also know me I have had one interview this last week and hoping I get my second as it is an awesome company (I have talked to past employees etc)

(Rant Start)
To be honest I am pretty frustrated with how applying works at most of these places (hospitals) There are so many people working there that is hard to find who you are looking for. It seems to me everyone wants online applications. I have nicely prepared resumes and sheets with my license info, past employer history and contact, personal references, and more... That is what I have loved about working restaurants thus far is I can dress nice walk in, talk to the person, I can know their name and I they can remember mine, and we can shake hands... I feel so many of these applications are so impersonal when in reality from what it seems to me being an EMT is a customer service job. (Rant over)