Recert Help Please (California)

[Shelby]

I'm going to try to sum this up without being confusing, but I'm super frustrated, so we'll see how that goes, ha.

My EMT-B cert through Sacramento County has been expired for 13 months. Sac County told me that to recert I would need 48 hours of CE, skills verification, BLS card, ID, and $68. They said I did not need my national cert, as I have already been certified before, and my national is also expired. Today the lady there calls me to tell me that was bad information. I actually *do* need my national cert. I've never heard of an EMT needing national cert to reobtain state.

So then I call Placer County, and they say that's ridiculous and I can just cert with them. But oh wait -- I'm not "expired enough" to switch counties -- I would have to be within six months of being two years expired.

I'm on the phone with NREMT now, but does anyone have any clarification on this? I'm hoping the lady at Sac County has no idea what she's talking I about.

I, of course, want to become nationally certified again, but I'm starting NCTI for paramedic on May 7th and am trying to get this done as quickly as possible because I need an active county card to start the program.

 

[CALEMT]

Look on the county EMS agency website, they should have the recertification policy on there.

 

[Shelby]

I did, and Sacramento does say national.. Neither Placer or El Dorado do, now I guess I'm just not expired enough for them. Ugh. Ready to pull my hair out.

 

[PotatoMedic]

I did, and Sacramento does say national.. Neither Placer or El Dorado do, now I guess I'm just not expired enough for them. Ugh. Ready to pull my hair out.

Just shave. It is less painful.

 

[Shelby]

Eh, I have some clip in extensions, it won't hurt that badly to yank them out.

 

[CALEMT]

Sounds like quite the pickle you're in.

 

[Shelby]

I'm just getting the hell out of Florida, getting back to California, and getting it done.

 

[Angel]

So why don't you just recert your nremt?

 

[Shelby]

I'm trying to, just a time crunch right now.




To Apply For Recertification You Must:

1. Be actively working within an emergency medical service, rescue service, or patient health care facility using your EMT skills.
   
   If you wish to request Inactive Status and this is your first recertification, you must provide documentation that you have worked as an EMT in a patient care setting for at least six months.
   
   
   So does this mean I'm just out of luck? I don't have work experience in the field.

 

[CALEMT]

If you've worked as a EMT before and have 6 months. All you need is a letter saying that you've worked from this date to this date. Or a W-4 will work. If no experience then you probably need to retake the EMT class but I'm not 100% sure on that. You can always call national and ask.

 

[Shelby]

I don't have the six months experience. Wish me luck for calling NREMT tomorrow. The most frustrating part is that Placer County said they don't require NREMT, the only reason they can't recert me is because I haven't been expired long enough. Three other counties said that makes no sense, so I'll be in for a bit of an argument with Placer tomorrow.. last hope. Thanks for all of the help, guys. I appreciate it.

 

[Shelby]

Well, good news. I just got off of the phone with someone else at Placer County who said that I don't need NREMT, and that whoever told me I wasn't expired enough to show up in their system didn't have a clue what they were talking about. I head back to California in six days and will be heading over there to get my livescan and get things going. It, for a lack of better words, sucks how (and this is the same in any field) you get 10 different people and 10 different opinions. I'm just hoping this lady is right!

 

[gotbeerz001]

Hope you got her name.

 

[Shelby]

I definitely did.

 

[Medic496]

Shelby, State EMS regulations define the EMT recertification process. All Counties must follow the same process. Since you did earn a CA EMT certification based on competing an EMT course and passing the NREMT exam, once CA EMT expired you had up to 6 months to renew your CA EMT without penalty. You could have recertified with only 24 hours of CE and skills testing if you were diligent to have taken care of this before you expired. Even if you would have attempted to address this when you were less than 6 months past expiration, you wouldn't have suffered a penalty.

Since you allowed your EMT card to expire past 1 year, State regulations and County policy require you to: 1. Perform 48 hours of EMS CE 2. Have your EMT skills verified. 3. Retake and pass the CA State certifying exam (AKA NREMT) to demonstrate continued cognitive competency, since you have been expired past 1 year. You MUST retake the NREMT because you allowed your EMT certification to expire past 1 year. I emphasize your certification because being an EMT is a privilege that must be maintained.

You want to be an EMT, then do your continuing education and turn in your recertification materials on time. You want to make your situation into someone else's problem, I'm sure the County and State EMSA will shed a tear or two for you, and then tell you to go take the NREMT exam again.

Good luck on the NREMT! If you don't take it and your CA EMT goes expired past 2 years, you'll have to take the entire EMT course all over again.

 

[Shelby]

OCEM,

I can see where it may have come across like I was complaining about having to redo all of this again, but that wasn't my intention. My frustration was just coming from being told different things by different people and not knowing exactly what I needed to get done because everyone seemed to have a different opinion. The last time I was told by a county office was that California doesn't require recertifying EMTs to maintain NREMT, as long as they had it in the beginning. Then I was told that I didn't even qualify to sit for NREMT, because I didn't have six months work experience. I was able to call NREMT and they said that because my certification lapsed, that doesn't matter as long as I have my CEs, which I already finished.

I definitely appreciate not only the responsibility, but also the privilege, of holding an EMT license more so now that I lost it, and more so than I did when I was 19. At the time, it was something I wanted to do because I felt lost and unsure what to do. Now, its something I want to do because I know its what I'm meant for. I just wanted to reiterate that I wasn't trying to complain about the whole thing, I wish wish offices were on the same page with the info they give out. Thank you for the well wishes for the NREMT.

 

[CALEMT]

I was able to call NREMT and they said that because my certification lapsed, that doesn't matter as long as I have my CEs, which I already finished.

So you're able to renew national?

 

[Shelby]

That's what I was told yesterday. Because I've already lapsed and I'm not trying to recertify before lapsing, I need my CEs, my skills, and the written test. Regardless of whether or not I can go through the state with or without NREMT, I'm planning on taking it.

 

[CALEMT]

and the written test.

Good luck with that, glad I don't have to take that damn test again.

 

[Shelby]

Hahaha, thank you. I'm not exactly drowning in excitement about it, but gotta do what you gotta do.