San Diego Employment

[Orion619]

Hey all, I had this grand plan to work for AMR or Rural metro after finishing my EMT class. 4 months after course completion, I've gathered all my paperwork and licenses for the DMV and the San Diego county. Reality hit me hard seeing that AMR and Rural metro aren't even hiring. So far, I've applied for Rural Metro, AMR, Pacific Ambulance, Priority One and I'm about to go to fill one out for Alert. I've heard from alot of people to avoid Balboa at all cost so I might just do that.

I saw this thread and helped me out a little bit http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=9968&highlight=diego but its half a year old. Is there anyone out there that works in SD? the job market feels grim right now, granted I've only started applying yesterday but I'm trying to get a feel of how much in demand this job is. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[daedalus]

Remember how easy and quick it was to get your EMT card? Schools all throughout the San Deigo area are turning out hundreds of EMTs every semester, and double that in a year. There are way to many EMTs compared to the actual number of jobs. Go to Paramedic school. Your most likely not going to get a job as a EMT, unless its a transfer jockey job, but even that may be hard right now.

 

[Orion619]

Remember how easy and quick it was to get your EMT card? Schools all throughout the San Deigo area are turning out hundreds of EMTs every semester, and double that in a year. There are way to many EMTs compared to the actual number of jobs. Go to Paramedic school. Your most likely not going to get a job as a EMT, unless its a transfer jockey job, but even that may be hard right now.

I'd love to go to medic school but don't you need to work full time in an ambulance for a year as a requirement? unless I'm mistaken.

 

[daedalus]

I'd love to go to medic school but don't you need to work full time in an ambulance for a year as a requirement? unless I'm mistaken.

Look into NCTI San Diego. It is a nationally accredited paramedic school that does not require previous EMT experience.

 

[Orion619]

Look into NCTI San Diego. It is a nationally accredited paramedic school that does not require previous EMT experience.

Wow, I never even heard of them. I was planning on going to Palomar college for my paramedic studies. That changes things a bit. Thanks for the tip.

 

[daedalus]

Wow, I never even heard of them. I was planning on going to Palomar college for my paramedic studies. That changes things a bit. Thanks for the tip.

If you do go that route, be sure to take a full college level A&P, not the two week class that NCTI offers. Also, its a great idea to take classes like psychology, biology, medical terminology and the like while you are waiting to get into any program. Trust me, you will thank me later.

 

[Jon]

Look into NCTI San Diego. It is a nationally accredited paramedic school that does not require previous EMT experience.

Is this a Zero-to-Hero program?
And isn't it run by AMR?

 

[Sapphyre]

Is this a Zero-to-Hero program?
And isn't it run by AMR?

My vote for yes on both counts...

 

[AJ Hidell]

Kinda depends on how you look at it. They are for-profit, so they will take anyone in order to keep the classes full. However, one of their chief instructors told me that most of their students are employees, and they get priority admission. That means most of the students do have "experience", although it's hard to get quality EMT-B experience anywhere in SoCal, so it's a moot point. But yeah, they do not absolutely require EMT-B experience for admission. I find that to be one of the few positives about the program.

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

I know this is way to loooooooong, but I wish somebody would have told me before I went through the trouble of getting hired.

A few people left my company and went the NCTI route, but they first got hired by AMR as EMT-Bs and signed a 2year contract with AMR to have them pay for NCTI, which is a benefit (downside work 2 yrs at ~$13-15/hr) NCTI isn't incredibly respected.

Rural Metro: They receive 100's of apps a month. Their hiring is ridiculously erratic. They do have the bridged program allowing EMTs to work with medics, which is AWESOME, but its highly competitive, also they only make like $8-9/hr (poverty line?). I love hearing people say "but they have the cool box rigs!"

AMR: Responds with Fire for some areas of SD so you have the potential to get some good downgrades but mostly IFTs They pay well, their equipment is decent. They are well established nationally if you ever want to move.

Pacific: Good equipment, Pays decent. Pretty much solely IFTs maybe a few emergencies for SNFs that are hesitant to call 911.

Care: same as above

I would avoid all other companies besides these: they either have crappy equipment, horrible management, or are extremely small and not reputable.


With this in mind, my advice to you when applying to companies you desire to work for. Obviously be well versed in BLS protocols and your skills, for the potential interview. Dress appropriately and try to meet face to face with a supervisor or hiring manager, too many hopefuls just drop off a piece of paper wonder why they never get called back. Then after you do this call back every couple weeks and check on the app or fill a new one out as needed. (common sense stuff)

If your heart is set on Rural Metro here's a tip that worked for me (I got interviewed/hired but was unable to accommodate their craziness with my school schedule). Obviously put an app in first. Keep calling until you are either hired or they tell you they just did a hiring. If you hear the latter immediately put another app in, if you do this in close proximity to the last hire group you should be at the top of the list and have a better chance to get interviewed for the next group.

A good time to apply for any company is the same time that Medic programs start, lots of EMTs quit or go part time.

 

[exodus]

Pacific: Good equipment, Pays decent. Pretty much solely IFTs maybe a few emergencies for SNFs that are hesitant to call 911.

Few more with Pacific. All of our rigs are no older than 4 years, we get the new rigs at the San Diego base first, then they rotate up the coast. AED and Combitube in every rig (I'm not sure if other companies do this). We do a lot of CCT's and have CCT/RN on staff that are really into teaching us things during transport, and love to be there with the EMT's. Pacific holds the Contract for Donovan State, and every call from that location is considered Emergent Code 3, so you WILL run code probably at least once a month if you want to play with the woo woo's!

You will also get several ER calls from snf's and lots of 5150's. For the most part it is IFT, but it has more exciting moments and the staff there is awesome. And you will get very few dialysis calls!

 

[Orion619]

Thanks for all the replies, they're gold.

I went to pacific yesterday and they didn't have an application handy, they told me to fill one out online. The guy also said they just hired a bunch of guys a week ago so I missed it basically. I'll keep calling though.

I was suppose to have an interview with 'ER Ambulance' yesterday, I showed up but the interviewer wasn't there. One of the EMTs that work there called him and said he'll be almost 1 hour late. I couldn't stick around that long. The EMT was nice did show me inside the facility, it was very small and didn't look great(no offense if anyone works there, just my opinion). He told me to come back Monday because they really are hiring. He also said they do alot of Code3. Anyone know of this company?

I had the impression EMTs are always in demand because of the turn over rate. I'll keep looking and calling.

 

[AJ Hidell]

I had the impression EMTs are always in demand because of the turn over rate. I'll keep looking and calling.

I think that "in demand" may be overstating it a little, but it definitely provides for a relatively steady opportunity for getting hired somewhere. But there are simply too many schools cranking out too many new patches every few months for there to be any true "demand". If that were so, you wouldn't be getting such a lukewarm response when you show up, with them not even having applications available.

Of course, even if there were a demand because of turnover, I don't see how anyone could find that encouraging. You're not likely to stick with the job any longer than the other people who are constantly leaving. There's a good reason they are leaving, lol.

 

[daedalus]

Is this a Zero-to-Hero program?
And isn't it run by AMR?

According to their website, they require an EMT card, a college level A&P, and passing the HOBET. They are also nationally accredited and all of their program directors have degrees at least at the BA/BS level and above. This follows the National Curriculum, which is certainly better than some medic mills. Their program is over a year long and it articulates to 30+ credit hours at some California community colleges. I do not see many qualities of a medic mill here....

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

I was suppose to have an interview with 'ER Ambulance' yesterday, I showed up but the interviewer wasn't there. One of the EMTs that work there called him and said he'll be almost 1 hour late. I couldn't stick around that long. The EMT was nice did show me inside the facility, it was very small and didn't look great(no offense if anyone works there, just my opinion). He told me to come back Monday because they really are hiring. He also said they do alot of Code3. Anyone know of this company?

DO NOT WORK HERE. Last I heard this company was being audited by the county for unsafe practices. I presume the interviewer you speak of is the company owner. An EMT at my company had worked there previously and the things he would tell me about are criminal.

Unpaid employee payroll checks (the guy I talked to was owed $2000+)
Downright horrible equipment.
He even told me a story of the owner once intercepting them on a transport, taking their patient, gurney and all, and putting them into the back of his personal van, and giving the EMTs another gurney so they could go run a call that was worth more money.

There is a reason that ER transport is always hiring. AGAIN do not work for these little companies. Some of them shouldn't be in business (like the one above) and some of them are just too small to be viable (my last partner's old company went out of business, she was owed $4000, but because they went bankrupt she got nothing)

Maybe next time when a supervisor tells you "you get to go code 3 a lot" (which is a red flag in itself) you should ask him about which contracts the company holds, contracts are a good way to judge legitimacy. Rural metro Has all Sharp contracts. Pacific has all UCSD, some Scripps, CMH, Donovan.

Be smart about it, I wouldn't want to go through the trouble of getting hired, only to find out the company I work for treats their employees horrible or is criminally negligent

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

Also: You are not going to get an EMT job overnight in San Diego, unless your timing happens to be extremely lucky. You have to stay with it. Checking up on your app and reapplying when necessary, eventually you will get hired if you keep on it.

 

[exodus]

Thanks for all the replies, they're gold.

I went to pacific yesterday and they didn't have an application handy, they told me to fill one out online. The guy also said they just hired a bunch of guys a week ago so I missed it basically. I'll keep calling though.

I was suppose to have an interview with 'ER Ambulance' yesterday, I showed up but the interviewer wasn't there. One of the EMTs that work there called him and said he'll be almost 1 hour late. I couldn't stick around that long. The EMT was nice did show me inside the facility, it was very small and didn't look great(no offense if anyone works there, just my opinion). He told me to come back Monday because they really are hiring. He also said they do alot of Code3. Anyone know of this company?

I had the impression EMTs are always in demand because of the turn over rate. I'll keep looking and calling.

I've only ever seen one ER rig, and it was hella old. They do not do a lot of Code 3 I'm guessing unless they respond to SNF ER calls code 3.

After applying online, send Randy Marshman an email, and say something along the lines of that you have applied and do a quick cover letter type deal, and ask if they're currently hiring. He's in charge of the San Diego hiring. His email is here - http://www.pacificambulance.com/staff.html

 

[exodus]

Also: You are not going to get an EMT job overnight in San Diego, unless your timing happens to be extremely lucky. You have to stay with it. Checking up on your app and reapplying when necessary, eventually you will get hired if you keep on it.

I got an EMT job in a matter of a week, and within a month of finishing EMT school I had good timing though

 

[SanDiegoEmt7]

I got lucky when I applied and got hired the day I interviewed. but I feel for the people trying now

 

[sdemtb]

I finished school and applied after getting my ADL. I didn't get a call back until a month later. Can't complain, I would stick with the bigger companies though like many people have said, Pacific, Care, AMR, RM...etc.