So how old.

[legion1202]

I`m 30 years old getting ready to get my first job in ems.. Sometimes I see kids in still in there teens going through school and I wonder am I to old to do this for the next 20-25yrs. I run every day and I feel fine but i know in 5-10 years its gonna catch up to me.

So here is my questions how old were you when you started in EMS. Or Fire?

i`m going to be 30yrs old making 14-17 bucks an hr on paper this looks very hard to support 2 kids and a wife (although she makes good money). What do you older people do to make extra income. I`m looking into get my instructor lices to teach pals, acls, bls. I also want to get into nursing school if I cant get into a private or civic ems job that has retirement plans. I found two lives while going to medic school. 1. how much I enjoy the medical stuff and 2. Teaching it. My medic instructor had us teach EMT's in lab to better our selves and I really enjoyed it. I`m going from making 60k a year doing computer work to 30 something do something I think I will always love. I just hope its a good idea.. Anyone else ever get that feeling?


Thanks for the vent guys..

 

[Veneficus]

I`m 30 years old getting ready to get my first job in ems.. Sometimes I see kids in still in there teens going through school and I wonder am I to old to do this for the next 20-25yrs. I run every day and I feel fine but i know in 5-10 years its gonna catch up to me.

So here is my questions how old were you when you started in EMS. Or Fire?

i`m going to be 30yrs old making 14-17 bucks an hr on paper this looks very hard to support 2 kids and a wife (although she makes good money). What do you older people do to make extra income. I`m looking into get my instructor lices to teach pals, acls, bls. I also want to get into nursing school if I cant get into a private or civic ems job that has retirement plans. I found two lives while going to medic school. 1. how much I enjoy the medical stuff and 2. Teaching it. My medic instructor had us teach EMT's in lab to better our selves and I really enjoyed it. I`m going from making 60k a year doing computer work to 30 something do something I think I will always love. I just hope its a good idea.. Anyone else ever get that feeling?


Thanks for the vent guys..

I hate teaching. I took it up out of frustration of the quality of new providers I had to precept in the field.

But it pays more than double of working as a medic.

You really have only 2 options to make a living in EMS.

a. Move to a location that has outstanding EMS service and pays providers a livable wage. (So very few services outside of fire departments do this I could name them all)

b. Have more than 1 job.

Good luck.

 

[legion1202]

i`m afraid you are right. I do plan on getting that fire Cert. But I dunno if I really want to be a fire fighter when i`m 60..

 

[SSwain]

I'm 41 and just finishing my EMT-B course.

 

[legion1202]

Sweet. Let me know if u need help with medic..

 

[modernist]

I'm 27 and just about to finish my EMT-B as well. I've got a strong tech background as well and I just can't stand the idea of doing it anymore.

 

[Anjel]

My favorite medic is in his 50s. Works one job. But has been for 10 years. So he makes 20+ an hour. Which is unheard of around here. My bls partner is 43 and makes enough to support herself. But not a family.

You just have to work multiple jobs, teach on the side, work overtime, or get in with an ER.

We have an 18 yr old in my medic class. He scares me a little.

 

[RocketMedic]

Why? I'm just as scared of the wrong old guys as the cocky new ones.

 

[legion1202]

why at 10 years is $20/hr un heard of?? The starting salery for medics/ff down her is 46-48k a yr.. I`ve seen postings for medics starting a 37k a yr.. Thats not to bad... But like i said.. thats in some area's

 

[fast65]

I'm 22, started working as a medic when I was 21. I make a pretty decent living for being a 22 year old; decent pay, insurance, 401k, etc.

But I'll agree with Rocketmedic, there are a couple of older medics I work with that I wouldn't let anywhere near my family, oddly enough, all the younger medics are probably the best ones we have. Not trying to be biased here, but I just haven't had the opportunity to work with any cocky, new medics...other than myself.

 

[legion1202]

Age isnt a problem its maturity. Older guys think the kids are still to green and imature. The young cocky ones think the older guys dont know anything because they went to school to long a go. You will find that in any job but i see it a lot in ems. There both right and wrong. When i was 28 going through school I saw a lot of young kids in class goofing off and barely passing school. Schools are passing kids left and right so they maintain there enrollment which is messed up. Granted i had a few kids in class who were younger then me that actually wanted to be there. I had a familiy and worked full time and always got b's or a's on my tests. Kids living with mommy and daddy were failing because they were to busy screwing off. So i can see why older people that have been in the field awhile may look down on young kids coming int othere departments.. I think any new person is always judged however..

On my ride times i met older (medics) who were still doing things and teaching things they did 8 years ago or 12 years ago.. And were not happy about learning new things. (specially the ones who want to retire soon) Theres big changes in our society and being in the middle I can see why young or old there are diffrent views but this should be on a diffrent forum topic please.

I really just want to know how people make it in the begining. lol

 

[fast65]

I really just want to know how people make it in the begining. lol

I got lucky, that's the majority of my secret.

 

[Anjel]

why at 10 years is $20/hr un heard of?? The starting salery for medics/ff down her is 46-48k a yr.. I`ve seen postings for medics starting a 37k a yr.. Thats not to bad... But like i said.. thats in some area's

Unless you are fire...you don't make that around here. You start at 14. And it gets capped around 20.

Why? I'm just as scared of the wrong old guys as the cocky new ones.

Just this kid scares me. He says things like

"woah we actually get to stab people with needles and stuff" and for the last 4 classes he cant seem to grasp the volume x set / time.

 

[Rettsani]

I'm 34. I started with 16 years my Volunteering in civil protection and medical service. Up to the age of 20 years, I've done 3 times the basic training successfully. With 21, I have then completed my EMT training, a half year later i got my first paid job in EMS.

 

[Maine iac]

Unless you are fire...you don't make that around here. You start at 14. And it gets capped around 20.

I am not fire based and I start at $20. I am VERY happy to be working here.


Like I think the OP said it is all about maturity. I have seen some younger guys who have their stuff together and older guys who are worse than a freshman in college with unlimited money.

The best thing you can do with those cowboy types (not the cowboy types who are phenomenal with medicine but the yahoos) is find out exactly where they are working/will be working and NEVER go near that location again.

 

[johnrsemt]

I went through EMT-B school at 35 years old and medic school at 39 so you are good

 

[abckidsmom]

I was an EMT at 16, and a medic at 18. I made it somehow.

I just started with fire training last year, at 32. It's been fun. You can do it.

 

[Veneficus]

I got lucky, that's the majority of my secret.

"1/2 of everything is luck"

 

[Anjel]

I am not fire based and I start at $20. I am VERY happy to be working here.


Like I think the OP said it is all about maturity. I have seen some younger guys who have their stuff together and older guys who are worse than a freshman in college with unlimited money.

The best thing you can do with those cowboy types (not the cowboy types who are phenomenal with medicine but the yahoos) is find out exactly where they are working/will be working and NEVER go near that location again.

Again, I said around me.

 

[TheLocalMedic]

The company I work for is has a lot of "lifers", people who have been working on the bus for a long time. We also have several people who started the game late, not working on an ambulance until their forties or fifties. As long as you've got a good back and take your Alzheimer's meds on time, I don't see any reason why you couldn't play ball with the young pups.