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highflight1985

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Hello all. I'm considering a career change from truck driving to EMT. My sister-in-law has taken some courses for EMT-B in Texas but had to withdraw due to a family emergency. From what I've learned from her and what I've read thus far, EMT is sounding pretty good for me and my family.

At the moment, I'm away from home for 3 weeks and then only get to come home for 3 days. This separation is ruining my marriage and keeping me from being a Dad.

I'm told that EMTs run schedules similar to firefighters, but I was hoping someone in the South Georgia area would be able to tell me what your schedule is really like? Of course, this varies for who you work for (private company, county, etc.), so please explain who you work for as well if you wouldn't mind. I need to make an educated decision on whether to switch and what I really should be expecting.

Also, I just read a thread about how Georgia EMS services don't like to hire EMT-Bs, which is what I was considering given the short training requirement and cost.

I'm capable of making $600/week after taxes and deductions for decent health, dental, vision, and life benefits in my current profession. Most would consider this decent, but like I said, it's ruining my family. I need to get home. I have no credentials to speak of past high school, and a speeding ticket from a year ago that's preventing me from being hired on as a local driver--my mother passed away that day and I obviously wasn't in the right frame of mind.

Am I kidding myself here? Should I consider EMT a valid option or not waste any more time?

Thanks!
 
School in Texas

Also, due to a financial aid program available to me in Texas for attending state-funded schools, I'm considering going to school in Texas. I thought this might be important to mention for reciprocity reasons. I could go to school in Georgia, but it would need to be located in Tifton, Moultrie, Thomasville, Douglas, Valdosta, or anywhere in the area covered by a line drawn between these towns.
 
Darton College in Albany has one of the best EMT-P programs in the southeastern US. Most medics south of Macon have been through that program. The program director is top notch, has been there for 30 years, and has extensive ties in the EMS community in south Georgia. Check it out.
 
Thanks for the response. I'm concerned, however, about the length of the program. I don't want to commit to something too long or expensive because I'm not sure I'm going to like or be cut out for this line of work. I won't know until I get into it. That's why I was wanting to try EMT-B first. Does Darton have an EMT-A program?
 
Do a few third-rides, my friend.
 
Third-Rides? Forgive me, but I'm not familiar with the term. Do you mean third-shift ride-alongs? If so, I'd like to but I have no idea how to set that up, or even if it could be done/would be allowed...

If not, then fill me in.
 
Southwest Georgia Tech has an AWESOME Advanced EMT program.
 
Also I kno the shifts here are 24 on 48 off but some do 24 on and 72 off
 
Third rides are riding as third on a unit (observer only) that allows it, so you can see if you're going to like it or not
 
highflight1985 said:
Hello all. I'm considering a career change from truck driving to EMT. My sister-in-law has taken some courses for EMT-B in Texas but had to withdraw due to a family emergency. From what I've learned from her and what I've read thus far, EMT is sounding pretty good for me and my family.

At the moment, I'm away from home for 3 weeks and then only get to come home for 3 days. This separation is ruining my marriage and keeping me from being a Dad.

I'm told that EMTs run schedules similar to firefighters, but I was hoping someone in the South Georgia area would be able to tell me what your schedule is really like? Of course, this varies for who you work for (private company, county, etc.), so please explain who you work for as well if you wouldn't mind. I need to make an educated decision on whether to switch and what I really should be expecting.

Also, I just read a thread about how Georgia EMS services don't like to hire EMT-Bs, which is what I was considering given the short training requirement and cost.

I'm capable of making $600/week after taxes and deductions for decent health, dental, vision, and life benefits in my current profession. Most would consider this decent, but like I said, it's ruining my family. I need to get home. I have no credentials to speak of past high school, and a speeding ticket from a year ago that's preventing me from being hired on as a local driver--my mother passed away that day and I obviously wasn't in the right frame of mind.

Am I kidding myself here? Should I consider EMT a valid option or not waste any more time?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Have you really looked hard at going local or regional so your home more,one ticket should not be such a big issue. Years ago we all had to pay our dues and do the 48 and Canada thing for a year or two when we started out but things are different now. Most decent carriers know how important driver retention is and have really changed the way they run things. Keeping drivers happy means keeping them closer to home.

Heres some numbers for you to chew on. Pay wise your for sure doing better where you are than you would as an EMT. If you can even find a job it will probably be grossing you south of 25k a year,possibly closer to 20k. If you decide to spend some money and time and move on to medic and your lucky enough to find a job your looking at maybe twice that but Im being really generous in reality its closer to 35k or so. If you search around you will see posts by people who say they are making 100k a year. They are but they are in the top 5% of the potentential earnings range.

You should in todays market be pulling down 40k as an OTR driver,thats running 2500 miles per week at .30 per mile which is low by industry standards. My advice would be to get a ride along in next time your by the house then see if your still interested. If you are then bust your *** and get a good driving job that gets you home more than once a month. It should not take you to long to get a local job if your a halfway decent driver. Then get yourself a volunteer position with a department or agency near home and have that agency pay for your education. At that point you might just decide you really are doing better as a driver and just continue on as a volunteer. You need to be patient and pay your dues,if you do the reward will be financial security for you and your family.

Bottom line my friend is dont leave a profession with lots of future potential for a profession that really has some serious issues it needs to deal with. The job market for most EMT related jobs is in the toilet but the schools continue to flood that market with thousands of potential applicants.
 
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