Wilderness/SAR worthwhile?

[EMTaylor]

I am a newbie EMT (read: just got certified) and I have been looking into career options for awhile now. I know that I want to be a paramedic. Beyond that, everything looks like a good option. I am an avid hiker/outdoor enthusiast and have recently looked into Wilderness medicine. I have also turned a bit to SAR. I live in the New England area so it seems like there could be career options there but from what I've read around forums is that there isn't much of a true (paid) career in wilderness medicine. I've seen a bit more in SAR but it seems a lot more like volunteer work?

Is anyone in either one of these fields able to shed some light on these areas? I've heard a bit more nays on wilderness medicine, so in a way I'm more asking for SAR. Either way, any and all information/guidance is welcomed.

 

[Summit]

Most SAR is done by volunteers or professionals who have other primary duties.

There are paying jobs where backcountry SAR is a small part of your duty (wilderness ranger, mountain guide, a few Law/Fire/EMS agencies).
There are very few paying jobs where backcountry SAR is your primary duty, mostly military.

 

[joshrunkle35]

Most places are volunteer. It will suck up about $5,000 a year. The training sucks for the most part: 50% of it will be very, very dull. Like: weather patterns, UTM vs USNG, FEMA crap. 40% of it will be fun but exhausting field work. 10% of it will be really sweet stuff that you don't ever tell people you get trained in. You'll be cold, wet, tired, hot...other services will get the credit when you win. Your service will get the blame when you lose.

If I haven't talked you out of it yet...

You will love it. Best thing I've ever done. I absolutely love SAR! It forces you to become an expert at as many skills as possible. It's never predictable. It transcends science and becomes an art form of its own. It is a heck of a lot of fun!

Be warned: there are a LOT of "fly by night" operations out there. More bad ones than good ones. Be very careful who you get involved with. I'd recommend looking up colleges in your state that teach Wilderness/SAR courses and contacting those professors about groups in your state. Mountain Rescue Association and National Association for Search and Rescue are also groups you should contact to find out who the "legit" groups in your area are.

 

[Tigger]

There are career paths in austere medicine but that is probably not the same as what you are looking for. A few national parks have ambulances, but even that is not going to be specially for wilderness use. The reality is that there just isn't that much volume in the SAR world.

 

[EMTaylor]

Thank you everyone. Your knowledge and input is greatly appreciated.