Calling all EMT's'/Paramedics!

[Megan Russell]

I know we have a few EMT's on the forum, so I wanted to get you guys all in one place to ask you a question.

I've been looking into starting an EMT-B (eventually Paramedic, in a year or two) program because I've always wanted to work in EMS, but I'm curious about a few things.

1. I'm not going to lie, I'm a generally small girl who struggles with lifting 100lbs by herself, but could probably lift 300lbs with another person as long as they were actually helping.
Because of the general fact that I am a young (21), small (as in 5'4" 120lbs) female is this going to make getting a job as an EMT difficult? I'm outgoing and friendly, but I'm worried that the fact that I look weak will lessen my chances for getting a job as an EMT. I know females are EMT's, I just haven't run into any that look like me yet.

2. Is a private ambulance company a better choice over a hospital? I've heard mixed opinions about this.

3. I've also heard that taking mainly transfer calls instead of 911 calls will get you more money. Is this true?
I know EMT's don't make that much in Texas, and considering I need to make a minimum of $20,000 a year (really I need $30,000/year), I need to try and find the area which is going to make me the most.

4. Driving the rig-does the EMT always do it or does the Paramedic? I'm a little nervous about driving the rig (I was in a very bad car accident a few years ago and even driving to work in my Toyota Camry can be a little scary when I'm driving in Houston traffic). I mean, I'm sure this is something I can eventually cope with (and should, because it's been three years), I was just curious how the driving usually worked. If it was equal, or if the Paramedic was usually in the back with the patient during most calls.

Anyway, any other helpful information would be great.
I enjoy the field of EMS and am pretty excited to start my program-it's just that my biggest worry is if I'll be able to get a job after all that hard work (and money for tuition!).

[kevansvault]

Hi Megan. I have been a paramedic for a lonnnggg time so I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

1. Just because you're young and small doesn't mean you can't do a job. When I became an EMT at 17, I was all of 5'7" and 120 lbs soaking wet with my clothes on. And most EMS services have stretchers that lift themselves, anymore (total bonus for us old folks!!). Looking weak has little to do with it. As long as you are able to communicate effectively with your patients, partner, dispatch and the hospital, you'll do fine.

2. I never worked for a hospital based EMS system, I did 911 at a rescue squad and worked for a private ambulance company. Volunteer work was awesome, I got to learn from people who were really good at what they did, and who cared about the community. If you have the opportunity to volunteer, I suggest you try it. It is highly rewarding and can lead to more opportunities for you both personally and professionally. My critical care transport job was run by a guy who wanted you to work 24 hours a day, 8 days a week. It was horrible, as was the pay. However, I'm sure things have gotten better as there are more agencies providing transport so there are more opportunities now.

3. It depends. You don't normally work 24 hour shifts on transfer calls. For example: When I worked critical care transport, I worked out of the office from 0700 - 1900, and then was "on call" from 1900-0700 the next day. I was paid my hourly rate during the day, and if we went out after 1900, we were paid time and a half. Working 911 generally pays well but in order to get those jobs you have to have experience (that's where volunteerism comes in handy!) And as long as you have both recent training and recent experience, agencies will pay you fairly well to work for them.

4. I am not a driver. I am a directionally impaired medic who would rather pull out my toenails with pliers than drive in many cases....even with GPS. That will vary depending on your partner, though. One of my partners loved to drive so he did it all, others said "hey, I'll take this call...you can drive." It's all in the teamwork. I understand your fear after an accident. I have had three accidents, and one on a motorcycle and I know that driving a huge truck is a bit intimidating. You should take an EVOC course (emergency vehicle operators course) and it can help you ease your fears about driving. What I do know is that there is usually someone who really enjoys driving so if you don't want to, you probably won't have to.

In addition, if you're making this a career move, try to get on with a fire department. If that is your goal, though, you will also need firefighter training. They do it bassackwards here in Texas, they hire you as a firefighter and train you to be a medic. That will get you a leg up if you seek municipal employment. I'd tell you also to consider becoming a paramedic once you feel comfortable as an EMT. Go for a paramedic program that offers a degree- that way it is easier to transition to, say, nursing school. The reason is so that you will always have a degree to fall back on. I got my degree in EMS in 1994 but back then it wasn't near as popular or as recognized as it is now. Best of luck to you, and if you have any more questions, let me know!!!!

[morbidT]

What Mortis said If you can get on with a volunteer department, they may pay for your training. You may have to sign a contract that you will continue to be a member for 1-2 years, but it is worth it. You gain experience and get free training. I also agree with the degree program that Mortis mentioned. And, more encouragement; size doesn't matter! Like Mortis said, if you communicate well with your team, things work out, and I'm sure you are capable of handling more than you think. Just because you are small doesn't mean you aren't able to perform the same as a muscle dude

[Megan Russell]

Wow, thank you so much Mortis-you are awesome!
I feel a lot more confident going into the field now.
And I didn't even think about how volunteering could really help my career-I'll have to look into that!

You answered every question perfectly! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Morbid-I didn't know that if you volunteered that they may pay for the training eventually-love that! I'll see if I can find a local department that will allow me to do that after awhile, because that would definitely be great.

Both of you made me even more excited to get into EMS. I'm not worried about my size anymore and I love the volunteering tips-you guys are great! (:

[kevansvault]

Glad I could help. Best of luck, Megan!

[morbidT]

This was shared to my FB page today and thought I would share.....


http://www.appeal-democrat.com/artic...#ixzz1wIGp25jE

'Fire Girl' author blazed trail as woman firefighter
May 29, 2012 12:28:42 PM
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By Ashley Gebb/ADagebb

Jan Mendoza is not one to be told what she cannot do.

Try it, and she's sure to prove you wrong.

Such was the case 34 years ago when the petite young music major overheard a man griping about female firefighters. A bit antagonistic, Mendoza told him maybe she would sign up, and when he told her she was too small, she said, "That's it. I'm doing it."

She went on to become one of the first female firefighters for the California Department of Forestry, now known as Calfire. She spent one summer battling wildland blazes in a nearly all-male environment, guarding the forests from a remote lookout tower on her weekends and then after a brief stint as a volunteer firefighter, Mendoza returned to her previous life, forever shaped by an experience she embraced on a dare.

"It really showed me that I could do something totally out of the box," she said. "I go through life and tell myself, 'You've fought forest fires ? you can do this.'"

The Wheatland resident recently penned a book about her experience, called "Fire Girl." A petite woman with sharp blue eyes and magenta hair extensions, Mendoza admitted she never envisioned herself as a firefighter.

"It was the one thing I did that was totally outside my personality," she said. "It was nothing I had planned ? or dreamed about or even thought about."

When Calfire lifted its ban on female firefighters in 1975, only two women applied. Three years later, when Mendoza signed up, she was one of only 26 women statewide.

The number grew by a few women each year, eventually hitting 468 in 1988, but today, female firefighters still represent only 5 percent of the Calfire force.

"It's hard work, it's a certain mentality," Mendoza admitted. "I was just one of those girls who wanted to do something on a dare."

Once she committed to a summer with Calfire, she signed up for a firefighting course, trained for the physical rigors of the job and finally reported for duty at the mountainous Whitmore station, east of Redding. Eighteen years old, 5-foot-2 and all of 95 pounds, she had an inkling her captain would not be thrilled to see her.

"He said, 'I knew I was getting a girl, but I hoped I was getting a bigger one,'" Mendoza recalled.

She expected challenges, but being a trailblazer was more difficult than she imagined. As a woman in an industry dominated by and historically ruled by men, she frequently battled chauvinism and pressure to perform above and beyond her male counterparts.

"I never saw a girl the whole time. When I tested, there were 200 guys and me," she said. "Where were all the girls?"

Mendoza shared a bathroom with men, slept in the same room as men and admits a few were not pleased by her presence.

"They did not think I could take care of them in an emergency situation," she said. "It was really hard for me to swing that ax, it was really difficult for me to lift that hose, but I tried. What I didn't have in size, I made up for in attitude."

Mendoza faced her share of deadly situations that summer, including an engine rolling over and entrapment in a clearing during a burnover ? a horror she has never forgotten.

"I never saw the flames coming toward us," she said. "It was like a tornado inside an oven. And the sound? It was like a train."

When she wasn't fighting fire, there was plenty of grunt work to be done, whether degreasing engines in 100-degree heat or sweeping pine needles. On her weekends, desperate for a reprieve from the all-male environment, she worked solo as a lookout at South Fork Mountain, near Whiskeytown.

Working the long, laborious fire season for a monthly wage of $550 ? and no overtime or hazard pay ? taught Mendoza a lot, she said, from responsibility to hard work to her own mortality.

When the season ended, she dated a fire captain from another station and briefly worked as a volunteer firefighter before deciding grisly paramedic calls were not what she was looking for.

She reverted to her college intentions and became a musician, touring the country as a singer for rock bands and legends like James Brown. She later worked as a radio broadcaster and now does media relations for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

When Mendoza, 52, first considered writing a book, she figured another woman must have already penned their tale. But among those initial female firefighters, no one had ? not even those who stuck with it and retired in the profession.

"People said, 'Why don't you write about your music career?' Oh no. Not until my parents are dead," Mendoza said with laugh.

All proceeds of the book go to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, to support family members who lose firefighters in the line of duty. Mendoza also created a website, www.wildlandfirewomen.com, as a tribute to female firefighters and hopes others will use it to share anecdotes and pictures from their pioneer days in the profession.

That guy who drove her decision? Mendoza never saw him again but is grateful for how the exchange shaped her life. She encourages young women to take a similar leap.

"Do something really adventurous and something totally outside your personality," she said. "Something a little dangerous, a little exciting, a little crazy."

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at agebb@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4783. Find her on Facebook at /ADagebb or on Twitter at @ADagebb.

Read more: http://www.appeal-democrat.com/artic...#ixzz1wIbEpvD4

[kevansvault]

No disrespect to other firefighters, but wildland firefighters are BOSS. You're out there in your gear, fire surrounding you, trying to backburn leaves so a fire doesn't spread, working in all the heat, humidity and everything else nature throws at you. Badass. Thanks, Jan Mendoza, for your hard work..and for busting through and making a difference as a woman in a predominantly male profession. Strong work!

[morbidT]

Absolutely agreed! If it weren't for women like her, I wouldn't have had the opportunities I've had:-) I'm not saying it's been gravy because my fire academy instructor was a dick and wanted me to do above and beyond what the guys in my class were required to do. Luckily, I had some awesome guys in my class and THEY stood up for what was right. I didn't complain because I didn't want to be the "bitchy broad." My counterparts made a complaint and then I was brought in the office. So, this just goes to show that times are changing, thanks to women like Jan Mendoza!

Edit: I was the only woman in my class, too:-)