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need some help with a decision...
hey guys i am new to FFN...but ive been reading your discussions and i really would value some input from you...here is my dilema..I am new to the fire/ems field..but i am addicted...i eat sleep and breathe this stuff..i have found my true calling. i have finished My EMT-B and just recently got on a volunteer FD.. while i am getting run time..i am still a rookie...my goal is to become a career ff...but in Ohio to do this almost every FD requires FF-2 and Paramedic...i am taking FF-2 in the summer.... and i found a Medic program to start in the fall(its rigourous..and accellerated(10 months) but has a really good rep..well anyways..i tested for there program and did really well..and the school is telling me i am a really good fit for the program..and people i have worked with are telling me i could do it..but the two peoples oppenion i value most(My Chief and ems Cord) and a little leary...they recommend at least 1 year experience as a basic before going any farther. my question is.. what are some of the pros and cons of jumping into medics quickly?
Any input will be greatly appricated.
Doug Roebuck
Stay Safe God bless!
Any input will be greatly appricated.
Doug Roebuck
Stay Safe God bless!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Zach on
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only thing i can say from my 8 years experience, and i consider myself still new to the world of emergency services because i still learn every day... to be a good medic you have to be a great EMT, the only thing that will get you there is experience... i think your chief and ems coordinator make a good and valid point... the other thing is don't push to much to fast, possible you will burn yourself out... good luck and stay safe
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Permalink Reply by Josh Mifflin on
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Doug go and get it bud! I went through my basic class and then straight to the medic. I am like you in wanting to be a full-time firefighter and medic/FFII seems to be the only way to get there. The sooner you get them the better off you will be. A word of caution though.... The medic class is time consuming and challenging. It is a real possibility that you will get burnt out. Take time away from all EMS every once in awhile it will help. Good Luck
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Permalink Reply by Scamehorn on
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I would get it done, and don't hesitate if I were you... I became an EMT_B and had the chance to take an EMT-I bridge to paramedic course 3-4 months later. I choose NOT to do it thinking the same as your Cheif and Med cord. That the experience as an EMT-B would be more benificial and I didn't want to burn myself out. One problem.... Life happens, You get busy, Can't find the time, Get married have kids, don't have the comitment you had. I don't know your situation but I always said I would go back and do it. Now I'm kicking myself in the butt for not doing it. Could I,,,, Ya. Will I,,,, No..... After five years in EMS I've lost that desire to go back and become a paramedic. A friend of mine did take the class... Now he has the chance to get on the Only Paid Dept in the county. Jelous ya,,, But Happy for him.... Do what you think best though, The only person that knows what is best for you is YOU.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Roebuck on
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thanks for the reply...im kinda leaning towards taking the class..but we will see..i will have about 6 months experience before taking the paramedic class..so im trying to figure out if that is enough
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Permalink Reply by Chris Kerr on
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Do whats in your heart & what you love. Just don't get burnt out to quickly, cause then you may want to give it all up. Being burned out sucks. I wish you good luck with any decesion you make. Stay safe!
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Permalink Reply by Tavi on
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Doug-
I think there are pros and cons to both sides. Jumping into paramedic so soon after getting your EMT may not give you adequate time to develop those basic skills- which we all know make good paramedics. Great paramedics were even better basics, is what I believe. But, if you love it, and your instructors and bosses believe its the right move for you, perhaps it is. I strongly believe that age and maturity levels are large factors, no matter your amount of experience. In my system, it is a requirement that you be a basic on an ambulance for at least a year before trying for medic school. But that is only to weed out those who get their EMT and then never get back on an ambo. I think your bosses and your heart will lead you in the right direction.... Good luck to you, and stay safe!!
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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I'm always cautious when someone says, "I am new to the fire/ems field..but i am addicted...i eat sleep and breathe this stuff..".
Be careful! Too much exposure can be a bad thing. Take your time, enjoy the ups and downs but don't burn out.
You MUST have "me" time or "family" time and switch off- there is just too much trauma and emotion attached to the job to be switched on 24/7.
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Permalink Reply by anne potter on
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OK I HAVE BEEN A EMT FOR 27 YEARS IN NEW YORK. I WOULD HAD LOVED TO MOVE ON,BUT STARTED A FAMILY AND KINDA GOT STUCK.. WHAT WORD OF ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IS GO AHEAD AND DO IT... EVERY CALL REQUIRES BASICS TO BEGIN WITH AND THE REST WILL BE ADVANCED... YOU HAVE TO BE READY YOURSELF AND PREPARED FOR THE NEXT MOVE.. IF YOU ARE HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT MOVING SO QUICK THEN TAKE A YEAR AND LEARN... I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS IS THEIR JOB UNTIL THE FIRST BAD CALL, THEN THEY FIND THEY CAN NOT DO IT... I HAVE SEEN ALOT IN 27 YEARS AND THERE HAS BEEN DAYS THAT I WISHED I DID SOMETHING ELSE,BUT WAS ON THE NEXT CALL... IS THIS YOU AND IF IT IS GO AHEAD AND DO IT.... GOOD LUCK
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Permalink Reply by AJ Zuccarelli on
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Good BLS before ANY ALS.
Once again, I am sick of seeing Firemen being forced to become a Paramedic. Don't do it unless it is what you WANT to do, not have to do to get da job.
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth on
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I'm still in EMT-B class's and I'm a driver/engineer for my volunteer ambulance corp but when I started all of this I looked right into CC and Para so I knew what I was going to do. It turns out that some of the courses actually require the pre-requisite that you have atleast one year as an EMT-B to get into the course. At the time it made a lot of sense to me because I figured you would have a real understanding of the basic way an ambulance works and how you would responde to a scene, who respondes ect.
Now its been almost a year that I've been volunteering as a non EMT-B but I've seen enough in my own opinion that if I find a class that doesn't require the 1 year EMT experience I'll just jump into that class. If you have experience on an ambulance at all then you basically have EMT-B experience is how I feel about it.
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Take this however you feel. But you are making the wrong decision, and it could cost your patients their life.
How much time have you spent in the back of the bus with the patient? Being a volly, I can gurandamntee that is is MUCH less then just about almost any paid service. You are already behind the 8 ball, and you want more responsibility?! I have been an EMT for 3 years before I started Medic, and that is after working in almost every setting (ED Tech, interfacility, Critical Care, and a VERY busy prehospital system), and if I could go back, I would take even more time to gather info before I went into class. If you think you are comfortable with you skills, you are wrong.
Medic requires a MASSIVE commitment to it. Being a volly for a year doensnt even begin to prepare you. Go to your local community college, take A&P classes. Biology. Alot of Medic lies within those two. How meds interact with each other, how they act on the body, what they do to accomplish that. By no means is it just sticking people with IVs, driving the better vehicle, looking at the monitor, and pushing meds. You are acting under the Doctors license. You damn well better know your shit inside and out.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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If you have the opportunity to take the medic program than jump on it. Allowing more time between does nothing to help you with the medic coursework. The Medic program will build upon your Knowledge and also requires clinicals which you take whether you are an EMT for 10 years or 6 months. Always take advantage of an opportunity to better yourself, and the medic program is the first step for you. Good Luck.
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