Ride alongs?

I am fourteen years old. Please take me seriously. I know I want to be a paramedic, but I want to know what age I have to be to participate in ride-alongs with paramedics from my local Fire Department. If I'm going to do this, I don't want to just do it. I want to experience it (at least a little bit) before the fact. I am not sure if I have to be eighteen or what because I have friends who are working at little snack bars or the library for "work experience". Would this be categorized with that? I have asked this question three times on yahoo answers, but nobody wants to answer it! PLEASE answer!!!

-katie

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Rex on June 14, 2009 at 5:14pm

it depends on where you live. if you live in pennsylvania you can be 14 and go on ALS calls. it depends what the states rules are and why the departments rules are

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Permalink Reply by Katie on June 27, 2009 at 6:39pm

I actually found out the other day that I have to be sixteen. two more years.

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Permalink Reply by Ben "Batman" Barry on June 27, 2009 at 9:04pm

well my ambulance company lets kids go on ride along at 15 but they need to meet rigerous training and pass an evaluation. my fire dept all we need to do is turn 15 but there is certain calls we can not go on or certain callswe need training such as ems calls.

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Permalink Reply by Dewayne and Diana Bean on June 28, 2009 at 9:27pm

My son came with me to a football game on the ambulance, we had fun and he learned he didn't want to do it. LOL He was 14

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Permalink Reply by michael on June 28, 2009 at 10:43pm

I have done ride-alongs with the dept were my dad works in the PD and you need to be 16 but becuase my dad is very good friends with all of them i got to do it at 14. Also i am jr firefighter were i live and i can go on all call but EMS calls until i am 16, by then I hope to be a EMT-b I am taking a class this winter while i am 14 so that i will have it done when I am 16, which goes to show that there are somethings you can do to prepare for when you are old enough which I recomend doing.

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Permalink Reply by Katie on June 29, 2009 at 3:15pm

It says ride alongs for 16 years of age and up with signed liability waiver.

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Permalink Reply by Katie on June 29, 2009 at 3:16pm

that's just it! I've searched the city for an explorer post. We don't have one. They have police explorers...sure, but no ems. Figures. I'm looking for the nearest post, but haven't had any luck.

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Permalink Reply by Victoria Raney on August 7, 2009 at 11:31am

I know in the state where i live you can do ride alongs with the ambulance service at 16 but doing ride alongs with the emts with the firedepartment is not allowed so you might see if theres any other options out there that you can go with and also the best of luck

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Permalink Reply by Josh Buck on August 25, 2009 at 1:10am

I am an explorer for my local department and we can ride whenever we want as long as we are with an advisor. You have to be 14 years old to be an explorer so you could do this here. I usually ride 4-5 times a month and can respond on any call we get, either EMS, fire, or rescue (full code, water rescue or vehicle extrication) with minimal training beforehand. We learn BLS skills which we are tested on (which we can perform on the patient) and privacy issues. Once we complete that, we are certified to ride. However, we are the only explorer post (and as far as I know department) in the state that allows people under the age of 18 to ride. As far as I know, you have to be 18 to ride.