So, because of the nature of the work Vestas does, heavy construction, etc, etc....they've apparently been making a push to have at least one trained paramedic at each job site...and my boss asked if I were willing to take a 63 hour class starting in October. Its a night class every Tuesday/Thursday....from 6-10PM. I would need a certain CPR certificate, among other things to quality, but that shouldn't be a problem. What can I expect? Is it worth the effort? Obviously work would pay for the classes itself, as well as pay me for the time I have to spend at the College. Not really concerned about money though. The course in question.... http://www.lethbridgecollege.ab.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=728&Itemid=302 It would be the EMR course. If all goes well, Vestas wants some of us to take the EMT course as well.
Sounds like an interesting thing to do. Do you have any desire to do this kind of thing? I can say that there's always a demand for trained medical people and it might be a good way to round out your skills.
Sounds like a great opportunity. No, I don't know any, but I know a lot of certified Combat Lifesavers. Any training that can save a life is well worth it IMO.
If your boss is footing the bill it sounds like an awesome opportunity to snag some valuable training that could even, in a pinch, be parleyed into an alternate career. If nothing else, having some genuine medical know-how in an emergency is priceless. I'd be all over that like a fat boy on a cupcake.
Well, learning something new is always a big plus for me. Keeps the job interesting. I just don't want to commit to anything without knowing exactly what its all about.
Trust me, I told my boss he wasn't allowed to talk to anyone else until I could give him an answer. All I needed was some time to research it. I don't think I would ever go the paramedic route, as a career, but having EMR training is always a big plus on the resume.
Wasn't there a thread or something not long ago about how paramedics in California were getting something like $200,000/year?
Gopher it, dude. It's a great way to round our your skills and it could turn into something you like. In the United States, there are three levels of EMT. EMT-B (Basic), EMT-I (Intermediate), and EMT-P (Paramedic). The education levels are basically straight forward with a Basic having one semester, an Intermediate having two semesters, and a full Paramedic having four semesters and an Associate's Degree in Paramedical Sciences. It's a very fun career if you're an adrenaline junkie, but you'll never get rich doing it When employed by a municipality, they make the same money as police officers and fire fighters. You can do a little better in the employ of a private company, but there aren't as many "perks."
Cool is me hanging from 150' windmill blades. And I do that 3x per week. Yes, I am drunk. Forgive me tomorrow.
I've done all the EMT certs and worked professionally in all the different EMT roles. I started out as a regular Firefighter at my local firehouse where I was required per county regulation to know EMR or First Responder (the class you will be taking) where I learned: CPR and First Aid - This was extremely helpful, all successful treatment of accidents and injuries depend on that 1st hour of treatment known as the Golden Hour. What is done in that first hour in many cases is the difference between life and death, you as the first responder are responsible for basic scene assessment, life support (CPR) and treatment until the paramedics arrive. The medics depend on you to get basic life support procedures started and to have someone on scene to make a basic assessment and call in more resources. The paramedic will then continue with advanced life support and continue this until the doctors at the ER takeover. ALL this must occur in the First or Golden Hour. EMR really is a critical link in the whole treatment chain and at first can be a little scary because of the responsibility you will have knowing more than most of your co-workers at the accident scene. People WILL be looking to you for decision making and taking control of the accident victim/patient and scene. I was then promoted in the department to Driver Operator/Engineer and decided to add my EMT-B qualification (4 months of classes, lots of hands on testing with mannequins and other classmates combined with ride-alongs and sleepovers at local ambulance stations). I would DEFINITELY recommend that you continue your education from EMR to EMT-B, the difference in knowledge and confidence is huge and you will be much better at responding if anything does go down. It's only a few more months and is definitely worth it, especially if someone else is paying for it. So go for it if you have the opportunity! Finally since the station I worked out of had a full-time Paramedic/Driver Operator position open and meant more hours and a bigger paycheck I went back to school for another 3 semesters and got my EMT-P cert. This was MUCH more intensive than anything I had learned previously, with 1400+ hours of classroom theory, 6-8 weeks of hospital internship and 4 months or so of Ambulance intern work which at the end of you can do things like starting IV's, advanced life-support, etc. The only downside is that medics and even nurses really are underpaid and overworked and it used to really frustrate me that a profession that is so critical and saves lives was so undervalued pay wise, but that is a discussion for another time. Sorry for the long post, hope some of this information is helpful to you. To sum it up, go for it, it is rewarding and educational and good practical experience.
Better you do this now and learn even the basics, than find yourself in a position later where you're passively watching someone die that you may have been able to help. I'm not being over dramatic here, you never know what might happen. I think I watched a 16 year old die the other month, and there was nothing I could do about it, i don't even know the recovery position, or basic checks for signs of life, so I'm going to do a first aid course this summer.
I have a friend who's a paramedic, and he surely does not make six figures in PA. The pay might not even be decent enough to put up with all the trauma you have to suffer. He was telling me around the holidays about all the child suicides he had to handle. He told me another story about how he was called for a Muslim woman who was having a heart attack, and when he and his partner tore off her garments to work on her, the husband flipped shit and started throwing punches. My friend had to take a couple months off at one point because he claimed he was so psychologically drained by the job. It's not for the weak of heart.
And that's why many municipalities dispatch a pumper truck full of mean looking firefighters with the slicks. Back before they were rolled into the FD and became FireMedics, our Medics were armed. They all got their permits as civilians and under a very obscure law, they were allowed to carry concealed on their person, but as government employees were allowed to brandish without consequence if they felt threatened.
Lots of good info, and exactly what I was looking for when I started the thread. I'll talk to my boss, and let him know I'm up for it.
Well, to bump this thread. My boss approved it months ago, and it got approved higher up too, but because of work it got pushed. But, the training came up here in town again, so I'm taking it. All for the low price of $295. Not that my boss cares how much it costs, but it certainly is better than the $1,300 it would have cost. I'm taking my first aid, Level C CPR course on Monday and Tuesday. EMR course starts in January. Should be interesting.
And to bump this again. First class day was today, Seems fairly interesting. Going through anatomy of the human body right now. I did the first module already and it wasn't easy to figure out. The textbook is very vague in their explanations so I'm forced to use the SAIT glossary to find out the meaning of words I can't even pronounce. But, after a couple hours I had it finished. Now I have 4 scenarios where I have to explain the underlying anatomy and possible physiological changes. Our instructor was also telling us that Alberta's training standards were so high that other provinces and the a lot of states were falling head or heels to recruit Alberta trained Paramedics.
From what I know about the type of things first responders would be reacting to, it makes sense. You guys are pretty spread out, right?
10pm? I personally wouldn't make that kind of commitment unless I got a guaranteed pay raise in writing. Not a big fan of employers asking you to bring more skills for the same amount of pay.
There are 12,000 EMRs in Alberta, 8,000 EMTs, and 6,000 paramedics if I remember the numbers right. Not that many. SAIT is trying to offer more EMR classes to train more people. Search & Rescue for example doesn't require EMR certification, but they will gladly take anyone who has it and make them point guys on their operations.
Poorly, I guess. Though I was promoted once, several years back. And you couldn't force me into a management position with this company at gunpoint.
Second day of class is done. Into doing lots of scenarios now. Perfecting the primary survey, how to load patients onto stretchers stuff like that. Its really fast-paced but I love it.
