EMT Experience

[PastyTheOne]

Hi all. I'm an EMT-B student now, I'm registering in June after high-school graduation. Here's a question for you all.

Will being an EMT-Basic or EMT-Intermediate (or, even, if I really get lucky and work at it, an EMT-P) help much with becoming a police officer? Because...that's what I really want to do. EMS, in the words of my paramedic father, is the gateway to law enforcement- is this true? Any tips on college classes and degrees and stuff to get in the 3 years between high school and an academy?

Feel free to post or message me @ pastytheone@yahoo.com.

[Drummadude]

I don't see how that would help you get a job as a cop. I'm sure most departments would want some of their officers to be trained in EMS to cut down on having to call an ambulance for the most basic injuries.

[MDEMT280]

It can contribute to maturity, keeping a cool head in crisis situations, getting exposed to all different sorts of people, etc. Direct skill transfer? Probably not.

I wouldn't say EMS is the "gateway" to LE. I think you find that EMS providers can get frustrated by the reactionary nature of their work, and see LE as an opportunity to take a more proactive approach.

[rhiannon]

Many departments here require you to be an EMT to get hired on. Police are usually the first on the scene of any emergency, so having an EMS background can only help you.

[hitnrun]

We are cops, not emts. Getting involved with a subject medically beyond basic first aid is a potential liability.

[PastyTheOne]

I'm just seeing it as a good thing to have- make money thru college and the like.

[MDEMT280]

Are you doing it for the money, or are you doing it because you have a passion for it? You won't get rich in EMS, and if you're only looking for a happy buck, you're not going to be happy and you're not going to be a good provider.

I'm going to be frank with you. You seem to be interested in applying to law enforcement when you're around 21 (graduating high school now + 3 years, right?). You'll find many LEOs here saying it's difficult (or at least unusual) to get hired at age 21. There's no rush.

If I had the chance to do it over again, I would strongly consider the military or getting a bachelor's degree in the four years right after I graduated. If you're willing to do three years of school until you're 21, just finish out the last year and get that degree. Nothing to lose, plenty to gain by actually having that piece of paper. Besides, if you're going to school, you can still work in EMS part-time, or volunteer, but if you're going to be in EMS, do it for the love of the job.

If you get a degree, get a degree in something useful outside of EMS or LE. If the unthinkable happens, or even if you just can't get hired to begin with, you'll be able to get a decent job/career in your field of choice. If you serve in the military, consider the same thing. There are plenty of high-tech jobs out there, and once again, if I could do it over again, I would be jumping on the military opportunity.

But again, all this is just me, if I had a time machine. Good luck with your decisions.

[PastyTheOne]

Tried the military, but they don't like my uncorrected vision, and the surgeon I saw last week advised against getting LASIK, since my eyes are still growing.

I've grown up around EMS (both parents are paramedics), and from the limited experience I've got with it, I don't mind it. Ridealongs and the classes I've gone through make it seem fun, a job I'd like to do. I can see myself doing it. However, I still want to be a police officer more than an EMT. Since I've got to wait until at least 21 to get into law-enforcement, I'm planning on getting a bachelor's degree while working as an EMT. I might be able to get into a paramedic school in a few years, but they're pretty competitive at my age. Anyway, the bachelor's degree is a given- I need that.

I was thinking a major in either Communications or Criminal Justice/Law or something like that- I'm good at physics and science, but I want a career where I can actually see the sky. Hence, paramedicine or law enforcement.

What classes should I take in these three or four long years of limbo?

[MDEMT280]

What classes should I take in these three or four long years of limbo?

If you're pursuing a college degree, much of that will be prescribed by the program requirements. You'll need to fulfill your college's general education requirements, and the requirements for your major and minor. With any free electives, I personally would try to take computer, business, or world affairs-related classes. In addition, you'll find that there are a number of training classes you'll need to keep up on in EMS.

Bear in mind that a degree in a hard science doesn't exclude you from LE or EMS.

[PastyTheOne]

How about history and criminal justice for courses?

I think I can get out of English for a semester or a year, I'm taking AP and should score well on the tests. I've already tested out of a year of history.

EMT training, unlike a lot of college, actually seems useful.

[MDEMT280]

How about history and criminal justice for courses?

In addition to the criminal justice courses required for your CJ major?

I didn't major in CJ, and I don't know what the course offerings are like at the school you're considering. If you haven't done so already, you need to get a catalog from the college(s) you're considering, so that you can look at what courses are offered, how the programs are structured, etc.

You want to be as marketable as possible when you come out of school, and to me, that means you should have strong skills and knowledge of current events. What are the hot topics in your area of study? Take courses in those areas. What are the new technologies that are being used? Take courses to learn about them. Are there any specific jobs you aspire to, e.g., FBI, DEA, etc? If so, look at the various job announcements and recruiting sites. The FBI, for example, likes accountants and computer science/information technology folks.

Also, if you can, learn a new language. Languages like Arabic, Korean, Chinese, etc., can make you very attractive for some positions.

[jd524]

I know that experience in EMS can help you towards your goal of becoming a police officer. I worked as a Paramedic full time for 13 years before obtaining a degree in CJ, and becoming a full-time police officer.

The jobs are different, but have much in common. Working in EMS will give you experience in report writing, emergency driving, dealing with behavioral and psychological issues, etc.

You will also learn to deal with stress. While I was still in field training my seargent mentioned to me that he was impressed on how calm I was on a couple of hot calls. My reply was that I can't imagine anything more stressful than holding a young child in my arms, knowing that there is nothing that can save this child, and having the childs parents standing right there begging you to save their child. I had been there multiple times during my EMS career, and don't know if anything could be more stressful.

Also, if you do a good job in EMS and earn the respect of your supervisors, co-workers, and local police officers, they can make for some pretty powerful character references. On the reverse side, if you do a poor job...everyone will know it.

Best of luck to you.

[PastyTheOne]

Here's an idea...

The company I want to go to is a big one (Southwest Ambulance/Phoenix Area, AZ). They've got an in-house Paramedic program. So...here's the question.

Should I invest in Paramedic school or an Academy, or both? The way I see it, if I bust my ass, I can make Paramedic in two years (that'll make me twenty). HOWEVER, this would likely mean I'd only have 1 year or so of college in, not counting the Associate's Degree that comes from a paramedic license. So...is this a good plan, or not? Would a department count paramedicine over or under a four-year degree? I think a paramedic program confers sixty units, but I'm not sure of that either, it seems to vary by schools. Anyway...advice?

[PastyTheOne]

First day of hospital clinicals today, wasn't too bad. Got to check vitals, hook up O2, and even scrub abrasions and flush a nasty lacerated thumb.

Then I found out that Jack In The Box (job) has gotten rid of all my hours (apparently, I'm supposed to be "on-call", which means nothing to me, since they didn't schedule me for any hours, and apparently, I went $.31 cents over on my account, so I owe Bank of America $40. Damn.

Oh well. Three months until EMS begins!

[MDEMT280]

After the 5,000,000th time hooking up O2, it won't seem so exciting. :D

As for your question re: the academy. Are you saying Southwest has their own EMS academy? If someone will pay for your training, do that, and put your savings away for retirement or something. No need to duplicate the EMS training with their academy and a paramedic degree.

Just my opinion, but I think your degree should be in something other than EMS or LE. Look at management, business administration, public administration, etc. Something that will give you a leg up when you apply for promotions.

Also just my opinion, but I would prefer someone with experience over someone with just a degree. That said, you may need a degree or credits to qualify for some LE positions. I can think of several departments around here that want 60 credits or an associate's degree, and that's not waived, or only waived for veterans. Does your prospective department require credits or a degree? Heck, maybe you could call them up, speak to a recruiter, and ask them what they would consider more valuable?

I'll tell you this: It's difficult to work full time and go to school. It's even more difficult if you work shift work, rotating shifts, are subject to unexpected overtime, etc. If you plan to work full time while going to school, you'll probably want to/only be able to go to school part time, so it will take longer.

As for any really good advice? Heck, I'm not qualified to give that. I have more chewing gum, duct tape, and bailing wire holding my life together than anyone else I know.