Alcomedicism

Stay safe Dust, I will be praying for your safety while playing in the sandbox.

In rural America Volly squads are a godsend in some cases. Here every city in the county has its own paid VFD (they get paid so much per call whether they are there 5 minutes or 5 hours and they get a christmas check in december). Our citys VFD reqs all FF to be EMT trained as well and they drill 2x month. If they miss 3 drills they are booted off the squad and cannot reapply for one year. Our city isnt a big city so we dont need the fancy shmancy equipment, but the equipment they do have is VERY adequate. They have a Rescue Ambulance, 3 pumper/hose trucks, and 2 brush trucks, jaws of life, water certified personnel, high angle certified rescue, and confined space certified personnel. I think they have very good training with the equipment needed to get the job done.

oh yes - I picked up a Thank-you card from Wal-Mart on the way home to send in the mail tomorrow AM.

Well Im back from the interview. It went well during the interviewing portion, but during the lift test, it was bit scary. 1.) I was taught on a stryker gurney and they used Fernos - so it was a little bit different to try and learn on the Ferno - I did however let them know that I had never used a Ferno cot before and I asked if I could have a dry run before the lift test, and they happily agreed and showed me the ways of the Ferno. 2.) They were a relaxed bunch which in turn helped me to relax. They joked and cut up and asked the following questions- a.) Can you take a good ribbing on a daily basis? (My answer was yes - I grew up in a household where that was common.) b.) Sum yourself up in 5 words (Hardworking, honest, loyal, laid back, funny) c.) What are your personal interests or hobbies (I said HRC - Hunting Retriever Club.) d.)Do you have friends or accquaintances that work in EMS - (I named a neighbor of mine, and a boy I went to school with.) e.) Do you have dreams or aspirations beyond EMS? (I said no, I hope to someday get Paramedical education and certification, and I hope to stay in EMS as long as I am physically and mentally able to.) f.) What are your weaknesses. (I said sometimes I feel like I have some difficulty explaining myself or having to explain a process or procedure to someone.) g.) Would you be willing to relocate? (Yes of course, Im being as flexible as rubber!) h.) Are you married? (No, divorced.) i.) Any children? (Yes, one daughter.) j.) How old is your daughter? (2 and will turn 3 in September) k.) are you over 21? (Yes) l.) What are your strong points? (I follow orders well, I work hard, I expect no less than the best from myself and others, I keep myself up to speed on special updates in regards to pre-hospital care, I am able to let things that are not truly meaningful slide off my back.) m.) would you be willing to work extra shifts? (Yes.) n.) Have you ever called in to work? (Not unless my child was sick.) o.) Have you worked nightshifts or long hours? (Yes, I worked nightshift at Mitchell's Nursing Home, I also volunteered for holidays and some weekends there as well, and I have been known to work several jobs at one time.) p.) What do you consider a good time? (Spending time with my daughter and my dog - which make up my family at this point.) q.) Have you ever done anything illegal in the past year? (No.) r.) Do you have a clean driving record? (Yes) Those are all the questions I can remember off the top of my head. It was nervous having to do a panel interview but it wasnt as scary as I thought it would be. The questions I asked- What is your call volume (over 4,000/year) Do you help pay for CEUs? (Yes, we have inhouse CEUs.) Will I go through a professional orientation should I get hired? (Yes, we have a day where you come in and fill out the necessary paperwork, and you will get to meet most everybody.) Then I asked for a tour of the station and a look at their equipment- and they did - Im glad I did, they have nice living quarters that are spacious and are currently going through renovations, where they are putting in new carpet, showers, and paint. Then the lift test- This was kinda nerve wracking as I havent lifted a cot in a long time, so I asked to take some time to let myself get reaccquainted with it. They put 2 boxes of IV bags on the cot (which were about 100 pounds - so its 175 pounds altogether) And I did that, then they brought in some live weight - a 6ft 200 pound man that I had to lift into the ambulance. I was feeling it in my arms and legs as I was lifting 275 pounds total into an ambulance, and with me being short I was at a disadvantage from the start. I got him in there, it took some work, but I got him in there without injury to me or my "patient". They said they would give me a phone call if I got hired, but if I didnt I would get a letter - so as of right now - I do NOT want to receive a letter! I shook their hands and thanked them for allowing me to come down and have an interview and I said I hoped that I was the right choice to be hired. Hopefully I do get hired. It would make me happy beyond belief. thanks for all of your help and advice guys, now I just need a few good thoughts and prayers and hope that I did get hired so I can finally embark on the EMS journey. Alco 8)

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice! This is what I have done so far to prepare for this interview- 1.) I have been studying and refreshing my skills ranging from Ambulance types right down to Patient Asessments for Medical and Truama Patients as well as Geriatrics and Pediatrics. I even went back over my CPR Class notes. 2.) I went a bought a new buisness suit- nice dress pants, nice shirt and jacket, pantyhose and dress shoes. I will apply light make-up limited to foundation, nuetral eyeshadow and mascara, and I plan on pulling my hair back. 3.) Cleaned out my truck - the way the driveway is of this EMS station is, the folks can see your vehicle in the office, my truck will be giving them my initial impression. Dashboards are dusted and shiny, carpets and seats vacuumed, and the seats where Narcan chewed the upholstry have brandnew seat covers over them (Mossy Oak Camoflauge to be exact), my truck has a vanilla air freshener on the vents so its got a nice clean smell to it. I removed the kennel from the back as well. 4.) Im leaving the cigarettes at home so I cant smoke if I get the urge, and I plan on drinking bottled water during the interview to help keep myself calm. 5.) I also packed some clothes in a gym bag in case I have to do some lifting as part of the interview, the MPW stays off my head until AFTER the interview is completed and Im out of the driveway. 6.) Im going to ask my mom to ask me standard interview questions to help myself prepare, work on my answers. 7.) Researching this EMS company is a little more difficult as they dont have an internet page, and the last "new" thing I heard from this company was they chose a new EMS director last year. How do I mention this in the interview without looking like an idiot? Now my questions- 1.) Should I ask to see their equipment? Is it appropriate? What should I say while looking over this equipment? 2.) Should I ask about call volume? 3.) Should I ask about any community outreach events they participate in? 4.) Is it appropriate for me to walk in with a pen and notepad with my questions written on them and write down their answers? 5.) should I give them an updated copy of my resume during the interview? 6.) When asked if I have any comments, what should I say at this point? Often times my mind goes blank and I just kinda nod my head like a scared little kid. Anything else Im missing? thanks again in advance, Alco 8)

Well Dust is right - there are more EMTs than EMT jobs nationwide with many many schools churning out basics left and right. It seems its a bit easier for newly graduated Medics as I see ads for Medics more often than for basics. Even though it may only be part time, its a start to a hopefully successful EMS career for me. And I also noticed someone changed my thread title, Alco 8)

I got a nice phone call this morning - Im due for a panel interview at an EMS Co in the next county over Monday morning. While I know there have been several threads disscussing EMS job interviews - can you guys give me some pointers and some ideas of what to expect in a panel interview? Any questions I need to be prepared for? Any questions I should be asking? This is definitely a nice relief after the job searching getting me down. Kinda funny how just when you give up, something unexpected happens. I guess it just goes to show how impatient I can be at times. Anyway enough of my rambling on- Im just looking for tips and pointers on how to walk into this interview confident but not cocky. Ive been studying up and refreshing myself on my skills and knowledge. Thanks in advance guys. Alco 8)

Thank you for posting this! Im printing this out and hanging it up on my door in my little room to remind myself of what I need to be focusing on. Thank you again for clearing my view a little bit. Alco 8)

1.) Lets not air other people's dirty laundry on this site. What happens on one site should stay on that site. 2.) Yes while I do agree sleepy doc was immature in her posts and rants what I want to know is who is supplying the alcohol. Besides I smell BS right from the start. How does she take full AP courses, work full-time to support herself, and take 3 nights of Paramedical courses. It just doesnt seem possible, and she has time to drink in all of this? Truth is many apartment complexes will not let you rent an apartment until your 21 due to their insurance policies, and those who are living on their own apartment at 18, Im willing to bet my bottom dollar that mom or dad probably signed the contract, the apartment is under the parents name but the child is paying part or all of the rent. Again what her living situation described is not possible in my mind. 3.) Please lets not discuss the "What should be the minimum age for EMS?" I think we've discussed that enough, everyone has their opinion, and many will not budge. So please lets move on and this thead needs to die of natural causes. 4.) I think its that time of year where life is so hectic it begins to bleed out over the internet, lets all throw back a shot and call it good. Alco

Welcome back Woody - Ive been hanging out here alot less myself but just decided to pop in today to see if there has been any major changes since the last time I logged on. Alco

Where do I fill out an application??

Further proof that I am immortal- After 3 car accidents, one hospitalisation, a total of 50-something stitches, two ODs, and they cannot locate my death, WTF??? I must be the next goddess of the greeks or something

I did puke at a scene of a decapitation before I became an EMT if that counts... TPBM has had at least 3 major wrecks near their house in the past month...

I can still hear and communicate and like I said I can still hear, just out of one ear instead of two. My parents want me to ride the disability bus, but I refuse because 1.) It limits my income 2.) It limits what I can and cannot do. I want to be able to make a decent living just like anyone else. Being disabled often puts yourself in the lower-income bracket to the point where you have just enough to get by, and if you make too much money you are taken off the disability program. Im still going to my CEU courses, still looking for that EMS job where I am able to get hired, and the EMT market here is tight because there are more EMTs than there are EMT jobs. Kinda sucks but eventually it has to work out so I can start making a living. Alco

Sure its a liability issue, but once again there many Medics and EMTs that have worked in the field for years and have had hearing loss due to the noise, and Im sure if they took a through hearing test they would likely not meet the minimum standards, should these people be fired, simply because of their job related hearing loss, if they have hearing loss, they could be held just as accountable as I would. End of story.