L.A. EMS

[1aCe3]

Hey folks, Looking for some input on Los Angelos EMS. I might be making the move out there from NYC to pursue a Master's in P.A. But I'd like to continue working as a Medic. Is 911 handled by FD / private hospitals / or private amb companies? Just looking for some direction, doing my preliminary research.

As of now I'm working 911 in NYC via some private hospitals. I'd be interested in how different it is out there. Thanks.

[AnthonyM83]

All ALS is FD. AMR MIGHT have dual medics, which allows FD (I BELIEVE) to hand off patient to them (maybe).

Do your schooling in LA, work as a medic out of county (Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside)

[Acosell]

Los Angeles Medical Emergency Services? LAMES? err...

[Kiwiology]

Since 1973 the LAFD has run EMS in LA City and unlike the FDNY I believe all Paramedics are also firefighters.

[JPINFV]

I might be making the move out there from NYC to pursue a Master's in P.A.

Better tip. Don't work until you've started school and truly understand the workload required by school.

[1aCe3]

"Since 1973 the LAFD has run EMS in LA City and unlike the FDNY I believe all Paramedics are also firefighters." kiwimedic

:shock: I really hope that isn't true....and I thought FDNY had problems...

And if it IS true I can forget about ever doing any ALS in LA. :roll: The surrounding counties sound like a good idea. One of the schools I'm looking at is USC. Any ALS services/counties in that area? I'm assuming these places would all be very different from city EMS.

[AnthonyM83]

I'm pretty sure USC is within Los Angeles proper city limits...but the I'm sure it's very close to unincorporated (run by County FD) or smaller cities within LA County (which are also run by their city FDs).

I don't know what your academic background is, but you might find some rewarding tech jobs (with decentish pay) at some of the nicer hospitals, like Cedar-Cinai

[Kiwiology]

Yup its true. Los Angeles was one of the original Paramedic cities - along with Jax and Miami. Remember John Gage from Emergency? - John Gage comes from Jim Page who was the Captain at LAFD Station 7 at the time NBC came to do research on thier Paramedics.

See this is what happens when you like EMS too much, end up full of usless information

[Adam Swartz]

Yup its true. Los Angeles was one of the original Paramedic cities - along with Jax and Miami. Remember John Gage from Emergency? - John Gage comes from Jim Page who was the Captain at LAFD Station 7 at the time NBC came to do research on thier Paramedics.

See this is what happens when you like EMS too much, end up full of usless information

Haha Ben you are amazing.

[Dustdevil]

Yup its true. Los Angeles was one of the original Paramedic cities - along with Jax and Miami. Remember John Gage from Emergency? - John Gage comes from Jim Page who was the Captain at LAFD Station 7 at the time NBC came to do research on thier Paramedics.

Ya know, the fact that a 21 year old kid in a third-world country, ten-thousand miles from U.S. shores, has to school American EMS personnel on the most basic aspects of their own history speaks volumes to how badly American EMS sucks. :?

As for the original question, yes, you are pretty much out of luck as a non-fire medic in the Greater LA Area. Yes, there are a couple of privates that hire medics. But they don't get to do much. Most of the ALS you perform will be on the patients the firemonkeys turned down because it wasn't exciting enough for them, like nursing home runs, or just helping the firemonkeys out in back as they direct patient care in your ambulance. I suppose you could still call that "medic work", but I'd go postal after less than a month in that system.

I might be making the move out there from NYC to pursue a Master's in P.A.

What is "P.A."? I can think of at least three different masters' concentrations that utilise those initials.