Boston??

[aryan51]

Hey hey, im really excited with this new field im getting into! Ive been an EMT-B for about a year now and im starting medic school in July. The part i love about this career most is the fact i can do it almost anywhere...which brings me to my question..

For some reason a buddy and I are dead set on moving to Boston a little while after we finish medic school...but we have no idea what the system is like or anything at all about Boston to be honest....just seems like a good place to start our adventures...sooo i was wondering if anybody could clue me in on how everything works over there...or even if Boston is a good choice.

Just some general advice based on what i said would be great!

Thanks!

[Ecnalubma08]

http://www.bostonems.com/

I love Boston! Hope this helps.

[aryan51]

Yea it does! Thanks!

How bout anybody working in the system with a little hands on advice?

[Cadet66HM5]

talk with p3medic he works in Boston

[p3medic]

All new hires for Boston EMS are hired as EMT-B's, regardless of experience or certification level. The EMS academy is approximately 12 weeks of didactic/clinicals, and another 9-12 weeks of field preceptorship. After completing and passing all portions the new hire is a probationary employee for 1 year.

In order to sit for a paramedic promotional exam you need a minimum of 1 year continuous employment with BEMS, so in actuality you may only work BLS for about 6 months. The promotional process consists of a written, practical and oral exam, very competitive. The usually promote in groups of 6-10, with many more applicants than available positions. If you get into the ALS internship, its another month of clinicals/classroom, and a 9-12 week field internship. At the end of that there is an "exit" interview, pass/fail, although recently they have extended field internships on a case by case basis.

All new hires are required to be city residents within 6 months of hire, after 10 years you are exempt from the residency requirement. There are creative ways to live elsewere, but officially you are required to live within the city limits, and the cost of living is relatively high.

The pay is good, enough to afford to live here anyway. EMT's make the same here as a medic in the "privates". There are step raises, one every year for five years. Hazard pay, longevity pay, shift differential is built into the weekly paycheck. There is also an anual uniform allotment, 15 paid holidays, and you earn 15 paid sick days a year. You start with 2 weeks of paid vacation, 3 at 5yrs, 4 at 10, 5 at 15 and 6 at 20. You are vested in the city retirement system, health insurance, dental, with weekly contributions, city pays the majority, but I'm unsure of the exact breakdown.

We are represented by the Boston Police Patrolmans Association-EMS division. The negotiate contracts with the city, and represent the membership for contract/labor management issues.

We have an active training department, all con-ed is either done on re-assignment from your regular shift, or on overtime. We operate under state-wide treatment protocols, and several "special project waivers" that are unique to BEMS.

BEMS is a tiered-system, BLS and ALS trucks, staffed with either 2 EMT's or 2 Medics. ALS calls get an ALS, BLS, and sometimes a fire dept first response, i.e cardiac arrest, unconscious. Paramedics can refer patients to BLS units for transport after an ALS assesment, with the Medical director or one of the Associate Medical directors reviewing 100% ALS charts.

We are a relatively small department, 300 EMT's and 50 medics. The medical director knows evey paramedic on a first name basis, and if your not pulling your weight everyone will know it. Your peers will expect you to continue swimming up-stream, and you should expect the same from them. The educational process never ends, and if you would like to clock in and clock out without ever having to continue learning you will not like working here.

It is not all roses, there are plenty of things to gripe about as in any job, and the way we function is very different than how things are done on the left coast. I am certainly biased, so take it with a grain of salt. If there are any specifics I can help you with, feel free to ask or fire off a PM. Good luck!

[aryan51]

Thank you so much!

Thats exactly what i wanted to know and then some!

[Richard B the EMT]

Per what I have read, the Boston EMS is also the proud home of the very first Regimental EMS Pipe and Drums, as in bagpipe band!

I'll also mention, when the FDNY EMS Pipe and Drums got permission to call themselves by the departmental name, and specifying EMS in the name, I was working with the first of the group's band managers, when he got the call from the chief of FDNY EMS. I then got him the number of his counterpart with the Boston Regimental Pipe and Drums.

Go, Boston Regimental, the first EMS Pipe and Drums, and FDNY EMS Pipe and Drums, the second (but only chronologically).

[p3medic]

It is true, they play at special events and the annual award ceremony.

[Scaramedic]

They forget to mention that it is a law that you do not use the letter R when you speak. I believe you can buy a New England to English dictionary in bookstores. Remember car rhymes with saw not bar. :wink:

[JPINFV]

Also remember that lane markings are pure guidelines. Guidelines that are meant to be ignored. Being from California, I thought I understood aggressive driving (speed limit=65mph, speed of traffic almost regardless of traffic density =75-80mph Highway patrol=90mph). Yea, California has nothing on stupid driving compared to Boston.