Best State/County for EMS....Does this place even exist?

[Sin City Medic]

If you want good experience and a ball busting fun system...check out American's playground! Las Vegas rocks! Not to mention currently it's fairly affordable as well!

[Dustdevil]

Ya know, you're the first person from Vegas I ever recall speaking positively about working EMS there. Yeah, it's a fun town, but all the medics I have talked to there seem pretty disgruntled with the system.

[AZCEP]

The Las Vegas system is fantastic if you like the idea of SSM in 110 degrees. Never mind the lack of stability from the EMS providers. You can keep it.

[john51071]

I have worked in three states over the past 20 years. Texas is by far the best of the three, as fas as pay and autonomy in the field. Whatever you do, do not go to North Carolina. You can qualify for food stamps working there fulltime if you have a family, and they are (in general) about a decade behind the rest of the country with their EMS systems. Diversity in types of calls is pretty consistent wherever you go.

[vcfd35s]

I have worked in three states over the past 20 years. Texas is by far the best of the three, as fas as pay and autonomy in the field. Whatever you do, do not go to North Carolina. You can qualify for food stamps working there fulltime if you have a family, and they are (in general) about a decade behind the rest of the country with their EMS systems. Diversity in types of calls is pretty consistent wherever you go.

Any specific companies to work for out in texas or to look into?

[Sin City Medic]

I'm not sure what you mean by "lack of stability". Again it's a real ball busting system. Name me one other place that gets as much traffic from all different cultures all over the world. Not to mention our population nearly doubles on weekends and major holidays with an average rate off between 150-300k tourists and business people daily. Granted it does get hot but there's not a better place to test your emotional response to EMS better than Vegas. I can pretty much guarantee you'll see more hot calls in a month that most medics get in a year. It's busy, very busy but if you're looking for affordability and salary it's golden right now. Base medics start at 40K and with the housing crunch most places around here are from 100k to 200k for new homes. Very easily affordable in my opinion.

[medic686]

:Ive read alot of replys inrefrence to your question, fire fighter medic is by far the best way to go if your good and young in this field, alot of states or should i say northern states havent caught up with reality in pay for medics, thus causing medics to obtain prn jobs off there normal shifts to make ends meet. Good luck in your future as a medic, I personally took the simple way and now am a Remote site Occupational Medic in afghanistan as a civilian contract medic, yeah alittle far away from home, but making four years salary in one year. Keep on with the search.

[akflightmedic]

WOW! A medic in Afghan...can you get me a job??

[DwayneEMTP]

I'll put in a good word for you...but it will be a stretch with your limited experience..... :wink:

Dwayne

[AZCEP]

Sin City,

No disrespect intended, but it seems there has been a lot of turnover in the agencies in Clark County with more and more going to one of the fire departments. AMR will run you into the ground given the chance. When I did my orientation with them, we saw 2 truly critical patients over the course of the month. Then I had to be extended because I couldn't be evaluated adequately on "critical" patients.

In my experience, my favorite location was Albuquerque NM. High desert environment, cooler temperatures, non-profit ambulance service. I wasn't really a fan of the amount of domestic violence calls, but the company and the providers were excellent. Pay was pretty good as well. All that and you didn't cow to the fire departments.