Reckless Driving/DUI and becoming an EMT

[fireflymedic]

Good points have been made by all

However, this question has been asked and answered multiple times - please use the search feature you can find alot of great resources and input there. Best wishes.

[11BVet]

first of all where are you from?, depending on the need of a company they still may hire you, however public employers will not, but a private may still. I know my surrounding are the private companies can;t get enough applicants.

I work part time for a private company, and they are VERY picky on who can drive. I started there last month, and was told that I won't be able to drive one of the company ambulances until the speeding ticket I got in Nov 2006 drops off of my 3 yr DMV record, and it is a clean slate again.

[Kiwiology]

Dude, no, get the hell away from me and don't come back anybody who drinks six beers then drives is somebody i do not wish to know , associate with or even have the unfortunate accident of knowing exists.

My best friend got killed by a drunk driver; so don't even THINK of becoming an EMT; I dont care how much change and sorry ass kissing you think you have done but you have clearly shown you do not posess the maturity to work in this field

[Clarkw75]

I really appreciate all of the comments. Thank you for taking your time to respond to my questions.

Wrmedic82,

I will definately call them and see if it will keep me from getting certified. I will try to use the search and see if I can get more answers from reading other posts about this topic. I will definately look into the EMD possibility.

Dustdevil,

I did not know that there was an EMT program that would only last three weeks. I am registered for one that will take 9 months to even get the first level finished. My plan is to eventually go all the way through paramedic school. I guess I may have to speed that up to right after the other certifications and do like you suggested and bide my time until things clear up years down the road.

Diazepam618,

I am from middle Tennessee. We are definately a small town so I think there is only 1 or 2 private companies that we have around here.

Kiwimedic,

I am sorry that you lost your friend to a drunk driver. Like I said though. It was a stupid decision and I am not happy with myself for making it.

Once again thank you everyone.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Clarkw75

[Dustdevil]

It is an unfortunate fact that a great many people attracted to this field are immature and irresponsible people who believe they are invincible and live for their next rush. Television leads people to mistakenly believe that this is a thrill-a-minute glory ride, like on Turd Watch. It's not. It's a boring, low-paying, low educated labour job that very, very few people stick with for even ten years. Meanwhile, we have a revolving door of those losers keeping us in exactly that same boat.

I say that not because I believe you are one of those guys. I say it because I want you to know the truth, so that you too are not chasing a dream that will only leave you unfulfilled like all the rest. A lot of people come here asking the very same question that you just asked. Most of them get pissed off when we won't blow smoke up their arse and tell them what they want to hear. Good riddance. But your attitude here is promising, and is exactly what we like to see. We all make mistakes, but not everyone can overcome them. With this attitude, I believe that you can. And I truly hope that you do. Keep your eye on the prize and don't get in a hurry. Don't go looking for an accelerated EMT or paramedic course. Spend the next few years getting the very best education you can get, in order to become the best provider you can be. When you finish, I think EMS will be ready for you.

Best of luck!

[Clarkw75]

It is an unfortunate fact that a great many people attracted to this field are immature and irresponsible people who believe they are invincible and live for their next rush. Television leads people to mistakenly believe that this is a thrill-a-minute glory ride, like on Turd Watch. It's not. It's a boring, low-paying, low educated labour job that very, very few people stick with for even ten years. Meanwhile, we have a revolving door of those losers keeping us in exactly that same boat.

I say that not because I believe you are one of those guys. I say it because I want you to know the truth, so that you too are not chasing a dream that will only leave you unfulfilled like all the rest. A lot of people come here asking the very same question that you just asked. Most of them get pissed off when we won't blow smoke up their arse and tell them what they want to hear. Good riddance. But your attitude here is promising, and is exactly what we like to see. We all make mistakes, but not everyone can overcome them. With this attitude, I believe that you can. And I truly hope that you do. Keep your eye on the prize and don't get in a hurry. Don't go looking for an accelerated EMT or paramedic course. Spend the next few years getting the very best education you can get, in order to become the best provider you can be. When you finish, I think EMS will be ready for you.

Best of luck!

Thank you. I actually used to work as an ER Clerk so I have been around some of the local Emergency Medical Personnel and know a little bit about it. Not anywhere near as much as you guys but I did learn some. Most of what we saw were not what most people would expect. I admit it I was surprised for it to not be as fast paced and crazy as what tv and movies make it out to be. Just someone fell and broke a leg or things like that.

I honestly did not want anyone to walk on eggshells with their response to me. I honestly hope that I will be able to come out of this a better person and overcome this. Thank you again. I really do appreciate the answers and advice.

I do have another question. I am a certified rescue scuba diver. Will that certification and the other certifications that come along with it help at all with preparing for EMT/Paramedic school?

Edited June 25, 2009 by Clarkw75

[Dustdevil]

I wouldn't say the certifications will help you in any way to prepare. However, I would say that the exposure to structured procedures under stress, as is encountered in rescue diving, will have served as somewhat of a test of your aptitude for EMS. EMT is nothing more than monkey-see-monkey-do procedure following, which is how most specialised rescue procedures go. If you have done well at seeing a problem, recognising it, and responding as taught in the past, then you will probably do well in the future.

I am not intimately familiar with rescue diver training, but I expect it contained some good information on the function of the respiratory system, so some things in EMT school may look familiar to you. I wouldn't say that will really help you, but it certainly always feels good to see something and realise that you already know something about it. It helps give you confidence, which is crucial to success in EMS at any level.

[funkytomtom]

I blew the same ba 3 years ago. I ended up pleading out to an ARR (alcohol related reckless). I had a stressful first couple of weeks in EMT class trying to get in touch with the proper individual at the local bureau of ems to find out if I would be considered for certification. They said that they would want to set up a hearing to ask me some questions, but that never materialized. I am currently a certified emtb. DO NOT get a DUI!!!!! Try anything you can to plead out to a lesser charge, they will give you a VERY hard time with a DUI on your record. I know many will probably disapprove of me in these forums having said that, and I understand that, I will say that I am a different person and passionate/compassionate EMT now.

[Dustdevil]

...I am a different person and passionate/compassionate EMT now.

You haven't had a drink since?

[croaker260]

1) Dust, you are an angry man....

2) Re: Preperation- College classess like A/P, basic EKG, and math. An intro to pharmacology (if offered) is useful too for any medical coursework. Knocking these out before actual paramedic school wil lenable you to focus on mastering the coursework instead of stressing about the A/P, EKG, or pharm while your classmates are giving themselves HTN and GERD.

3) RE: DUI/Reckless Driving, etc... I am heavily involved in our hiring process and I would consider us a reputable agency. We are a govermental agency.

We have hired people with a single incident, including a DUI before. But we have a minimum time frame from the county HR of 7 years, and realistically its more like 10 years. I feel its important to add that this is a case by case evaluation, and what is more inportant is patterns of behaviour. If you have one single (non-felony) incident (that doesnt involve exploitation of ill, injured, children, or elderly).....even a DUI..10 years ago....and nothing else...we would give you serious consideration.

If however, you have a series of traffic infractions ,non-payment of citations, or speeding tickets, even if its been a few years, we would be far less likely (read: snowballs chance) to hire you because it shows a pattern of behavior and irresponsibility, even if as individual incidents they are far less severe than a DUI. As Gordan Graham says , past patterns predict future practice.

As for your immediate future, you are in a bad way for employment, even though you may still be able to get your EMT cert.

That said, you can always try the fire service.......

BTW, I got my start in the Middle TN area...Cheatham, Robertson, Montgomery and Davidson counties.

Edited June 26, 2009 by croaker260