Pro-Transport-1 Employment

[Pro-Transport-1_EMT]

Pro-Transport-1 is a very bad EMS company to work for. I strongly feel that EMS is a family, and because I work for Pro-Transport-1 I feel I need to protect my EMS family members. I know that when you read the nice job EMT or Paramedic job descriptions from Pro-Transport-1 it sounds like Pro-Transport is a good company.

Let me give you some true facts:

Pro-Transport-1 401K DOES NOT match at 15% as someone here stated it's 2% after 2 years of being a Pro-Transport employee. Before 2 years of service its 0%, Pro-Transport doesn’t match for those employee’s at all.

Pro-Transport-1 EMT's care very much. The problem is with Pro-Transport management, and ownership.

Medical Benefits: Medical Benefits at Pro-Transport-1 only covers 50% of the employee and 0% of Pro-Transport employee family members. This is for Kaiser Only.

Yes Pro-Transport offers other medical plans then Kaiser but the company pay’s 0% into them EVEN FOR THE EMPLOYEE. Pro-Transport employee’s pay 100%. Co-Pays are high with both. A Kaiser ER visit will cost you $250!

Starting pay is $9.50 per hr. which is a true statement. Yes you do get call bonuses. The call volume is low as others have stated about Pro-Transport. 4 BLS Calls on a good day. That does very depending on what station within Pro-Transport you work at. Many employee's have complained that the calls are not counted correctly. I personally haven't had any problem, but have seen many who have. Some have been shorted more then $25.

The ambulances are often missing equipment again management is aware and routinely sends you out on calls. Often the rig’s are down and at Ford. Sometimes there are no ambulances to drive. Your call and your $5 gets routed away. O another thing dispatch does not dispatch evenly. So 1 crew may have 5 or 6 calls, and another crew may have only 2 calls. Even if the crew with 2 calls came on shift before the crew with 5 or 6. Pro-Transport management is aware and says their working on the problem.

Let me just close by saying, I just feel strongly that these items needs to be made aware to EMS personnel who are thinking of applying. Yes, it’s a place to get your foot in the door with EMS. If you’re a new EMT come to Pro-Transport, but get in and get out. You will find that all I am saying about Pro-Transport-1 is very true. Honestly there is much more I could say about Pro-Transport but I think you get my point.

[VentMedic]

Looks like you are hitting all the EMS forums today with your message. I guess I'll repeat myself on this forum.

In all fairness why don't you post a comparison of other transport services in your area to see if benefits, wages and bonuses are similar?

Even in the SF Bay area, it is difficult for an EMT to demand much for wages. Realistically, 3 months of training and "BLS" care for 4 or 5 patients per day doesn't bring in the big money. With the short time for training and the many tech schools mass producing EMTs every 3 months or less, there is an abundance of EMT-Bs in the area just waiting for a job that at least offers a paycheck and/or health insurance.

Many laid off and well educated people from Silicon Valley are now working as EMTs after a quick course just to keep their families insured and bring in some money. Some are just trying something different while inbetween employment contracts. Of course they will probably return to their other careers and lifestyle once the economy in that area picks up.

If you don't like your job you can try to go elsewhere but as an EMT-B you might be limited.

[46Young]

Pro-Transport-1 is a very bad EMS company to work for. I strongly feel that EMS is a family, and because I work for Pro-Transport-1 I feel I need to protect my EMS family members. I know that when you read the nice job EMT or Paramedic job descriptions from Pro-Transport-1 it sounds like Pro-Transport is a good company.

Let me give you some true facts:

Pro-Transport-1 401K DOES NOT match at 15% as someone here stated it's 2% after 2 years of being a Pro-Transport employee. Before 2 years of service its 0%, Pro-Transport doesn't match for those employee's at all.

Pro-Transport-1 EMT's care very much. The problem is with Pro-Transport management, and ownership.

Medical Benefits: Medical Benefits at Pro-Transport-1 only covers 50% of the employee and 0% of Pro-Transport employee family members. This is for Kaiser Only.

Yes Pro-Transport offers other medical plans then Kaiser but the company pay's 0% into them EVEN FOR THE EMPLOYEE. Pro-Transport employee's pay 100%. Co-Pays are high with both. A Kaiser ER visit will cost you $250!

Starting pay is $9.50 per hr. which is a true statement. Yes you do get call bonuses. The call volume is low as others have stated about Pro-Transport. 4 BLS Calls on a good day. That does very depending on what station within Pro-Transport you work at. Many employee's have complained that the calls are not counted correctly. I personally haven't had any problem, but have seen many who have. Some have been shorted more then $25.

The ambulances are often missing equipment again management is aware and routinely sends you out on calls. Often the rig's are down and at Ford. Sometimes there are no ambulances to drive. Your call and your $5 gets routed away. O another thing dispatch does not dispatch evenly. So 1 crew may have 5 or 6 calls, and another crew may have only 2 calls. Even if the crew with 2 calls came on shift before the crew with 5 or 6. Pro-Transport management is aware and says their working on the problem.

Let me just close by saying, I just feel strongly that these items needs to be made aware to EMS personnel who are thinking of applying. Yes, it's a place to get your foot in the door with EMS. If you're a new EMT come to Pro-Transport, but get in and get out. You will find that all I am saying about Pro-Transport-1 is very true. Honestly there is much more I could say about Pro-Transport but I think you get my point.

I strongly believe that those wishing to get some initial experience in EMS, where private based IFT is the only feasible option, should ONLY DO IT ER DIEM. Working at Wal-Mart, Costco, Staples, Applebees, TGIF, or something similar FT will likely pay better, and provide superior medical benefits. That would be a good strategy while waiting for an ER tech spot, a position in third service EMS, hospital based EMS, or while completing a degree.

When you're hired as a brand new EMT for a private based IFT company, I strongly suggest getting shifts exclusively with medics. You'll see more acutely ill pts, you won't have to worry about any liability/negligence from working with an incompetent or inexperiences BLS provider. It's likely that you'll learn more when working with a medic, anyway.

That's exactly what I did. After getting my EMT, I kept my FT job in beverage sales, did a stint as an EMS vollie for MVVAC (NYC), and worked per diem for seven months at Hunter Ambulance-Ambulette Inc. in Inwood NY. When the NSLIJ HS CEMS hired me, it was for FT employment, and I was set. At Hunter, it quickly became evident that I was working with inexperienced, clinically ignorant personnel on the whole. When I had exactly two weeks on, I had a partner that was brand new to the field. It was at that point that I chose to work exclusively with medics. One crew brought a pt with rigor into the ED in a stair chair with an NRB attatched. I've heard of a Metrocare (now Transcare) crew doing something similar. I've also witnessed a crew "bagging" an arrest pt through the NRB resevoir. I took pity and threw them a BVM so they wouldn't get jammed up. You don't want to get mixed up in a negative pt care issue at all, let alone that early in your career.

Looks like you are hitting all the EMS forums today with your message. I guess I'll repeat myself on this forum.

In all fairness why don't you post a comparison of other transport services in your area to see if benefits, wages and bonuses are similar?

Even in the SF Bay area, it is difficult for an EMT to demand much for wages. Realistically, 3 months of training and "BLS" care for 4 or 5 patients per day doesn't bring in the big money. With the short time for training and the many tech schools mass producing EMTs every 3 months or less, there is an abundance of EMT-Bs in the area just waiting for a job that at least offers a paycheck and/or health insurance.

Many laid off and well educated people from Silicon Valley are now working as EMTs after a quick course just to keep their families insured and bring in some money. Some are just trying something different while inbetween employment contracts. Of course they will probably return to their other careers and lifestyle once the economy in that area picks up.

If you don't like your job you can try to go elsewhere but as an EMT-B you might be limited.

True. Many have been laid off, with bills to pay and mouths to feed. When you need work, and need it yesterday, you're going to look for the quickest, easiset option. Enter EMS. A GED, 600-700 bucks and 120 hours of your time will make you eligable for hire. You and everyone else who seek a quick and easy route to employment. As such, EMT's are a dime a dozen, and are compensated as such. the most desireable agencies can afford to be selective, and also require prior experience, to at least see some form of work history in the field. Continue your education to seperate yourself from the pack. And contribute to your 401k regardless of the employer's willingness to pay.

Recommended reading - The Truth About Money, The Lies About Money, and Rescue Your Money (read this first), all by Ric Edelman.

[VentMedic]

When you're hired as a brand new EMT for a private based IFT company, I strongly suggest getting shifts exclusively with medics. You'll see more acutely ill pts, you won't have to worry about any liability/negligence from working with an incompetent or inexperiences BLS provider. It's likely that you'll learn more when working with a medic, anyway.

This is California and unfortunately the area in not in the OP's favor for that.

To find a Paramedic, 911 EMS is largely Fire Based. CCT utilizes RNs with EMTs as drivers and helpers. The very few ALS IFT trucks around are extremely limited in protocol that there is not much demand for them. Often a hospital will just book a CCT with a nurse rather then going through the long list of what a California Paramedic can not do. It is also a safer bet if the patient requires another med or technology during the wait time for the ambulance. When that happens and an ALS Paramedic truck arrives, another delay in transfer will happen while a CCT with a nurse is dispatched.

[hdblue]

Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

Tks again and pls keep posting.

[+medic]

First off come one there are good places to work and bad places to work in life. Not all are the same or always the best. I understand you in the SF Bay area and thats fine. Up in New Hampshire EMT-B get paid about the same or less depending on who you work for. However if you get your Massachussetts EMT-B card your pay rate at most places will jump to about 12 bucks and hour since you can do calls in both states. I work for a small Ambulance company thats very good to its EMT's with decent call volume. We do mostly BLS transfers from state hospitals and elder care homes its a good place for some one new to cut their teeth or burnt out people to come and have a rest.

If I were you i would compare what EMTs in your area make and see where you can move to in your area that may give you a pay jump for the same work. I make more money just having my MA EMT card since it makes me more marketable since most calls move in and out of MA.

Also I dont belive in the BS of call bonus for runs. There is no ryme or reason to call voulume at most Ambualnce companies your either have more work then you can deal with or are dead with a little bit of space in between.

It seems your unhappy and thats something you just have to deal with it since thats just life and the way some Ambulance comapanies are. In short Privet EMS sadly is a for profit serivce its sad but thats the way it is however if your lucky you will find the right company whos in EMS for the right reasons.

[hdblue]

Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

Tks again and pls keep posting.

Apart from that, you also can ref more resources at: Firefighter job descriptions