How long did it take for you to become a ems supervisor ?

[emtbasic13]

I was wondering how long does it usually take to become a supervisor in ems and what are some of the requirments to get that position. I know it takes a couple of years of field work, medic school, and some college probably. But what else and how long did it take you ?

[akflightmedic]

There is no clear cut answer as it varies from service to service and some may require all of which you listed and some may require none.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ak is correct. At one of my old jobs it was who had been there the longest. Once the longest tenure left then the next longest tenure got the job. Didn't matter if that person was a freaking idiot or not.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

[HERBIE1]

As was noted above, that's an impossible question to answer in general terms. Too many variables, and each system is so different. One system may use strict seniority, another may use an appointed system, another may be required to take a written and oral test- especially in the case of civil/career service systems. To answer your question-you need to narrow down WHERE you are talking about and ask someone currently working there. It also depends on your definition of "supervisor". Is this a person who still works the streets and responds to larger incidents, assists in care, solves problems, or is it someone who flies a desk and does scheduling and training. Maybe it's someone who is on a quick response vehicle. Maybe it's simply the senior member on an apparatus.

Degrees and certifications are great, but to be an effective supervisor/trainer/proctor, you need to have a certain baseline level of experience in the business. Obviously the amount of time would vary greatly- in a busy urban area, you could see more in a week than some rural service deals with in an entire career.

[Alex Woo]

It all depends... I became an EMT in 1995 and an EMT-P in 1998. I was an EMS Mgr at a NYC Hospital in 2006; it closed in 2008. I've been a Supervisor & Mgr ever since at a Private Ambulance...

[FormerEMSLT297]

O.K. For my voluntter service they Elect officers.. Became and EMT-A in 85, became a EMT-I in 86, and got LT. in 89...... Totally a voluntter thing. I was young, and around the firehouse a lot and really no one else was interested, and the one other candidate was an elderly woman, who was a bit clueless.

Career: Hired in April 1987, went to Medic school in 1991, and promoted to EMS-Lieutenant in 1993......and even then when I was promoted I was one of theyoungest persons on the job NYC-EMS, to get promoted to Lieutenant.

College never hurts, as do advanced training classes, but the biggest thins most systems want is for yu to be an ALS provider... Being an EMT, and supervising medics is kind of hard, especially if you have QA/QI responsibilities. Just my opinion

[crotchitymedic1986]

I would say it is totally in your hands, you could be promoted in a year, could take 10 years, but you can control your destiny. First concentrate on being a great field medic. Then meet with the decision makers and ask them, what do I need to do to be the next one promoted. In between, take some management classes, be the guy/girl they can always rely on, do not be the problem child. Be the solution to all their problems, work on committees, take on challenges. Whenever there is a problem, you want management to say lets bring in emtbasic13 on this one.

*** If you are in a big city department, this is even more important, as promotions are harder to earn, come around less often, and often result in lawsuits. Still, most medics do not start behaving right and doing extra until a promotional exam is announced, so it should be easy for you to run laps around them, if you start now.

[zippyRN]

There is no clear cut answer as it varies from service to service and some may require all of which you listed and some may require none.

and to truely mess things up I'd been doing Command roles at events before I was crew qualified - and doing 'command support' roles since I was a teen.

[Alex Woo]

If you really want to progress in EMS; being a paramedic is a almost a must. Degrees will only help. Many local, regional, state, & federal ems agencies ask for experience and education minimum (Bachelors). Being a supervisor takes time, experience, and dedication. Being a director of a bigger entity will require a degree or/and an advance degree.

Get ur AS, BS, MS, or PhD; if you want but get ur edu. Its the most modifiable factor you can control to improve your class, status, and livelihood...