Looking for jobs in or around the Philadelphia area

[Scott Richard Sudds]

Hello all, I am a new member to EMT City so I figured this would be the best place to ask this question.

I am an EMT-Intermediate for the State Of New York and have currently been an EMT for about 7 years. I am planning to move to the Philadelphia area within the next few months and I am having some trouble finding places that are hiring. I am looking for a 911 based service but will settle for a transport service if I have too . Ive been told that PA doesnt recognize Intermediate EMT's so I have already contacted the PA dept of health and have a Basic EMT card in the mail. I have supervisory experience and have been in a paid 911 service for the past 6 years and I have worked EMS in an "event service" as well.

Thanks in advance everyone,

Scott

[paramedicmike]

Where in the Philadelphia area will you be moving?

The City of Philadelphia runs 911 through the fire department. They only hire paramedics for their ambulances. They are putting BLS units on the street but these are staffed by fire fighters on either punishment or overtime. They are not hiring BLS providers specifically for these ambulances.

There are plenty of BLS transport services within the City as well. There have been several, however, who've recently been busted for medicare/insurance fraud. There are many under investigation as well. If you choose to go this route do your research *very* carefully.

The surrounding counties have a variety of employment settings. Delaware County has a mix of volly services with paid hospital based services. Montgomery County has a mix of combination EMS departments (volly/paid). Bucks County and I believe Berks County also have combination EMS departments out there.

Stay out of New Jersey.

Please post more questions if you have them.

Good luck.

[Chris Smith]

Firefighters working basic units are not "on punishment" but go through a standard rotation between there assigned company and a basic unit.

[paramedicmike]

Not according to guys I know within PFD.

Not that it matters too much. PFD is forcing people who don't want to be on an ambulance to work on an ambulance. This is clearly evident in poor, at times non-existant, care provided by some of these guys.

There are some solid people who work for PFD. Unfortunately, they are overshadowed by a system that is an example of how not to run EMS.

[Scott Richard Sudds]

Thanks for the help so far Paramedicmike I am looking at places in the Drexel hill area (Delco) I am going to try and get into a medic program in the fall of 2012.

I also forgot to add that I do have all my dispatching classes under my belt as well

[Chris Smith]

Let me clarify. Firefighters get there emt-b in the academy are are "rotated" through a basic unit on some type of sch. They are also able to work OT on ALS units. When the department sees fit they allow members to no longer be emt-b's when there are enough others to fill the need.