Questions about EMT-B in Wisconsin

[Just Plain Ruff]

And just because I want to give you a little glimpse of who I am, other than the convicted drunk driver, I am a whitewater kayaker, and avid outdoor enthusiast. I hold swiftwater rescue and wildland firefighter type II certifications as well as CPR, First Aid and Wilderness First Responder Certs.

I feel like I'm a qualified candidate to consider work in this field, but if the powers that be want to keep me out of it, so be it. I'll be happy to take my skills and services elsewhere to another type of Entity. Maybe I'll find a search and rescue crew to work for out west or something. Work for a private wildland fire contractor, or become multi-day expedition rafting guide somewhere. Hey that sounds like a lot more fun that working on an ambulance anyway! Who knows, nice to have my life ahead of me to figure that all out, meanwhile I'll just keep gaining more credentials and experience along the way.

Like Ronald Reagan said in one of the debates "There you go again"

Then why not go the firefighter route?

But do you like long walks on the beach too?

The powers that be are not conspiring to keep you out of this field, your conviction is conspiring against you.

No ambulance service is conspiring to keep you out, the insurance agencies are looking at the numbers and they are saying from a risk standpoint, and yes I know risk because I've just spent the last 8 weeks studying risk management that a person who has a DWI conviction on their record is about 50-65% more likely to get another one. NO MATTER that they say "I'm reformed, I'll never do it again" It only takes two drinks in one hour and then get in a car and get stopped by a cop. Blow above a .08 and wham there's another DWI.

So from a risk standpoint, you with your DWI are 50% more likely to go out and do it again,no matter what you say to the contrary.

I'm sure you are a nice person, I'm sure you are a pillar in your community, I'm sure that you could be president of your country club and your PTA but to the insurance company that is insuring the ambulance service that you want to drive for, you are persona non-grata just like every other person who has everything from a C&I on up on their license.

Don't get all pissy with us when we tell you these cold hard facts of life in our business because we KNOW these facts, for you came here for the information and from your original post, you asked for us not to beat you up, which to me says that you knew the answer and the response that you were going to get before you posted the question to us in the first place.

And if you put yourself in our shoes, where every single one of us on this forum have seen the effects of what drunk driving does to people you would not be coming here getting pissed off at us for our tepid response to your questions. YES we have been tepid in our responses to you.

Many of us have had first hand experience with loved ones affected directly by drunk drivers. Many of us have had loved ones killed or injured. by drunks. Many of us have seen families ripped apart and destroyed by drunk drivers just because a drunk was too STUPID and SELFISH not to call a friend or a cab to take them home.

I'll be the one to say it, you were too stupid to call a cab or friend to take you home and you got caught. Just think of what would have happened had you not have made it home safely or had the officer not have caught you. LIves could have been ended or yours could have been ended as well.

But I'm sure that with your turning over a new leaf you have thought about that as well right?

So you should work on that fallback plan, take those long walks on the beach and not get pissy when you get the cold hard truth told to you because unfortunately, we don't have any control over who or what the insurance companies insure.

[paramedicmike]

I'd like to add to what the good Captain has said by pointing out we aren't talking about others who drive drunk and don't get caught. We're talking about you who did drive drunk and got caught. So don't try to muddle your argument by saying that others do it and don't get caught.

I'd also like to point out that nobody is saying you won't, at any point, be denied a second chance. Your second chance will only come, however, after the DUI is cleared from your record.

That you are so angry about this tells me that you didn't quite understand just how life altering this conviction would be. It's a hard lesson to learn. Getting mad when you learn new ways that this will affect you isn't our fault or our problem.

[KSL2786]

No sir I'm not mad at the facts, I'm mad because of the way you present them, finding ways of inserting snide remarks and personal insults when there is no place for that here. If you want to state facts, state facts. All the statistics in the world don't mean shit. You can sit here and tell me that I'm going to get another DUI because thats the FACTS... and I know in my own head that it wont, so I'm not mad, I dont care. I just think you're a dick, thats all.

And yes, I love long walks on the beach. Especially under the moonlight.

PAUL RYAN VP!!!!!!!!

[paramedicmike]

No insults. No snide remarks. If you took plain, no frills presentation of the sutuation you're in as anything other than plain and no frills then that's on you. If you were looking for someone to hold your hand and tell you it would all be ok you came to the wrong place. As Captain noted we have all seen way too many instances of what alcohol and drunk driving can do. You're not going to find much sympathy for your plight here. Complete dismissal? Nope.

Good luck to you, kid. I hope you can be as stand up as you claim you're going to be.

[KSL2786]

Darn I was really hoping someone would hold my hand

Thanks for wishing me luck, I do appreciate it.

Edited August 30, 2012 by KSL2786

[Just Plain Ruff]

Heres two hands and a shoulder. I really do hope thst you are able to get whatever job you want but Im just saying that for a risk standpoint you are not who the insurers will touch with the proverbial 30 foot cattle prod.

You might get lucky and find a self insured service but that will be nigh impossible.

Let me ask you this. Did you do what I originally told you to do? Did you call any of the local services to your area and ask them if they would hire you with a dwi? Did you or didnt you?

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[island emt]

KSL: i do admire your spunk in defending yourself. Defend all you want, the fact is you have a OUI conviction on your record that will be there for the next ten years. Every employment application you fill out will ask if you have ever been convicted! You need to answer yes , as it will show up in a background check.

However the responses you have gotten from Mike, Ruff , & myself have been very tame and very direct & to the point. They are facts as we know them from our decades of experience in the EMS industry. Risk management is a very large & important part of the business. As a service manager I spend a lot of time on risk management and hate it, but Thats part of my job. Reduce as much human risks as possible to keep the insurance companies happy.

We have all dealt with a new member here with your story many times over the last decade and with very few exceptions they have gotten the exact same message and information you received in this thread.

Some were gracious enough to understand facts and others not so much.

Some left here with thanks, and others left with an attitude of being better than us and who are we to tell them the facts. Still others left with the panties in a bunch!

Good luck in your future endeavors and white water rafting guide with an EMT cert is a bonus.

Sobriety isn't a bad thing in this business.

[slymedic1]

Gotta weigh in on this one, I know that people make mistakes however drinking and driving is not one that, in my opinion, should be forgiven, its a choice to drive and take the chance on killing innocent people on the roads, how many of you reading this have run that call? You know you have, the dead family while the guy who made the "mistake" sits on the guard rail like nothing happend, I wish you well in whatever you do however, I dont feel you should ever be certified to drive an ambulance....just my .02.....

[KSL2786]

Captain ToHellWithItAll,

Yes I have been making some calls and it has definitely been helpful. I've heard everything from it doesn't matter (aside from having to jump through some additional hoops) unless you've had two or more, to services that say after its been 5 years then you are insurable again.

I'm still incredibly interested in this field and I know I can do well in my class. I sincerely do want to help people. Its a problem I've created for myself and I understand and respect everyones point of view. Initially I felt like this situation was might be devestating to my hopes of becoming an EMT but I guess now I realize that its all about self advocation, proving myself to be changed, taking responsibilities for my mistakes etc. Its going to be a long and bumpy road for me to get my foot in the door anywhere probably, but I want it bad enough that I can't let this discourage me or hold me back from trying.

Thanks again to everyone for your input, even the ones that that stated things I may not have wanted to hear. I value the advice an opinions given here and I assure you..I'm not leaving this thread with my panties in a bunch!!

I would like to continue to be involved on this website because I think I could gain al ot of valuable knowledge and perspectives from experienced folks in the field.

I know I did wrong and I feel terrible about it. I never want to put anyone at risk because of my own selfish stupidity. Unfortunately, it already happened and I can't take it back so all there is to do now is move forward and deal with it..doing whatever it is I need to do to get to where I want to be to make up for the mistakes of my past.

Also thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. It means a lot to me and I appreciate it. I hope I can be successful somehow in this field and use the knowledge and skills I will gain from training, in whatever scenario it may be..ambulance, raft guiding, etc.

Take care everyone and perhaps we'll catch up on a different thread in the future.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Excellent response ks. I think you might be the first person has taken advice of the site and listened to it and not left with a huge chip on their shoulder.

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