Am I to old?

[joely]

dustdevil,

thank you for your advice. i have thought about everything you've said and i will continue to further my research.

thanx. :wink:

[bandaidpatrol]

I retired at 64 to part time EMS.. and retired completely at 66. I didn't think I was too old, it was getting boring.

[Ghost-Tech]

I agree with Devil of Dust--- Volunteers are killing the " Professional aspect of the job ".... When they can get from the buffs for free why pay

[THUMPER1156]

I think its sad when you have to get paid to help people. I work for a private company & also volunteer. Id rather have a volunteer save my life then a gung ho paid ems worker that thinks hes god.If you don't want to volunteer,fine but don't put down in anyway ,those of us that choose to give a little bit of our free time back. If money was realy an issue ,nobody would work in ems........ :shock:

[stndmedic]

I always say that it's not worth doing if you don't love it. You know the old addage work- it's a four letter word. Yeah the pay sucks, the hours are worse, especially if you have a family. If not then bonus. I have two kids, they don't understand why daddy is always late getting home from work. However this being said, I started this-my second career- when I was 30yo. I am now 33 pushing 34. You have to have realistic goals and be aggressive about it. In order to make this a career you need to be in a Municipality or a fire based EMS system to make money. Oh yeah, you also must get your EMT-P. My suggestion to you is as soon you get your card get into commercial EMS with high call volume so you churn up field experience quick. Then enroll in the next EMT-I course to help better prepare you for the EMT-P class. By the time you complete the EMT-I you stand a better chance of making just little bit more money while suffer through EMT-P class. There is my Tony Robbins motivational speech, that'll 10k, no really , send it to.... GOOD LUCK MAN! HAVE FUN OUT THERE, THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT! Well besides driving fast and taking chances, oh and the ems chicks! Oh wait nevermind, the vast majority of them are CRAZY...just kiddin sisters! Everyone is crazy in EMS...

[stndmedic]

I think its sad when you have to get paid to help people. I work for a private company & also volunteer. Id rather have a volunteer save my life then a gung ho paid ems worker that thinks hes god.If you don't want to volunteer,fine but don't put down in anyway ,those of us that choose to give a little bit of our free time back. If money was realy an issue ,nobody would work in ems........ :shock:

People like you scare me. I'm glad you have time in this expensive world to "give back" your time. You realize how demeening that is to those of us who lay it on the line full time! If you base your opinion off some PARA-GOD that's too bad you can't see past them to the folks that give a crap! I am currently working as we speak at a "VOLUNTEER" agency as career staff because the "VOLUNTEERS" sit at home and self triage calls. That's fine and dandy, but when you can only get a volunteer to show up when it's the MVA or something cool sounding, I would appreciate the same respeact your asking for. I do understand your pain because I feel the same about volunteers as you do paid staff. However, I pour my heart into this feild 60 plus hrs per week. That does'nt include the time I spend reading journals, CE's , or attending classes. So, I do wish you the best, and maybe instead of feeling SAD for those of us that get paid, which includes you! Maybe you can be constructive and bridge the gap!

P.S. Be careful what you wish for, a volunteer just might show up to save your life....

[bandaidpatrol]

The attitudes and egos coming into modern EMS, are what scare me. It is a single persons opinion, is what makes another provider unprofessional. But what one mind sees, amongst scrutiny, is likely how it acts by itself. Negativity spreads like disease...

-Me

[Mediclease]

I would say If you love it go for it, I'll soon be 39 and have been doing this for 19 years and still have a love for the job. Yeah the pay has sucked over the years, there have been times when i hated my job cause of where i worked and the people that i worked with. But when it comes down to it.... EMS is in my blood. Will i die a rich woman...No & Yes I say this cause over the years i have met some of the most amazing people who have enriched my life through this job. So go for it if you find that you love it, Just know that sometimes this job will not love you back. and that is my 2 cents worth.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

I would say If you love it go for it, I'll soon be 39 and have been doing this for 19 years and still have a love for the job. Yeah the pay has sucked over the years, there have been times when i hated my job cause of where i worked and the people that i worked with. But when it comes down to it.... EMS is in my blood. Will i die a rich woman...No & Yes I say this cause over the years i have met some of the most amazing people who have enriched my life through this job. So go for it if you find that you love it, Just know that sometimes this job will not love you back. and that is my 2 cents worth.

Word C.

[LindaRAmar]

I started last fall (2005). I turned 60 in July. I'm a volunteer, and I have background in medicine unrelated to emergency response, from which I'm retired. I can't think of anything I'd rather do in retirement than this. I'm in excellent shape and will probably stay that way doing this kind of work.