Hartford CT EMS. Anyone out there?

[tddubois]

Greetings,

I am an EMT-B in the final throes of my paramedic course, and I’m checking out my options. Hartfort, CT has come up in conversation between myself and my roommate who is moving out there, and I’ve been thinking about tagging along, however I know nothing about the system out there. What I’m after is some inside information:

Pay scale

Private vs. Municipal opportunities

Reciprocity

National Registry?

Call volume/experience

Any pro’s and con’s to working in that area.

Also I work and reside currently in the metro Boston area. I’m going from EMT-B to paramedic without Intermediate in between. Will that fly in CT? Any information available would be greatly appreciated.

I am also browsing around on the web, but I figured this may be a good place to start.

--tddubois

[medic001918]

I'm a paramedic in the Hartford, CT and actually worked the city for three and a half years. I'm still technically employed by the EMS provider there, but am contracted to one of the suburbs. I still have knowledge of the area and the system. Hartford itself has EMS provided by two commercial services. The pay is on par for the area with a new medic making in the neighborhood of $18-19 per hour. It goes up from there based on experience. There are some fire departments in the area that provide fire/paramedic services, but those tend to be few. Much of Connecticut BLS transport is provided by volunteers, and commercial fills in. There are a few private services that hold the PSA for certain areas as well. But they tend to pay less than the commercial services.

As far as recipricosity, Connecticut is a national registry state. How it would reciprocate for you would depend greatly on where you're relocating from. Without that information, it's difficult to answer the question.

Call volume in Hartford is up on the average. It does have a reputation as a violent city statistically. You will build experience quickly, but be prepared to do the transfers that comes with the services that cover the area. To work in the city as a paramedic, there's no way around it.

Without knowing your experience level, it's difficult to gauge the learning curve involed with the move. There's too many variables to your questions to get accurate answers without knowing more about you.

All in all, it's not a bad place to get good experience quickly. You'll learn a lot. In Hartford, there's not other paramedic service (such as the FD) that will back you up on calls. Some commercial services provide transport for the fire departments that also provide their own ALS and this limits the exposure for a new medic since the FD has precedence and can tech the call which will make you their EMT essentially or leave you driving. There are some good providers, and there are some bad providers. The protocols tend to be rather progressive allowing for quite a few treatment options. They aren't totally "cook book" protocols full of "it/than" statements. They are open to interpretation.

Shane

NREMT-P

[tddubois]

Shane,

Thank you, I appreciate the reply. I've been an EMT for only two years now, first in Maine (nationally registered), now in the metro Boston area for a private that has pretty good 911 experience for their basics. If I do go to the Hartford area I would be going as a new medic, fresh out of school. I intend on taking the national registry next month, and mass. state test at the beginning of August. I'm still not sure about the move, just weighing my options. If I do move to CT it would probably be in the fall.

As a new medic though, as with any new medic, my goal is to get involved in a system that is going to teach me a lot and give me a fair share of emergency work. Any specific services/websites I should look up? What are these two commecial services in Hartford. Any good services I should be looking at outside of the city? Recommendations?

-Tddubois

[medic001918]

Any of these services will give you the opportunity to obtain the emergency experience you desire. The transfer's aren't that bad...they are part of the job in the area for most. Especially as a new medic. As you gain experience, it will open the doors for you to go to other servies.

The service's in Hartford are American Medical Response (North End) and Aetna Ambulance (South End). AMR offer's the opportunity to transfer to other ares in the country should you choose to do so.

As far as licensing goes, I'm not familiar with the process coming from Mass. A call to CT OEMS could answer that. I believe with the National Registry card, you might be all set. At the most you'd probably have to take the written again. I don't know for sure so don't hold me to it.

Other services in the area that aren't fire based but offer good experience are Middlesex Hospital and Windham Hospital. Both generally require 3-5 years of experience though to get on the job. You can also check out New Britain EMS. They are a great service to work for (I also work part time for them) that does a lot of teaching and has even more progressive protocols. It can be one of the more difficult services to obtain employment with in the area though. Their website is www.nbems.org if you want to check them out.

Good luck,

Shane

NREMT-P

[p3medic]

If your in the boston metro area, you might want to consider boston ems. Third service, 911 provider for the city of boston, hire BLS and promote medics from within. You need to work a minimum of 1 year bls from date of hire, but when you factor in a 16 week training academy and field internship, its more like 6 months of bls. In that time you will learn the system, all the hospitals, geography, protocols, etc....the bls job pays well, and the medic job pays better. To be promoted to medic requires a competitive exam, practical and oral interview, and then hospital clinical rotations and a field internship as well, at the end of that another oral exam, and if you did well, you'll be a probie medic for the next 6 months. Something to think about.

As for your initial questions regarding Hartford, I'll answer the same re:Boston.

1. BLS start around 18/hr

2. municipal

3. n/a

4. NR not required

5. over 100,000 calls per year, 15 BLS units, 5 ALS

6. pros: you already live in the area, great protocols for BLS and ALS, active training dept, QA/QI, paid overtime for con-ed, refreshers, etc. Lots of OT available, private details, special events, i.e marathon, good equipment, vehicles, 500$/yr uniform allotment, all PPE supplied i.e helmets, turn outs, pro mask, body armor, etc...good union, 15 paid holidays, 15d sick time a year, 2-6 weeks paid vacation depending on time in service. Cons: city residency requirement within 6 months of hire, mandatory overtime, although it happens rarely, for example its been over 3 years since I was mandated, high call volume (good for some, others would rather be slow), may not work the shift you want until you have some seniority, all assignments are by seniority, however once you "bid" a spot, its yours until you give it up, so someone with 30 yrs on the job can't bump you out. Living in the city can be expensive.

[tddubois]

If your in the boston metro area, you might want to consider boston ems. Third service, 911 provider for the city of boston, hire BLS and promote medics from within. You need to work a minimum of 1 year bls from date of hire, but when you factor in a 16 week training academy and field internship, its more like 6 months of bls. In that time you will learn the system, all the hospitals, geography, protocols, etc....the bls job pays well, and the medic job pays better. To be promoted to medic requires a competitive exam, practical and oral interview, and then hospital clinical rotations and a field internship as well, at the end of that another oral exam, and if you did well, you'll be a probie medic for the next 6 months. Something to think about.

As for your initial questions regarding Hartford, I'll answer the same re:Boston.

1. BLS start around 18/hr

2. municipal

3. n/a

4. NR not required

5. over 100,000 calls per year, 15 BLS units, 5 ALS

6. pros: you already live in the area, great protocols for BLS and ALS, active training dept, QA/QI, paid overtime for con-ed, refreshers, etc. Lots of OT available, private details, special events, i.e marathon, good equipment, vehicles, 500$/yr uniform allotment, all PPE supplied i.e helmets, turn outs, pro mask, body armor, etc...good union, 15 paid holidays, 15d sick time a year, 2-6 weeks paid vacation depending on time in service. Cons: city residency requirement within 6 months of hire, mandatory overtime, although it happens rarely, for example its been over 3 years since I was mandated, high call volume (good for some, others would rather be slow), may not work the shift you want until you have some seniority, all assignments are by seniority, however once you "bid" a spot, its yours until you give it up, so someone with 30 yrs on the job can't bump you out. Living in the city can be expensive.

p3medic,

I am aware of my options here in Boston. I work for a company already that has a medic position available to me, its a private but it holds 6 strong 911 municipalities, and offers good experience. I'm interested with Hartford because I may be relocating there for other reasons, and want to know whats available to me for work. I appreciate the heads up anyway.

[p3medic]

my pleasure, good luck in Ct.

[Dustdevil]

I am aware of my options here in Boston.

Then why are you still there?

[tddubois]

Then why are you still there?

... Touché