Another moving to HI question (Hilo: job market, public school, living)

[Nwcid]

I have been searching and that is even how I found this site.

Like any other subject on the internet I get lots of mixed answers but they also span over several years. I will start with a few basic questions which I am sure will lead me to more searching or new threads specific to that topic. Obviously these questions deal with moving, life, housing, and jobs.

First off we are considering moving to the BI. We have visited a couple of times and really like it. As it is I travel a lot and been a lot of nice places. None of those places have I ever considered living though. I can not get over how nice the weather is there. The heat kills me and while it is warm there it is comfortable. Once things hit mid 80's+ I am too hot and it is not uncommon to hit in excess of 100* here during the summer months.

First for jobs. I am a paramedic in WA state and have been such since 2002, starting EMS in 1997. I have seen the requirements for reciprocity and I don't think I will have any trouble meeting that. I have experience teaching in EMS. I also have a background in firefighting but only have recruit school and volunteer experience in it. I have 10 years of experience in Wildland firefighting and am on a national response team. I am a certified diver and a member of our county dive team as well.

The main area I work is the 5th largest county in the state serving an area of about 100,000 and we do primary 911. While most is urban we do cover the rural and wilderness as well. We also do transports out to larger hospitals 150-200 miles away frequently. I have lots of experience with extended care with my rural fire department and wildland fires.

I have heard it is both easy and hard to find jobs for a paramedic on the BI. I have heard they both need experienced people and that mainlanders have a hard time getting jobs. I also hear the fire department may be having a large hire this year but I can find little information on the department.



My GF is a grade school teacher and like my profession there seems to be lots of information both for and against it. Her teaching position is for a WA state run school but it is on the Colville Indian Reservation so her school is 99% native students. This sounds like it would be a similar demographic to teaching on BI.


I have lots of questions about moving and what to bring and how best to get it there. Here are just a couple of basic ones. We have ATV's and I have read there are places to ride so would they be worth bringing? Also I have an enclosed car trailer that I am considering bringing. Right now it is used to haul the ATV's, dive gear, camp, ect. Is that worth brining and if I do would it be possible to load all my stuff in the trailer and ship it over that way? I have read all the stuff about not being able to put stuff in cars for transport but I think I could get all the stuff I would bring in it.


My only other big concern is being stuck on an island Right now I travel a lot and mostly by road, I find flying a hassle. How long does it take to get bored there? Again if practical I would have the ATV's, we will be brining our street motorcycles, obviously diving is a big plan of ours and probably at some pont getting a boat.


Any help, thoughts or comments on any of this would be great. Thanks for you time.

[hotzcatz]

I'm not sure how one goes about EMS employment, but for teachers, there are a few tests they need to take. PRAXIS or some such. It's probably all listed on the DOE website. Hawaii has a statewide education department which is from what I understand, quite different than many places on the mainland arrange it.

Ask Matson or Horizon about shipping your trailer. Pasha may ship trailers, too.

If you are used to a lot of road travel, then you may be bored really quickly. There is basically one road which circles the island and a couple offshoots from that road, but it doesn't take long to drive on every road here.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

I'm not sure how one goes about EMS employment

There have been several recent discussions here about EMS requirements, training, etc. with a lot of details. Use the Search function to pull them up.

Ask Matson or Horizon about shipping your trailer. Pasha may ship trailers, too.

Pasha may be the best. They are vehicle specialists, and they handle boats, motorcycles, trailers, RV's, all kinds of odd cargo.

There is basically one road which circles the island and a couple offshoots from that road, but it doesn't take long to drive on every road here.

Yep. With a little commitment you can lap the Big Island in a day on the Belt Highway. If you are into long road trips, this is the wrong state for you.

[Nwcid]

As I stated I have used the search and only come up with a couple thread on the BI. All but one of the threads are 2009 or older and lots of things change.

I have searched "paramedic, EMT, EMS, MICT, Firefighter, Fire fighter", if you have a better search criteria or a link I would love to have it.

My GF was able to get in touch with a local teacher there so she got lots of good information. Sounds like my GF is qualified way over what many are.

[OpenD]

I used Advanced Search, keyword EMS, searched the Hawai'i forum and included Child forums, and requested results displayed as Posts (not Threads). I got 65 hits, including the following, which are all newer than 2009:

Moving from Kailua Kona to Oahu to pursue firefighter/medic career....

EMT wanting job in Hawaii

Paramedic in Kauai

Good luck.

[Nwcid]

Thank you.

Guess my google-fu is weak but I did just search the BI forms not all of HI. That seems to be the difference

[smarino]

Teaching on an Indian reservation (which tribe?) is nothing like teaching on the Big Island. Polynesians are not American Indians. My wife was in the school system both in Kea'au and Hilo, and she was very surprised by how different things were when we "moved mainland". Of course "mainland" does not exist. Every state is different, every city is different. But that's not how it's seen on the islands.

You mentioned the fire department might be hiring. WHICH fire department? I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone (and it's what people told me, but I was too dumb to listen). Please, spend some time on the Big Island before making a move. It is not like anything you know, both culturally, economically, and demographically. Housing issues will be very different, as will the job markets. You really need to stay a couple of months to get a proper understanding of how things work, and how they don't work.

[Nwcid]

I understand that tribal is not the same a islander. I was making the comment that teaching in rural depressed areas (which sounds similar to the situation there) is not like teaching in rich urban/suburban areas. I am assuming that someone coming from a large school system with lots of $$$ and resources would have a much harder transition to island life. She works at a WA state public school that is in the heart of the the Colivlle Indian Nation.

Well unless you know something I dont there is only ONE fire department and that would be Hawaii County. So that makes "WHICH fire department" a non issue. I have looked at all the requirements and paperwork along with contacting the licensing department. It is not just that they maybe be hiring soon but may be hiring more then normal. When they do hire I think have at least a 70% chance of getting a job based on my background.

I have a buddy that lives in Hilo that grew up down the road from me. We have been friends over 25 years. I also know his wife well who also grew up in our area. They have lived there 9 years now so have been a good resource of information. Neither of them know much about our job fields so that is why I am asking those kind of questions.