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Old 04-09-2009, 03:24 PM
 
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I plan to move to Colorado in May. I've been a paramedic for 20 years, cpr, acls, and pals instructor for 10.

Questions:

Where are the best EMS jobs?
Where is the best pay?
What is the pay?
Do they pay for experience?

I've looked at AMR, summit county, and Pagosa Springs (not hiring at the moment).

Any advice? Thanks.
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Old 04-10-2009, 05:48 AM
 
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Howdy Doc,
As with any state (it seems) the best paying jobs are in the fire service. Privates abound esp in the Denver metro area, but from what I hear the pay is low and turnover high. But the metro area is most likely the best area to look if wages are a concern. I've been in the SW Co area (Pagosa being part of this region) for 18 years and the pay is far less than stellar (still sub 50K/year as a FF/Medic and that's with a fire service). Worked as a flight medic for a year as well, and the pay is criminally low (and of course the risk is...well, you know)If you can get into teaching and/or management, that's where the $$ is. Nursing is where the $$ and flexibility is at. Even in rural areas the nursing pay is significantly (50 - 100%) higher. Ah, such is life...

Good luck!
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Old 04-11-2009, 11:58 PM
 
Location: Virginia
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Yea, don't come to CO and expect to make decent money. Everything CDDave says is very true. My DH is everything you are makes about 70K annually in the Dod service as a fireman. Very high turn over in AMR, medics in general. We have known several who do AMR as part time work and then move on or our move out of CO.
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Old 04-12-2009, 10:24 AM
 
14 posts, read 137,471 times
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Interesting comments but none of the specifics I'm looking for, but still sounds like good advice.

Little background on my plans and why I'm thinking about Colorado. I'm half way through the Excelsior bridge program to RN and need to relocate because my current home has become too expensive (taxes and insurance). I love to ski (go every year) and got married a few years ago in Colorado Springs (Little white rose chapel)/honey mooned there. I'm currently working with a private service in NOLA for 18/hr, no benefits. I was working offshore but the price of oil and credit tightening has shutin most drilling rigs. Work is very slim pickings. I would've gone back to New Orleans EMS if they were hiring...they are not since the city tax base has dropped so significantly since Katrina. Several other services also have a hiring freeze because of the pending medicare changes have them nervous. Just want to get out of here and chose from my favorite states: CO, MO, and TN. I figured CO because of my personal recreational preference and I already have a CO state license; whereas I would have to jump through the reciprocity issues in MO and TN before moving. Also, MO and TN are quite terrible in pay: 14/hr or less in some places. For me, that isn't a livable wage.

AMR's website says they offer relocation pay, bonus, etc, and I'm famaliar with their company (worked in S. MS division for a few years back in the early ninety's). I've tried to contact them, a Ted Sawyer, but only got his VM and I left a message. Still nothing. I also applied to Summit county EMS, their website says they have a paramedic position open, but still no word.

What I really want to know: Do any of these services pay for experience and what can I expect in pay per hr? Based off your experience. Also, how easy or difficult is it to get on with a fire dept. based EMS? Denver? Any contacts (numbers, names, references) would also be of great benefit.

Thanks.
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Old 04-13-2009, 09:57 PM
 
15 posts, read 163,507 times
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Hey Doc...

Well, I suppose your situation begs a few major questions. First, what does your wife do, where does she want to live and do, kids(?), school issues, etc. In Colorado it seems that it's either big or small (metro areas...Springs, Denver, GJ...or the podunk). There's $$ to be made in all areas, so looking at the big pic, where do you wanna be? Getting into fire based systems is tough, because they are still trenched in the fire paradigm even though ~80% of what they do is EMS. If you're not fire trained...well, they have no need. Especially if you're on in age...which means over about 30. That's the reality.

The other question is if you're half way through your RN transition, why even consider EMS any longer (other than it's cooler....). Get your RN and write your ticket. I live in a tiny town (pop 400) and there are RN's here making bank travelling to Durango, Montrose, Delta, Grand Junction, etc. They trod on the red carpet too. It's insane, as many RN's I know couldn't tell you normal sinus from an seizing EEG (I was in the ER last month helping a "seasoned" RN place an EJ...she'd never done one...but I credit her for admitting it and doing it). The normal wages you'd find around where I am are in the $15 - $17/hr. I work for a fire based service and the benefits are good, the comaraderie is awesome, the flexibility is superb, the attitude is great, schedule is good, the tools are there, we're progressive as all heck, protocols are very liberal (RSI, surgical crics, tele for MIs, etc) but the pay...well, as stated....

If I were you I'd pursue the RN with all gusto, then get into a system that you might be able to reserve for EMS (even fire departments will take medics, especially EMT-P/RNs without any fire experience) on the side. Nursing has such an excellent future given the political changes coming, the age of the citizenry, etc....impossible to go wrong and I'd expect $60 - 75K at a minimum witha great schedule. By the way I tried it and failed miserably...just the wrong timing. I might go back that direction.

Take care.
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Old 04-14-2009, 01:13 PM
 
14 posts, read 137,471 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CDDave View Post
Hey Doc...

Well, I suppose your situation begs a few major questions. First, what does your wife do, where does she want to live and do, kids(?), school issues, etc. In Colorado it seems that it's either big or small (metro areas...Springs, Denver, GJ...or the podunk). There's $$ to be made in all areas, so looking at the big pic, where do you wanna be? Getting into fire based systems is tough, because they are still trenched in the fire paradigm even though ~80% of what they do is EMS. If you're not fire trained...well, they have no need. Especially if you're on in age...which means over about 30. That's the reality.

The other question is if you're half way through your RN transition, why even consider EMS any longer (other than it's cooler....). Get your RN and write your ticket. I live in a tiny town (pop 400) and there are RN's here making bank travelling to Durango, Montrose, Delta, Grand Junction, etc. They trod on the red carpet too. It's insane, as many RN's I know couldn't tell you normal sinus from an seizing EEG (I was in the ER last month helping a "seasoned" RN place an EJ...she'd never done one...but I credit her for admitting it and doing it). The normal wages you'd find around where I am are in the $15 - $17/hr. I work for a fire based service and the benefits are good, the comaraderie is awesome, the flexibility is superb, the attitude is great, schedule is good, the tools are there, we're progressive as all heck, protocols are very liberal (RSI, surgical crics, tele for MIs, etc) but the pay...well, as stated....

If I were you I'd pursue the RN with all gusto, then get into a system that you might be able to reserve for EMS (even fire departments will take medics, especially EMT-P/RNs without any fire experience) on the side. Nursing has such an excellent future given the political changes coming, the age of the citizenry, etc....impossible to go wrong and I'd expect $60 - 75K at a minimum witha great schedule. By the way I tried it and failed miserably...just the wrong timing. I might go back that direction.

Take care.
Thanks, but I still need a job while in transition to nursing unless you think I have no bills? I have found a buyer for my house down here and we will be relocating to CO. My wife doesn't want to work, stay at home wife, still no kids, etc. Therefore, I still need a job. I still have 4 more tests with Excelsior and a weekend of clinicals for the nursing. That's a good 8 months of time before taking the boards. I spoke with a Stacey in Aurora for Rural Metro yesterday and if they hired me (mid-May block) I would be capped around 22/hr with 20 years experienced. We'll see if indeed that is what they offer me.

I would have liked to be in Colorado Springs, Pagosa, or Summit but AMR isn't responding (I've applied, left VM's, and nothing). Pogasa and Summit have no openings, but will have continous postings for availability as the need arises.

Let me know if you hear of an opening.
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Old 04-14-2009, 07:18 PM
 
15 posts, read 163,507 times
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Since you were/are considering Pagosa, there's another possibility...Farmington NM. There are some Coloradoans who commute (1 hr from Durango) for that job, and it's a hospital based EMS system, pretty busy (in the 4 corners area it's easily the most active), and even though Farmington isn't all that great (depends what you like), the EMS and hospital care is really quite wonderful (I interned down there and I work with many people still involved there). If you are willing to look just Google San Juan Regional Medical Center...

Also nearby (but the money won't be there) are Los Pinos Fire (Ignacio) and Upper Pine Fire (Bayfield), both paid departments. Twenty two an hour sounds pretty good for around here...I might have to start looking up there!

Good luck, and if I can be of any other help let me know. By the way, Durango is hiring right now but it's gonna be a FF/medic...and there are about 4 lined up, qualified and already working there...plus the pay is less than bad....
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Old 04-15-2009, 07:06 AM
 
14 posts, read 137,471 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CDDave View Post
Since you were/are considering Pagosa, there's another possibility...Farmington NM. There are some Coloradoans who commute (1 hr from Durango) for that job, and it's a hospital based EMS system, pretty busy (in the 4 corners area it's easily the most active), and even though Farmington isn't all that great (depends what you like), the EMS and hospital care is really quite wonderful (I interned down there and I work with many people still involved there). If you are willing to look just Google San Juan Regional Medical Center...

Also nearby (but the money won't be there) are Los Pinos Fire (Ignacio) and Upper Pine Fire (Bayfield), both paid departments. Twenty two an hour sounds pretty good for around here...I might have to start looking up there!

Good luck, and if I can be of any other help let me know. By the way, Durango is hiring right now but it's gonna be a FF/medic...and there are about 4 lined up, qualified and already working there...plus the pay is less than bad....
Thanks, I will. Rural Metro is giving me a phone interview next Tuesday, and I'll let you know. 22/hr is based off experience, starting is like 17/hr. I'm not crazy about living in the big city of denver, not a city guy and the traffic there is a nightmare, but I only have to Dec before the RN degree.

So how do all of you make ends meet up there for so little? Property, taxes, water, food, are not cheap. Why are so many people getting into EMS in CO by driving down demand if the pay is so poor? Volunteerism? The "coolness" factor? For christ sakes you're intubating and pushing drugs for a job that pays in the 30k range! Where's the outrage? Where's the associations fighting for decent wages?
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Old 04-15-2009, 11:35 PM
 
15 posts, read 163,507 times
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Oh beleive me the "outrage" is there, but there are many things being part of a fire department offeres that one can't put a monetary value on. This, I think, is why people tolerate the lower wages. The Durango area is an anomaly: very high cost of living (gas prices among the highest in the state, average home prices rose 10% last year to $440,000, everything else pricey due to location and availability), yet pretty low wages across the board. From cops to firefighters, store clerks, retail, etc. I works Purgatory Pro Patrol as a medic for <12/hr; lift mechaing there for under $10/hr. Construction jobs are lucrative, but that's slowing down.

So how do we make ends meet? Most people that work fire here do it for the schedule to support another job. We have architects, contractors, tile setters, personal trainers, students, rafting/flyfishing guides, etc. Also, most with wives (or husbands) have two incomes. The bennies are good, so it works out. I don't live in Durango, I live in Silverton (tiny town, <500 people year round) and have etched my niche up there being the only paramedic with career experience, so I manage the hybrid (pay/volunteer) system up there (which actually pays better!). But of course that's tough, as EMT numbers are extremely low, and experienced EMTs you can count on one hand. But we get by and we're getting better. Luckily the government(s) -- town and county -- realize that EMS is important when you're 1.5hrs from definitive care, so our budget's been pretty stable. And of course, I bang nails, cut firewood, repair things, teach, whatever it takes. I bought my house when they were still cheap so I don't have an unholy mortgage.

As far as "associations fighting for a cheap wage" the problem is EMS is scattered and unorganized (compared to fire, nursing, etc). It's getting better, but organized fire's been around for what 120 years, EMS, what 35? So with combo departments popping up all the time due to economic forces, and the realities of the successes of fire codes, better building construction, fire mitigation programs, and education all leading to less "fire" calls, and EMS being the workhorse of the combo fire/EMS services, we have to float along in thier paradigm and change things as we can, accept what we can, and try to have a good time, make a lot of friends, and live....

Good luck with your phone interview...sounds like if they can give you $22. with bennies to take care of yours, you might be on your way to Denver. It's a pretty nice place, and there are so many different cities up there all with thier own flavor. Oh by the way...if you don't know, Denver isn't a mountain town...it's a plains town with big mountains nearby! (I didnt' realize this until I went there just a few years ago...I was stunned...I thought it was some rugged town...it's actually pretty low in elevation for Colorado. Heck, the South Park area south and west --Fairplay, Jefferson and the like -- is practically all over 9000 ft...Denver's only 5200...even Durango is 6512, Silverton is 9318...Denver is like Death Valley in Colorado!).

Again, good luck and I hope you find what you're after!
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Old 04-15-2009, 11:42 PM
 
15 posts, read 163,507 times
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PS...excuse my rabid typos in that last post...I'm approaching the night of a busy 24 hr...had an interesting OD this morning...pt ingested what we estimate to be 300mg MS (morphine sulfate, liquid), hypoventilating, dangerously hypoxic, needed airway management but it was complicated by his broken jaw that we was scheduled for sugery today...got him delicately tubed, but his lactate was 7.9, acidotic, blah blah blah...he's in ICU still, alive, labs normalized (his K+ skyrocketed for some reason but they got that worked out) and perhaps will wean him tomorrow...we all felt a little doomy on this one...!

Last edited by Mike from back east; 04-16-2009 at 06:16 PM..
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