Paramedic training

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ward on May 24, 2008 at 1:17am

Need somre more information:

Do the paramedic students already have EMT-Basic?

What level of ALS certification: Paramedic or EMT-Intermediate?

Is the goal to have the students certiifed at the National Registry of EMT Parameduc level?

Are you working with a college or university to deliver the training?

What is your shiftt work schedule?

Does your department run an ambulance service?

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Permalink Reply by Travis Sheeder on May 24, 2008 at 5:36pm

We send our paramedic students on shift days only. The time frame is about 3 years which is way too long if you ask me.It would be hard to retain all of the information they get in the first part of the class and apply it when its test time...but it can be done. If you have the staffing to do it I would advise placing the paramedic students on a 40 hour work week and make them go 5 days a week. Another option would be to send them through a fast track program like Iowa State, they have an intense 16 week course and they turn out some quality medics.

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Permalink Reply by michael blann on May 27, 2008 at 7:37am

michael- most of the prospective students are already EMT-Bs.

we are looking at paramedic level training.

we are exploring options right now. our chief wants to do the training on shift and the available training does not offer it that way.

24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 96 off is our shift schedule.

no we do not run an ambulance service, the county does. we would like to for our city.

stay safe and thanks for any info you got.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Baker on May 27, 2008 at 12:44pm

For years Dallas Fire-Rescue sent their paramedics straight through. From the time your were hired, went through fire, emt, and paramedic school was total of about 15 months. A new chief came in and decided because of staffing issues that the new recruits would go to paramedic school on their off days. This ended up being a disaster because failure rates went up and some of the recruits were showing up to school dead tired from being up for 24 or more hours before going to school the next day. The department has sinced gone back to sending the recruits to paramedic school before coming to the field which in most everyone's opinion is the best way to do it. Hope this helps

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Permalink Reply by Douglas DuBree on May 28, 2008 at 8:20pm

When we hire people on to the Department they have to be a Paramedic already. We used to have it that they went thru training everday for the length of the class, about 9 months here in Illinois. however we had a problem with a couple of students that didn't pass the class and now we had spent alot of money and time on their training and now didn't have a Paramedic. So we changed it to being a prerequisite for the job. It saves us time and money. Plus they are ready to go to work on the ambulance after passing our EMS systems SMO test.

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Permalink Reply by Shane Heeter on June 8, 2008 at 10:15am

We send our students through a Paramedic program at a local hospital that runs on Monday's and Wednesdays 4 hours. If the class falls on a day that they are working they are excused for the first five hours of the day, if we have enough guys we cover them or call in overtime if we cannot cover them. If manpower allows they can schedule there paramedic clinicals while on shift usually 15:00-23:00. And of coruse all of there ride time is done on shift, once again if manpower allows. The process takes about 18 months.

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