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I am currently a senior but I am taking all college courses this year, through Dual Enrollment and PSEO to graduate with my Associates. On top I really wanted to start taking a training course to become an EMT. I am currently 17 but I wanted to get the course done, and in my state you can actually test before 18. The course is late August-December. Will an EMT course/training be too much on top of my schooling and what should I expect?

Does anyone have emtb section 6 chapter 16-24 review? Or past exams

I know this is general but what can I expect? how did you know when you wanted to pursue becoming a paramedic? Things I should read up on? or stories/advice.

anything would be helpful!

Hello,

I am a previous nursing student who had to drop out my last semester due to financial responsibilities and haven't returned. I am currently a certified paralegal working in a PI firm and considering going back to healthcare to escape desk work. I'm being paid 25hourly working 50 hours weekly. And honestly back at my healthcare career prior I really miss it all but being inpatient as a tech didn't pay well. I saw a course that actually pays you during it so I'm strongly considering it! Pros and cons?

Hello -

My nephew was recently accepted into a local EMT program. We had offered to pay for the program but he was given a full ride instead. How can I best support his education and/or career seeing how he won't need us to pay for the schooling anymore? I want to give him practical things that will support him long term in his career.

Sincerely,

The Proudest Aunt and Uncle

So I work in LA County, as those who work in this county know, we need a LADOT to operate. Mine expired on may 7th and I submitted my driving record mid April. It’s about to be 2 weeks since then and I haven’t heard anything and every time I call my HR or some management, no one knows what’s going on with my LADOT, I don’t even know why they won’t issue me a temporary license or anything. I’ve had it with this company and it’s mismanagement, I’m tryna figure out if there’s a specific lawyer I can speak to because this is just absurd.

I've been a paramedic for 23 years. Most of that time was on the ambulance, and later in field leadership roles.

Like many of you, I've seen some really bad things over the years. I've also lost both my parents and was involved in caring for them during their illnesses.

What's strange is that through all of that, I rarely cried. Even when my parents passed away, I only cried when I was alone.

Now I've moved out of field work and into a training role.

Lately I've noticed I'm much more emotional than I used to be. Simple things can get to me. Seeing someone do something kind, a child crying, an elderly person struggling, or even just thinking about certain situations.

What confuses me is that I handled scenes in EMS that were far more traumatic than the things affecting me now. Back then I could stay focused and keep going.

Has anyone else experienced this after leaving frontline EMS?

Why do I seem more emotional now than I was during the years I was actually dealing with emergencies?

Hey you guys, I got the most respect for what yall do. It doesn’t get enough recognition 🫡. I’m currently a firefighter going into my third season there so mostly wildland fires almost no medical. Only been on one non fire call which was a dead body recovery and we basically just made our crew into a haul team. So never had to do any actual real emergency medicine as a firefighter ever. I took a EMT course before I got in fire and failed I guess because I’m a slow learner. Like I feel once I know something I can master it but it just takes me longer than some other people. Any resources or tips you would recommend for an emt course that worked for you guys? I was really close to passing my test but I just got tripped up on some of the questions, and I failed my course never even took the NREMT thank you!

At a paramedic gathering, one of the most memorable stories shared was about two EMS providers who responded to what seemed like a routine medical call.

They arrived at the house, entered the scene, and began assessing the situation. Not long after, dispatch started trying to contact them. No answer on the radio. No answer on their phones. Minutes turned into nearly an hour, and the crew had completely disappeared from the system.

Concerned, the field supervisor responded to the address. The ambulance was still parked outside with the engine running, but there was no sign of the crew. Repeated attempts to make contact failed, so police and fire units were called for assistance.

At this point, everyone was preparing for the worst.

The scene was secured and responders entered the house.

What they found was not what anyone expected.

The two paramedics were inside... dancing.

Not because they were enjoying a party. Not because they had suddenly decided to start a new career in entertainment.

According to their statements afterward, while attempting to treat a patient, they encountered an armed individual behaving erratically. The man pointed a gun at them and demanded that they dance. Every attempt to calm the situation or leave was rejected. So, under the very clear motivation of not getting shot, the two paramedics spent the next hour performing what was probably the most unwanted dance routine of their careers.

Fortunately, law enforcement arrived, secured the scene, disarmed the suspect, and brought the situation to a safe conclusion.

The lesson is simple: scene safety comes first. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Pay attention to warning signs, trust your instincts, and never ignore threats or unusual behavior. A good paramedic knows how to help patients. A smart paramedic knows when it's time to back out and call for support.

Because sometimes the difference between a routine call and a very long hour of forced dancing is one missed red flag.

does anyone work in orange or riverside counties in CA? whats the general vibe there?

any companies to stay away from?

how long does it take you to do a chart?

any tips for emt school. im having to get caught siince i started the class 3 days late. It's an acclerated 8 week course

I’ve heard stories about people trying to use ambulances like taxis, or call when it’s really ridiculous, or they’re only looking for drugs, or think it’ll make them seen earlier at the ER. How much does it frustrate you, and how often does this happen? Like in one day - what percentage of those were unnecessary in your estimation? I’m just curious about how much this happens and hopefully hear some interesting stories too lol. I appreciate you guys SO MUCH. I’ve had to take one many times after a TBI and have met some incredible EMTs. You’re doing gods work!!

The notebook sat on the highest shelf in the day room between outdated protocol binders and old street atlases nobody touched anymore.

Black electrical tape wrapped the spine.

Written in faded silver Sharpie:

QUARRY ROAD

Nobody ever moved it.

Not even to clean.

Around midnight, after a slow shift and burnt station coffee, I finally asked:

“Why does everybody act weird about that notebook?”

The room went silent.

One EMT stood and walked into the bay without saying anything.

Mike, the medic, kept eating for another few seconds before setting the spoon down.

Then he asked:

“What’d dispatch say earlier tonight?”

“Unknown medical.”

He shook his head.

“Before that.”

Then I remembered.

“The caller was whispering.”

Nobody spoke after that.

Mike stood, walked to the shelf, and carefully carried the notebook back to the table.

He slid it toward me.

“Read.”

The thing was swollen from water damage. Stuffed with reports, handwritten notes, CAD printouts, and old photographs.

I opened the cover.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — FEBRUARY 1979

LOCATION: 114 Quarry Road

Personnel:

• Hall
• Mercer
• Donnelly

Summary:

• Crew acknowledged dispatch at 03:14.
• No further transmissions received.
• Structure found unoccupied.
• No personnel recovered.

Beneath the report, handwritten in faded black ink:

First crew lost.

Radios never recovered.

I turned the page.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — OCTOBER 1981

Personnel:

• Avery
• Knox
• Bell

Summary:

• Dispatch received partial radio traffic containing screaming and unidentified structural noises.
• Residence searched.
• No personnel recovered.

Written sideways along the margin:

It copied dispatch exactly.

Another note below it in different handwriting:

Bell’s wife received a phone call from him three days later.

Nothing except screaming.

I swallowed and turned another page.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — MARCH 1984

Personnel:

• Ruiz
• Talbot
• Greene

Summary:

• Ruiz located walking on Route 34 approximately three hours after dispatch.
• Talbot and Greene not recovered.

Below the report were years of handwritten notes from different crews.

The oldest read:

Ruiz kept repeating:
“It only watches one of us if the story comes with you.”

Another note beneath it:

Ruiz started the notebook after discharge.

Another:

Before the notebook, nobody survived.

I looked up.

“You actually believe this?”

Mike answered immediately.

“Didn’t.”

Then he nodded toward the notebook.

“Keep reading.”

AFTER ACTION REPORT — JULY 1991

Personnel:

• Lt. Harlow
• Pike
• Simmons

Summary:

• Crew dispatched at 02:58.
• No radio traffic received after arrival.
• No personnel recovered.

A yellowed sticky note had been attached beside the report.

Harlow refused to bring notebook.

Below that, added later in blue ink:

Notebook found back on station shelf two days later.

I turned another page.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — NOVEMBER 1998

Summary:

• Dispatch archive review requested after incident.

Handwritten beneath:

Original recording:
“He’s still here.”

Archived playback three days later:
“You sent them again.”

Audio tech quit same week.

The next pages had screenshots of texts, muddy boot print photos from inside the station, and dispatch logs with entire lines crossed out.

Then I hit another entry.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — MAY 2007

Summary:

• Crew survived.
• EMT Wallace missing nineteen days later.

Handwritten beneath in thick block letters:

DO NOT ANSWER IF IT USES YOUR NAME.

A few pages later, I hit the newest entry.

AFTER ACTION REPORT — APRIL 2024

Personnel:

• Tommy Velez
• Mike Travers
• Jen Carver

Summary:

• Patient identified crew members by name before introductions.
• Crew cleared scene without injury.

The next page was entirely Mike’s handwriting.

Messier than the others.

Tommy started hearing knocking inside his apartment walls three nights later.

Failed to report for shift after twenty-one days.

Apartment found unoccupied.

TV on.

Dinner still warm.

Front door open.

At the bottom:

I should’ve shown him the notebook sooner.

I looked up slowly.

Mike was staring into the dark apparatus bay.

Then the station tones dropped overhead.

Everybody froze.

Dispatch crackled through the speakers:

“Medic 97-2… respond for unknown medical…”

Nobody moved.

Then:

“Caller whispering. 114 Quarry Road.”

Someone near the recliners quietly muttered:

“Fuck.”

Mike stood.

Not panicked.

Resigned.

He grabbed his radio from the charger and looked directly at me.

For the first time all night, he looked afraid.

Not of dying.

Of losing everybody.

Then he said:

“Grab the notebook.”

I’m beefing up my EMT bag, I’m so excited I’m adding new modules to it as well other than the main modules already inside. I’m adding an outside module. Sigh no one wants to hear me rant about my EMT bag for the most part. Thanks for letting me rant 🫡♥️

Has anyone gone through this process?

I passed the NREMT exam a few years ago, but l got a better job and let my certification expire.

Ive been looking at EMT-CE as a means to gain recertification to accumulate patient care hours for grad school. Is this service legit? Anyone tried it?

Any advice on this process would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I’m starting an emt course this fall, and I understand that on private ambulances you are mostly doing ifts, but I was curious if any of you have ever had any thing out of the ordinary happen for your job.

My grandpa died of malignant hyperthermia so there is a 50% chance my dad also has the gene. I’ve been trying to convince him to get a medical bracelet (I already wear one since I could also carry the gene), but he thinks having it on his medical ID on his phone is enough. My question is, do EMT’s actually check a person’s phone for their medical information in an emergency? Like if my dad were unresponsive and by himself, would an EMT check his phone for medical info?

Hello,

I’ve been an EMT for 11 years. I worked in the fire department in MD, most of my life. I also have PTSD from the job, became an alcoholic, and depression. I am clean now and i want to write a book about first responders stories. If anyone is interested and willing to be in the book post your stories on this post, or dm me. I want it all the funny, the sad, the best, the worst. Thank you!