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Changing Directions: Alternative careers for paramedics,
EMTs, Firefighters, and Police
Rescue
team members often have highly-specialized trainings which they undergo for
months even years on end because they are dealing with lives. Paramedics
and EMTs for example, are either degree-holders of emergency medicine (or other
related courses) or have undergone extra EMS training before operating as
lifesavers. On the other hand, police and firefighters undergo a less
specialized training as EMS (many however have not undergone such training) but
are highly equipped with combative training (for example: crime-fighting).
Though
the mastery of highly-specialized skills is very necessary in order to save
lives, it has its downside as well. Emergency rescue is a time-consuming
career and leaves little to no room for the pursuit of other activities,
hobbies, and interests, let alone a second career. The problem with the
industry is that in any event that a rescue team member ceases to work, either
he or she was fired, retired, injured or decided to take a hiatus and pursue
another less taxing career, there often are limited career opportunities where
they can make use of their specialized skills. Yet if one cares to look deeper
and be more resourceful, he or she would actually find a plethora of job
opportunities ranging from careers that are closely related to their former
occupation to something else entirely but may have an implicit connection with
their skills.
Health and Fitness
Careers
Most
states offering EMS have required team members to undergo fitness tests to
ensure their physical capability for life saving (mental precision may not
always be enough). As such, practicing paramedics, EMTs, firefighters,
and police are expected to be physically fit therefore they are high candidates
for athletic training and fitness training careers. These careers focus
on the provision of health care maintenance for the physically-active and can
pay as much as $40,000.
EMS
work generally revolves on the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of
traumatic injuries and diseases. A former EMS member may opt for the
following alternative careers:
- Chiropractor – Paramedics may use their acquired
skills in handling bone injuries. Chiropractors focus on treating
musculoskeletal injuries through manual manipulation of the backbone or
other pertinent bone structures.
- Gerontologist – They usually work at senior citizen
homes as nurses.
- Home health aide – Similar to gerontologists only
instead of working in the center, they are hired as private nurses.
The Social Social
Careers Track
Emergency
rescues do not only deal with rapid and careful treatment. Effective
communication is always a prerequisite especially when dealing with victims of
traumatic injuries. Communication skills are often necessary to be able
to diagnose a patient’s condition (i.e. how the patient feels, where he or she
feels pain, and the like). EMS members are also tasked to extract the
patient’s background history (if he or she has had similar accidents in the
past or if he or she has a disease) and personal information.
A
viable alternative career opportunity would be in the social works.
Former EMS personnel, firefighters, and police may find a promising future as
social workers and even as clergy who provide rehabilitation through
persuasion, behavioral, psychological and spiritual counseling.
The Administrative Path
Dennis Putman, who worked in the ADA County Paramedics in 1985 as a paramedic
has had other careers throughout his occupational tenure. From being a
paramedic he became an assistant supervisor,a supervisor, a question and answer
coordinator, and an operations team commander. In addition, with an EMS
personnel’s training in filing information, recording a victim’s vital signs,
and clinical duties, a profession as medical assistant is something that one
should consider.
Article Source: EMS - EveryMinuteSucks.com
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