EMSA recruiter Christopher Stevens talks a little bit about the EMSA job requirements and what kind of experience they’re looking for from new team members.
What are the requirements to work at EMSA?
We require that you be a minimum of 18 years of age. We require that you have a clean driving record. We require that you have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. And once offered a job, you have to pass a background check, driving record check, a drug screen, and a physical ability test. So as long as you can do those things, we’re going to set you up to succeed.
What kind of job experience are you looking for?
I was in the food and beverage industry for a long, long time prior to 1998, when I started at EMSA. So believe it or not, your restaurant and bartending experience is absolutely applicable to what we do at EMSA, because to me it’s all about customer service, customer care, professionalism, courtesy, and you’re going to need those skills when you go to work in this field.
I love to target folks that are in the food and beverage industry or people that have worked for retail, especially QuikTrips and places like that, because what do you do all day long? You multitask. You make people happy that are not necessarily happy when they come in; hopefully they’re going to be happy when they leave. Every bit of experience, in my opinion, is applicable to your next step in life.
For example, we can take someone off the street with no experience at all. We can send you through our in-house EMT program. It takes about nine weeks to go through the class. And then once you’re licensed and you get your state certification, we send you back through the orientation process. And then you learn how to become an EMSA EMT, the way the medical director expects you to behave and function in our system according to the protocols.
If you decide you want to be a Paramedic after about six, eight months, we’ve got a Paramedic program in-house as well. If you decide you want to go into dispatch, we’ve got an EMD [Emergency Medical Dispatch] program in-house.
And the best part about it is it’s a contractual obligation. So we don’t want any money from you. We want you to spend some time working in that position that we paid for those classes for you to attend. Plus, zero student loans when you get done.
Plus, you’re a fully licensed EMT or Paramedic when you finish. That’s a state and national certification.
What are some of the reasons you’ve stayed at EMSA so long?
I think one of the reasons I’ve stayed with EMSA for so long is that you don’t have to get stagnant in what you do. If you are in a position where you just go, “I need more, I need something new,” then we have all kinds of different positions that pop open from time to time.
We have positions in our clinical department, in our operations management. We have all kinds of supervisory positions. You can move over into dispatch. You can be a manager. Pretty much any type of department that we have.
So the key to EMSA is to come into work when you’re scheduled. Be part of the team. Engage with your team. Show up on time and do what you’re expected to do. And I guarantee you, you will go far and you’ll be fine.
Join the Team
Become a part of the EMSA team today. Apply now or contact our recruiters for more information.