Pros
I have worked at a few private companies in LA County and all are pretty much the same. They offer sign on bonuses to lure EMT's to join their "team" and promise a great atmosphere to work in. Unfortunately that team is a bunch of overworked, underpaid EMT's that are bullied by management and dispatchers who threaten to fire you if you don't take a call 3 hours after end of shift. I left one of those companies to join the ambulnz "team" about 3 months ago. It was closer to home and a bit more hourly rate. From the moment I started, I have been making decent money, good training (which I never really got at my other company) and feel like I can go to my manager for anything I need like help with a writing up a call to recertification help (which she recently helped me with). The company is owned by a paramedic and run by a paramedic in LA so they put employees and patient care first and they understand what EMT's go through. I feel like I can trust them since they are still medics. The manager has an open door and even though she is seems so busy at times, if I ask a question she stops whatever she is doing and help me, even late at night. I had never even met the manager at my last company and was there for 8 months. This is definitely a different place to work but I think it's one of the best in LA and plan to stay here.
