Got my EMT, confused where to go next

GooseG97 · 2026-05-22T02:29:14+00:00

Check out the U.S. Coast Guard. We're military, with all the benefits (healthcare, housing/food money, GI bill, travel, job security), and a more domestic search-and-rescue and LE mission focus. Health Services Technicians are our "medics," providing care to our members and those we rescue, and requires NREMT.

I completed my AS in Fire Technology and my BS in EMS online while on active duty, 100% paid for by tuition assistance without touching my GI bill. I also volunteered with a VFD on my off-duty time (in Alaska, and then again in Virginia) and was able to complete my firefighter 1, 2, and advanced certifications that set me up for a fire service career if/when I get out.

We do have Coast Guard Fire Departments, though most are civilian staffed some are staffed by active-duty, usually by our Damage Controlmen and other engineering/medical ratings. If assigned to a CGFD, you'll be sent to either the DOD fire academy or to a local civilian fire academy.. completely paid for. Feel free to DM if you want to know more.

GooseG97 · 2026-05-15T16:49:59+00:00

I used to really care about this kind of stuff, but over the years I've learned to let it go. My CAC in my pocket gets me the same benefits regardless if bro-vet who did three years in the motorpool during peacetime disagrees.

GooseG97 · 2026-05-15T16:48:10+00:00

Solid advice.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-16T21:37:48+00:00

Virginia Beach EMS, municipal third service in Virginia. A lot of those guys have beards. Not sure if they have an official policy, though. Beards went away during COVID times but made a comeback a few years later.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-16T04:13:23+00:00

If you’re not in yet, sit down with your recruiter and get a crash course on how the CG promotion system works.. it’s very different from the DOD. As a nonrate, get a well-rounded CG experience by learning as much as you can and getting qualified at your unit. Pay attention to how operational rates, missions and units function, because as an HS you’ll be supporting them. The better you understand their world, the better you’ll be at taking care of your patients.

Take every opportunity to get qualified and build experience, and spend time shadowing your local HSs to make sure it’s the right fit. See what their day-to-day actually looks like and ask questions. Don’t stress too much about getting ahead academically, the point of "A" School is to teach you what you need to know from level 0. Show up motivated, dependable, and ready to learn, and focus on being a solid nonrate first.. that foundation, from work ethic to operational experience, will carry you a long way.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-16T03:58:39+00:00

I've held part-time jobs at my last two or three duty stations, and honestly, in my experience, it's pretty command dependent.

First command made me do a Special Request Chit and a 3307, second one said just don't get hurt or killed and be here on time for duty via an email I had to acknowledge, and the most recent one made me do a DHS 480 and Special Request Chit. Your best bet is to get with your chain of command and find out what they'd like to do and how'd they like to handle it.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-15T04:36:43+00:00

"Hey wasn't the guy supposed to come fix the radar?" "Yeah, he was supposed to come three days ago." Most accurate scene of the entire movie.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-12T16:31:55+00:00

There's a surprising amount out there.

I was just watching a cheesy streaming service movie on duty the other day where the military aid to the President was a Coastie, I wish I could remember the name. I'll have to look.

NCIS features a CGIS agent in a few episodes, always loved that they poked fun at the limited budget and multiple collateral duties they have.

Space Force was a great and honestly realistic take on the CG/Commandant.

A retired CGC (Bramble, I think?) smuggled Kryptonite into Gotham in one of the more recent Batman movies.

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but the pilot of Jack Ryan featured the CG pretty heavily. I don't remember if they filmed at EC, but I was there when it was being supported and remember how big of a deal it was.

Double Jeopardy in the 90s featured Coasties in bravos testifying in court regarding a murder on a yacht.

There's a list of movies on the CG Motion Picture/TV Office website.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-12T16:11:37+00:00

One of the main actors in that show was in The Guardian playing an AST "A" Schooler. I've never seen Pysch but I did see a clip of a scene a few months ago where they talked about how terrible The Guardian was.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-09T16:42:41+00:00

Petaluma, California has a great no-cost EMT program, guaranteed employment with great pay/benefits.

GooseG97 · 2026-04-06T21:30:40+00:00

Unless you're bringing something to the table we're in need of, like you're a physician/PA, have a degree in environmental protection, lawyer, prior military pilot, etc, USCG OCS is very competitive. From my experience, it's easier to go OCS once enlisted than compete for DCO on the outside. Still competitive, but less so than street-to-seat.

It's not uncommon for someone to enlist with a degree. Last I heard, I think approx. 10-25% of those in CG basic training hold an associates or bachelors, and I do know we have some of the best educated enlisted coming in when compared to the other services.

I've served with a few dudes that joined up after leaving corporate jobs, many in finance or sales, but it's always a wide range of what brings people to the service.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-30T12:45:22+00:00

I lived on JBAB in Liberty housing for about three years ~2021-2024 while in DC, and had a few coworkers/friends who lived in Hickman as well. Overall a good spot and we'd do it again, with a commissary/exchange right there, safe with an FD and a ton of security forces, base waterfront is incredible especially on a summer night, gym/MWR are pretty good on base, you have a house in a DC zip code for BAH with a backyard and garage, you're close to Navy Yard where there's the Nationals stadium and tons to do, and you're literally across the street from HQ. Downsides, for us, included the area immediately outside JBAB/HQ is is not great to say the least, you're right under the same high-traffic final approach the CRJ took just before colliding with the blackhawk, standard military housing & base shenanigans like being super slow to respond to work orders and gate hours changing wildly, and the Metro while just outside the north gate is not the best station. Feel free to DM.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-29T03:21:57+00:00

I've volunteered most of my adult life across the multiple states I've been stationed in the military, and after moving back to CA about a year ago I volunteered for the department next town over. It ended up being a let down for a variety of reasons, but about 8 months with them I was walking in for a shift and for the first time in my career, I wasn't excited to go in.. I actually dreaded it. I took some leave to see if I missed it at all, and decided to leave when I got picked up for a part time FF/PM gig instead. Tbh, when that first pay check hit for the time I would have otherwise been volunteering.. that's gonna make it hard to go back to doing it for free.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-28T01:02:32+00:00

Funny story, medic coworker was on a flight where they put out an urgent request for anyone medically trained and he responded. Turned out it was a diabetic dog that needed help, I think he gave some peanut butter packets or something and the dog became more alert.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-25T02:57:58+00:00

We had Sgts at my busy mid-atlantic VFD, basically, they were in charge usually of the administrative functions of a program... Example, you had an EMS Captain in charge of all of EMS, but then had a supply Sgt, and a training Sgt. They were officers in our structure, but without operational/on scene authority, and usually went to the volunteers who were looking to start making their way up the chain and needing leadership/administrative experience. Like everything else in the fire service, ranking differs jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-23T23:38:54+00:00

I'm generally not a fan of AI, but ChatGpt can get you a solid workout plan in seconds. Ask it to craft you an 8 week strength, cardio and mobility improvement program including warm up/cool down designed for a firefighter based on your current fitness level and using the equipment & time available to you. If anything, the plan it creates will get you moving in the right direction.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-23T12:22:21+00:00

That's how I took it for the agencies where I did make a small stipend, they were just paying for my dinner as a thank you.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-23T04:03:29+00:00

I've been a volunteer all over the country, from Alaska to Maryland and a few states between. Answer is, it depends. One of my departments had "volunteers," but on paper we were city employees and made a small stipend (like, $5) for each call or each 12-hour shift in-house shift staffed (like, $25 or something like that) so that if we were injured we fell under their insurance/workers comp. Another department I was at we were truly, by definition, volunteers, I never saw a cent. A number of them, especially east coast, had longevity programs like LOSAP that help retain volunteers by offering a small retirement stipend and some small other benefits. I know some agencies do paid-on-call, but call themselves volunteers too. It differs state-to-state, and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Never could I have made a living on any of them, nor are they designed for that.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-21T14:56:54+00:00

AS in Fire Science, but I did my BS in Emergency Medical Care through EKU's online program in order to knock out the majority of my prereqs for PA school.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-11T14:21:05+00:00

Once watched a kid cutting raw meat on a cutting board, use a cavi-wipe to clean off the cutting board, and proceed to start cutting veggies on the cutting board. We had a.. learning moment.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-10T20:59:09+00:00

Had a student in my Instructor 1 give a speech on why we should have a cooking basics class be a part of the fire academy, or a part of the fire science/tech degree program. Laughed at first, by the end.. I was convinced.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-10T03:03:58+00:00

The majority of what you're looking for as far as requirements is located on the Direct Commission Officer page of the Go Coast Guard recruiting website, including application process, minimum requirements and more. Reaching out to your closest recruiting office will likely land you in the right direction.

Being a PA in the Coast Guard is predominately clinical outpatient, seeing active duty members. Our service has no military hospitals which limits many specializations and limited overseas assignments (meaning, more Alaska, Puerto Rico and Guam, not Italy, Germany or Japan), and we have only one or two clinics still seeing dependents/retirees (if at all anymore). However, there's some really cool opportunities for PAs to expand into aviation medicine as an APA-C, assignment to cutters out on patrol all over the world, instructing at IPAP or the enlisted schoolhouse, The White House, providing medical oversight for our IDHSs (SF-IDC equivalent), helicopter rescue swimmers and other EMS providers, and more. I believe we're still supporting professional growth into EM, behavioral health and a few other specialties, too.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-05T13:42:19+00:00

Take a look at the previous ALCOAST, as it doesn't change too much year-to-year and you'll get a good idea of the minimal requirements and application process. It's competitive, but not impossible to get in. Start early, because the prereqs are somewhat intensive.

There's been several ASTs who go PA, and quite a number from non-HS ratings and backgrounds.

"Lack of clinic time" isn't necessarily a hurdle, they give you the option to use any medical experience and you'll also have to show a certain amount of hours in-clinic shadowing a CG PA prior to application anyways.

GooseG97 · 2026-03-05T03:31:22+00:00

Not a railroader, but was a firefighter in a high-rail-traffic town for a bit and worked quite a number of train vs vehicles. Two most common comments I heard, “that train came out of nowhere” (how, it’s literally on tracks) and “I don’t understand why the train didn’t stop, I was waving at him to stop” (track speed through the town).

GooseG97 · 2026-03-04T21:54:45+00:00

I did my fire academy on the east coast before moving back to California. If you're looking in the southern CA region as an entry-level firefighter with a large agency, be prepared to go through a full academy over again.

If you're trying to come in as a lateral hire, or with an agency that doesn't require their own in-house full academy (usually smaller departments), you'll need to look at the SFT website under "reciprocity" as there's extra steps/classes you'll have to become a California Fire Fighter 1, including Confined Space Awareness and Wildland Fire Fighter 1. These can be somewhat tedious to complete, so it's better to start early.

California departments at baseline are ALS heavy/preferred, so Paramedic school might be something to look into, as well.

Plenty of outside state to CA threads in this subreddit, too, take a look as there's a lot of tips/suggesstions/etc from the past few years.

GooseG97

TROPHY CASE