Every operation was different. Mine (Santa Barbara County) was one of the better ones, from what I understand. Protocols are pretty standard for California, hospitals are great, and the area is a great place to live (avoid Santa Maria, Lompoc areas). Overall it's a great place to learn how to be a good paramedic and the calls are fairly diverse.
Cons
Pay, like most EMS jobs lags the average salary in healthcare and public safety. There is a current lawsuit between the company and the county fire department which threatens the longevity of AMR in this region.
AMR Response
1y
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There’s a good workforce here with employees who are well united on issues a strong sense that the company is actually pushing toward a positive future in terms of operations. Ambulance fleet seems to be getting good upgrades and call volume (in most areas) is manageable. There is also a good amount of OT available with bonuses/incentives available. Matching 401k is nice and health benefits are very reasonable.
Cons
For being such a large operation, the pay rate seems to be lacking as of right now. Most employees with adult responsibilities are having to rely heavily on overtime/incentives just to have a semi-comfortable lifestyle outside of work. Uniforms definitely need improvements and training for new EMTs seems a bit lackluster. The morale can be low at times also due to the company being write-up happy (for lack of a better term). Lack of 24 hour units and proper posting locations makes for a somewhat harsh work day as well.