Working for Empress EMS

[Guest rcom4241]

I'm a new mamber to this website, but I've notified that a lot of the members here either work for or have worked for Empress EMS. I was just wondering how they were as a company. I currently work for TransCare, but I recently got a call from Empress for an interview and was wondering if it's woth considering or should I just staying put. I've only been with TransCare for 3 months now and am workig towards getting into 911. Does Empress do strictly 911 or pt transports or both? Do they have a union and benfits?

[Oswegowind 17]

Empress EMTs and Paramedics are part of the IAEP (Local R2-20). I don't know what the schedule of benefits are although they get their birthday as a floating holiday which is kind of cool! Great place to get good experience and see some action. I worked there for a few years earlier this decade. Has its ups and downs as anywhere does. They provide both emergent and non emergent transportation like any ambulance company and are the exclusive 911 provider for the City of Yonkers. They also have contracts with a few other municipalities to provide either EMTs or Paramedics, i.e. Pelham, Yorktown, Peekskill, Hawthorne, etc. It is a great stepping stone as a lot of us that started there work elsewhere in emergency services now. There are a number of people who have been there for a while and are great to learn from, even if they seem old and bitter...sorry 911...lol

[Medic442 15]

1st Welcome to the site. Empress is a good company ( at least I thought so when I was there ). Yes they do 911 & transports, they are union & have bennies. You will get alot from them if you are willing to work. I had also workedat transcare as well and to be nice I will leave it at that.

[Guest rcom4241]

Thank you for your input. Basically I asked these questions because I'm not sure if I should take the job at Empress or continue to work at TransCare. But would you say Empress does more 911 then transports? Do they do more then TransCare. Don't get me wrong I like working for TransCare but I just want get to 911 and it seems to be a long wait here.

[50-65 205]

Thank you for your input. Basically I asked these questions because I'm not sure if I should take the job at Empress or continue to work at TransCare. But would you say Empress does more 911 then transports? Do they do more then TransCare. Don't get me wrong I like working for TransCare but I just want get to 911 and it seems to be a long wait here.

I can't say anything about either company as I have not worked for them.

How long have you been an EMT? I get the feeling that you are on a BLS transport truck for Transcare. I had been an EMT for many years prior to actually working in EMS. When I first started actually working in EMS, I worked for a company that did, at the time, only transport work. Let me tell you, I learned a lot doing that. Talk to the nurses. Look at the charts. Look at your patient. talk your patient. If you want, you will learn alot about diseases, disease processes, pharmacology, and geriatrics. You can also meet some very cool people (I had the opportunity to meet one of the original Tuskagee Airmen).

I also learned, because I had no medic to back me, to be a stronger EMT, to treat patients as effectively as possible with BLS skills and tools.

Now that I work for a 911 company, I still try to learn something new every day. But most of the calls are ALS, and the medic does his work while I drive. Very rarely do I get the chance to get very involved in actual patient care.

Ultimately it's up to you. But if you are happy where you are, learn from what you do and your day to do 911 calls will come.

Good luck in whatever you do.

[Guest rcom4241]

From the first day I started I knew that doing BLS transports was only going to be a stepping stone. But what I found you...you absolutely right. I've learned a lot of the meds. and what they're used for. Other conditions. I've learned at lot more doing ALS pt transports. Although i'm not at 911 yet, Im learning as much as possible that way when I do make it to 911 I'll know that much more.

[Guest stephentyler20]

From a 911 standpoint, Empress is a better gig for medics than for EMT's. EMT's are likely to end up on transport buses for at least some of their shifts, although one can work as a partner on an ALS bus or even the BLS 911 buses (which also do transports).

It's a company, just like Transcare. I.e., there are bosses sitting behind closed doors raking in the dough and that's their objective. In my opinion, saving money was what management did best while I worked there. This often translated into field-level issues as well, i.e. broken down units, crappy gear, and taking transports when the city was busy with 911 jobs. That gets old fast, but maybe it's the same where you work.

For my time, I strongly prefer the non-profit/3rd service model for EMS in general, and it's a hell of a lot better working for one of those. My 2 cents.

[masterofmetal85 10]

Empress pays like crap 15.75 starting for medics so imagine what the EMTs make I used to work for TC and believe me no one hates them more than I do but they have access to something thats pretty important and thats NYC 911 contracts if you can stick it out for a lil while prob close to a year and then put in to work at their nyc 911 they'll give you a 1-2 week class training you on the nyc 911 system and you'll have to go down to brooklyn base for that then you'll get your nyc 911 shield # which is a four digit number which puts you in the nyc 911 system with that you can then start to apply at hospitals ie ny presbyterian , st lukes/ roosevelt/ montifiore north in the bronx/ north shore lij the list goes on these emts make over 20 easily but you need experience in the system and that shield #. the emts at TC 911 start at 15 an hour so thats the same as medics start at empress however important note to make TC nyc 911 DOES NOT do any transports at all none in fact the only affiliation you have with TC is a paycheck as far as the public is concerned you work for the hospital youre not allowed to have any TC markings hats pins not even a pen nothing the ambulance is also specific to each hospital logos etc. The hospitals they are contracted with in the system are Brooklyn hospital 31eddie BLS 31Sam ALS (oh and ALS is double medic in nyc so you'll never be just a "driver" for a medic. Beth Israel 1st and 14th downtown 04charlie 04king 04john (just got from st vin) all bls 06 willy ALS NYU 34th and 1st 08charlie BLS Mt sinai 105 and madison 11george 12george BLS 10union ALS North General in harlem 11eddie 12x-ray and almost all of the bronx ... st barnabas , bronx lebanon, albert einstein hospital, montifiore south, monti north TC gives the ambulances but the employees are ppaid by the hospital and are part of 1199 union (long story) they have almost 15 units in the bronx alone so tons of OT flying in the bronx plus youre shootings stabbings trauma etc if thats your thing. All in all its an excellent entry way into working other hospitals for NYC 911. You're not gonna make any real money working for commerical companies outside NYC the further up the less it is Mobile life support pays EMTS 09-10 an hour from what I hear EMTs at presbytarian make over 25 an hour so do the math. If you feel like driving I dunno where you're from look up jamaica hospitals website in queens call the pre-hospital department and fax or mail them a resume and just forget about it don't wait around I sent them one last march 09 didn't have an interview till july 09 wasn't hired till last month I finished medic school in august 09 so I started at Brookdale hospital in brooklyn (Jamaica & Flushing hospital in queeens and Brookdale in brooklyn are affiliated as the Medisys system) as BLS making 21.50 now I'm waiting for my upgrade to medic and I'll be making decent money. The choice is yours kid my advice get the hell out of EMS fast go for medic then RN or just straight to RN theres no money in EMS. But if you're gonna stick it out NYC 911 is the place to be NJ is 2nd they're EMTs make high teens low 20s as well .... BTW don't let no one bullshit you Transports is all glorified car service nothing more, not that 911 is really any better all the same bullshit but at least you get some good calls here and there

Edited June 23, 2010 by masterofmetal85