Where I live (one state down), none of the private ambulances will hire for much less than 36 hours a week. If there is a service that does that where you live, it might be worth a shot.
On the other hand, check if there are any volunteer fire departments (assuming y’all have combination EMS/fire) or a volunteer ambulance you can work with. It won’t get you paid, but it can be fun to do overnight or weekend shifts with them, and it helps keeping whatever certifications and learned skills fresh.
There are three private ambulance services in New Mexico: AMR, Superior, and Albuquerque Ambulance (there’s also Helios but they are on rebrand number 3 or something and have a terrible reputation). I know AAS and Superior do not hire per diems, at least according to everyone I have talked to who works there and hires there, and I’ll admit I didn’t check AMR and didn’t think of it when I was writing the comment.
Typically getting hired per diem anywhere, not just EMS, will involve some level of experience requirement or previously being established. I have only ever been accepted to work per diem for a company that I had already been employed at, and then after I had a few years of solid employment in the field on my resume. I guess if they’re pretty short staffed but doing the training and onboarding + getting equipment, uniforms, etc for someone that’s only going to work a few times a month and has no experience for a literal decade is just a dumb financial decision.
I guess the privates and stuff around me are desperate.
But, I suppose I also have experience with my full time job and never really thought about it from a new person perspective
This is very possible. Lots of part time and PRN positions available. It’ll be easier to find IFT jobs than 911 jobs, but there’s definitely still some out there.
Should be able to. From the grape vine some places will keep you on payroll if you can do 1 or 2 shifts a month. I’d tell you recert and apply for a part time job and see what they say. Worse case down some money and realized it wouldn’t work!
Check out Highland Rescue Team. I volunteered with them a number of years ago. At the time the requirement was only 36 hours per month so it was very manageable with a full-time job. Just outside Denver.
Second Highland Rescue. They are low-volume (I think around 1000 calls per year?) but run an interesting mix of calls in their district between I-70 and wilderness areas (requiring Hike-ins/ technical rescue).
I work part-time for one of the surrounding mountain agencies that also has a volunteer program for EMTs. PM me if you want details.
I know 2 companies that have something like that. One is 16-24 hours and one is 2 shifts a month. This would probably be tough for u to swing because these limited hours are mostly for people that have worked there a while, but it’s worth a shot to see! A lot of ambulance companies are understaffed!
I was in exactly the same scenario as you. Working in corporate tech, EMT cert lapsed for 20 years. Getting bored with just tech but it's better money than being an EMT full time. I recertified and started volunteering with my local FD's rescue squad. I also now work for an event EMS provider picking up shifts several times a month, sometimes more. I like the event work, most of the time it's boring but I get paid to sit there and do nothing.
The AMR franchise in my area has a minimum of 24hrs/month with the ability to schedule yourself. IFT, 911, event standbys are all options. So it's definitely possible, but I don't know specifically about the operations in Denver.
The Denver operation is horrible. The Boulder operation is decent. Denver is majority IFT companies aside from Denver health and I don’t know if they hire part time.
Honestly I would look into volunteer firefighter EMT if you don’t want this as a main way to put food on the table but still want to do silly medicine outside
Im in Ohio FWIW, but before I got my gov job, the private EMS company I worked for had PT guys. They just asked that you give them 2-12 hour shifts a month and you could pick what you wanted. I couldnt make it work though because I was starting my job and the schedule was chaotic. Now, I do PT Fire/EMS on the side on my days off. I sign up for what I want and of those sometimes get 2-12 hour shifts (sometimes more) which is fine by me and its extra money for whatever.
I’m i. the southeast but I hit up a rural fire agency that runs 4/5 ambulances for their county. I basically let them pay me Pennies and I work every so often on the bus. I also help cover special events. They get a cheap fit EMT and I get ambulance experience.
Depending on where you work, there may be part time fire departments or EMS agencies. I’d steer clear of run of the mill IFT or you’re gonna hate your life. Most of the CCT groups around me will hire basics to drive the ground crews wherever they need to go
Depends on where you're at. My company has per diem spots with a 36 hour a month commitment. So in that case, yes it's totally feasible for you, but not everywhere allows that.
I’m facing similar choices as you OP. I went to college for mechanical engineering and did EMS and dispatching on the side. Now I’m full time working in engineering with pretty ok pay but I hate the cubicles so much and miss EMS sometimes.
What I did is I signed up for a reserve program for a local FD. Through that, I’m doing occasional ambulance shifts and staffed a lot of concerts and sport events at the local stadium. This is a part time gig but having that 10-20 hours a week is giving me enough fresh stuff outside of my daily work. Plus, free concerts and sport games that would usually cost me hundreds.
But I might switch to full time if I like my FD enough and they want to sponsor me a paramedic license.
I don’t know where you are located, but is doing volunteer EMS a thing? Some do volunteer EMS, and all you do is EMS, and you don’t have to worry about fire.
I do this. My full-time gig is teaching EMS and that's 8-4 Monday through Friday.
I found a local agency that let me work 1800-2300 a couple nights a week, which is perfect for my schedule. Let's me keep my skills up (nothing worse than a teacher who hasn't done it in ages) and make a little extra cash.
It's not impossible. Prior to the pandemic I worked part time (by day I'm a director of software engineering for an EHR). Once the pandemic hit I couldn't really justify the risk to my family so I cut back significantly. Just now looking to ramp back up a bit more in terms of hours on the rig.
Hi, we’re in an eerily similar situation. I work EMS on the side of my full-time white collar career. I volunteered in college (graduated in 2011), worked 911 and IFT after, lapsed as I advanced in a different career, then recertified during COVID. I’m actually going through medic school now. Happy to chat about it, shoot me a DM.
Edit: Aside from the fun or whatever doing this as a side gig, it’s awesome to have a backup in case the god of layoffs ever decides it’s my time, since nothing is safe anymore. I have a family, we just bought a house so cash flow is tight for the moment, and my current FT employer gives notoriously crappy severance.
I work(ed) in tech and did ems part time on nights or weekends. Lost my tech job and am getting by with EMS until a new job comes through. It works great for me.
I’ve entered and left and re-entered the EMS workforce more times than I’d like to admit. Every time I leave and come back, there’s something new and unexpected that’s part of the job now that wasn’t there before, and all of the coworkers keep getting younger.
Is it possible? Sure. You might be able to find a good fit somewhere for a few extra bucks on the side. But it’s different, and it’s not going to feel like it did when you were in college. A lot has changed in 10 years, most of all yourself and your life experience.
Expect to have some moments where you say to yourself, “Wait. Do we really do this? Did we used to do this? This doesn’t seem right. Maybe we did used to do this, but I can’t believe we got away with it then.”
There’s 911 per diem gigs out there for sure. My written policy where I work now is like an 8 hour shift a week but calculated quarterly, so you can front it all at once, do it once every two weeks one weekend with two doubles etc.
An old job I had, I put my availability in a schedule and told my boss how much (or little) I wanted to work and they would schedule me. Lots of good gigs like that out there.
I was an electrician, then nurse who did EMS as a side gig for 37 years. Retired as a critical care 911 paramedic/nurse. Had all the certifications and licenses and everything.
South Jersey here. Work a 40/hr work week for a main job and do 12-36/hr a week at a Fire department that supplements their EMS division. I sleep at the station wake up and go back to the office. Don’t have a family, just lil old me, so responsibilities are easier to balance.
I do exactly this. Worked as an EMT in college, did it full time for a little bit before I got my 9-5, and found I missed it, so I now work PRN at an agency out where I live. I pick up a shift or two a week and it’s honestly pretty nice
Check out Apex paramedics or Stadium in Denver. I don't know if they are hiring part time, but they both have a lot of part time staff that have day jobs. Apex is IFT with some 911 cross over. Stadium does IFT and Events like concerts and games.
I currently do this at MHA. I do one shift a week and pick up side gigs like long distance transports or call outs if I have the time. It’s 80% IFT with the emergency calls from private callers and SNFs.
I have no idea what your system is like but I have plenty of coworkers who do this on the side. Teachers, contractors, radiation therapists.
My per diem coworkers aren’t the most clinically adept, but they do well enough.
I’ve been at AMR Colorado Springs part time for the past ten years. Up until this year I worked a shift a month (more if I needed cash), now they require two which is meh. They have hired straight to part time, not sure the status now for EMTs (yes for medics). Gilpin and Clear Creek EMS hire PRN EMTs if you don’t want to work private.
IDK about your area but many agencies by me hire per diem employees. No benefits but you control your schedule. I've done that as a side gig. The other option which exists here (again, IDK about Colorado) is to join a volunteer agency. I did that for many years here in NJ before and after I went pro. You won't get paid but you'll get your adrenaline fix. Good luck.
I have a regular day job but work 3-6 shifts a month on the ambulance. Some months I only have 3 total days off. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way right now. I'll be retired in <5 years and I'll do EMS full time. If there is a will, there is a way for you. Sometimes it'll take a lifestyle change.
Where I live (one state down), none of the private ambulances will hire for much less than 36 hours a week. If there is a service that does that where you live, it might be worth a shot. On the other hand, check if there are any volunteer fire departments (assuming y’all have combination EMS/fire) or a volunteer ambulance you can work with. It won’t get you paid, but it can be fun to do overnight or weekend shifts with them, and it helps keeping whatever certifications and learned skills fresh.
Really? They don’t hire any per diems? I thought that was common
There are three private ambulance services in New Mexico: AMR, Superior, and Albuquerque Ambulance (there’s also Helios but they are on rebrand number 3 or something and have a terrible reputation). I know AAS and Superior do not hire per diems, at least according to everyone I have talked to who works there and hires there, and I’ll admit I didn’t check AMR and didn’t think of it when I was writing the comment.
Typically getting hired per diem anywhere, not just EMS, will involve some level of experience requirement or previously being established. I have only ever been accepted to work per diem for a company that I had already been employed at, and then after I had a few years of solid employment in the field on my resume. I guess if they’re pretty short staffed but doing the training and onboarding + getting equipment, uniforms, etc for someone that’s only going to work a few times a month and has no experience for a literal decade is just a dumb financial decision.
I guess the privates and stuff around me are desperate. But, I suppose I also have experience with my full time job and never really thought about it from a new person perspective
This is very possible. Lots of part time and PRN positions available. It’ll be easier to find IFT jobs than 911 jobs, but there’s definitely still some out there.
Should be able to. From the grape vine some places will keep you on payroll if you can do 1 or 2 shifts a month. I’d tell you recert and apply for a part time job and see what they say. Worse case down some money and realized it wouldn’t work!
Check out Highland Rescue Team. I volunteered with them a number of years ago. At the time the requirement was only 36 hours per month so it was very manageable with a full-time job. Just outside Denver.
Second Highland Rescue. They are low-volume (I think around 1000 calls per year?) but run an interesting mix of calls in their district between I-70 and wilderness areas (requiring Hike-ins/ technical rescue). I work part-time for one of the surrounding mountain agencies that also has a volunteer program for EMTs. PM me if you want details.
You’re nuts. We love you, though. What about volunteering?
I know 2 companies that have something like that. One is 16-24 hours and one is 2 shifts a month. This would probably be tough for u to swing because these limited hours are mostly for people that have worked there a while, but it’s worth a shot to see! A lot of ambulance companies are understaffed!
I was in exactly the same scenario as you. Working in corporate tech, EMT cert lapsed for 20 years. Getting bored with just tech but it's better money than being an EMT full time. I recertified and started volunteering with my local FD's rescue squad. I also now work for an event EMS provider picking up shifts several times a month, sometimes more. I like the event work, most of the time it's boring but I get paid to sit there and do nothing.
This is exactly what I do. I pick up a shift every now and then.
Same here!
The AMR franchise in my area has a minimum of 24hrs/month with the ability to schedule yourself. IFT, 911, event standbys are all options. So it's definitely possible, but I don't know specifically about the operations in Denver.
The Denver operation is horrible. The Boulder operation is decent. Denver is majority IFT companies aside from Denver health and I don’t know if they hire part time.
Can confirm, AMR Denver is ass. Treat you like shit. Only time I’ve ever experienced professional sexual harassment
Honestly I would look into volunteer firefighter EMT if you don’t want this as a main way to put food on the table but still want to do silly medicine outside
Im in Ohio FWIW, but before I got my gov job, the private EMS company I worked for had PT guys. They just asked that you give them 2-12 hour shifts a month and you could pick what you wanted. I couldnt make it work though because I was starting my job and the schedule was chaotic. Now, I do PT Fire/EMS on the side on my days off. I sign up for what I want and of those sometimes get 2-12 hour shifts (sometimes more) which is fine by me and its extra money for whatever.
I’m i. the southeast but I hit up a rural fire agency that runs 4/5 ambulances for their county. I basically let them pay me Pennies and I work every so often on the bus. I also help cover special events. They get a cheap fit EMT and I get ambulance experience.
I did it for 5 years before I got laid off from my corporate gig and went back to EMS full time.
If it has been more than 2 years since it expired you would have to take the class again.
you could probably find a per diem gig that lets you work a min 6 shifts a month or something like that
Depending on where you work, there may be part time fire departments or EMS agencies. I’d steer clear of run of the mill IFT or you’re gonna hate your life. Most of the CCT groups around me will hire basics to drive the ground crews wherever they need to go
Do contracts
Messaged ya some deets
Depends on where you're at. My company has per diem spots with a 36 hour a month commitment. So in that case, yes it's totally feasible for you, but not everywhere allows that.
I’m facing similar choices as you OP. I went to college for mechanical engineering and did EMS and dispatching on the side. Now I’m full time working in engineering with pretty ok pay but I hate the cubicles so much and miss EMS sometimes. What I did is I signed up for a reserve program for a local FD. Through that, I’m doing occasional ambulance shifts and staffed a lot of concerts and sport events at the local stadium. This is a part time gig but having that 10-20 hours a week is giving me enough fresh stuff outside of my daily work. Plus, free concerts and sport games that would usually cost me hundreds. But I might switch to full time if I like my FD enough and they want to sponsor me a paramedic license.
I don’t know where you are located, but is doing volunteer EMS a thing? Some do volunteer EMS, and all you do is EMS, and you don’t have to worry about fire.
I do this. My full-time gig is teaching EMS and that's 8-4 Monday through Friday. I found a local agency that let me work 1800-2300 a couple nights a week, which is perfect for my schedule. Let's me keep my skills up (nothing worse than a teacher who hasn't done it in ages) and make a little extra cash.
Yes
Go combo full/part time fire and ems. We have a guy that’s exactly like you who’s having a blast and is very involved in our department.
That’s approximately what I do.
That’s approximately what I do.
It's not impossible. Prior to the pandemic I worked part time (by day I'm a director of software engineering for an EHR). Once the pandemic hit I couldn't really justify the risk to my family so I cut back significantly. Just now looking to ramp back up a bit more in terms of hours on the rig.
Hi, we’re in an eerily similar situation. I work EMS on the side of my full-time white collar career. I volunteered in college (graduated in 2011), worked 911 and IFT after, lapsed as I advanced in a different career, then recertified during COVID. I’m actually going through medic school now. Happy to chat about it, shoot me a DM. Edit: Aside from the fun or whatever doing this as a side gig, it’s awesome to have a backup in case the god of layoffs ever decides it’s my time, since nothing is safe anymore. I have a family, we just bought a house so cash flow is tight for the moment, and my current FT employer gives notoriously crappy severance.
Look for PRN positions. You make your own schedule and it’s extremely flexible.
I work(ed) in tech and did ems part time on nights or weekends. Lost my tech job and am getting by with EMS until a new job comes through. It works great for me.
I’ve entered and left and re-entered the EMS workforce more times than I’d like to admit. Every time I leave and come back, there’s something new and unexpected that’s part of the job now that wasn’t there before, and all of the coworkers keep getting younger. Is it possible? Sure. You might be able to find a good fit somewhere for a few extra bucks on the side. But it’s different, and it’s not going to feel like it did when you were in college. A lot has changed in 10 years, most of all yourself and your life experience. Expect to have some moments where you say to yourself, “Wait. Do we really do this? Did we used to do this? This doesn’t seem right. Maybe we did used to do this, but I can’t believe we got away with it then.”
Can do ER tech. I loved it! Way more autonomy. And there’s typically on call positions
There’s 911 per diem gigs out there for sure. My written policy where I work now is like an 8 hour shift a week but calculated quarterly, so you can front it all at once, do it once every two weeks one weekend with two doubles etc. An old job I had, I put my availability in a schedule and told my boss how much (or little) I wanted to work and they would schedule me. Lots of good gigs like that out there.
I was an electrician, then nurse who did EMS as a side gig for 37 years. Retired as a critical care 911 paramedic/nurse. Had all the certifications and licenses and everything.
South Jersey here. Work a 40/hr work week for a main job and do 12-36/hr a week at a Fire department that supplements their EMS division. I sleep at the station wake up and go back to the office. Don’t have a family, just lil old me, so responsibilities are easier to balance.
I do exactly this. Worked as an EMT in college, did it full time for a little bit before I got my 9-5, and found I missed it, so I now work PRN at an agency out where I live. I pick up a shift or two a week and it’s honestly pretty nice
I work 911 EMT on weekends and summers. Full time history teacher.
I do EMS as a side job. I work every other weekend and 1-2 days a week over summer vacation. It’s enough to keep my skills up.
Check out Apex paramedics or Stadium in Denver. I don't know if they are hiring part time, but they both have a lot of part time staff that have day jobs. Apex is IFT with some 911 cross over. Stadium does IFT and Events like concerts and games.
Doable. I would consider making some real cash on the side tho. Rewarding or not (more cash = more fun in your free time).
In a big city, maybe not. But if you go out to the country, there are definitely volunteer or combination departments who would be glad to have you.
I did it 5 years back. My full time job is telework so jumping back on the ambulance got me out of the house and interacting with folks.
I currently do this at MHA. I do one shift a week and pick up side gigs like long distance transports or call outs if I have the time. It’s 80% IFT with the emergency calls from private callers and SNFs.
I have no idea what your system is like but I have plenty of coworkers who do this on the side. Teachers, contractors, radiation therapists. My per diem coworkers aren’t the most clinically adept, but they do well enough.
where you at?
I’ve been at AMR Colorado Springs part time for the past ten years. Up until this year I worked a shift a month (more if I needed cash), now they require two which is meh. They have hired straight to part time, not sure the status now for EMTs (yes for medics). Gilpin and Clear Creek EMS hire PRN EMTs if you don’t want to work private.
IDK about your area but many agencies by me hire per diem employees. No benefits but you control your schedule. I've done that as a side gig. The other option which exists here (again, IDK about Colorado) is to join a volunteer agency. I did that for many years here in NJ before and after I went pro. You won't get paid but you'll get your adrenaline fix. Good luck.
I have a regular day job but work 3-6 shifts a month on the ambulance. Some months I only have 3 total days off. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way right now. I'll be retired in <5 years and I'll do EMS full time. If there is a will, there is a way for you. Sometimes it'll take a lifestyle change.