Emt

[kgeter]

would being a certified EMT or Paramedic be a good skill to help get hired by a department?

Geter

[SRT936]

To be honest, any skill is helpful when it comes to LE. One advantage to experience in EMS is that you'll be able to demonstrate that you can handle acute stress, make decisions under the gun, and dedication to public service. There are a handful of departments out there that utilize paramedic/police officers (not many, but a few.) In most departments you will not be allowed to act as a paramedic while on duty, but they can still be good skills to have.

[SgtScott31]

To add to SRT's response, there are various agencies out there (such as mine) that do dual functioning police/fire. We require either 60 hrs of college or an EMT license to be considered for employment.

[Gene L]

It's not a factor I'd consider in hiring, but it's a very useful skill.

We have an extremely good EMS office, and lots of EMTs who answer the call willingly. They're all volunteers, and live throughout the county. Chances are pretty good they'll be on the scene of an accident very soon after our arrival, or sometimes before, depending how close they live to the scene.