Firefighters and EMT Paramedics as Peace Officers

[Iowa_Hopeful]

I saw an ad for a MN Police Department which was hiring police officers. The catch was you had to be a NREMT Paramedic, which I thought was weird, but also made sense.

How do you feel about firefighters/EMT/Paramedic crossing the line and working as police officers?
Good ideas maybe since we understand some aspects of public safety, and most of us have been through an EVOC course?
Or bad because of too many bad habits especially with driving some people acquire? Would you be more inclined if it was a fulltime FF/EMT vs. a volunteer or paid on call?

The reason for asking about training police officers as FF/EMT is because the city that I work in, it is mandatory for all police officers to be certified at the EMT-B level within 2 years of hire.

I am FF2 and EMT-(Finishing paramedic this fall)

[mikeymedic]

as you can tell by my name...I'm all for it.

[just joe]

Agencies that require paramedics usually run with the Public Safety concept, so I am sure they also run the squad. It is not uncommon for these guys also to be firemen. There are not many agencies like this, and in my experience, they tend to be small affluent communities. From what I have seen, collectively, they tend to be okay at everything, but not very good at anything. Same for cops who must be EMTs. Most don't want to be and aren't very comfortable/good at the medical aspect of the job. They only have their cert because they have to.

[ArkansasFan24]

I would say you may get a hiring preference as an NREMT-P because that is a time consuming and not all too easy certification to acquire - 2 years here. I let mine lapse last year although I'm tempted to retest, but frankly I don't care to work in EMS again. I've still got my state EMT-B cert.

I'm required in my job to do first responder-type "stuff," carry a medical bag with oxygen and AED, and use it as needed. I'm totally fine with that, however, you can't cross lines. When you go somewhere, as a cop, you need to make well sure that you're still in cop mode when you start looking at injured people. Remember you're number one priority is yourself, followed by your partner(s), then bystanders, then the victims. I don't involve myself with extrications or fires either unless I see something that I know other personnel aren't doing right or could do better at which time I may discreetly point it out if other circumstances allow so.

Having been through EVOC isn't going to matter at all as won't your own driving habits unless you've got a lot of tickets on your record. I got into LE with two citations on my record and no one ever gave it a second look. One of those was even 20 over, lol. I got into EMS with two as well although one of those rolled off and another one popped up by the time I got to law enforcement.

[cj0226]

This post will be very unbiased since I happen to be an EMT and a firefighter. This industry as a whole (Fire/EMS) contains a large percentage of hand jobs. I have never met so many goofballs in one general setting, they get way to into it. Its actually scary to some extent, however, yes police also have a few as well.

My feeling is that I wanted to be a Police Officer, so I put myself through the academy and got a job. I didnt have it handed to me simply because I was an EMT or FF. After all it was once said that god created cops so EMT's and FF's could have hero's

[pm1031]

This post will be very unbiased since I happen to be an EMT and a firefighter. This industry as a whole (Fire/EMS) contains a large percentage of hand jobs. I have never met so many goofballs in one general setting, they get way to into it. Its actually scary to some extent, however, yes police also have a few as well.

My feeling is that I wanted to be a Police Officer, so I put myself through the academy and got a job. I didnt have it handed to me simply because I was an EMT or FF. After all it was once said that god created cops so EMT's and FF's could have hero's

Tell that to any cop who has ever been seriously wounded, and worked on by EMT's and Firefighters

[AZLawDawg]

I don't think it's a bad idea, but the gist I was getting from alot of FF's is that they don't want to be seen as LEO's in any way, shape, or form. Remember the backlash when the Police arrested that guy by dressing up as FF's, and then pulling a fire alarm in his apartment complex to get him outside? From what I read, that didn't go over too well with the resident FF's.

[ch29]

I think it's great if someone with an EMT/FF background wants to become a police officer, but personally, I would not like it if I had to go and get EMT certified. If I wanted to do that EMT stuff, I would've have become an EMT. They can do their job and I'll do mine. On the calls I've been on when medical assistance is needed, EMS is there soon after if not just before I am. They do a great job, and I'd rather they be the ones to do it and not me, just as I'd rather me do my job instead of them.

[Iowa_Hopeful]

Thank you everyone who has responded. I have always felt a passion for public safety, and due to personal reasons, I was unable to pursue a LEO career right out of the military. I therefore chose to go into FF/EMS and learned that I love it. It is not my true dream though, so I am still trying to begin my LEO career. I agree that when forced to become an EMT people will only do it because they have to, not because they have a passion for it.

[Blue Breed]

I personally think its stupid. If I wanted to be a fireman I would have went to school for it. If I wanted to be a paramedic I would have got the proper training for it. I wanted to be a police officer so I went to school go tmy bachelors then went to the police academy. So guess what I wanted to be which is what I am currently doing? Being a Police Officer!

cj0226 said it perfectly!!