Careers in EMS

Thank you for your interest in employment with the Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services Department.

We are recruiting excellent EMTs, EMT/Dispatchers and Paramedics every day and look forward to having you join our team. This letter will explain our hiring process and guide you so that you can successfully complete it in the minimum time possible. We require applicants to have the following experience and credentials:

EMTs must have:

• Current certification as an EMT in New Jersey
• EMTs must have at least one year of verifiable EMS experience including driving an emergency vehicle.
• Current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification.
• A “clean” driving record.
• HazMat Awareness or equivalent training within the past year. (This is available on line if needed)
• Incident Command System – 200 level training
• NIMS – 700 training
• A letter of reference, preferably from a previous EMS employer or volunteer agency.
• In addition to the above, dispatchers must have Emergency Medical Dispatch and Basic Telecommunicators Certification.

Paramedics must also have:

• Certification as a New Jersey MICP or NREMTP.
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Current Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or PEPP-ALS certification.
• Current Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support or Basic Trauma Life Support certification*.

* may be obtained within 6-months of employment.

We currently have Full Time and Per-diem openings.

Per-diem must:

• Provide at least six (6) shifts of availability per month
• Work one summer holiday, (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day)
• Work one winter holiday, (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s)

Application Process – Before we can hire you, your entire application must be complete. This means that you must provide us with a completed application form (available at www.libertyhealth.org/pdf/HR_Application_form.pdf), copies of the front and back of all your cards/certificates, a copy of your drivers abstract (available at www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/driver_history_page.htm), a copy of your high school or college diploma, verifiable references, at least one letter of recommendation, preferably from an EMS employer or volunteer agency. We prefer that you come prepared with all documentation/paperwork on your first visit because you cannot move to the next step until all the documentation is received. Applicants will also be asked to authorize a driver’s abstract and criminal background check. Please include your EMT / Paramedic Training site & any EMS experience, including volunteer, on your application.

Testing and Interviewing Process – All EMT applicants go through a testing and interview process. We do not ordinarily interview applicants on an ad hoc basis. Instead we set up EMT Testing/Interview days during which we test and interview as many applicants as possible under the supervision of one or more of our EMT Instructors. EMTs should expect to spend at least 2-3 hours with us on the interview day. You will take a written exam based on National Standards and the New Jersey State EMT curriculum. Applicants also take a practical skills exam, including Hare Traction, KED, Backboard, and CPR / AED. Applicants must attain a minimum score on the written and practical exams to be considered, so you might want to dust off your EMT textbook for a quick review. After completing the examination process, you will have an interview with two members of our team. Don’t be nervous! Remember, we want you. You will be asked some general questions about your background, your future plans, outlook and approach to EMS, and why you want to work with us. We will also go over 2 or 3 real-world scenarios to get a feel for your clinical approach. Applicants who complete the interview process will proceed to the next step.

Employee Health Screening – Employee Health Services must clear all applicants prior to employment. This requires as many as three visits. On the first visit you will have a PPD TB test, and drug and alcohol screening. On the second visit we will read the PPD test, perform a second PPD test, and draw blood for lab work. On the final visit our physician and/or nurse practitioner will perform a physical evaluation. You can shorten this process if you already have lab work/test results from another institution. Bring copies of all pertinent documentation with you, including proof of inoculations or immune titers for Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Varicella, as well PPD results, positive or negative, CBC, Chem 7, UA, etc. Tests must have been performed within the past 6 months. Once cleared by Employee Health you will proceed to the next step.

Orientation/Mini-Academy – At this point you have joined our team as a provisional employee! You are required to attend our four-day Orientation/Mini-Academy. There will also be three additional 12-hour shifts to be scheduled as a 3rd crewmember. Remember that during this orientation period you are being evaluated, so you must be on time, attentive and perform as expected. The Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services Department full-time employees are members of the AFSCME union. If you are offered a full-time position you will be paid according to the prevailing union contract, and receive a number of contractual benefits including medical insurance, dental insurance, tuition reimbursement, etc.

You will report to orientation in your uniform. You will also attend the hospital-wide orientation, and undergo fit testing for particulate masks. Employees may not wear a beard because it interferes with the fit of the mask. You will also attend our EMS Department mini-academy. Classes include: Overview of JCMC EMS, Street Smarts, CPR in Transit, Orientation to Department SOP’s, Special Equipment, Departmental Organization/Chain-of-Command, Proper Uniform Wear, etc.

For your orientation shifts you should arrive in uniform, prepared to work on an ambulance, with appropriate equipment including black pen, penlight, medic shears, wristwatch with second hand and stethoscope. You will be issued appropriate PPE. No weapons of any kind are allowed, including boot knives, guns, Mace, batons or handcuffs. Personnel may carry Leatherman type tools, and/or safety type seat belt cutters. Once your orientation is completed, you will begin to ride as a full-fledged crewmember. We work 12-hour shifts on various schedules. You will provide us with your availability for the upcoming month by the 10th of the current month. We will send you your schedule for the upcoming month by the 20th of the current month.

Thank you! – For your interest in the Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services Department. We look forward to meeting you, and having you join our team.

As one of the largest EMS providers in the state, and the winner of the State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Medical Services EMS Public Provider of the Year Award, we are always looking for excellent EMTs, EMT/Dispatchers and Paramedics, and have many open positions. We would appreciate your help in recruiting motivated EMTs like yourself.

For further information you can contact Inez Gomez at IGomez@libertyhcs.org, or fax 201-395-5094.

Sincerely,

The Management and Staff
Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services Department