Paramedic - 24 Hour Shift

About the role

The Paramedic contributes to the comprehensive Countywide Fire Rescue and Emergency Services program. Requires the ability to be an advocate for patient care, performs technical and specialized work functions associated with providing quality medical care to all members of the community in the event of medical emergencies, natural disasters, hazardous situations, environmental emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, and other life and death situations.

Responsibilities

• Drives and/or operates a county vehicle or equipment and must obey all safety policies, and roadway rules and laws.
• Responds to emergency calls relayed by dispatchers, reads maps, uses most expeditious route.
• Evaluates scene on arrival, determines nature and extent of illness or injury, takes pulse, blood pressure, and visually observes changes in skin color, makes determination regarding patient status by interpreting diagnostic signs.
• Establishes priority for emergency care, initiates basic life support procedures at the scene, as needed.
• Provides re-hydration/rehabilitation and medical treatment to victims, firefighters and/or other personnel at the scene, as needed.
• Renders appropriate emergency care, based on competency level, to stabilize the patient such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), spinal immobilization, providing oxygen, triage, and administration of intravenous drugs or fluid replacement as directed by a physician, assesses the effects of treatment.
• Uses medical equipment, based on competency level including, but not limited to, cardiac monitor, defibrillator, performs endotracheal intubation to open airways and ventilate patients, uses other adjunct airways as needed under the direction of a physician.
• Follows infection disease protocol, practices proper disposal of biohazard waste.
• Reassures patients and bystanders; avoids mishandling patient and undue haste, searches for medical identification emblem to aid in care.
• Radios dispatcher for additional assistance or services, requests/provides flight rescue service if required, provides additional emergency care while following established protocols.
• Complies with regulations in handling deceased; notifies authorities, arranges for protection of property and evidence at scene.
• Determines appropriate facility to which patient will be transported, reports nature or illness to that facility, requests instructions/directions from hospital physician or emergency department.
• Observes patient enroute and administers care as directed by physician or emergency department or according to published protocol, identifies diagnostic signs that require communication with facility.
• Reports verbally and in writing observation about and care of patient at the scene and enroute to facility; provides aid to emergency staff as required, documents all activity in assigned position.
• Assists in lifting, carrying, and transporting patient to ambulance and on to a medical facility.
• Prepares for, attends, and testifies in courtroom hearings and judicial proceedings as required.
• Prepares, decontaminates, inspects, inventories, repairs, and/or maintains medical equipment and supplies, first aid materials, and vehicles for safe operation, tests all equipment on a regular basis and checks for future readiness.
• Communicates effectively and coherently over two-way radio channels while initiating and responding to radio communications.
• Responds accurately and timely to questions, complaints, and requests for information/assistance from the public, patients, fire, law enforcement, other medical personnel, various agencies, employees, officials, supervisors, or other individuals.
• Inventories and restocks ambulance and station supplies and equipment, orders and maintains enough to ensure adequate availability to perform daily tasks.
• Maintains current field manuals, policy and procedures, employee handbooks, various maps, addresses, and related material for reference and/or review, reads medical journals and other professional literature, maintains professional affiliations.
• Attends shift meetings and in-service training as required to remain knowledgeable of departmental operations, to promote improved job performance, and to stay current with changing emergency medicine techniques, state/local policies, procedures, codes, and laws.
• Prepares and/or receives a variety of forms, logs, requests, reports, correspondence, and other documents associated with daily responsibilities of this position, reviews, completes, processes, approves, forwards, maintains, and/or takes other action as appropriate; prepares and maintains files and records.
• Cooperates with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and its officers or representatives when activities are related to investigations within county jurisdiction.
• Operates a personal computer, printer, calculator, copy and facsimile machines, telephone, radio, or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other system software.
• Protects the privacy of all patient information in accordance with the County’s privacy policies, procedures, and practices, as required by federal and state law, an in accordance with general principles of professionalism as a health care provider.
• Accesses protected health information and other patient information only to the extent that is necessary to complete job duties. Shares such information only with those who have a need-to-know specific patient information in their possession to complete their job responsibilities related to treatment, payment, or other County operations.
• Requires the reporting of, without the threat of retaliation, any concerns regarding the County’s policies and procedures on patient privacy and any observed practices in violation of that policy to the designated Officer.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of appointment.
• Valid Florida Driver License or must obtain within 30 days of establishing residency in Florida.
• Certified Paramedic license.
• CPR certification.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Emergency Vehicle Operator Certification (EVOC).
• Within 90 days certification in FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) courses: IS-100.c, IS-200.b, IS-700.b, IS-800.c.