Portland Street Response EMT Medical Responder (Community Health Med Responder)

Full-time position with the City of Portland’s Portland Street Response (PSR) team.

Schedule

• Four (4) 10-hour days per week with three (3) days off.
• Shifts include days, afternoons, nights, weekends, holidays, and severe weather.
• Ability to work any shift and any day of the week is essential.
• During training, shifts may change based on trainer availability.
• After completing probation, employees can bid on open shifts based on seniority.
• PSR currently operates 0600–0000, 365 days a year, working toward 24/7 operations.
• Schedules may change with as little as 7 days’ notice.

Work Location

• 330 SW Curry St, Portland OR 97239
• 305 NE 102nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220

Benefits

• Eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.
• Union representation: Portland Fire Fighters Association, Local 43 IAFF (PFFA).

About Portland Street Response (PSR)

Portland Street Response is a compassionate, trauma-informed first response agency. PSR is dispatched by the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) to address mental and behavioral health crises, as well as non-emergency situations involving vulnerable populations.

• Equity & Social Justice: Strive to uplift the dignity and worth of all Portlanders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and criminalized, by ensuring timely and professional person-centered first response.
• Collaboration: Ensure the best possible outcomes for clients by working collaboratively with community partners and traditional first responders.
• Empathy & Compassion: Operate from a framework of Trauma-Informed Care with the recognition that adverse life experiences (including health systems and carceral trauma) create barriers for clients to connect with care and supportive services.
• Resource Efficiency & Prioritization: Respond to the complex care needs of individuals experiencing low acuity crises in the community to enable Police and Fire resources to attend to life-saving and crime-related calls for service.

Responsibilities

• Operate on a two-person multi-disciplinary team to provide crisis intervention and first aid.
• Respond to low acuity 911 calls that present no criminal intent, fire, or medical emergency alongside a Mental Health Crisis Responder.
• Engage with populations exhibiting sub-acute crises, including behavioral health and substance use conditions.
• Provide crisis intervention to clients in emotional distress.
• Perform ongoing patient assessments on-scene to monitor changes in patient condition (e.g., breathing, mentation, circulation).
• Use medical equipment such as airway equipment, splints, bandages, and medications to render emergency medical treatment (e.g., maintaining airways, ventilating patients, administering CPR, controlling hemorrhage, bandaging wounds, stabilizing injured extremities).
• Accurately document patient encounters and outcomes in care plans and medical records.
• Communicate effectively and with empathy to interview patients, family members, bystanders, and other service agency members.
• Provide professional assessment, consultation, and coordination of services.
• Participate in program meetings and relevant local and regional trainings.
• Utilize the 911 dispatch radio and CAD system.

Physical Demands

• Work in pairs; may move equipment or people weighing up to 200 lbs.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, squat, and stand on uneven surfaces for extended periods.
• Work outside year-round in all weather conditions.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is deeply committed to providing compassionate and effective crisis response services, particularly for individuals who have faced historical challenges and trauma. They will work within the existing emergency response system while emphasizing collaboration and trauma-informed care. Candidates must:

• Recognize that individuals may have experienced adverse life events, including trauma within healthcare and carceral systems, which can create barriers to accessing care.
• Be committed to working collectively to address community needs.
• Meet or exceed established key performance indicator goals.
• Have no criminal conviction that would prevent certification from the Oregon Health Authority.

Requirements

• Ability to comply with local, state, and national EMS protocols and guidelines, including medical and trauma assessments, collaborating with first responders, handling deceased patients, and negotiating on-scene needs.
• Knowledge of cultural differences and their intersections (e.g., race, sexual orientation, gender equality, socioeconomic status) and their impact on client engagement.
• Ability to communicate clearly, accurately, and completely to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work with others in a courteous, empathic, and professional manner.

Qualifications

• Valid EMT license, regardless of the state of issuance, at the time of application.
• Valid Oregon EMT license required at the time of job offer. Oregon Health Authority Reciprocity Requirements.
• Valid state driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years’ experience in emergency medical response.
• Bilingual fluency. List of qualifying languages.
• Skill in engaging patients to effectively reduce or eliminate identified risks.
• Basic knowledge and understanding of stress response and methods to ensure personal wellbeing.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in multi/intra-disciplinary settings with other first responders and health/community agencies.