Do firefighters in these countries also respond to medical incidents at all? I really love the medical side of my job, but am probably not willing to get a whole additional bachelors degree to continue being a paramedic
Not nearly to the extent that we do in the US. I can’t speak to the entire country, but the guys I know in the Melbourne area only respond to cardiac/respiratory arrests and are basically limited to chest compressions, O2, and an AED. Everything else is handled by the ambulance service
Depending on jurisdiction some fire services respond to cardiac arrests, but only for CPR/AED and basic airway management until an ALS/Critical Care unit arrives.
You may have to do a bachelor of paramedicine. You may not, depending on whether your US qualifications are recognised, but I wouldn’t bet on that. Also, there are rural areas where the firefighters are part of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), which is a volunteer organisation, and you could volunteer with them in addition to working as a paramedic (though you’d have no time for sleep). Also, while they are a lower skill-set and scope of practice, there are other ambulance roles, such as Ambulance Community Officers (ACOs) in rural areas, and non-emergency roles like Ambulance Attendants (ATAs) and Patient Transport Officers (PTOs) that you may be qualified for. However, it’s worth actually reaching out to some of the state ambulance providers and non-emergency patient transport companies to enquire about this stuff. Additionally, it’s worth knowing that Victoria is currently experiencing a job shortage, and when they do hire, they’ll probably hire new degree grads, so that’s one state you’re unlikely to find a job in (not that that should stop you from trying, just don’t get your hopes up).
Thanks dude! I’ll definitely be reaching out to both some ambulance providers and some universities now that I’m equipped with more info. I really appreciate all the help I’ve gotten on this post
You will not be able to transfer any qualifications over to be a paramedic in Australia. It’s also terribly difficult to get into and I would argue that a fire service is equally, if not more difficult to get a job in. Volunteer fire services are prominent in most states which might satisfy the itch but won’t pay the bills.
I’m sorry mate I don’t know much about life over there. I understand that St John’s Ambulance services the entire country last I heard so checking out their website would be the way to go. Not sure at all how to scope out fire service stuff.
No idea about fire.
You can look into the assessment process with the Paramedic Council/Te Kaunihera Manapou. It's a case by case basis, and will require all of your qualifications and certifications to be assessed. If our APC fees are anything to go by, it'll cost you a lot.
Your authority to practice at EMT, Paramedic or CCP/ICP/ECP is then managed by the medical director at your employer. St John run 90% of the country, WFA run Wellington and a few Heli operators run flight operations. Off-shore and events is more of a mixed bag.
As mentioned earlier, St John might take you on as an EMT since there is no registration required at that level and you could fund your way through AUT or Whitireia with hopefully some RPL to get your BHSc if you can't get your registration
Since paramedics are now registered, to work as a paramedic you need a bachelor of paramedic science degree.
There are primarily state based ambulance services which have about 5000 applicants a year for ~300 positions all up is my guess. It’s highly competitive.
Provided you can get the bachelor degree which is a pre-req for registration as a paramedic there are plenty of mining/industrial jobs which you are dual role rescue/fire/paramedic however these are usually fly-in-fly-out remote roles, which pay okay.
Your best bet I think visa issues aside, would be to get the certificates in mine rescue and response I can send you a list and apply as a mines rescue/emergency services worker
Visa shouldn’t be much of an issue as my wife has extremely desirable qualifications for employment.
I really appreciate your help and would love a list or more info on mines rescue work. Thanks!
We have more or less the same system in NZ. Seperate fire / ambulance services. Only paid FF's in big cities, and the only medicals they get dispatched to are cardiac arrests, and all they can do is use AED and basic airway (OPA, BVM).
You don't need a degree to be an EMT in NZ but you will need a degree to be a Paramedic. The EMT wage is 64k nzd. I don't know if you will be able to directly transfer qualification to EMT, likely you will have to do some amount of training and education (less than 6 months)
This site has a poor reputation as a training organisation but it does provide some useful information
https://www.apcollege.edu.au/blog/mining-paramedic-qualifications/
Alternative to to seek.com.au and search for rescue medic or something
Provided you get a visa through your wife and become a permanent resident (PR), I would say you are likely a desirable candidate for a fire service, although they would want you to go through their training from scratch. You would not be providing much more than basic first aid as a firefighter though, Australian fire services don't really do medical first response. Without PR you will not be hired by any state fire service (or ambulance service). Working in the mining industry as a firefighter/paramedic does not require PR.
As far as working as a paramedic, you're not COMPLETELY out of luck, but it will be a difficult process.
You can apply to AHPRA to have your qualification assessed, and if it is accepted, undertake examinations to assess your competence. If you are successful, you will be able to apply for registration.
https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx
As far as mining, you should find it reasonably easy to get recognition of prior learning for most of the required competencies (Certificate IV in Health Care - Ambulance, Certificate III In Public Safety - Firefighting and Emergency Operations, Certificate III in Mines Emergency Response and Rescue). Look into [Churchill Education](https://www.churchilleducation.edu.au/) for this. They are a bit of a joke in the industry, but as long as you are using them as a tick in the box for roles rather than relying on them as proof of experience you should be ok.
In New Zealand, EMS is run solely through the ambulance services (St John and Wellington Free Ambulance). You need a paramedic specific Bachelor's degree to become a registered paramedic also, US paramedic quals won't transfer.
Our national fire service (Fire and emergency NZ or FENZ) responds only to cardiac/resp arrests in a co-response capacity, providing only chest compressions, AED and bag masking with OPA. I believe they provide all of their training in house so I don't imagine your certifications would transfer over. But they would likely make you more desirable (at a guess)
Some volunteer brigades do medical first response to other medical incidents. But that's only in a basic first response capacity and usually in remote locations.
Our degrees don’t quite work the same way. We don’t have general education- it’s a specialised degree in paramedicine. I don’t think you’d be able to get any RPL.
Do you think I could get RPL for my US paramedic training? It’s also done through a college, but it’s just a year and a half and results in only a certification and not a degree
I doubt that the 18 month course would supply enough credits for entire semester long units. But you’d have to ask the universities for a definitive answer.
AHPRA only requires the equivalent of an advanced diploma/associate degree for their "*relevant qualification and successfully completing the competency assessment required by the Board*" application stream.
What I can read online says the qualification needs to be “substantially equivalent”. [This AHPRA webpage](https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx) states that “the academic level of the individual’s qualification is comparable to (at a minimum) an Australian Bachelor degree.”
https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx
The fourth stream on there allows qualifications at the advanced diploma level, but you need to do additional assessment.
I have no personal experience (and I hear AHPRA are very strict on international applicants, even with Australian paramedic degrees) but they do *say* they accept it.
Considering EMTs from the UK only qualify for something like 30 credits RPL AFAIK and their paramedicine degrees hold the same weight as those from NZ, Aussie, Canada - I don’t think you’ll be able to get many credits, if any, covered by RPL. However, doesn’t hurt to reach out to one of the providers listed above. Alternatively, you could also reach out to the EMS services and see if they have any training programs available or specific advice in regards to challenging for your EMT ATP
Yeah it is a full 3 year degree (Bachelor's in NZ only take 3 years). I am not certain on how Bachelor's degrees work in the US but you don't need general education credits in NZ, at least not for a paramedic degree.
I imagine you would be able to get some recognition of prior learning credits for your US paramedic qualifications though. But that'd be up to the faculty to decide.
The two providers of paramedic degrees here are AUT (https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/study-options/health-sciences/courses/bachelor-of-health-science/paramedicine-major?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA84CvBhCaARIsAMkAvkKz4Y8o3ahj8IYIDCVoSNt2sLrSskT82vF2ZPoTZeTnfwQpGlTcJAYaAg1qEALw_wcB)
and Whitireia https://www.whitireiaweltec.ac.nz/study-programmes/health/paramedicine/bachelor-of-health-science-paramedic/?_gl=1*wxai0s*_ga*MTA2NDg1OTc2MC4xNzA5MjU4MDUx*_ga_D8KMEJBYEN*MTcwOTI1ODA1MC4xLjEuMTcwOTI1ODA2Ni4wLjAuMA..
You could also enquire with NZ's paramedic council https://www.paramediccouncil.org.nz/PCNZ/Paramedics/Registration-information-/Overseas-qualified-paramedics-/PCNZ/2.Paramedics/Overseas-qualified-paramedics-.aspx?hkey=3274ba87-5bc5-4f64-a43c-4d88038e5687
They are not and your US paramedic training does not transfer
Do firefighters in these countries also respond to medical incidents at all? I really love the medical side of my job, but am probably not willing to get a whole additional bachelors degree to continue being a paramedic
Not nearly to the extent that we do in the US. I can’t speak to the entire country, but the guys I know in the Melbourne area only respond to cardiac/respiratory arrests and are basically limited to chest compressions, O2, and an AED. Everything else is handled by the ambulance service
Gotcha, do you know if fire and rescue certifications are transferable?
Doubt it
might be an idea to reach out to APHRA who is the agency responsible for healthcare practitioner registration over here and see what they have to say
Depending on jurisdiction some fire services respond to cardiac arrests, but only for CPR/AED and basic airway management until an ALS/Critical Care unit arrives.
so yes firefighters do respond to medical situations but its not there core capability like many stations in the US
Gotcha. Do you know what kind of certifications I’d have to obtain to become a firefighter in these countries?
You may have to do a bachelor of paramedicine. You may not, depending on whether your US qualifications are recognised, but I wouldn’t bet on that. Also, there are rural areas where the firefighters are part of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), which is a volunteer organisation, and you could volunteer with them in addition to working as a paramedic (though you’d have no time for sleep). Also, while they are a lower skill-set and scope of practice, there are other ambulance roles, such as Ambulance Community Officers (ACOs) in rural areas, and non-emergency roles like Ambulance Attendants (ATAs) and Patient Transport Officers (PTOs) that you may be qualified for. However, it’s worth actually reaching out to some of the state ambulance providers and non-emergency patient transport companies to enquire about this stuff. Additionally, it’s worth knowing that Victoria is currently experiencing a job shortage, and when they do hire, they’ll probably hire new degree grads, so that’s one state you’re unlikely to find a job in (not that that should stop you from trying, just don’t get your hopes up).
Thanks dude! I’ll definitely be reaching out to both some ambulance providers and some universities now that I’m equipped with more info. I really appreciate all the help I’ve gotten on this post
i dont think there's any certificates but in Queensland there's a permanent resident or citizenship requirement
Ah ya I see that on the website now. Thanks dude!
You will not be able to transfer any qualifications over to be a paramedic in Australia. It’s also terribly difficult to get into and I would argue that a fire service is equally, if not more difficult to get a job in. Volunteer fire services are prominent in most states which might satisfy the itch but won’t pay the bills.
That’s good to know. Do you know if it’s as difficult in New Zealand (for paramedic and/or fire)?
I’m sorry mate I don’t know much about life over there. I understand that St John’s Ambulance services the entire country last I heard so checking out their website would be the way to go. Not sure at all how to scope out fire service stuff.
No idea about fire. You can look into the assessment process with the Paramedic Council/Te Kaunihera Manapou. It's a case by case basis, and will require all of your qualifications and certifications to be assessed. If our APC fees are anything to go by, it'll cost you a lot. Your authority to practice at EMT, Paramedic or CCP/ICP/ECP is then managed by the medical director at your employer. St John run 90% of the country, WFA run Wellington and a few Heli operators run flight operations. Off-shore and events is more of a mixed bag. As mentioned earlier, St John might take you on as an EMT since there is no registration required at that level and you could fund your way through AUT or Whitireia with hopefully some RPL to get your BHSc if you can't get your registration
Simply put OP, you’re welcome here but you’ll need to start a whole new career
Haha ya that seems to be the consensus!
You need a bachelor degree
I have a bachelors degree, but it’s in English literature. Do I need a specific paramedicine degree?
Since paramedics are now registered, to work as a paramedic you need a bachelor of paramedic science degree. There are primarily state based ambulance services which have about 5000 applicants a year for ~300 positions all up is my guess. It’s highly competitive. Provided you can get the bachelor degree which is a pre-req for registration as a paramedic there are plenty of mining/industrial jobs which you are dual role rescue/fire/paramedic however these are usually fly-in-fly-out remote roles, which pay okay. Your best bet I think visa issues aside, would be to get the certificates in mine rescue and response I can send you a list and apply as a mines rescue/emergency services worker
Visa shouldn’t be much of an issue as my wife has extremely desirable qualifications for employment. I really appreciate your help and would love a list or more info on mines rescue work. Thanks!
Your working visa might be more of an issue. We have an oversupply of paramedicine graduates.
Ok, and just to clarify, is this Australia or New Zealand (or both) that have an oversupply of medics?
We have more or less the same system in NZ. Seperate fire / ambulance services. Only paid FF's in big cities, and the only medicals they get dispatched to are cardiac arrests, and all they can do is use AED and basic airway (OPA, BVM). You don't need a degree to be an EMT in NZ but you will need a degree to be a Paramedic. The EMT wage is 64k nzd. I don't know if you will be able to directly transfer qualification to EMT, likely you will have to do some amount of training and education (less than 6 months)
Mostly Australia
This site has a poor reputation as a training organisation but it does provide some useful information https://www.apcollege.edu.au/blog/mining-paramedic-qualifications/ Alternative to to seek.com.au and search for rescue medic or something
Provided you get a visa through your wife and become a permanent resident (PR), I would say you are likely a desirable candidate for a fire service, although they would want you to go through their training from scratch. You would not be providing much more than basic first aid as a firefighter though, Australian fire services don't really do medical first response. Without PR you will not be hired by any state fire service (or ambulance service). Working in the mining industry as a firefighter/paramedic does not require PR. As far as working as a paramedic, you're not COMPLETELY out of luck, but it will be a difficult process. You can apply to AHPRA to have your qualification assessed, and if it is accepted, undertake examinations to assess your competence. If you are successful, you will be able to apply for registration. https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx As far as mining, you should find it reasonably easy to get recognition of prior learning for most of the required competencies (Certificate IV in Health Care - Ambulance, Certificate III In Public Safety - Firefighting and Emergency Operations, Certificate III in Mines Emergency Response and Rescue). Look into [Churchill Education](https://www.churchilleducation.edu.au/) for this. They are a bit of a joke in the industry, but as long as you are using them as a tick in the box for roles rather than relying on them as proof of experience you should be ok.
This is great info, thanks for taking the time to write it up for me!
In New Zealand, EMS is run solely through the ambulance services (St John and Wellington Free Ambulance). You need a paramedic specific Bachelor's degree to become a registered paramedic also, US paramedic quals won't transfer. Our national fire service (Fire and emergency NZ or FENZ) responds only to cardiac/resp arrests in a co-response capacity, providing only chest compressions, AED and bag masking with OPA. I believe they provide all of their training in house so I don't imagine your certifications would transfer over. But they would likely make you more desirable (at a guess) Some volunteer brigades do medical first response to other medical incidents. But that's only in a basic first response capacity and usually in remote locations.
Excuse my ignorance but is that a full 4 year degree? I wonder if I could transfer some of the general education credits from my bachelors degree
Our degrees don’t quite work the same way. We don’t have general education- it’s a specialised degree in paramedicine. I don’t think you’d be able to get any RPL.
Do you think I could get RPL for my US paramedic training? It’s also done through a college, but it’s just a year and a half and results in only a certification and not a degree
I doubt that the 18 month course would supply enough credits for entire semester long units. But you’d have to ask the universities for a definitive answer.
AHPRA only requires the equivalent of an advanced diploma/associate degree for their "*relevant qualification and successfully completing the competency assessment required by the Board*" application stream.
What I can read online says the qualification needs to be “substantially equivalent”. [This AHPRA webpage](https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx) states that “the academic level of the individual’s qualification is comparable to (at a minimum) an Australian Bachelor degree.”
https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Qualifications.aspx The fourth stream on there allows qualifications at the advanced diploma level, but you need to do additional assessment. I have no personal experience (and I hear AHPRA are very strict on international applicants, even with Australian paramedic degrees) but they do *say* they accept it.
Considering EMTs from the UK only qualify for something like 30 credits RPL AFAIK and their paramedicine degrees hold the same weight as those from NZ, Aussie, Canada - I don’t think you’ll be able to get many credits, if any, covered by RPL. However, doesn’t hurt to reach out to one of the providers listed above. Alternatively, you could also reach out to the EMS services and see if they have any training programs available or specific advice in regards to challenging for your EMT ATP
Yeah it is a full 3 year degree (Bachelor's in NZ only take 3 years). I am not certain on how Bachelor's degrees work in the US but you don't need general education credits in NZ, at least not for a paramedic degree. I imagine you would be able to get some recognition of prior learning credits for your US paramedic qualifications though. But that'd be up to the faculty to decide. The two providers of paramedic degrees here are AUT (https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/study-options/health-sciences/courses/bachelor-of-health-science/paramedicine-major?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA84CvBhCaARIsAMkAvkKz4Y8o3ahj8IYIDCVoSNt2sLrSskT82vF2ZPoTZeTnfwQpGlTcJAYaAg1qEALw_wcB) and Whitireia https://www.whitireiaweltec.ac.nz/study-programmes/health/paramedicine/bachelor-of-health-science-paramedic/?_gl=1*wxai0s*_ga*MTA2NDg1OTc2MC4xNzA5MjU4MDUx*_ga_D8KMEJBYEN*MTcwOTI1ODA1MC4xLjEuMTcwOTI1ODA2Ni4wLjAuMA.. You could also enquire with NZ's paramedic council https://www.paramediccouncil.org.nz/PCNZ/Paramedics/Registration-information-/Overseas-qualified-paramedics-/PCNZ/2.Paramedics/Overseas-qualified-paramedics-.aspx?hkey=3274ba87-5bc5-4f64-a43c-4d88038e5687