Pros
Easy and fast hiring, straightforward, if you show up and put in the work, you can expect to get some experience before moving on to fire, PD, hospital, or third-service EMS. Somewhat higher wages than other local EMS companies. Vehicles at my operation were decently new, AEV brand with some nice additions. Clear schedules most of the time and 3 to 4 consecutive days off per week.
Cons
Poor retention, high turnover, the bottom line is this is typically an entry level job, even for paramedics, AMR has no incentive to retain you once you gain step increases or raises. Clinical standards were low; coworkers exhibited poor clinical judgment that was not addressed by management. Uniforms were cheap and looked identical to local police, creating unsafe scenarios at high-profile calls. Vehicles were new, but maintenance was virtually nonexistent, vehicles would routinely fail during Code 3 responses. Operations managers change every year or so, clinical and office staff rotated at roughly the same rate, no attempt to offer training or anything beyond the legal bare minimum required by local and state EMSA. Low staffing was often fixed by forced mandation shifts, essentially called the day before and told to come in the next day or face discipline. Diversity is not one of their strong suits.
