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(Describer) Beside four different-size different-color circles connected by lines, title: Career Connections.

(Describer) Title: Allied Health – Paramedic.

(Describer) A man walks to the back of a striped ambulance.

I'm Ryan Moody. I work for the Columbus Division of Fire in Columbus, Ohio. We are a fire-based, EMS-driven department. We handle calls ranging from fire, EMS, hazardous materials, bomb squad runs, and anything in between.

(Describer) The Columbus Division of Fire logo is shown.

I've been with Columbus Fire ten years. I did work for another fire department, a smaller city. Columbus gave me the opportunity to join them-- larger department, more room for advancement. I chose to come here, and I'm happy I made the switch. The training here is very rigorous. Once you're accepted through the application process, you start with the Fire Training Academy. In that fire department training, you also train to become an emergency medical technician basic. Everyone in the fire department is at least trained to emergency medical technician basic level. Then those people who are chosen to do so, usually a couple years afterwards, become paramedics, which is another two years of training, including all the bookwork, technical training, hospital clinical rotations, and then ride time to make sure you're proficient before they put you on the street.

(Describer) The ambulance pulls out of the station with lights flashing.

The training for paramedics starts with an anatomy and physiology class. Everything we do paramedic is college level. Actually, it's considered advanced college level because of the pace that it requires to get it done. What most people do in four years, we do in two. We need to get you trained and on the street.

(Describer) He talks with two colleagues in a meeting.

Once you finish your schooling, the end result is a test from the state that gives you certification and licensure in Ohio. If you're a paramedic in Ohio, you can't just go be a paramedic in Chicago. You'd go there and do what's called "challenge" their test. You'd take their test. Then you could work in Illinois. What I love most about this job is that every day is different. Our schedule and day-to-day activities are much different than the typical what we call 9-to-5. We show up for work every third day. I work 24 hours on. I'll work from 8:00 a.m. Monday to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. I'll be off all of Tuesday and Wednesday and come back to work on Thursday. We work a 48-hour work week, which is eight more hours than most people, but we're only working two days a week. I have a bag and a bed and everything I need. This is where I live for 24 hours at a time. This is my second family.

(Describer) A firetruck stands in the station.

Every personnel here is a fireman. Some of us are cross-trained as paramedics. If you're a paramedic for the day, you'll take your turn riding the transport vehicle-- the ambulance. Today happens to be my turn. Myself and my partner are riding the truck today. We'll come in, check the defibrillator, the heart monitor, make sure the truck's in running order. We get everything from stubbed toes to gunshots to car accidents, and then we also do medical calls-- heart attacks, strokes, diabetic emergencies. We cover the gamut. We can do anything in that truck. That's another part of the fire department. We're here day and night, on holidays, on weekends. The fire department never closes.

(Describer) Titles: For more information, visit OhioMeansJobs.com. Funding to purchase and make this educational program accessible was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Contact the Department of Education by telephone at 1-800-USA-LEARN, or online at www.ed.gov.

Funding to purchase and make this educational production accessible was provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

PH:1-800-USA-LEARN (V) or WEB: www.ed.gov.