Ambulance Operator

JOB SUMMARY:

The AMBULANCE OPERATOR provides non-emergency pre-hospital transportation, and assists their EMT level partner with movement and care of the sick and injured per A-MED Ambulance protocols and standards of practice.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The AMBULANCE OPERATOR must have a valid Class D Louisiana driver's license, and meet all criteria as set forth by our vehicle insurance carrier. The AMBULANCE OPERATOR must complete the Ambulance Operator training curriculum as part of their onboarding process. All permits, licenses, certifications, and training must be always maintained and kept current while employed in this capacity.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Heavy and strenuous. AMBULANCE OPERATOR must be able to lift and carry a patient and stretcher up and down several flights of stairs with small landings, which requires proper lifting techniques, and proper body mechanics. The AMBULANCE OPERATOR must be able to carry equipment and travel on foot for several hundred yards.

Manual and finger dexterity are necessary to reach for, handle, lift, and carry supplies, equipment, and patients. Talking and hearing ability is necessary to interact and communicate with dispatchers on the radio, patients on the scene of an accident or sudden illness, other public safety members on the scene of an incident which often presents itself in an unsafe and hazardous manner where immediate communications with the on-scene personnel are imperative. Visual activity is required for observation of the patient, inspection of the scene, and to safely drive the ambulance.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

Heavy and exacting. Must use good judgment when establishing priorities in caring for patients of all ages. Numerical ability is necessary to measure and calculate medication dosages. Motor coordination is necessary to be able to operate the ambulance safely. Reading ability is required to properly interpret the information the AMBULANCE OPERATOR is exposed to during the course of performing his/her duties (i.e., driving, using computer, etc.).

Requirements

PURPOSE OF JOB:

The AMBULANCE OPERATOR will provide the highest quality Basic Life Support in a pre-hospital setting and augments the various hospital emergency department staffs in the emergency care of the sick and the injured. AMBULANCE OPERATOR is a professional, pre-hospital emergency care specialist who provides assessment and treatment to patients of all ages in an innumerable variety of environmentally uncontrolled settings in which injury and permanent disability to the AMBULANCE OPERATORare possible. AMBULANCE OPERATORsupervises other emergency services personnel who may be present at the scene providing the patients care. As appropriate, the AMBULANCE OPERATORtakes histories, performs physical exams, controls bleeding. provides airway control, restores and maintains circulation, and provides care consistent with the general standard of care under the authority of then service medical director and / or the medical control physician according to the treatment protocols as issued and approved by the Jefferson and Orleans Parishes medical societies. AMBULANCE OPERATORboth at the scene and during transportation has the ultimate authority consistent with these guidelines. The AMBULANCE OPERATORassists in the emergency departments with emergency care as required, but does not supersede others in the department.

WORKING REQUIREMENTS:

Excellent to poor:

The AMBULANCE OPERATOR must be able to work in either a well lighted and properly equipped ambulance or inadequately lighted space with no back up equipment or personnel. They must be able to work in the presence of visitors and bystanders with the possibility of shouting and uncontrolled patient setting. Must be able to perform in all temperatures and climates.

Job Hazards:

Possible exposure to communicable diseases before their detection. Possible exposure to body fluid/blood borne pathogens. Vehicle accidents with various leaking fuels, unknown cargos, downed power lines, and unsteady vehicles. Violent patients with knives, guns, clubs, or other weapons. Police shootings with hostile crowds present. Toxic chemical spills / incidents. Radiation emergencies. Excessive noise levels. Working in traffic on limited access roadways. Boat, plane, train, and vehicle accidents involving extrication. Potential involvement in vehicle accidents with the ambulance.

IMPACT OF DECISIONS:

Error can result in morbidity or mortality.

PATIENT CONTACT:

Has frequent close contact with patients and family members of all ages in varied settings. Their primary functions are to provide non-emergency pre-hospital transportation and assist their EMT level partner with movement and care of the sick and injured per A-MED Ambulance protocols and standards of practice.

OTHER CONTACTS:

Must be able to interact favorably with nurses, physicians, emergency department and other hospital staff, family members, crowds in places of public assembly, and police, fire, and other emergency services personnel. Must frequently apply the ability to influence and motivate others to obtain willing acceptance, consent, and actions.

REPORTS TO: Field Supervisor, Director of Operations