A recent question I received from a visitor was whether or not they would be able to pursue EMS with a DWI on their driving record. Here is the question verbatim:
Hi – I was charged with a DWI back in January .. and I recently decided that I’d like to become a paramedic.. a little too late of course. I read somewhere that it will stay on my record for 10 years. Would it be possible to become a paramedic with the DWI on my record? If not, how long would it take for me to join the paramedic profession in the future? Thanks in advance!
It’s unfortunate that many people make the mistake of drinking and driving, it’s a mistake that can be made seemingly in the blink of an eye, however one that carries substantial negative consequences. Especially when your line of work, or one you’re considering getting into discriminates heavily against those who have received a drunk driving penalty. Depending on the state, a drunk driving infraction can stay on your record for up to 10 years, which is a long time to live down a one-time mistake.
Unfortunately, the emergency medical services field is one where a higher level of responsibility is not only expected but required. EMS professionals are expected to behave as and fill the role of strong role models in society. They are often expected to live their lives in a manner that is much more responsible than the typical expectations one would bestow on a professional service provider.
With that in mind, the best thing to do in the case that you’ve been charged with a DWI or DUI is to visit your local paramedic program director or County EMS director and explain your situation. They will be in the best position to advise you on the matter as they will now the national, state, and local regulations and restrictions that would apply to your situation.
But I can say this, as long as a drunk driving penalty is on your record, you will most likely face significant challenges convincing a paramedic program to accept you. Considering the above expectations placed on paramedics, they will see you as a potential liability and risk. After all, paramedics are in the business of caring and treating people who have suffered from injury or illness, and a drunk driving incident will be seen as a lack of respect and appreciation for the lives of others.
This is unacceptable behavior in the EMS profession. Paramedics must put others before themselves during the course of their daily lives. Even if a paramedic program took your money and allowed you to enroll for EMT training, most likely you would not be able to get a job with a volunteer agency since insurance companies would not be willing to cover you – as they would consider you a high liability.
In the case one is already a licensed paramedic and receives a felony on their record, they would most likely be terminated by whatever paramedic agency they work for. The individual would face a medical review board for revocation of their license to practice EMS. Any crime committed below felony level will initiate an investigation and company board meeting to assess any disciplinary action, including possible termination and a medical review board license revocation.
Those working in the EMS profession have their criminal background under a magnifying glass – even traffic violations must be reported to a supervisor or there is a risk for disciplinary action.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I can certainly appreciate this information. At the same time it can get ones blood boiling. Especially when it comes to being discarded based on pre-determined character & ethics. Let’s face it, people at some point have done something dumb and stupid in their lives especially when they were young. To have that held against them for a lifetime is a constant reminder of that. Some jobs seem to have the idea. that character and ethics is a matter of if you unfortunately have a record. Poppycock. Now, having a habitual offense is one thing, but a misdemeanor that’s non criminal is another. A DUI or DWI in most states and cities does not go away after seven or ten years. It’s there for good. Fifteen years ago, I had a DUI and it’s still on record. So, immediately, I and countless other “bad people” have the instant black ball by default. Now lets look at those health care professionals already in place who just haven’t been caught. There are plenty. Nevermind their problem continues outside work. Most may never get caught. So does that qualify as a lack of respect and appreciation for the lives of others? Folks, know that if you have any desire to work in the EMS or Law Enforcement profession you will be penalized by their standards. I can tell you I’ve been there, and some are far worse from a character and ethics standpoint. Than any person I have worked with who made a mistake and corrected it. Their skeletons are just not on record. If a school won’t accept you, move on to another. If an employer won’t hire you, move on to another because you likely have far more ethics than they do. Prepare for the politics folks. Which has nothing to do with saving lives….or does it? They seem to think so.
Ray – I agree, most everyone has made mistakes, and it’s unfortunate that sometimes they can negatively affect ones life for such a long period of time. But that’s precisely why I wrote this post, as a warning to those pursuing EMS, or any other field that will be this critical of an individual’s past or present actions outside of the workplace. Credit is now scrutinized in the workforce heavily in financial job markets such as accounting, financial planning, etc, and even in unrelated fields to a large degree. But that’s a different story than a DWI/DUI and I can write a book about the motivations behind that..
Thanks for your comment.
I have been drinking for 15 years now. I quit cold turkey 30 days ago as I can honestly say that I have only bad has come from drinking for me. I just had my work christmas party and had about 5 beers. What a mistake. I drove home and hit a car. Everyone was ok and the dmg was minimal. And it was the final straw of the mistakes I have made while drinking. I could have killed someone and no matter the punishment I get from the court, it will never be as bad as the guilt I have in my mind everyday of that fact that I could have taken a life from someone and their family. its been two weeks now and I havn’t had a drink since as it disgusts me to think of the chaos that it can cause. I am soooo grateful that no one was injured.
But this leads me to the question as well. I am a good person and have finished the EMT course. Would it be pointless to continue? What would be the chance I do get hired? Can you still get hired, just not to drive? Also I live in Orange County, California, so I would imagine its harder to get hired as there are a lot more people and chance for problems. Any advice would be great and appreciated. I am ready to move on a give up on the EMT/Paramedic. I did the crime, I should do the time.
I still can’t believe that I could be someone that could have completly tore apart a family by my stupidity. I am so grateful the two in the car were ok. It is an eye opener that will effect every decision I make for the rest of my life.
Hi Richard – thanks for sharing this story that’s made such a positive impact on your life. Glad to hear there were no injuries involved! The best thing to do would be to contact the EMS establishments in your area to find out first hand. I can only offer general advice on this site, but to get definitive answers you’d have to solicit feedback from potential employers. Depending on how quickly the infraction hits your record, possibly you could land a job beforehand, but whether you keep your job or not depends on how well the EMS agency monitors the records of their employees. I can say it will probably depend largely on competition for EMS jobs in your area obviously.
Let me know what they say if you would.