Hey everyone, I have a question on which job would better suit me for a career in policing/be more attractive on a resume or application. I'll give you a quick background on me (not sure if you would need it or not to determine an answer but it can't hurt): I'm a 21 year old student at UMass Lowell in the Criminal Justice undergrad with a minor (possible dual major) in Computer Science. I work as an RA for the university (3 years), as an EMT for the school (just started in August), and as a security guard (lead officer) for Securitas (since February). I was in police explorers for 4.5 years (2003-2007). My question is, now that I am an EMT, I would like to work on a private EMS service here in the Lowell area. In order to do this I would need to quit my job as a lead officer at Securitas. My hope is that working in the emergency response field, I would be able to network with local police departments and gain valuable experience dealing with the stress and pace of working in a busy emergency response dept. I would also get to actually help people every shift (something rarely done with Securitas). My curiosity is which one would police departments looking to hire be more interested in seeing. I don't want to step down at Securitas if working in the security field is viewed as gaining more valuable experience for policing, but I would much prefer work in EMS (although I work EMS for the school, it is a nearly volunteer dept[$20 per shift], and a very slow/low-call non-transport ambulance service, so experience is limited/slow to gain and I could not live off of this paycheck). Thoughts? Sorry for the long post but thought the more information the better. Thank you to anyone who can offer an opinion on this.
Unless you're going to work for an ambulance company that has a municipal EMS contract, you're going to spend 99% of your time doing nursing home transfers, dialysis runs, etc. You're not going to do much life-saving. As far as what looks better on a resume, I don't think either would cancel out the other. Both (assuming you're a good employee) demonstrate maturity and the ability to handle responsibility. IMO, it comes down to which one you would rather do.
Yeah.....well, when I was talking to the National Guard recruiter, I was looking at the catalog of MOS's, and it showed Military Police....guy in the green shirt, bloused green pants with jump boots, white hat, and talking into a cruiser microphone while the blue & red lights were activated behind him. I thought "That's for me". I signed on, and next thing I knew, I was in a GP Medium in Saudi Arabia, living like a savage on MRE's on de-salinated water. The only time I ever wore a white hat was when we assisted the Air Force SP's at Hanscom AFB for Thunderbird shows, and the West Point garrison MP's when Boston College football played West Point at West Point. At least you can quit an ambulance company.
Absolutely 100% the response I was going to post! I was an MP, and my experience reflected Delta784's. Don't get the wrong idea, National Guard service won't involve much (if any) garrison MP duty. There are a lot of POW missions, and guarding chopper pads for hours on end, getting sand/wind/dust in your eyes, in extreme heat, and all sorts of other "fun" vaguely-LE-related activities . Though my reasons for being an MP were different. My parents wouldn't sign age waiver when I was 17 and had wanted 11B my whole life-- they said no combat arms MOS! So I chose MP because my recruiter pushed it due to a unit moving in nearby in the future (747MP Co., Southbridge, circa 1993-1994). I went to school to be a teacher, even finished my BA and got my MA teaching certs (WTF was I thinking???) Choose the military, for certain, but choose your MOS carefully.
Judging by the pics kiddo's drill sgt's post up on FB, they're learning traffic control, building searches, rolling humvee's, shooting guns and blowing shit up. I'm almost jealous! Now if he'd just pass the damn pushups I'll feel ALOT better.
Thank you very much for the replies. As for EMS, I would be looking into Trinity EMS (Lowell) or Patriot Ambulance (Lawrence). Both have 911 BLS contracts with those cities, and perhaps ALS but I am unsure on that. That's not to say I wouldn't start with transfers, as you have to learn to walk before you can run (and as stated before it is great for experience with pts), but chances are I would end up working 911 sometime down the road. Also, I have looked extensively into joining the military and Hospital Corpsman (Navy) was one of my interests. There were several other medical related ratings I looked into, along with other branches of military (including Coast Guard which I have a major interest in). One thing I wish I could do is auxiliary police, but my schedule is too full and to fit it in I would have to drop the only job that actually earns me money (and I have looked into summer police as well which may be an avenue I take this summer). I guess my hope is to be more marketable even without something like aux police, or military if my situation becomes such that I don't join. Thanks again for the replies everyone.
Push-ups?? Easy fix. Subscribe now to Pvt. Cowboys school of Meathead! Operators are standing by... On a more serious note, I almost went into a combat medic division (or so I'm told) until my father and grandfather (Army WWII vet) decided college was a better route for me. Curse you, economy of the late 90's!!
I used to call my unit "glorified infantry", but I like "chickfantry". A combat support MP platoon is more heavily armed that an infantry platoon, ironically enough. That's encouraging to hear that the MP's are going to more of a L&O role. During one of my weekend drills where we did L&O at Camp Edwards, I arrested (ooops....I mean apprehended) a civilian woman for OUI. I brought her to the MP Station, and no one knew what to do with her. Eventually MSP came and collected her, and I have no idea what happened after that (nor do I care) My point is that no one knew what to do when a military policeman actually did.......police work. Hopefully that will change with the L&O focus.
They're working him... last PT test was Thursday... HOPING he calls tomorrow and tells me he passed it. The drill sgts run a FB page, posted today that 90% of the Co passed on first run through, still a few that need to but the have "every confidence everyone will get there". HATE this!!
OMG!!!!! Don't ever say that naughty word around the army again. DETAINED followed by military APPREHENSION is the preferred army jargon these days for MP's and Civilian army L.E.
