Relevant backstory- I am 19, I got my emt-b license in April however I have been volunteering and working in ems since January. I am currently working at 3 agencies (1 paid & 2 volunteer). Due to being a college student I could only take my emt class hybrid, we did book work online and had skills days. I love doing 911 just like everyone else and easily get bored with convalescent. I live in rural va so it is also usually slow everywhere around me with the closes hospital being 20 minutes away and next is 45.

The current issue — the first agency I have been volunteering at is a 911 agency that covers the largest territory in my area within a 100mile radius so their call volume is relatively large (roughly 200 calls/month). I have been there since January and love it however the captain will not offer me a paid position because he feels that my hybrid/online class left me unprepared and unable to be released to run on a truck without being 3rd. And I am not sure how to maneuver that situation.

The paid agency I started at after I got my license in April is okay, It is only IFT and transports and dialysis. I get along with everyone there and have fun with my usual partner. The only downside is that I am not aloud to drive the ambulances until I am 21 because of the insurance company’s rules therefore I can only work the dialysis truck on day shift usually 8-5. Downside to that is that when I start classes in August I will only be able to work there on Saturdays since I also can’t do night shift until 21. Therefore I am only there temporarily.

The second volunteer agency is a fire rescue in my hometown that said they would pay me after a month or so after I run some calls and they see that I am competent. After my first shift here everyone except the chief has told me they would already release me and let me go because I quote “know my shit”. However I’ve been here almost a month and was just told that someone gave a complaint to the chief about me and they said I was going through people’s belongings and bags. This is not true however there is no way for me to prove it because they said it happened in a public open room with no cameras and that nothing was stolen that I just went through someone’s bags. I was forced to bite my tongue and let the chief jump my ass and carry on.

I understand that I am new and that I do not know everything under the sun. I am the type of person that doesn’t complain often and it usually takes a lot to piss me off. But I am almost to my breaking point with people accusing me of things I did not do just to try and either get me fired, stop me from getting paid, or to get me to quit. The older experienced people that I work with at all three agencies have 20-30 years of experience and I guess that they automatically expect me too as well. I just feel like there are so many cards stacked against me and so many things that are happening to me at all these agencies I just do not know if I can continue to take it all. I just want to find one agency to be paid at, that will work with my schedule for college, and that I can enjoy and actually make a difference in some people’s lives. And I am to the point that idk what to do anymore. 😕