Q: Who can I contact for more information about Laurens County EMS and employment opportunities?
A: You may call Director Matt Pennington @ 864-984-1574.
Q: How do I get my South Carolina certification?
A: You may call the South Carolina Department of Health / Division of E.M.S. at (803) 545-4204 or go their web site at https://www.scemsportal.org/certifications. They will be able to inform you of all of our requirements.
Q: Where do I apply for jobs with your Service?
A: You may visit the Laurens County Personnel Department, 100 Hillcrest Square, Laurens, SC 29360 to apply directly, or you may download an application here: https://laurenscounty.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Laurens_County_Employment_Application_PDF_FILLABLE.pdf and mail to:
Office of Human Resources
PO Box 445
Laurens, SC 29360
Q: What is required in order to apply for a position with Laurens County E.M.S.?
A: E.M.T.’s must have a current South Carolina certification, National Registry certification, and a current BLS certification. Paramedics must have a current South Carolina certification, current certifications in BLS, ACLS, and PALS. All applicants must have a valid SC drivers license and the ability to obtain CEVO Driver Training, and PHTLS/BTLS within 6 months of employment.
Q: What is involved in obtaining a position with your service?
A: We periodically advertise for positions as openings become available. An applicant must meet all requirements for employment with Laurens County before the application is passed on to our office. We screen all applications for completion of process and all pertinent requirements before calling them in for a job interview. The interview board, consisting of employees and supervisors, that asks each individual applicant a set list of questions and presents several situational events for solutions. Each applicant is graded, based on accuracy, and then a score is tallied consisting of several factors, such as education, presentation, appearance, experience, and overall assessment. The list of applicants is ranked and presented to administration for selection. Those selected must undergo an orientation period of 40 hours of class room time and 72 hours of third person ride time before being assigned to a shift. They then are evaluated for 6 months before they leave their probationary stage.
Q: What is the starting pay for your Service?
A: 24/48 EMT’s begin at an annual salary of @ $33,385 per year. This includes 2080 hours of scheduled regular hours, 848 hours of scheduled overtime. Paramedics begin at @ $41,765 including the same breakdown of hours. Laurens County EMS is one of few who still provide PAID in-house recertification training. COLA’s are considered annually subject to council approval after completion of their probationary period. You can view individual job descriptions on the right side of this page.
Q: Why would I want to consider employment with your Service?
A: We consider ourselves as a cutting-edge service. Our protocols are constantly improving as medical care changes. The equipment used by our crews is state-of-the-art. Each employee here is the most important one we have. The employees, with each one capable and qualified to rise through the ranks to the top position, run our service. Our customers, both internal and external, are the reason we exist. We hire each employee with the knowledge that they will one day be in charge. We never look back at where we were or at those following us. We only look forward to where we need to be. Don’t you want to be here with us?