EMS department captain requirements?

[grandma]

Are there any requirements to become an EMS agencies captain? I would think so but one of the local departments have members (directors) who say there isn't. I'm concerned and had thought that they at least needed to be certified to an EMT level.

[mgr22]

Depends on the agency.

[croaker260]

Our agency requires minimum 5 years in the department, but realistically this is 10 years. It also requires 3 years as an FTO, but this is realistically longer too.

The testing process is all day, with budgetary scenarios, disciplinary scenarios, oral/ppt presentations on policy, plus written tests.

My favorite scenario was essentially "you have just been advised to cut your budget by 30%. Present how you would manage this." you are then given the budget for the previous year, plus other materials. You have 4 hours.

The reason they did this was this is exactly what happened to us with medicare changes in 2002-2003.

In our department , captains are "swing up" supervisors (majors), who also have educational responsibility. So some of the testing and selection is based on that.
The Majors are basically Battalion Chiefs in the fire service. .