Flight Paramedic

STAR Flight paramedics provide medical care and transport to critically injured/ill patients, perform public-safety operations (search and rescue, aerial fire-fighting, law enforcement assistance) and promote education and safety throughout the STAR Flight response area.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This is a job classification within the Medical job family.   Emergency operations require working under difficult conditions. Available to regularly work a rotating shift schedule of 12 hour day and night shifts and occasional 24 hour shifts. This classification requires a flexible work schedule to meet the needs of the department.

• Assesses, plans treatment and administers care to critically injured/ill adult and pediatric patients.
• Documents patient assessments, treatment plans and outcomes of patients.
• Provides 100% quality assurance/improvement of patient care and documentation on all STAR Flight patients.
• Performs aviation-related duties such as assisting with navigation, radio communication, obstacle/aircraft avoidance and coordination of landing zones and other flight-related duties as an assigned medical crew member, and as an employee performing safety-related duties.  
• Provides patient care follow-up for internal and external customers by consulting with hospital medical staff.
• Represents STAR Flight at public relations events and educational in-services for Travis County and surrounding service area.
• Maintains proficiency and evaluates risk/benefit of rescue operations in helicopter and ground rescue.
• Directs/educates colleagues on medical and trauma scenes to achieve maximum effectiveness.
• Maintains mission readiness by daily inspection of personal and helicopter medical and rescue equipment as well as studying medical and rescue information.
• Completes special projects as assigned, including preparing educational in-services, researching new medical equipment, rescue equipment, development of STAR Flight-specific protocols for medical and rescue environment.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:
Completion of thirty (30) semester hours of college AND five (5) years as a full-time Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider.   One (1) additional year experience as specified above may substitute for the required college course work;
OR,
Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Texas Department of State Health Services Paramedic Certification or Licensure; OR,
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic.
Current Certification Basic Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
Current Certification Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (or equivalent).
Letter of support from Medical Director(s) or direct supervisor.
Must meet minimum physical fitness requirements established by Travis County for the STAR Flight Program.
Subject to the STAR Flight mandated Anti-Drug and Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program.
Drug and alcohol testing shall be conducted as part of the pre-employment process for all applicants.
Valid Texas Driver’s License.
Flight Paramedic – Certified required within two years of employment.

Preferred:
Previous rotor or fixed-wing flight experience.
Critical Care experience.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (or equivalent).
Advanced Trauma Life Support/TPATC
Neonatal Resuscitation Program.
Current Flight Paramedic Certified.
Training in and understanding of Incident Command principles.
Demonstrated proficiency in Low to High Angle and Swift Water Rescue techniques.
Helicopter rescue experience.
Bilingual oral proficiency in English/Spanish.

Knowledge of:

• Appropriate response to emergency situations.
• Policies, practices, procedures and terminology of assigned function.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules and regulations, codes and guidelines.
• State and Federal regulatory or administrative requirements and practices.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.
• May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information. 

 
Skill in:

• Meeting emergencies.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Demonstrate the principles and practices of pre-hospital emergency medical care.
• Direct colleagues on medical and trauma scenes to achieve maximum group effectiveness.
• Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills while working in a stressful environment.
• Provide service that meets the values, vision and customer service commitment of the STAR Flight program.
• Demonstrate the principles and practices of technical rescue in swiftwater, low-to-high angle and helicopter rescue environments.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with regional pre-hospital and hospital care providers.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Emergency Medical System (EMS) first responders, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), paramedics, nurses, physicians and other ancillary personnel, other County employees and officials, and the general public.

Physical requirements include meeting physical ability/strength standards outlined above.  Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 50-100 pounds, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment.  Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.  Based on aircraft weight limitation employees in these positions should maintain a maximum body weight of 220 pounds.  Must be available to work in inclement weather.  Subject to contact with dust, dangerous machinery, noise, fumes, potential harm, vibration, communicable diseases, and hazardous chemicals.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: Crew members work a rotating schedule of 12 or 24-hour shifts. This includes some holidays and weekends. 
Schedules are subject to change based on aircraft availability and county needs.

Location: 7800 Old Manor Rd Austin, TX 78724

Department: STAR Flight

 Physical Exam, Drug Test, Alcohol Test

For updates or questions on this position, contact:  [email protected]

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.