Ride Along Expectations/Guidelines
Program participants must be at least 18 years of age and may not be on a current department employment eligibility list or in the recruitment process.
Participants from the following categories are allowed to participate in the ride-along program:
- Paramedic interns or EMT students.
- Students from Orange County area colleges currently enrolled in fire science, EMT, or nursing programs, with proof from the college of being in good standing.
- Staff from Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency (OCEMS) approved training programs for the purpose of conducting training and field evaluations of students.
- Mobile Intensive Care Nurses (MICN) from an Orange County paramedic receiving center or Orange County hospital for training and field evaluation purposes.
- Nurse educators under contract with the City.
- Registered nurses (RNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), nursing assistants (NAs), paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) from an Orange County paramedic receiving center or Orange County hospital for training and field evaluation purposes.
- Physicians from Orange County paramedic receiving centers or other medical facilities that work closely with the OCEMSA pre-hospital care program.
- Mental health professionals affiliated with the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team.
Suitable Attire
Program participants shall wear appropriate attire throughout the ride-along. All clothing must be clean and free of marks such as dirt, grease, or stains, and be in good repair. The minimum acceptable attire shall include:
- Shirt: A collared shirt in good condition with no design or logo.
- Long Pants: Navy blue or black long pants or jeans in good condition and free from rips or tears. Shorts and skirts are not permitted.
- Shoes and Socks: Heavy athletic shoes, black work boots, or other similar closed-toe shoes with socks shall be worn. No platform shoes greater than two inches are permitted. Sandals, flip-flops, and high heels are not permitted.
- Jacket: During inclement weather (e.g., cold weather or rain), a program participant may wear an appropriate jacket that is in good condition with no design or logo. At the discretion of the Battalion Chief or Company Officer, a brush jacket may be provided to a program participant to be worn during an event. Additionally, should a need arise, a program participant may be issued a high visibility safety vest.
- Safety Gear: Paramedic interns shall bring the safety gear of their respective employing department/agency for use during the program. All program participants except paramedic interns shall wear the observer vest provided by the department.
- Uniforms: Paramedic interns shall wear the assigned uniform of their respective employing department/agency. Off-duty employees of the department or any other fire department or law enforcement agency shall NOT be permitted to wear their respective uniform.