Go bag — two paths
Go bag · 2 paths
I'm chasing offshore medic first, and 911 ground second.
Solid edge is the path you're attacking. Dashed is the one behind it. Items that count for both are marked — the shapes carry it, so the list survives a black-and-white printout.
10 of 23 items count for both paths.
Finishing the offshore kit puts you most of the way into 911 without a single extra appointment. That overlap is the argument for doing them in this order.
Vaccination series plus post-series antibody testing
Bloodborne pathogen exposure control. Long-running, and the item people discover last.
Cost — Verified 85 · Federal agency · osha.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
Made available at no cost to the employee;
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030
Not sourced: lead time (depends — see note) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · Can I start work mid-series, or does the employer need the titer first?
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Required for unescorted access to a regulated port facility or vessel. Most Gulf crew boats leave from one.
Lead time — Reasonable 68 · Federal agency · tsa.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
TSA recommends that all applicants enroll for TWIC® (including renewals) a minimum of 60 days before applicants require a valid TWIC.
Cost — Verified 100 · Federal agency · tsa.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
New applicant: $124.00
Validity — Verified 100 · Federal agency · tsa.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
Pay a non-refundable fee valid for five years
Unanswered · Can I start work while the TWIC is still processing?
Extended-scope certification for practising without a physician nearby
A paramedic licence assumes transport to definitive care within the hour. Offshore assumes days. Operators contract to the extended scope, not the licence.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (not researched)
Unanswered · Which offshore medic certificates do Gulf operators actually accept?
Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training, including Helicopter Underwater Escape
No operator will fly you to a platform without it. The HUET component is why it cannot be done online.
Not sourced: lead time (page not retrievable) · cost (page not retrievable) · validity (page not retrievable)
Unanswered · Does a UK OPITO BOSIET count in the US Gulf, and vice versa?
A licence issued by the state you will be driving in
Most services will not insure a driver on an out-of-state licence past the state's residency grace period.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (not researched)
Unanswered · How long can I drive on an out-of-state licence after moving?
Fitness-to-work physical to an offshore standard
Separate from a DOT physical and from an ordinary occupational physical. The examining physician has to be on the operator's approved list.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (not researched)
Unanswered · Is an OGUK / Energy Institute medical accepted for US Gulf work?
Prehospital Trauma Life Support
Frequently specified in industrial and offshore contracts.
Validity — Verified 100 · Issuing training body · naemt.org · checked 9 Aug 2026
a wallet card recognizing them as PHTLS providers for 4 years, and 16 hours of CAPCE credit
https://www.naemt.org/education/trauma-education/phtls/phtls-courses
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent)
Unanswered · Are PHTLS and ITLS treated as interchangeable?
IGRA blood test or TB skin test
Baseline on hire in most clinical settings, and repeated where exposure risk continues.
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent) · validity (not researched)
Unanswered · Is annual TB screening still expected for EMS, or only baseline?
Emergency Vehicle Operator Course
Service and insurer requirement before you drive on lights.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (not researched)
Unanswered · Does an out-of-state EVOC transfer, or is it re-done on hire?
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
Paramedic-level baseline for nearly every employer on this list.
Validity — Verified 100 · Issuing training body · cpr.heart.org · checked 9 Aug 2026
ACLS Provider eCard valid for 2 years
https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/healthcare-professional/acls
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent)
Serology proving immunity rather than a vaccination record
Occupational health usually wants the titer, not the childhood card. A non-immune result puts you into a re-vaccination series.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · What happens if a titer comes back non-immune?
Medical examiner's certificate
Required to drive the ambulance in most services.
Validity — Reasonable 74 · Federal agency · fmcsa.dot.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
A DOT physical exam is valid for up to 24 months.
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent)
Unanswered · How long is a DOT physical good for, and what shortens it?
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Standard for 911 response; less often demanded offshore.
Not sourced: lead time (page not retrievable) · cost (page not retrievable) · validity (page not retrievable)
Healthcare-provider CPR
Baseline. Everything else assumes you hold it.
Validity — Verified 100 · Issuing training body · cpr.heart.org · checked 9 Aug 2026
BLS Provider eCard valid for 2 years
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent)
Unanswered · Which non-AHA cards are accepted where?
Flame-resistant coveralls, commonly specified to NFPA 2112
Worn on deck. Some operators issue them, many expect you to arrive in your own, and a non-compliant set gets you sent back on the boat.
Add to go bag partner link · we earn a commission
Not sourced: lead time (n/a) · cost (not researched) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · Does the operator issue FRCs or is it on me?
Basic safety orientation to an IADC-accredited standard
Site access orientation. Cheap, fast, and widely asked for.
Standards body · iadc.org · checked 9 Aug 2026
RigPass prepares new employees for most operating environments, onshore or offshore.
Standards body · iadc.org · checked 9 Aug 2026
Why is IADC no longer offering the SafeLandUSA endorsement?
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · Is SafeLandUSA interchangeable with RigPass?
Panel set by the employer; DOT-style where the role is safety-sensitive
Standard gate, and it cannot begin before an offer.
Federal agency · fmcsa.dot.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
An employer must receive a negative drug test result before permitting a CDL driver to operate a CMV.
Not sourced: lead time (source silent) · cost (source silent) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · Who pays for the screen, and does a hair test change the window?
Protective footwear meeting ASTM F2413
Site access. Checked at the heliport.
Add to go bag partner link · we earn a commission
Federal agency · osha.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
Protective footwear must comply with any of the following consensus standards
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.136
Federal agency · osha.gov · checked 9 Aug 2026
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.136
Not sourced: lead time (n/a) · cost (source silent) · validity (n/a)
Unanswered · Is a metatarsal guard actually required offshore, or preferred?
Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis booster
Standard occupational health requirement.
Go to the state's page we have not mapped this pathway yet
Not sourced: lead time (not researched) · cost (not researched) · validity (not researched)
Service-spec footwear and uniform items
First shift. Usually partly reimbursed, rarely in advance.
Add to go bag partner link · we earn a commission
Not sourced: lead time (n/a) · cost (not researched) · validity (n/a)
Confirm privilege through your Texas hiring agency and the state office
Privilege here depends on the hiring agency pairing plus state-office confirmation. Confirm your unrestricted home-state licence, role and scope, agency authorization, and medical direction before assuming coverage.
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Hold a current, unrestricted license in at least one Member State as an EMT, AEMT, Paramedic, or a state-recognized level between EMT and Paramedic
- Affiliate with an EMS agency in the remote state that provides EMS medical direction
- Adhere to the Commission's Professional Code of Conduct and follow the remote state's scope of practice, protocols, and laws
- +1 more
Confirm with the hiring agency get the pairing and medical direction in writing
EMS Compact Commission · emscompact.gov · checked 2 Oct 2026
Read the sentence this comes from
Participation is always optional: agencies decide whether to use Compact personnel, who meets their hiring standards, and what credentialing they require.
Unanswered · Will your Texas agency sponsor privilege and confirm it with the state office?
fingerprints, state check, FBI check via IdentoGO
Applicants who cannot reach an IdentoGO site may request a hard copy fingerprint card from the EMS Central Unit at 512-834-6734, which DSHS states will delay results by up to several weeks.
State EMS office · dshs.texas.gov · checked 7 Aug 2026
Read the sentence this comes from
All applicants will be required to undergo an FBI fingerprint criminal history check using IdentoGo.
Unanswered · Can I be printed out of state, and how long do prints stay valid?
Texas written assessment
Conditional: required only for applicants who hold a state certification without current NREMT. An applicant with current NREMT does not retest.
Find a seat no vetted provider yet
State EMS office · dshs.texas.gov · checked 7 Aug 2026
Read the sentence this comes from
Must take the Texas Assessment Exam through National Registry, if State certified only.
Unanswered · Who is exempt from the state exam?