It's a good career option, Slowburn, and good to get into when you're young because it's very physically demanding work. I worked as a fire department paramedic (EMT-P) for 7 years and still maintain my certification but haven't worked in anything more than a volunteer capacity for 17 years or more. Most any organization that hires medics drug tests, however. So be aware of that. You'll learn a ton of stuff, and if you work in fire rescue, you'll also see some disturbing gut-wrenching stuff.

Any hope you might find yourself an employer/sponsor such as a fire department or an EMS subcontractor like AMR or a medical transport service who'll hire you first and put you through the training themselves? That's a good way into that job--to get hired first and let your employer sponsor you through the training. You can also pay for the training yourself, of course, but it's expensive, and most of the main places that employ a lot of EMTs and/or paramedics get big discounts. They also sometimes want you to have specific kinds of training that they need to obtain for you. Here in Texas, I worked the first year at a state hospital, which got me the basic and advanced EMT certification, and then the next year I got a job with the fire department, which gave me the field hours I needed and sent me for the EMT-P training/test. Once you have your basic EMT certification, you're qualified to work in the field, with restrictions on the types of treatment and procedures you can do, and you can then let your sponsor/employer send you for your EMT-advanced and EMT-Paramedic certification.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you.