EMT programs at Know How Inc

Emergency Medical Technician

People’s lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, and gunshot wounds all require immediate medical attention. EMTs provide this vital attention as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, EMTs and paramedics are dispatched to the scene and often work with police and fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and extent of the patient’s condition. They give appropriate emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient.

EMTs may use special equipment such as backboards to immobilize patients before placing them on stretchers and securing them in the ambulance for transport to a medical facility. One EMT drives while the other monitors the patient’s vital signs and gives additional care as needed. At the medical facility, EMTs help transfer patients to the emergency department, report their observations and actions to staff, and may provide additional emergency treatment. After each run, EMTs and paramedics replace used supplies and check equipment.

EMTs work both indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather. They are required to do considerable kneeling, bending, and heavy lifting. These workers risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens and back injuries from lifting patients. In addition, EMTs and paramedics may be exposed to diseases such as Hepatitis-B and AIDS, as well as violence from drug overdose victims or mentally unstable patients. The work is not only physically strenuous, but also stressful, involving life-or-death situations and suffering patients. Nonetheless, many people find the work exciting and challenging and enjoy the opportunity to help others.

Formal training and certification is needed to become an EMT. Registration with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) is required at some or all levels of certification. To maintain certification, EMTs must reregister, usually every 2 years. In order to re-register, an individual must be working as an EMT or paramedic and meet a continuing education requirement. EMTs should be emotionally stable, have good dexterity, agility, and physical coordination, and be able to lift and carry heavy loads. They also need good eyesight (corrective lenses may be used) with accurate color vision.

The EMT-Basic represents the first level of skills required to work in the emergency medical system. Coursework typically emphasizes emergency skills such as managing respiratory, trauma, and cardiac emergencies and patient assessment. Formal courses are often combined with time in an emergency room or ambulance. The program also provides instruction and practice in dealing with bleeding, fractures, airway obstruction, cardiac arrest, and emergency childbirth. Students learn to use and maintain common emergency equipment, such as backboards, suction devices, splints, oxygen delivery systems, and stretchers. Graduates of approved EMT basic training programs who pass a written and practical examination administered by the State certifying agency or the NREMT earn the title of Registered EMT-Basic. The course also is a prerequisite for EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic training.

Employment of emergency medical technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010. Population growth and urbanization will increase the demand for full-time paid EMTs and paramedics rather than for volunteers. In addition, a large segment of the population—the aging baby boomers—will further spur demand for EMT services, as they become more likely to have medical emergencies. There will still be demand for part-time, volunteer EMTs and paramedics in rural areas and smaller metropolitan areas. Most opportunities for EMTs and paramedics are expected to arise in hospitals and private ambulance services. Competition will be greater for jobs in local government, including fire, police, and independent third service rescue squad departments, where salaries and benefits tend to be slightly better. Opportunities will be best for those who have advanced certifications, such as EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic, as clients and patients demand higher levels of care before arriving at the hospital.

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