How to become Emergency Medical Technician in 2024

Emergency Medical Technician Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

Emergency Medical Technician is Also Know as

In different settings, Emergency Medical Technician is titled as

  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • First Responder

Education and Training of Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency Medical Technician is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Emergency Medical Technician

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education Required for Emergency Medical Technician

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Degrees Related to Emergency Medical Technician

Training Required for Emergency Medical Technician

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Emergency Medical Technician in different industries are

What Do Emergency Medical Technician do?

  • Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
  • Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
  • Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
  • Comfort and reassure patients.
  • Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
  • Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
  • Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.
  • Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
  • Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
  • Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.
  • Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
  • Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance ride.

Qualities of Good Emergency Medical Technician

Tools Used by Emergency Medical Technician

  • Adult Magill forceps
  • Adult non-rebreather oxygen masks
  • Adult stylets
  • Airway suction units
  • Ambulances
  • Bag valve mask BVM resuscitators
  • Battery-powered portable suction units
  • Blood pressure recorders
  • Blood tubes
  • Bulb syringes
  • Bulletproof vests
  • Cardboard splints
  • Catheters
  • Center punches/glass hammers
  • Child oxygen masks
  • Chock blocks
  • Cricothyrotomy kits
  • Curved adult blades
  • Curved pediatric blades
  • Desktop computers
  • Electrocardiography EKG units
  • Emergency medical services cervical collars
  • Endotracheal ET tube holddown devices
  • Endotracheal ET tubes
  • Epi-pens
  • Esophageal intubation detection devices
  • Esophageal tracheal airway devices
  • External pacers
  • Extrication devices
  • Fixed-oxygen equipment
  • Fixed-suction equipment
  • Full-spine immobilization devices
  • Glucometers
  • Hacksaws
  • Half-spine immobilization devices
  • Head immobilization devices
  • Infant oxygen masks
  • Infusion sets
  • Interlink syringe cannulas
  • Intraosseous kits
  • Intravenous IV cannulas
  • Intravenous IV pressure infusers
  • Intravenous IV pumps
  • Laryngoscopes
  • Limb restraints
  • Long arm boards
  • Lower extremity traction devices with ankle hitches
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Meconium aspirators
  • Medical anti-shock trousers MAST
  • Medical suction catheters
  • Monitors
  • Multi-level wheeled cots
  • Nasopharyngeal airways
  • Nebulizers
  • Needles
  • Notebook computers
  • Obstetrical OB kits
  • Oropharyngeal airways
  • Oximeters
  • Oxygen nasal cannulae
  • Patient CO2 monitors
  • Patient restraints
  • Pleural decompression kits
  • Pneumatic anti-shock garments PASG
  • Pocket masks with one-way valves
  • Portable cardiac monitors
  • Portable oxygen equipment
  • Preload syringes
  • Pry bars
  • Restraint belts
  • Resuscitation devices
  • Rigid splints
  • Ring cutters
  • Saline locks
  • Scalp vein needles
  • Scalpels
  • Semiautomated or automatic external defibrillators AED
  • Short arm boards
  • Sledgehammers
  • Spinal immobilization equipment
  • Splints
  • Stair chairs
  • Straight adult blades
  • Straight pediatric blades
  • Straitjacket
  • Stretchers
  • Suction tubing
  • Syringes
  • Telemetry units
  • Tourniquets
  • Traction splints
  • Transtracheal jet insufflators
  • Triage tags
  • Two way radios
  • Valve mask resuscitators
  • Venoject needles
  • Vial access cannulas
  • Wall-mounted oxygen regulators

Technology Skills required for Emergency Medical Technician

  • Epocrates
  • HyperTox
  • Informed EMS Field Guide
  • Iterum eMedic
  • MedDataSolutions Regist*r
  • Medical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBox
  • Medical Wizards ER Suite
  • Medical Wizards Paramedics ToolBox
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft operating system
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Mosby's Drug Consult
  • Palmtree EMS Field Reference Guide
  • Palmtree Pocket EKG
  • PEPID EMS
  • Skyscape medical software
  • Skyscape Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult
  • TechOnSoftware HazMatCE Pro