Emergency Medical Technician Certification
Do you have a passion for helping others? Do you want a job where you can do just that and get paid for it? If you have the desire to help others who are injured and in need in an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to consider getting your Emergency Medical Technician certification. An Emergency Medical Technician is better known as an EMT. Their job is to respond to emergency situations and help accident victims get stabilized enough to be transported to the hospital. Certification is based on the level of training received and some states have different requirements in order to become certified. If this sounds like a job that would appeal to you, read on to learn everything you need to know. If you’re not sure if this is the job for you, this article will let you in on all the information you need to know to make a properly-informed decision.
Licensing Requirements
First and foremost, the NHTSA, otherwise known as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognizes four levels of Emergency Medical Technician certification. These levels are EMT-B, which is basic, EMT-I/85 and EMT-I/99 which are intermediate, and EMT-P, which is paramedic. Please be informed that in certain states, Advance Practice or Critical Care Paramedics are recognized as licenses above the level of the common paramedic. Wilderness EMT and Wilderness Paramedics are other certifications that an Emergency Medical Technician can seek, if they so desire.
As previously mentioned, an EMT-B is the basic entry level certification for an EMT. With the basic emergency medical technician certification, you are allowed to perform non-invasive procedures, such as bleeding control, splinting, and supply oxygen to those in need of it. With the splinting, you are also allowed to perform full spinal immobilization. The training requirements can vary depending on the state in which you live and plan to gain your certification. An EMT-I/85 certification allows for IV administration, and allows the holder to use multi-lumen airway devices. An EMT-I/99 allows for cardiac monitoring and for the administration pharmaceutical interventions. Paramedics are allowed to perform all of the previously mentioned duties, as well as fluid resuscitation.
Training Requirements
Earning your EMT-B certification is the easiest, as it only requires 110 hours of classroom training. It has been said, however, that classroom hours for an EMT-B often exceed 120 hours. This program has a fast-track method, which can be completed in approximately two weeks, with between 8 to 12 hours of classroom time per day. EMT-I/85 and EMT-I/99′s receive between 200 to 400 hours of classroom training in order to earn their certification, and EMT-P’s are trained for over 1,000 hours. Continuing Education credits are also a requirement after receiving your Emergency Medical Technician certification.
If you have an intense desire to help victims of accidents and save lives, please do not hesitate to consider becoming an Emergency Medical Technician. You will be helping those who are suffering, and many times, can save lives that may have been lost without your assistance. Whether you decide to become a basic EMT-B or go all the way and become a paramedic, you will be doing something great for yourself, and for those in need as well.
