An emergency medical technician (EMT) is often the first to respond in an emergency situation. Their role in emergency medical response is a critical one and therefore they are always in high demand. For a person willing and able to obtain the right training and EMT certification, a career as an emergency medical technician can be a rewarding and fulfilling one.
Before enrolling in EMT classes, a person should first assess his or her abilities and disposition. A successful emergency medical technician will be expected to manage very high-stress situations on a regular basis. He or she will also need to be able to make crucial decisions at the spur of the moment, and work every shift at a high level of intensity. For some, a work environment like this is thrilling and energizing, while for others it might prove to be a little too intense. Passing an EMT course will not prove to be a fruitful endeavor if the candidate does not have the appropriate disposition to handle a work environment of that sort.
If a person determines that a career as an emergency medical technician will fit their aptitudes and lifestyle, it is time to research EMT certification requirements for their state. Each state has its own specific guidelines as to how many classroom training hours an EMT course is required to provide. While enrolled in EMT classes, students will also be required to complete a certain number of hands-on hours in the field, spending time in an ambulance and in various hospital settings. The scope and length of the EMT certification course will be dictated by the level of certification the candidate is pursuing.
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has defined four levels of EMTs, starting with the entry level EMT-B (Basic), EMT-I/85 (lower level intermediate), EMT-I/99 (higher level intermediate), and EMT-P (Paramedic). An EMT course will mandate progressively longer and more rigorous training for the prospective emergency medical technician depending on the level of certification he or she is pursuing. To obtain Paramedic classification, the candidate will generally be required to obtain, at minimum, an Associate