Emergency medical technician

Question: When I googled "emergency medical technician," your 2002 article on the subject came up. I was wondering if you could give me more current information on pay and training, particularly the State requirements for transitioning from certification as an EMT to certification as a paramedic?
— Ray

Response: A high turnover rate keeps EMTs in demand. Many people who initially work as EMTs move on to careers such as nurse or firefighter.

Job Description
An Emergency Medical Technician is specially trained and certified to provide immediate care to the critically ill and injured in an emergency situation.

After checking vital signs, the EMT may administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or administer drugs. If the person needs additional care, the EMT transports the victim to a nearby hospital. Communication with medical personnel regarding the circumstances of the emergency and patient's vital signs continues throughout the response. Common emergency situations include near drowning, heart attacks, and automobile accidents.

EMT-Is may also deal with non-emergency situations such as transporting a patient from a nursing home to a dialysis treatment center. Most EMT-Is are employed by private ambulance companies but they may also be employed by hospital emergency departments.

In addition to the procedures that an EMT-I can perform, a paramedic can perform advanced life support procedures such as oral endotracheal intubations, which involve inserting a plastic tube though the mouth down into the trachea.

Pay
For EMTs there has not been much change in pay since 2002. The pay still ranges from approximately $10 to $13 per hour/$20,000 to $24,000 per year. However, the pay for paramedics or EMT-IIIs ranges from approximately $26,000 to $38,000 per year with a median of $31,000.

Certification
The California State Dept of Health Emergency Medical Services Authority still offers three levels of certification: EMT-I (basic certification), EMT-II (intermediate certification), and EMT-Paramedic (advanced certification). However, the levels of EMT certification used vary by the county. Urban county areas like Los Angeles are financially able to support a paramedic system, while rural counties are generally not able to do so. Thus, most rural county areas utilize EMT II's rather than paramedics as noted in the 2002 article, but EMTs practicing in Los Angeles County are either basic EMT-Is or more advanced EMT-IIIs or Paramedics.

EMT-I
The certificate requirements for EMT-I remain the same and still require completion of at least 114 hours of educational training and passing a written and practical exam. The written exam is currently administered through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) and the practical exam is still administered through the school where the program is completed. The written exam fee is $20 and there is no practical exam fee. The certification fee is $30.

EMT-Paramedic
The certificate requirements for paramedics are current certification as an EMT-I and completion of at least 1,032 hours of educational training, as well as passing a written and practical exam. The written exam fee is $50 but there is no practical exam fee. The certification fee is $185. For further information, contact:

The California State Dept of Health

Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMS)

1930 9th Street, Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 322-4336

www.emsa.cahwnet.gov

This department is responsible for setting standards for the training and scope of practice of various levels of EMS personnel.

Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency

5555 Ferguson Drive, Room 220

Commerce, CA 90022

(323) 890-7500

ladhs.org/ems/index.htm

This division is responsible for the emergency medical services system in the County and is responsible for coordinating all system participants in its jurisdiction.

National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians

6610 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229

(614) 888-4484

www.nremt.org

This organization is responsible for administering EMT written and practical exams and offers a practice EMT-I exam at a cost of $15 and a practice EMT-Paramedic exam at a cost of $25.

Training Options and Costs
For a complete list of approved EMT-I and paramedic training programs offered in the Los Angeles County area, you can refer to the State EMS web site.

The following are examples of an EMT-I training program and an advanced paramedic training program in the Los Angeles County area:

Glendale Community College

Allied Health Division

1500 N. Verdugo Road

Glendale, CA 91208

(818) 240-1000

www.glendale.edu/emt/

The division offers a one-semester, four month EMT training course. The course involves classroom lecture and field externships (ride along). Students attend class in the evenings. The admission requirement is passing the Introduction to Emergency Medical Services course, which results in CPR certification. The total cost of the class is approximately $600 including tuition and cost of books and miscellaneous supplies.

Mt. San Antonio College

Technology and Health Division

1100 N. Grand Avenue

Walnut, CA 91789

(909) 594-5611 x4750

www.mtsac.edu

The division offers a seven-month EMT-Paramedic training program. The program involves classroom lecture, clinical internships at local hospitals, and field externships. Program courses include Anatomy and Physiology for Paramedics, and Pharmacology for Paramedics. Program admission requirements include current certification as an EMT-I, and completion of six months of EMT-I field experience within the last two years. Additional admission criteria include passing scores on an English and math placement test. The cost of the program is approximately $1,400, including tuition and cost of books and miscellaneous supplies.

Professional Association

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

132-A East Northside Dr.

Clinton, MS 39056

(800) 346-2368

www.naemt.org

This is a professional association of emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Membership benefits include discounts on publications including Prehospital Emergency Care, and educational programs. Student membership dues are $25.


 
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.