 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, slips and falls, childbirth, and
gunshot wounds all require immediate medical attention. EMTs and
paramedics provide this vital service as they care for and transport the
sick or injured to a medical facility.
In an emergency, EMTs and
paramedics are typically dispatched by a 911 operator to the scene,
where they often work with police and fire fighters. Once they arrive,
EMTs and paramedics assess the nature of the patient's condition while
trying to determine whether the patient has any pre-existing medical
conditions. Following medical protocols and guidelines, they provide
appropriate emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient.
Some paramedics are trained to treat patients with minor injuries on the
scene of an accident or they may treat them at their home without
transporting them to a medical facility. Emergency treatment is carried
out under the medical direction of physicians.
 EMTs and paramedics
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. These workers generally work in teams.
During the transport of a patient, one EMT or paramedic drives while the
other monitors the patient's vital signs and gives additional care as
needed. Some paramedics work as part of a helicopter's flight crew to
transport critically ill or injured patients to hospital trauma centers.
 At
the medical facility, EMTs and paramedics help transfer patients to the
emergency department, report their observations and actions to emergency
department staff, and may provide additional emergency treatment. After
each run, EMTs and paramedics replace used supplies and check equipment.
If a transported patient had a contagious disease, EMTs and paramedics
decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and report cases to the
proper authorities.
EMTs and paramedics
also provide transportation for patients from one medical facility to
another, particularly if they work for private ambulance services.
Patients often need to be transferred to a hospital that specializes in
their injury or illness or to a nursing home.
Beyond these general
duties, the specific responsibilities of EMTs and paramedics depend on
their level of qualification and training. The National Registry of
Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certifies emergency medical
service providers at five levels: First Responder; EMT-Basic; EMT-Intermediate,
which has two levels called 1985 and 1999; and Paramedic. Some states,
however, have their own certification programs and use distinct names
and titles.
 The
EMT-Basic represents the first component of the emergency medical
technician system. An EMT trained at this level is prepared to care for
patients at the scene of an accident and while transporting patients by
ambulance to the hospital under medical direction. The EMT-Basic has the
emergency skills to assess a patient's condition and manage respiratory,
cardiac, and trauma emergencies.
The EMT-Intermediate
has more advanced training. However, the specific tasks that those
certified at this level are allowed to perform varies greatly from state to state.
EMT-Paramedics provide
the most extensive pre-hospital care. In addition to carrying out the
procedures of the other levels, paramedics may administer drugs orally
and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs), perform
endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment.
However, like EMT-Intermediate, what paramedics are permitted to do
varies by state.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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