EMT Courses – EMT Training
EMT courses help student learn how to treat and transport the sick and injured. They teach Basic Life Support (BLS) skills and prepare candidates to give pre-hospital care in the field. Emergency Medical Technicians will be called on to transport patients with both severe emergencies and non-life threatening issues. EMT courses help students learn assessment skills and quickly determine treatment interventions in a pre-hospital setting.
EMT course curriculum is governed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), but each state regulates the specific requirements of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in their state. Courses will consist of classroom, clinical training, and field internship portions.
Each of these course portions will cover topics like ventilation, circulation, cardiac events, and many other topics related to emergency medicine. The EMT course will cover assessment strategies and treatment options outside of a hospital setting along with the proper use of medical equipment found inside the ambulance.
Once the student successfully completes their EMT courses, they will need to apply to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) and take the NREMT exam. For more information see our National Registry of EMT Exam page.
After passing the National Registry exam a student can officially become certified as an Emergency Medical Technician and begin their career in EMS. For more information about EMT Certification check out our page.
Eligibility for EMT Course Enrollment
Specific EMT programs will set their own rules about when the eligibility prerequisites need to be completed. For example, some community college programs require the proof of vaccinations to be completed before starting hospital clinicals, but these don’t need to be done until week eight of the program.
There are quite a few requirements which have to be met at some point during EMT courses. Some of the items on this list must be done prior to enrollment, but not all of them.
• Age 18 years or older
• Have a valid drivers license for your state
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Healthcare Provider CPR-BLS Card
• Background Check (Usually submitted during the EMS Course)
• Able to read and write patient care reports, give and receive a verbal report to/from other members of the healthcare team.
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Physically fit and able to lift around 125 pounds – this doesn’t mean you need to be able to weight lift this much. It means lifting a 125 pound patient (250 pounds with a partner) on a stretcher, backboard, gurney, etc.
If you are worried that you can’t lift this much, keep in mind that using correct lifting technique will increase your abilities and amount of weight you can lift.
Females, short, thin, and non-muscular individuals can make great EMT’s so don’t let this requirement discourage you.
• Proof of the following vaccinations – Either with past written documents, current titers or getting up to date vaccinations.
– TD/Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis)
– MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
– Varicella (Chicken Pox) – or documentation of past history of Chicken Pox.
– Hepatitis B
– Influenza – Updated each year.
(Some courses may allow students to decline on getting the Influenza and Hepatitis B vaccines.)
• Many EMT courses have a proof of health insurance requirement. If you have health insurance this is very simple to meet, however this can be a burden for anyone who is uninsured.
To see options on how to find low-cost ways to get insured throughout your EMT course, check out the EMT Programs page on this site under the heading Requirements For EMT.
While this can be a hurdle, insurance is only required for the time your are enrolled in the program. Don’t let this stop you from becoming an EMT.
Course Objectives