Being an Emergency Medical Technician is one of the most exciting and important occupations in the world. As first responders, EMT's mean the difference between life and death for millions of Americans every year. Whether it's responding to a stroke victim, or someone who's suffered a heart attack, or a serious injury, it's the people in EMT jobs who rush to the scene and get the patient to the appropriate care facility, or actually treat them on the spot. The job is quite varied, and can include everything from delivering a baby, calming excited family members down, talking to a victim or family about known medical problems, prepping the patient for transport, and driving an ambulance. Every day is different, and many EMT's wouldn't trade jobs with anyone in the world. It really is an exciting job, and there isn't a better feeling in the world than knowing that there are many people alive today who wouldn't be if it hadn't been for your efforts. In the past, most EMT jobs were volunteer positions, and some still are, but more and more communities are hiring professional EMT's who've gone through a specialized course of study.

EMT's work closely with police and fire departments, and in conjunction with paramedics, who've had advanced training in treating certain injuries and conditions on the spot. Trained, experienced EMT's should have no difficulty in finding another job if they're unhappy with their current one. Every community in America has EMT jobs, and more and more of them are paid positions. There are over 150,000 EMT jobs in America right now, and that number will continue to grow. Another option for experienced EMT's is to apply for promotions within their own force. Moving up to supervisor, -coordinator, dispatcher, etc., is a good way to increase your responsibilities and income. Becoming an instructor, either within your force, or at a local community college, is another possible career option for emergency medical technicians. For anyone who has no experience, but would like to find an EMT job, it's just a matter of getting the required education . You'll need to take classes, and then pass a certification test. If you're looking to become a full fledged EMT-Paramedic, that will take about two years of school. But there are plenty of jobs for emergency medical technicians who aren't full paramedics.

There are two other levels of EMT job descriptions-Basic, and Intermediate. In most areas, qualifying as an EMT-Basic requires between 120-150 hours of instruction. Depending on how it's structured, this usually takes 10-12 weeks of part time classes. But there are some “boot camps” which can train you for a Basic EMT job in two weeks. They're much more expensive than a community college, but some people find that the intensive class schedule suits them better. Getting certified for the Intermediate EMT job will involve taking more classes, and another certification test. Requirements vary across the country, but check with a local community college or the local sheriff or fire department for your area. And volunteering to assist EMT's, if it's allowed in your area, is a good way to get your foot in the door for a full time job once you're certified.

All material on this website is copyrighted. TestPrepReview.com provides free unofficial review materials for a variety of exams.
All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Contact Us: webmaster(at)testprepreview.com - replace the (at) with the @ symbol.