An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) brings expert medical care to victims of illness or injury by stabilizing medical problems and transporting patients to the hospital. At the scene of an accident or in the case of an illness at home, emergency medical care may involve control of bleeding, application of bandages or splints, administration of oxygen, resuscitation of victims, treatment of shock, assistance in childbirth, control of mentally disturbed persons, treatment of poisoning or bum victims, or assistance in evacuation of victims trapped by fire or accidents. Other duties include communications, documentation, emergency vehicle driving and maintenance.
Emergency Medical Technicians must be able to give and receive verbal and written instructions quickly and clearly, remain calm in emergencies, and maintain a neat, clean appearance. They must also be able to use good judgment under stress, use common sense, drive an emergency vehicle, avoid endangering themselves or their co-workers, and avoid inflicting further injury on patients.
Emergency Medical Technicians may work for fire departments, hospitals, private ambulance companies, police departments and in private industry. The majority work on ambulances and in the fire departments, but some may find seasonal work in forest fire fighting services, parks and recreation areas, and amusement parks. Salaries generally range from minimum wage on up.
There will be a continued need for Emergency Medical Technicians because of growing public awareness of the importance of prehospital care. Most fire departments are now requiring this training and certification as a minimum requirement for either employment or continued employment. Advancement can be made to Paramedic, Nursing, and similar fields.
Contact John McInnis, EMT Coordinator at Chabot College, either through his voice mail at (510) 723-7090; or by e-mail at jmcinnis@chabotcollege.edu
Any one of the following options are acceptable:
During the EMT class, the student will be placed in appropriate work settings that will give them practical experience in the hospital (16 hours), and in the field riding on an ambulance (12 hours). There will also be follow-up discussions of the work experience. This time will be scheduled around the fourth week of class.
All certified EMT’s need to recertify every two years. This can be done by either taking a 24 hour refresher course (plus written and skills testing), or completing 24 hours of continuing education (C.E.) units. Either way, an EMT has to take a written and skills test at least once every 4 years (If you do C.E.’s the first 2 years, you need to then take a refresher course for the next 2 years). EMT refresher courses are offered at Chabot College once every semester. To be eligible for an EMT refresher course, the student must have a current EMT certificate or a certificate that has not been expired for more than 2 years. Check the current class schedule under Health 9909 or contact the EMT Program Director for more information.
The EMT program is offered once a semester at Chabot College (there is no class in the summer), as well as at other community colleges and private schools. The EMT class (Health 81) at Chabot College meets every Thursday during the semester for a total of 17, 8-hour sessions. The Health 83 class is a one-thy Saturday class that meets for 7 hours. These hours do not include your work experience time.
Please note that upon successful completion of an EMT course, the student must complete an Alameda County EMS Agency application for certification within 2 years of completion of the EMT program to be eligible for certification. Note: An EMT certificate is good statewide, so a student can be certified by any California EMS Agency, not just the Alameda County EMS Agency.
Please refer to the Chabot class schedule for registration procedures. Class size is limited to 54 students. Registration information can be found on the Chabot College web site.
Prior to the first day of class, students must have completed their MMR immunization (or measured titers showing immunity) and proof of TB clearance (not more than 7 months old measured from the first day of class). This documentation must be mailed to the EMT Program Director at Chabot College prior to the first day of class. See class schedule for more information.
Persons may obtain an EMT-1 certificate by successful completion of an approved challenge examination if:
For all other questions regarding information on the challenge examination or certification in general, please call the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency at (510) 618-2050.
This program is accredited by the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency.
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