EMT work

[potsdamcartel]

?????

[fredjacksonsan]

I'm not an EMT, but I've known some. They started by checking at their local volunteer fire department and taking some Red Cross first aid classes. There are EMT training programs, the fire dept may send you to free of charge; I believe there are also colleges that offer courses.

All in all, I understand it's a very rewarding (if sometimes grisly) career. Good luck with it.

[vinnym86]

Originally Posted by potsdamcartel

i was thinking about getting some EMT training, can someone explain the process?

i was looking at the intermediate program, maybe the advanced if i have time.

anyone here a EMT or has had the training? can you please describe it. how much did it cost? how long was the training? how difficult was it?
what exactly did you learn?
what did you do?

I started EMT, just never finished. I got as far as to be CPR certified. CPR classes are usually cheap, if not free some places. Check our ur local fire department or hospital. CPR certification alone is limited, though, you need to renew it every couple of years or so. I think if you're an EMT or in EMS, you don't need to.

[Ray H]

Im a first responder. Thats one step below a basic EMT and the first contact in the EMS system. I had to attend a state certified course and I do have to recertify every couple of years. I dont know what the cost of the course was but we went a couple times a week for four weeks. It covered CPR, triage, emergency treatment of injuries and illnesses and reporting patient info to other EMS personel. The company that I work for sent a few of us through the course to provide immediate emergency care, in the event of an industrial accident, until the EMTs or Paramedics can get on scene.
If your employer isnt willing to send you to a course, your best bet would probably be to visit your local volunteer fire dept. or check with your community college. The guys that instructed our first responder training also teach EMT and first responder classes at the local community college.

[Diesel2NR]

I'm an EMT in Charleston, WV, but it's pretty much the same nationwide, as the US DOT governs over EMS.

There will probably be a state agency or someone offering classes for EMT-B. Call a local EMS agency and ask them how to get into a class. Some Agencys will actually hold their own classes, and there's usually a state agency that will give fire/ems classes (we call it RESA here), so it shouldn't be too hard to find a class. They usually start at the same time that your normal college semesters start.

The class cost me $120, which included the book and all. The class can be taught in several different time frames, but the one I attended was 4hrs/night, 2 nights/week, for 4 months. At the end, you'll take a National Registry Test (even though most states don't recognize it) and then a state test. If you pass the written tests, you'll move on to practical tests. In the practicals, you'll go through stations that will test your knowledge of what you've just learned. The instructors will also be looking for aggressiveness in these stations, which will let them know how confident you actually are.

From here, you'll have to recert ever so often depending on your state. It's usually a 40hr refresher course, a state test, and a couple practical stations. We do it every 3 years here in WV.

As far as what's covered, the basics are the same and you'll probably use the same book that I did, or a newer version of it. Protocols vary so much, even within states, that I can't really tell you for sure what to look forward to outside of what's in that big ass book. If you decide to go for it, try to get into a volunteer fire department. They'll pay for your training.

Anyways, if you've got the bug, welcome to EMS. The pay sucks, the hours are long, but it's one hell of a ride. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Edit: The above times and costs are for the EMT-Basic Program. WV does not yet recognize EMT-I...I wish the senate would get off their asses and get on the ball...

[WickedNYCowboy]

Originally Posted by potsdamcartel

how difficult were the classes?
i understand people learn at different rates, but i have college to contend with.

my plan is to start EMT classes next month (after finals) or next semester (as you mentioned) and then start actual EMT work next summer.

what exactly do you do a regular shift?

finally, do i have this correct: you have to get CPR certified before EMT training, that you do not learn CPR during EMT classes?

thanks

If your going to college why not see if they have the courses? You can use that time during the semester and you build credits(towards your graduation) besides get a second degree or a certificate on top of what you are doing?

[Diesel2NR]

Originally Posted by potsdamcartel

how difficult were the classes?
i understand people learn at different rates, but i have college to contend with.

my plan is to start EMT classes next month (after finals) or next semester (as you mentioned) and then start actual EMT work next summer.

what exactly do you do a regular shift?

finally, do i have this correct: you have to get CPR certified before EMT training, that you do not learn CPR during EMT classes?

thanks

The classes aren't too difficult as long as you pay attention. There's people I know that took the class 6 times and just gave up. I took it and passed it the first time. If you test well and you're able to absorb the information, you should be ok.

I would do Wicked said and see if your college/university offers the course, as many of the colleges and universities around here offer the class. That way, you can fit it into the schedule set by the rest of your classes, plus you can pick up a credit with it.

I didn't understand your question about the shifts. Our shifts vary in times and such. We have crews that are on 24hrs (off 48), 8hrs, 10hrs, 12hrs, and 14hrs. We're staggered around the day and night to make sure we have enough trucks during peak hours, and we aren't working too many trucks at once. We do both 911 calls and non-emergency transports. The majority of my time when working a 24hr shift is spent sitting in a station playing PS2 with my partner and firefighters, sleeping, or washing my car. Not everyday is like that though, and sometimes you will be up the entire time. If this isn't exactly what you were asking for, let me know.

As far as the CPR Certification goes, I didn't need mine coming into the class. The instructors will certify you in CPR as the class moves along. There are some steps that are different for our CPR as compared to Civilian CPR (IE: we can use Airways, Bag Valve Masks, Oxygen). The certification won't hurt, but it's not going to leave less to do in class.

[Diesel2NR]

Originally Posted by potsdamcartel

yea, i meant to ask: what do you do on a regular shift?
i mean, typically, what kind of emergencies do you respond to?
what specifically does the EMT do in those emergencies?

Like I said, shifts vary day-to-day. Sometimes we'll run 2 or 3 good car wrecks and a cardiac arrest all in one day. Other days, you'll run nothing but bull crap calls (ie: granny stubbed her toe and wants to go to the hospital; take the drunk to detox because law enforcement doesn't wanna deal with him; dude want's to kill himself and needs to go to the hospital to "get help"). Everyday, you'll get something different and you'll learn something new.

As far as what an EMT does on those calls depends on who you're working with. If you have a paramedic on the truck, you'll basically be assisting him (chest compressions while he gets an airway and IV estabilished) during the worser calls, and riding the calls that can go BLS. If you're on the truck with another EMT, or CPR Driver (these are slowly being phased out), then you're looking at having to do a lot more and working a lot harder in order to save someone's life (don't worry too much...just do your best, within your scope of practice, and request ALS backup/intercept).

[Ray H]

Deisel2NR,
Ive got a quick question for you.
Im a first responder at my place of employment. Its an industrial environment so we see our share of small lacerations, pinches and falls.
The other evening I had a coworker go down. He was in and out of conscienceness for a short period and was numb in his lower extremities. Wasnt much I knew to do for him at the time except monitor him, give him O2 and make him confortable. Overall I believe we (the first respnders) did the best we could but where we fell short was reporting his vitals and history in an orderly manner to the EMTs when they arrived. We dont deal with this type of emergency often enough for it to be second nature. Im attempting to make up a form for us to fill out at the scene to record patient history, vitals relevant personal info and a time frame. Do you have any such forms that you prefer or do you know of any? Our local EMS doesnt seem to have anything like this.

PS; Turned out to be an aneurysm that sent blood clots into his legs. Hes in a comma now and still may not make it.

[Diesel2NR]

Originally Posted by Ray H

Deisel2NR,
Ive got a quick question for you.
Im a first responder at my place of employment. Its an industrial environment so we see our share of small lacerations, pinches and falls.
The other evening I had a coworker go down. He was in and out of conscienceness for a short period and was numb in his lower extremities. Wasnt much I knew to do for him at the time except monitor him, give him O2 and make him confortable. Overall I believe we (the first respnders) did the best we could but where we fell short was reporting his vitals and history in an orderly manner to the EMTs when they arrived. We dont deal with this type of emergency often enough for it to be second nature. Im attempting to make up a form for us to fill out at the scene to record patient history, vitals relevant personal info and a time frame. Do you have any such forms that you prefer or do you know of any? Our local EMS doesnt seem to have anything like this.

PS; Turned out to be an aneurysm that sent blood clots into his legs. Hes in a comma now and still may not make it.

Our state has a local first responder report form. I've never been handed the carbon copy of one of these before, so I don't know if anyone even uses them. If you want to type up a sheet on which you can put vitals, past medical history, known drug allergies, the patient's basic information (name, address, etc), and an emergency contact, that could be of very good use. However, it may be wise for the staff there to make up a car with that kind of information on it (minus the vitals of course) for each employee to carry with them in the event that they can't tell you all of that. My fire department carrys these in the inside pocket of our bunker gear. That way, if we go down in a fire or something, the medics treating us have a reliable source of information on us.

[Ray H]

Originally Posted by Diesel2NR

Our state has a local first responder report form. I've never been handed the carbon copy of one of these before, so I don't know if anyone even uses them. If you want to type up a sheet on which you can put vitals, past medical history, known drug allergies, the patient's basic information (name, address, etc), and an emergency contact, that could be of very good use. However, it may be wise for the staff there to make up a car with that kind of information on it (minus the vitals of course) for each employee to carry with them in the event that they can't tell you all of that. My fire department carrys these in the inside pocket of our bunker gear. That way, if we go down in a fire or something, the medics treating us have a reliable source of information on us.

I live in WV also, but I work in MD. I havent tried visiting my local WV fire station to check for the forms. I will try that.
We have around 400 employees, the chances of getting them all to carry info cards is 0