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Working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) or as a paramedic is one
of the most rewarding careers possible. While the pay may not be
the best in the world, the benefits are certainly worth it. This
article will highlight some of the benefits and drawbacks of working as
an EMT or paramedic, and it will also provide average salary information,
training requirements, training centers in Region I, and more.
If you
are looking for employment in Region I, and if you are already an EMT or
paramedic, then click the link titled "Current Employment
Opportunities in Region I," which is on the left side of your
screen. This is the most up-to-date listing of jobs that are
available within our 16-county region.
KEY
POINTS . . .
·
Emergency medical services (EMS) is a demanding job
field, both mentally and physically
·
Working as an EMT or paramedic often requires long
shifts, including holidays, nights, and weekends
·
Mental stability is required to deal with the
multitude of emergencies that an EMT or paramedic sees in his or her
lifetime
·
Patient interaction requires superb interpersonal
skills
·
Specific training is required to become an EMT or
paramedic - sole ambulance drivers do not exist in Georgia
·
A license is required to work as an EMT or
paramedic in the State of Georgia
·
Employment is expected to grow faster than average
as the population grows significantly in each of the 16 counties
comprising Region I
NATURE
OF WORK . . .
People’s lives often depend on
the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians
(EMT's) and paramedics. Incidents as varied as automobile
accidents, heart attacks, drownings,
childbirth, and gunshot wounds all require immediate medical
attention. EMT's and paramedics provide this vital attention as
they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
Depending
on the nature of the emergency, EMT's and paramedics typically are
dispatched to the scene by a 911 operator and often work with police and
fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the
nature and extent of the patient’s condition while trying to ascertain
whether the patient has pre-existing medical problems. Following
strict rules and guidelines, they give 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 at
their home without transporting them to a medical facility. Many
EMS agencies in Region I utilize standing orders, which allow EMT's and
paramedics to provide treatment, including medications, without a direct
consult with a physician.
Usually,
one EMT or paramedic drives while the other monitors the patient’s vital
signs and gives additional care as needed. Some EMT's work as part
of the flight crew of helicopters that transport critically ill or
injured patients to hospital trauma centers.
At the
medical facility, EMT's and paramedics help transfer patients to the
emergency department, report their observations and actions to staff, and
may provide additional emergency treatment. After each run, EMT's
and paramedics replace used supplies and check equipment. If a
transported patient had a contagious disease, EMT's and paramedics
decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and report cases to the
proper authorities.
Beyond
these general duties, the specific responsibilities of EMT's and
paramedics depend on their level of qualification and training. To
determine this, the National Registry
of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) registers emergency
medical service (EMS) providers at four levels: First Responder,
EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Georgia will only
allow an EMT-Intermediate or an EMT-Paramedic to work on an
ambulance. Georgia also maintains the level of Cardiac Technician,
which is a level above EMT but below that of paramedic.
The
lowest level—First Responders—are trained to provide basic emergency
medical care because they tend to be the first persons to arrive at the
scene of an incident. Many firefighters, police officers, and other
emergency workers have this level of training. The EMT-Basic
represents the first component of the emergency medical technician
system. An EMT-B is trained to care for patients on accident
scenes, but in Georgia he or she cannot transport a patient. The
EMT-B has the emergency skills to assess a patient’s condition and manage
respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies.
The
EMT-Intermediate has more advanced training that allows administration of
intravenous fluids, use of automated defibrillators to give lifesaving
shocks to a stopped heart, and use of basic airway techniques and
equipment to assist patients experiencing respiratory emergencies.
EMT-Paramedics provide the most extensive pre-hospital care. In
addition to the procedures already described, paramedics may administer drugs
orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs), perform
manual defibrillation and synchronized cardioversion,
perform endotracheal intubations, perform chest decompression, and use
complex equipment.
WORK CONDITIONS . . .
EMT's and paramedics work both
indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather. They are required to
do considerable kneeling, bending, and heavy lifting. These workers
risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens and back injuries from
lifting patients. In addition, EMT's and paramedics may be exposed
to diseases such as Hepatitis-B and HIV (AIDS), as well as violence from
drug overdose victims or mentally unstable patients. The work is
not only physically strenuous, but also stressful, involving
life-or-death situations and suffering patients. Nonetheless, many
people find the work exciting and challenging and enjoy the opportunity
to help others.
EMT's
and paramedics should be emotionally stable, have good dexterity,
agility, and physical coordination, and be able to lift and carry heavy
loads. They also need good eyesight (corrective lenses may be used)
with accurate color vision. Many employers will conduct extensive
background checks on their applicants. These background checks may
include information on your criminal history, education, and possibly
your credit information. In addition, many may require you to
submit to psychological, physical agility, and other forms of testing.
TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION . . .
Formal
training is required to become an EMT or paramedic. To become an
EMT, one must complete an EMT course, which includes classroom and
clinical time. To become a paramedic, one must already be certified
as an EMT and must complete a formal paramedic program.
The
following schools in Region I offer EMT and paramedic training programs:
Emergency
Medical Technician Programs in Region I:
Chattahoochee Technical College -
Jasper
Sandy
Tetterton & Damon Wisdom, EMT Instructors
100 Campus Dr
Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-4500
Chattahoochee Technical Institute - Dallas
Tim King & Stacey Farmer, EMT Instructors
400 Nathan Dean Blvd
Dallas, GA 30132
(770) 443-3600
Cherokee Fire and Emergency
Services - Canton
Waylon White, EMT Instructor
150 Chattin Drive
Canton, GA 30115
(678) 493-4000
Georgia Northwestern Technical College -
Calhoun
Gordon Tucker EMT Instructors
1 Maurice Culberson Dr
Rome, GA 30161
(706) 295-6963
Chattahoochee Technical College -
Acworth
Kristi Kleiman & Scott Anderson,
EMT Instructors
5198 Ross Rd
Acworth, GA 30102
(770) 975-4000
Georgia Northwestern Technical College - Rock Spring
Wayne Young & Steve Lawson, EMT Instructors
265 Bicentennial Trail
Rock Spring, GA 30739
(706) 764-3510
West Georgia Technical College -
Waco
Mike
Willingham & Tracy Smith,
EMT Instructors
176 Murphy Campus Blvd
Waco, GA 30182
770-537-6037
Paramedic
Programs in Region I:
Chattahoochee Technical College
- Jasper
Jim Weaver
Paramedic Instructor
100 Campus Drive
Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-4500
Georgia Northwestern Technical College -
Rome
Phillip
Tucker Paramedic Instructor
1 Maurice Culberson Dr
Rome, GA 30161
(706) 295-6883
Cherokee Fire and Emergency
Services
Todd Robinson, Paramedic Instructor
150 Chattin Drive
Canton, GA 30115
(678) 493-4000
Chattahoochee Technical College -
Acworth
Don Servais, Paramedic Instructor
5198 Ross Rd
Acworth, GA 30102
(770) 975-4000
West Georgia Technical College -
Waco
Keith
Miller, Paramedic Instructor
176 Murphy Campus Blvd
Waco, GA 30182
770-537-6037
It is
not necessary to attend an EMT and/or paramedic course in Region I in
order to work in Region I. Any EMT and/or paramedic course that is
approved by the State Office of EMS will allow you to work in Region I
provided you become registered by the National Registry of EMT's.
Advancement
beyond the EMT-Paramedic level usually means leaving fieldwork. An
EMT-Paramedic can become a supervisor, operations manager, administrative
director, or executive director of emergency services. Some EMT's
and paramedics become instructors, dispatchers, or physician assistants,
while others move into sales or marketing of emergency medical
equipment. A number of people become EMT's and paramedics to assess
their interest in healthcare and then decide to return to school and become
registered nurses, physicians, or other health workers.
CERTIFICATION & LICENSURE . . .
Certification is needed to
become an EMT or paramedic. All 50 states possess a certification
procedure. In 38 states and the District of Columbia, registration
with the National Registry of
Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) is required at some or all
levels of certification. Other states administer their own
certification examination or provide the option of taking the NREMT
examination.
Georgia
requires registration with NREMT prior to certification by the State of
Georgia. Individuals must pass the NREMT-administered
EMT-Intermediate (1985) or EMT-Paramedic examination before he or she
will be granted a certificate/license by the State of Georgia.
The
following is required to become certified as an EMT-Basic,
EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic by the State of Georgia:
EMT-Basic:
- Attend a formal EMT-Basic course that includes
120 hours of classroom time.
- No formal clinical training is required.
- This certification does NOT allow one to staff an
ambulance at many EMS agencies. Check with your local provider
or where you wish to be employed to see if they hire EMT-Basics as
ambulance attendants.
EMT-Intermediate:
- Attend a 377-hour EMT course offered at an
available school. (includes 345 hours of classroom time and 32 hours
of clinicals)
- Pass the NREMT-Intermediate (1985) exam.
- Apply for certification by the State of Georgia
using the results of your NREMT-Intermediate exam.
Cardiac
Technician:
Cardiac
technician courses are no longer offered in Region I. Therefore,
their certification requirements will not be listed.
EMT-Paramedic:
- Be a certified EMT-Intermediate with at least six
(6) months of work experience and an endorsement by your employer to
attend paramedic school.
- Attend a formal paramedic course that includes a minimum
of 934 hours of instruction time (634 hours of this in a classroom).
- Perform 300 hours of clinical time to include
rotations in the emergency department, intensive care unit/critical
care unit, operating room, labor and delivery, psychiatric
institutions, pre-hospital, and other areas.
- Pass the NREMT-Paramedic exam.
- Apply for certification by the State of Georgia
using the results of your NREMT-Paramedic exam.
To
maintain certification, EMT's and paramedics must earn continuing
education units (CEU's) and must recertify every 2 years. In order to
recertify, an EMT must earn 24 hours of CEU's and be certified in
CPR. Paramedics and cardiac technicians must earn 40 hours of CEU's
and be certified in CPR and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).
Individual EMS agencies may require more training and continuing
education requirements before their EMT's or paramedics are allowed to
practice under the license of their medical director.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES . . .
EMT's and paramedics employed
in Region I work a regular shift that is 24 hours on-duty followed by 48
hours off-duty. Employees are usually provided with sleeping
quarters. However, individuals may get no sleep during their
24-hour shift.
The
typical work week is two 24 hour shifts (48 hours total), but every third
week the employee will work 72 hours. This is because the shifts
fall on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Many county EMS agencies
and fire departments will allow this, but many hospitals do not.
The advantage of working 3 24-hour shifts in one week is the 32 hours of
overtime. The advantage of not needing to work your third shift is
that you will get a 5-day vacation every third week. Each has its
own benefits. Those who work the 72-hour workweek will average 56
hours per week (when all weeks are figured). Those that do not work
the 72-hour workweek will only average 48 hours per week.
The
average salaries for EMT's and paramedics in Region I are:
|
Emergency Medical Technician
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$28,300
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Paramedic
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$34,900
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Supervisor
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$37,500
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These
salary estimates are based on an average 56-hour work week (24/48 shift
with the 72-hour work week every third week).
EMPLOYMENT
OUTLOOK . . .
Employment
of EMT's and paramedics is expected to increase nationally over many
years. Population increases will cause more communities to
transition from volunteer ambulance corps to paid ambulance
services. Region I EMS does not contain any volunteer ambulance
services, but the projected population increases in all of our counties
will cause increases in the number of ambulances in operation. This
will result in the need for more EMT's and paramedics.
If you
are interested in becoming an EMT or paramedic, call your local EMS
agency. They will be able to provide you with further
information. Many EMS agencies will allow prospective students to
ride on the ambulances to see first-hand what it's like to be an EMT or
paramedic. For a list of ambulance services in Region I, please see
our EMS Providers
section.
We are
indebted to the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics for their permission to use and modify their EMT
job outlook information.
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