Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) can respond to emergencies ranging from automobile accidents to major fires. When they arrive at an emergency, they quickly determine the nature and extent of the patient’s condition. They provide emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient to a local medical facility.
Training
EMTs are trained to provide basic life support (BLS) services in a pre-hospital setting, ranging from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to spinal immobilization.
Paramedics can provide advanced life support (ALS) services to patients during medical emergencies. The advanced training enables them to perform some invasive procedures and dispense medications under the supervision of a physician.
Dispatching to Emergencies
Members typically are dispatched by a 911 telecommunicator and work closely with police officers at the scene of an emergency.