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Career Details

29-2042.00 - Emergency Medical Technicians


Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
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Forecasted Employment
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Change in Employment
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Change in Employment %
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Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Generic
  • Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
  • Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
  • Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
  • Comfort and reassure patients.
  • Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
  • Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
  • Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease and report case to proper authorities.
  • Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
  • Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
  • Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.
  • Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
  • Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance ride.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
No specific knowledge is listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Intubation supplies
  • Adult Magill forceps
  • Adult stylets
  • Curved adult blades
  • Curved pediatric blades
  • Esophageal intubation detection devices
  • Laryngoscopes
  • Patient CO2 monitors
  • Straight adult blades
  • Straight pediatric blades
 Oxygen therapy delivery systems and devices
  • Adult non-rebreather oxygen masks
  • Child oxygen masks
  • Fixed-oxygen equipment
  • Infant oxygen masks
  • Oxygen nasal cannulae
  • Portable oxygen equipment
  • Transtracheal jet insufflators
  • Wall-mounted oxygen regulators
 Emergency medical services airway management equipment
  • Airway suction units
  • Battery-powered portable suction units
  • Cricothyrotomy kits
  • Fixed-suction equipment
 Resuscitation supplies
  • Bag valve mask BVM resuscitators
  • Valve mask resuscitators
 Syringes and accessories
  • Bulb syringes
  • Epi-pens
  • Preload syringes
  • Syringes
 Safety apparel
  • Bulletproof vests
 Casting and splinting supplies
  • Cardboard splints
  • Lower extremity traction devices with ankle hitches
  • Rigid splints
  • Splints
  • Traction splints
 Cutting and crimping and punching tools
  • Center punches/glass hammers
  • Hacksaws
 Dock equipment
  • Chock blocks
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Notebook computers
 Electrocardiography EKG units and related products
  • Electrocardiography EKG units
  • Telemetry units
 Emergency medical services extricating and immobilizing and transporting products
  • Emergency medical services cervical collars
  • Extrication devices
  • Full-spine immobilization devices
  • Half-spine immobilization devices
  • Head immobilization devices
  • Medical anti-shock trousers MAST
  • Multi-level wheeled cots
  • Pneumatic anti-shock garments PASG
  • Spinal immobilization equipment
  • Stair chairs
  • Stretchers
 Airway management products
  • Endotracheal ET tube holddown devices
  • Endotracheal ET tubes
  • Esophageal tracheal airway devices
  • Meconium aspirators
  • Nasopharyngeal airways
  • Oropharyngeal airways
 Needleless intravenous injection and withdrawal systems
  • Interlink syringe cannulas
  • Vial access cannulas
 Emergency and field medical services kits
  • Intraosseous kits
  • Obstetrical OB kits
 Intravenous infusion pumps and its analyzers and sensors and its accessories
  • Intravenous IV pressure infusers
  • Intravenous IV pumps
 Restraints and accessories
  • Limb restraints
  • Patient restraints
  • Restraint belts
  • Straitjacket
 Medical suction and vacuum products
  • Medical suction catheters
  • Suction tubing
 Injection and aspiration needles and accessories
  • Needles
  • Scalp vein needles
  • Venoject needles
 Pleural cavity drain products
  • Pleural decompression kits
 Emergency medical services resuscitation products
  • Pocket masks with one-way valves
  • Resuscitation devices
  • Semiautomated or automatic external defibrillators AED
 Forming tools
  • Sledgehammers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Data management and query software
  • Epocrates
  • HyperTox
  • Informed EMS Field Guide
  • Iterum eMedic
  • Medical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBox
  • Medical Wizards ER Suite
  • Medical Wizards Paramedics ToolBox
  • Mosby's Drug Consult
  • Palmtree EMS Field Reference Guide
  • Palmtree Pocket EKG
  • PEPID EMS
  • Skyscape
  • Skyscape Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult
  • TechOnSoftware HazMatCE Pro
 Industry specific software
  • MedDataSolutions Regist*r
  • MEDITECH softwareHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
 Operating environment software
  • Microsoft operating system
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Central Virginia Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
New River Community College
Patrick & Henry Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Southside Virginia Community College