Health Care Team (HCT)

An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is an individual trained to deliver first aid or care to patients in the pre-hospital setting. Currently, there are three recognized levels of training of the EMT: basic, intermediate, and paramedic.

The role of the EMT varies depending on the nature of employment. EMTs are trained to assess, treat, stabilize, and transport sick or injured individuals to more definitive advanced care. Often, the EMT is the first member of the health care team encountered by a sick or injured individual.

The United States Department of Transportation, the federal regulatory agency for all Emergency Medical Services, has developed a national standard curriculum for each of the three levels of EMT training. The nature and amount of training hours is specific to each level (basic, intermediate, and paramedic).

The nature of an EMT’s supervision is dependent on the employer, which may be private, third party, or municipal. All EMTs work under the supervision of a medical director who oversees protocol, quality assurance, quality improvement, and continuing education.

Many EMTs work part time or on an on-call basis. Some volunteer as part of their community’s Emergency Medical Services team. For those EMTs who are employed full time, the typical day begins by checking out the ambulance’s equipment and supplies to make sure everything is in proper order. The rest of the day is typically spent responding to emergency calls that come in to the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center. Often, the EMT attends training sessions to practice skills or participates in classroom work for continuing education credit. EMTs work a variety of shift hours.

EMTs must be either licensed or certified. The laws and requirements for licensure and certification vary greatly from state to state.

Any person with an acute medical condition or injury that occurs outside the hospital environment might benefit from the care of an EMT.

EMTs are usually dispatched to a patient’s home or to an accident scene in response to a call to 911, the telephone number widely used for emergency medical care. When they arrive at the patient’s location, EMTs may provide emergency medical care according to protocols, or they may contact hospital base stations for more advanced direction. If indicated, they will stabilize and promptly transport patients to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

Since EMTs typically leave the hospital Emergency Department as soon as their patients have been safely delivered, they have limited interaction with residents. However, they may be a source of vital information regarding a patient’s initial presentation and response to treatment, so residents working in the Emergency Department should make a habit of asking them for reports of the patient’s pre-hospital course.