Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are members of the accident and emergency crew, answering 999 calls. Often working alongside a highly trained paramedic or hospital physician, they give patients potentially lifesaving care at the scene and then get them to hospital as soon as possible.
Typically based at a local ambulance station or at a large hospital, they work shifts, going out in all weathers at all hours, sometimes working in difficult conditions such as in confined spaces or on a motorway. No two shifts will be the same. They might be called out to a road accident victim with multiple severe injuries or someone who has had a heart attack in a busy shopping centre. They could be transferring a very sick baby to a specialist centre, dealing with an elderly person who has fallen down the stairs or attending a case of domestic violence.
EMTs drive a range of ambulance service trust vehicles under normal and emergency (blue light) circumstances and carry out checks to vehicles at the start of and during each shift, to make sure they are clean, have fuel and are appropriately stocked. Communication skills are important as EMTs need to work effectively with a larger team of people, including other ambulance service personnel (such as line managers and control room staff), other healthcare staff (such as doctors) and representatives from other emergency services – including the fire and police services.
EMT I is the basic, entry level for aspiring recruits. They are not trained to provide definitive medical care, but instead focus on rapid in-field treatment and transport to higher medical providers such as a hospital A & E department. When operating outside their hospital environment, an EMT’s actions are governed by protocols and procedures set by their Ambulance Service managers and the NHS.
They need to know how to use the entire medical and life support equipment carried on vehicles that is appropriate to their skill level, and how to assist a qualified paramedic, plus make sure that equipment is carefully stored, transported and cared for so that it is always in good working order. EMTs also need to complete relevant documentation, be familiar with and use communication equipment (including radios and telephones) to inform colleagues about the work they are dealing with.
EMT II is the top grade for Emergency Medical Technicians and requires significantly further training and education beyond the EMT I level. EMT IIs can with further training and education over a few years, attain the highest level of Paramedic status.
As with Paramedics, EMT II’s work involves assisting people whose independence to act or think may be seriously impaired, and who may present themselves with an overlying range of disabilities or health-related problems. A defining feature of the EMT role is that they are always available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with a focus on meeting people’s immediate emergency care needs. In addition, EMTs also provide critical care transportation services often as part of a team of health professionals.
Many EMT IIs operate on their own, driving what is in effect a mobile emergency clinic. Of interest too is that many EMT IIs are now stationed away from the hospital, at a RV (rendezvous) Point as analysis by Ambulance Service managers has highlighted that certain accident or emergency ‘black-spots’ warrant having a paramedic stationed permanently in that locality. As a result you will nowadays see a fast response car, usually a Ford or Skoda Estate parked close by to the town centre of most larger UK cities. Some town centre paramedics even use a bicycle – a clever solution to crowded roads that means that the response time to the critical patient is significantly reduced.
EMT II is the top grade for Emergency Medical Technicians and requires significantly further training and education beyond the EMT I level. EMT IIs can with further training and education over a few years, attain the highest level of Paramedic status.
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