Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, work in an ambulance and respond to emergency situations. An entry-level EMT is also called an EMT-B, which means emergency medical technician-basic.
EMT-Bs work with emergency medical technician-intermediates and emergency medical technician-paramedics in an ambulance, and with anyone they are assisting. They also work alongside nurses and physicians to perform the services that a patient needs. Since they are entry-level workers, EMT-Bs are not trained to deliver extensive medical care to anyone who needs it; rather, they perform treatment at the site of the emergency such as creating splints for broken bones, taking a patient’s vitals, and bandaging a wound, administering oxygen. They are also responsible for the transporting patients to the hospital. Since emergencies can happen at any time, hours can vary significantly. For example, an EMT-B could work at day or night, in eight-hour shifts or 12-hour shifts.
A high school education is required for EMT-Bs, as is training from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); for that NHTSA training, participants attend mandatory classroom hours, as well as clinical rotations in emergency settings. However, continuing education is required for EMT-Bs even after they obtain this certification.