Program Summary
People’s lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. EMTs with additional advanced training can perform more difficult pre-hospital medical procedures. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, and gunshot wounds, all requiring immediate medical attention. EMTs and paramedics provide this vital attention as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
In an emergency, EMTs and paramedics are typically dispatched to the scene by a 911 operator and often work with police and fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and extent of the patient’s condition while trying to ascertain whether the patient has pre-existing medical problems. Following strict rules and guidelines, they give appropriate emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient. Some paramedics are trained to treat patients with minor injuries on the scene of an accident or at their home without transporting them to a medical facility. Emergency treatment for more complicated problems is carried out under the direction of medical doctors by radio preceding or during transport.
Beyond these general duties, the specific responsibilities of EMTs and paramedics depend on their level of qualification and training. To determine this, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) registers emergency medical service (EMS) providers at four levels: First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Some States, however, do their own certification and use numeric ratings from 1 to 4 to distinguish levels of proficiency.
First Responders, the first persons to arrive at the scene of an incident, are trained to provide basic emergency medical care. Many firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers have this level of training. EMT-Basic is the next step in the emergency medical technician system. They are trained to care for patients at the scene of an accident and while transporting patients by ambulance to the hospital. An EMT-Basic has the emergency skills to assess a patient’s condition and manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies.
Employment Trends
- Job stress is common because hours of work are irregular and workers often must treat patients in life-or-death situations.
- Employment is projected to grow faster than average as paid emergency medical technician positions replace unpaid volunteers.
- Competition will be greater for jobs in local fire, police, and rescue squad departments than in private ambulance services; opportunities will be best for those who have advanced certification.
- The majority of jobs require less than 4 years of college education, but health diagnosing and treating practitioners are among the most educated workers.
Program Objectives
- Successful completion of each course earns a Certificate of Completion
- Skills development and preparation leading to professional credentialing
PGCC offers the Emergency Medical Technician Programs in a collaborative partnership with the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Service Department. Each follows the state-wide protocols for training through its alliance with the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) and is designed to prepare students for both state and national certification exams, including:
- EMT-Basic, a non-credit program of 130 hours, and EMT-Paramedic, a credit program, focused toward more advanced levels of certification.
PGCC also develops and offers an ongoing continuing education programs for personal development in first aid and life saving techniques, certification maintenance, and technological updates; including:
- Dysrhythmia Interpretation & ACLS Preparation
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider
- Advanced Concepts in EKG Analysis
- IV Therapy, Venipuncture & PICC/Midline Skills
Program Curriculum
All candidates having direct patient care or clinical responsibilities must meet the following requirements:
- Be a high school graduate 18 years or older
- Be able to demonstrate English communication skills by passing an English skills assessment test in the first class
- Must have the physical ability to lift and carry
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Crs #
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Course Name
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Hrs
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First Responder (select as needed)
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HES324
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First Aid
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9
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HES366
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First Aid for Child Care Providers and Parents
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9
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HES344
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CPR for Health Professionals (Modules 1-5)
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7
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HES375
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CPR for the Layperson
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7
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HES306
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Pediatric CPR (Modules 2 & 4)
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7
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EMT-Basic
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HES442
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EMT-B Theory
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67
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HES443
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EMT-B Clinical
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64
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Program total
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131
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First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic are the ranking designations used in the State of Maryland. Other states, however, do their own certification and use numeric ratings from 1 to 4 to distinguish levels of proficiency.