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Emergency Medical
Responder
Emergency Medical
Technician
Advanced Emergency
Medical Technician
Paramedic
The emergency medical responder
(EMR) is an out-of-hospital practitioner
whose primary focus is to initiate
immediate lifesaving care to patients
while ensuring patient access to the
emergency medical services system.
EMRs possess the basic knowledge and
skills necessary to provide lifesaving
interventions while awaiting additional
EMS response and rely on an EMS or
public safety agency or larger scene
response that includes other higher-level
medical personnel. When practicing in
less populated areas, EMRs may have
a low call volume coupled with being the
only care personnel for prolonged periods
awaiting arrival of higher levels of care.
EMRs may assist, but should not be the
highest-level person caring for a patient
during ambulance transport. EMRs are
often the rst to arrive on scene. They
must quickly assess patient needs,
initiate treatment and request additional
resources.
An emergency medical technician (EMT)
is a health professional whose primary
focus is to respond to, assess and triage
emergent, urgent and non-urgent requests
for medical care, and to apply basic
knowledge and skills necessary to provide
patient care and medical transportation to/
from an emergency or health care facility.
Depending on a patient’s needs and/or
system resources, EMTs are sometimes
the highest level of care a patient will
receive during an ambulance transport.
EMTs often are paired with higher levels
of personnel as part of an ambulance
crew or other responding group. With
proper supervision, EMTs may serve as
a patient care team member in a hospital
or health care setting to the full extent of
their education, certication, licensure
and credentialing. In a community setting,
an EMT might visit patients at home and
make observations that are reported to
a higher-level authority to help manage
a patient’s care. When practicing in less
populated areas, EMTs may have low call
volume coupled with being the only care
personnel during prolonged transports.
EMTs may provide minimal supervision of
lower-level personnel. EMTs can be the
rst to arrive on scene; they are expected
to quickly assess patient conditions,
provide stabilizing measures and request
additional resources as needed.
The advanced emergency medical
technician (AEMT) is a health professional
whose primary focus is to respond to,
assess and triage non-urgent, urgent and
emergent requests for medical care; apply
basic and focused advanced knowledge
and skills necessary to provide patient
care and/or medical transportation; and
facilitate access to a higher level of care
when the needs of the patient exceed the
capability level of the AEMT. The additional
preparation beyond EMT prepares
an AEMT to improve patient care in
common emergency conditions for which
reasonably safe, targeted and evidence-
based interventions exist. Interventions
within the AEMT scope of practice may
carry more risk if not performed properly
than interventions authorized for the EMR/
EMT levels. With proper supervision,
AEMTs may serve as a patient care
team member in a hospital or health care
setting to the full extent of their education,
certication, licensure and credentialing. In
a community setting, an AEMT might visit
patients at home and make observations
that are reported to a higher-level authority
to help manage a patient’s care.
The paramedic is a health professional
whose primary focus is to respond to,
assess and triage emergent, urgent and
non-urgent requests for medical care;
apply basic and advanced knowledge
and skills necessary to determine
patient physiologic, psychological,
and psychosocial needs; administer
medications, interpret and use diagnostic
ndings to implement treatment; provide
complex patient care; and facilitate
referrals and/or access to a higher
level of care when the needs of the
patient exceed the capability level of the
paramedic. Paramedics often serve as a
patient care team member in a hospital
or other health care setting to the full
extent of their education, certication,
licensure and credentialing. Paramedics
may work in community settings where
they take on additional responsibilities
monitoring and evaluating the needs of
at-risk patients, as well as intervening
to mitigate conditions that could lead to
poor outcomes. Paramedics help educate
patients and the public in the prevention
and/or management of medical, health,
psychological and safety issues.
EMS Personnel Licensure Levels
These licensure levels are from the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. Each educational level assumes mastery of previously
stated competencies. Every clinician must demonstrate each competency within their scope of practice and for patients of all ages.