Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals are trained to recognize, assess, and manage medical emergencies of acutely ill patients. They are usually dispatched by a 911 emergency call. A patient's life often depends on the competency and skill of the EMS personnel, as they are usually the first assistance to arrive in a medical emergency. They give im mediate care to the patient and then transport the sick or injured patient to medical facilities. There are four levels of EMS personnel in Texas.

Emergency medical services personnel are the first to evaluate the nature and extent of a medical problem. They determine the number of people injured, types of injury present, degree of trauma, and any pre-existing medical conditions the victims may have-such as allergies, epilepsy, or diabetes-which require special medical attention.

They then stabilize and safely transport each patient to a health care facility. The areas of training for emergency medical services personnel in Texas are: Emergency Care Attendant (ECA), Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B), Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate (EMT-I), and Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic (EMT-P). Emergency medical services personnel must observe strict guidelines and work under the authority of a medical director.

Areas of Specialization

Areas of specialization for emergency medical services personnel may include air medical transport, critical care transport, off-shore/industrial medical care, and search and rescue.

Work Environment

Emergency medical services personnel may work in a variety of settings including fire departments, municipal ambulance services, private ambulance companies, hospitals, clinics, rural volunteer groups, medical flight companies, private businesses such as oil companies and educational settings.

Length of Training

All EMS personnel must be at least 18 years of age, must successfully complete a Texas Department of Health approved EMS training course and pass a state written examination or the National Registry Exam. Certification is required by the State of Texas regardless of the proficiency level and may be obtained upon passing the certification exam administered by the Bureau of Emergency Management of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Emergency Care Attendant (ECA) - provides emergency pre-hospital care by initiating medical aid that provides comfort and avoids aggravation of an injury or illness. Skills include: dressing, bandaging, splinting, utilization of mechanical breathing aids, patient assessment (vital signs), CPR and spinal immobilization. One can become an ECA with a minimal time investment; courses run four to six weeks.

Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B) - provides emergency pre-hospital care necessary for basic life support including control of hemorrhaging and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Skills include all those listed under ECA plus automated external defibrillation and utilization of pneumatic antishock garment, epinephrine auto-injector and inhaler bronchodilators. Training for the EMT-B is four to six months.

Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate (EMT-I) - provides emergency
pre-hospital or interfacility care by initiating and maintaining advanced life support care. Skills include all those listed under ECA and EMT-B plus peripheral venipuncture for fluid administration, and utilization of an endotracheal tube and esophageal intubation device for airway control. One must have completed EMT-B prior to advancing to EMT-I. Training for the EMT-I is four to six months.

Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic (EMT-P) - in addition to skills listed under ECA, EMT-B, and EMT-I, provides emergency pre-hospital or interfacility care by providing advanced life support. This support includes initiation and maintenance under medical supervision of procedures including emergency drug administration, defibrillation, and cardioconversion, and megacode (management of all aspects of a critical situation during cardiac arrest). An Associate of Applied Science degree is awarded after successful completion of the program.

Licensure/Certification

An EMT-P may become licensed by taking the state board exam.
Licensing is optional.

Advancement

Upon receiving additional training and passing state-approved exams, emergency medical services personnel can advance from the basic to the paramedic level. Some emergency medical services personnel may decide
to go on to become mid-level health professionals, nurses or doctors. Many also become instructors for emergency medical services personnel
training programs.

Educational Programs

C=Certificate, A=Associate's, B=Bachelor's, M=Master's, D=Doctorate

Professional Associations

EMS Association of Texas, Inc.
www.emsatoftx.com

National Association of EMTs
www.naemt.org

Texas Department of State Health Services
   - Bureau of Emergency Management
www.tdh.state.tx.us/hcqs/ems/emshome.htm

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