Ambulance sirens are a
daily sound backdrop to city life;
TV dramas and real-life news programs alike
feature high-speed trips to rescue victims
and speed them to life-saving medical care.
Inside the ambulance,
the on-site care providers
are emergency medical technicians
—known as EMTs—
and paramedics.
These professionals respond to
911 emergency calls,
evaluate a patient’s needs,
and perform needed medical services,
such as administering CPR,
stabilizing a trauma victim,
or dressing a wound.
Some paramedics serve on rescue crews
based on helicopters or airplanes.
Most paramedics and EMTs work for
ambulance services, local government,
and hospitals.
Their work requires frequent kneeling, bending,
and lifting to care for and move patients.
EMTs and paramedics may be exposed to
contagious diseases and dangerous situations,
and may need to treat combative individuals
who don’t want treatment.
Their work schedules vary:
volunteers are scheduled as needed,
while most paid staff work full time in
12- or 24-hour shifts,
including overnights and weekends.
A formal educational program and licensure
are required for this field,
though states vary in what tasks
they allow EMTs and paramedics to perform.
Some states may require paramedics
to have an associate’s degree, for example,
to qualify to administer medications
and use complex equipment,
such as EKG monitors.
In case of emergency—it’s reassuring to know
that EMTs and paramedics
are ready to respond at a moment’s notice.