About This Career

Assesses injuries and illnesses and administers basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

This career is part of the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security cluster Emergency and Fire Management Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Administers first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
• Assesses nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
• Attends training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
• Comforts and reassures patients.
• Communicates with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
• Coordinates work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
• Decontaminates ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and reports case to proper authorities.
• Drives mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
• Immobilizes patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
• Maintains vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenishes first aid equipment and supplies.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work
• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work