Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Basic)
Looking for a career that will challenge you physically and mentally?
Learn to employ both technical and communication skills in the rewarding field
of Emergency Medical Services.
Be a part of a team that helps people on a daily basis.
Automobile injuries, heart attacks, near drownings, unscheduled childbirth's,
poisonings and gunshot wounds all demand urgent medical attention. Help arrives
as the result of a 911 call. If you are interested in health care, can handle
people in all kinds of crisis situations, are physically and emotionally fit,
and can work under intense pressure, being an Emergency Medical Technician is a
career for you.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Basic) Duties
EMT-Basic usually work in teams of two or more. Following directions from a dispatcher, they drive ambulances to the scenes of emergencies. Typically the first emergency workers to arrive, they assess the nature and extent of the injuries or illness, provide the appropriate emergency care, and determine transportation needs. EMT-Basic manage airway, breathing problems, control bleeding, treat shock and a myriad of other procedures in an attempt to stabilize the patient both on the scene and during transport to a medical facility.
Job Prospects and Income
With the rapid growth in the Denver area comes the need for expanded
emergency services. Fire departments are hiring throughout the Denver metro
area. EMT-Basic is a prerequisite for application in most departments. Private
ambulance companies are also expanding. EMT-Basics with a strong knowledge base
and proficient skills are needed in this area of EMS. Emergency departments
also hire EMT-Basics as emergency room technicians.
Fire department salaries average around $40,000 per year. Private ambulance
companies usually start EMT-Basics at about $9.00 per hour. Emergency
department technicians are usually paid around $12.00 per hour. Many fire
departments are currently looking for those trained beyond the EMT-Basic level
and at the EMT-Paramedic level. Paramedic firefighters make approximately
$55,000 per year. Paramedics working for private ambulance companies are paid
around $15.00 per hour.
Emergency Medical Services at Red Rocks Community College
Red Rocks offers an EMT-Basic certificate and
an Associate of Applied
Science degree in Paramedicine.
Studies include human anatomy and physiology, communications, math,
humanities, and social sciences.
The college also offers ACLS, PALS, EKG, IV, EMT Refresher, and continuing
education courses.
This program is designed to train workers in the field of Emergency Medical
Service. It begins with an entry-level EMT-Basic certificate program, and
includes an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedicine. Students
should consult with an Emergency Medical Service Faculty advisor early in their
college career to explore all of their educational options (see contact
information below). Students must earn a C or better in all EMS courses
to graduate.
The EMT-Basic Certificate I is the first step towards getting a job in the field. The EMT-Basic Certificate II focuses on the courses needed to enter the paramedical training itself. Included in both certificates are courses needed to complete the AAS degree, which is designed for those seeking a degree in paramedicine. For those interested in working towards a bachelor’s degree, AAS is transferable to a few four-year institutions in Colorado.
RRCC Articulation Agreement with St. Anthony's Hospital
The RRCC paramedic program has an articulation agreement with St. Anthony’s Hospital. Students need to apply and be accepted into the St. Anthony’s program in order to do our Paramedic AAS degree: http://www.sahems.org/paramedic. If a student has done his/her paramedic cert at another hospital, please contact robert.vroman@rrcc.edu for other degree options.
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