The primary focus of the Emergency Medical Technician is to provide basic emergency

medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access the

emergency medical system. This individual possesses the basic knowledge and skills

necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Emergency Medical Technicians

function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. Emergency

Medical Technicians perform interventions with the basic equipment typically found on

an ambulance. The Emergency Medical Technician is a link from the scene to the

emergency health care system.

The Emergency Medical Technician’s scope of practice includes basic skills focused

on the acute management and transportation of critical and emergent patients. This may

occur at an emergency scene until transportation resources arrive, from an emergency

scene to a health care facility, between health care facilities, or in other health care

settings.

In many communities Emergency Medical Technicians provide a large portion of the

out-of-hospital care. In some jurisdictions, especially rural areas, Emergency Medical

Technicians provide the highest level of out-of-hospital care. Emergency Medical

Technicians work alongside other EMS and health care professionals as an integral part

of the emergency care team.

Emergency Medical Technicians’ scope of practice includes basic, non-invasive

interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital

medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings.24

Additionally, Emergency Medical Technicians provide care to minimize secondary injury

and provide comfort to the patient and family while transporting the patient to an

emergency care facility.

An Emergency Medical Technician’s knowledge, skills, and abilities are acquired

through formal education and training. The Emergency Medical Technician has the

knowledge of, and is expected to be competent in, all of the skills of the EMR. A major

difference between the Emergency Medical Responder and the Emergency Medical

Technician is the knowledge and skills necessary to provide medical transportation

of emergency patients.

The Emergency Medical Technician level is the minimum licensure level for personnel

transporting patients in ambulances. The scope of practice is limited to basic skills that

are effective and can be performed safely in an out-of-hospital setting with medical

oversight and limited training.

The Emergency Medical Technician transports all emergency patients to an appropriate

medical facility. The Emergency Medical Technician is not prepared to make decisions

independently regarding the appropriate disposition of patients. The Emergency Medical

Technician serves as part of an EMS response system, assuring a progressive increase

in the level of assessment and care. The Emergency Medical Technician may make

destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition

of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care

facility.

In addition to emergency response, Emergency Medical Technicians often perform

medical transport services of patients requiring care within their scope of practice.