Becoming an EMT-B

When a person becomes ill or injured, it rarely ever happens at the hospital with doctors and nurses standing by. In reality, a good amount of time passes between the onset of injury and the patient's arrival at the hospital, time in which the patient may deteriorate or even die.

To cut down on the time between the onset of injury and patient care at the hospital, US Department of Transportation (DOT) created the modern Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, aka 'prehospital' or 'out of hospital' care. The system's purpose is to provide emergency care to the patient as quickly as possible at the scene, en route to the hospital and even at the hospital.

The key member of the EMS system is the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B). An emt-b is at the begining of the ladder.

A ladder that consists of
First responders: cops, some firefighters, some citizens, anyone that has taken the 4credit course. Trained to control the scene and prepare for the arrival of the bambulance.
EMT-basic: Trained for the assessment and care of the ill/injured and transporting.
EMT-paramedic: In addition to the emt-b's duties the EMT-p uses more invasive proceudres, such as IV lines, endotracheal tube insertions, and tracheotomies.

The EMS system has a dispatcher (also an EMT-P) a paramedic unit (paramedic ambulance) and a basic unit (basic ambulance).

Ussually the basic unit is dispatched first when you call 911. The paramedic unit is dispatched based on the basic unit's decision. The para unit is dispatched first in only extreme cases.
The basic unit is called whenever there is a 911 call for lifting/moving a patient, breathing problems, heart problems, diabetic emergencies, abdominal emergencies, altered mental status (like seizures and dizziness), allergic rxns, poisoning, behavioral emergencies (like schizophrenic problems), delivering babies, bleeding of any quantity, broken bones, MCI (multiple cassualty incidents, aka multiple car crashes) and basically anything involving the elderly.

As an EMT-B one gets to practice medicine in the real world, before going to medical school. Everything an EMT does is accroding to protocols generated by the Medical Director. The medical director is a physician that has the ultimate responsibilty for the patient's care. This physician generates protocols for every possible scenario, and oversees the training for the EMT and is at the top of the EMS system. This means that my authority to give medication and emergency care is literally an extension of the medical director's license.

Everyone entering the medical field should experience life as an EMT-B. As a doctor you get to see what the patient is going through only once they arrive at the hospital. Most of the emergency care for getting rid of the life threats is completed at the scene of injury/illness.

Lives are saved at the scene and mantained in the hospital.