Some of the websites that I have seen do not properly distinguish between all of these when they describe”how to become an EMT”, You can read my post about the difference between a paramedic and EMT to help contrast the difference, but I will summarize it here:
In the past, the NREMT and many States categorized EMTs as:
- EMT-FR (First Responder)
- EMT-B (Basic)
- EMT-I (Intermediate)
- EMT-P (Paramedic)
Not long ago, the NREMT and most States switched the names of these categories to:
- Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)– Formally EMT-FR
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)– Formally EMT-B
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)- Formally EMT-I
- Paramedic– Formally EMT-P
Some people/websites still use the old terminology, and you will likely see or hear people still refer to EMTs as “EMT-Basics”, and sometimes will refer to Paramedics as an “EMT”, etc… Some States may still have some of these older categories of EMTs as well. Some states still recognized the EMT-Intermediate level, but do not issue new licenses at this level.
In general, If you want to work on an ambulance and be responsible for patient care, you will need to become licensed (at the minimum) as an EMT. Some states differ in what they will allow, so check your State’s EMS page. Emergency Medical Technicians are the most common healthcare providers that work on ambulances. Once you have been licensed as an EMT, you can become either an Advanced EMT or Paramedic if you wish to do
Conclusion
This post is part of a larger post that you can find here. Thanks for reading!