Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT)
Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs, are health care professionals who help sick and injured individuals in emergency medical situations. These first responders respond to medical incidents and accident scenarios where they provide care and facilitate transportation to more advanced medical facilities. EMTs are healthcare heroes who save lives. That’s a cool job.
Here are 7 cool reasons to become an EMT:
- Every Day Is Different – You won’t be bored as an EMT. EMTs respond to all sorts of calls dealing with different situations in different locations.
- In Demand Job – EMTs are in demand. Medical and trauma accidents happen in random places at unexpected times. EMTs are constantly on call to assist people in trouble.
- Growth Potential – The EMT certification is the starting point for a cool healthcare career. After the EMT-B, you can then earn an EMT-I or Paramedic certification. Or use your baseline knowledge to kickstart a career in nursing or get an education in medicine.
- Diverse Opportunities – Earning an EMT certification is a good way to find work on an ambulance, as a firefighter or ski patrol. This professional certification can open lots of doors.
- Helping People – EMTs help people who need medical care. Working as an EMT is a rewarding way to make a living.
- Professional Level Certification – Putting an EMT certification on your resume will impress recruiters. This professional level certification is always a positive thing to add to a resume.
- Build Solid Life Skills – EMT training can help build a foundation of first aid knowledge that you can apply to your own adventures and keep handy for other emergencies.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hundreds of thousands of people hold an EMT or Paramedic certification. These healthcare workers earn an average of $31,980 per year or $15.38 per hour. This job niche is expected to grow by 24% in the near future – that’s much faster than the average profession.
Program Overview
This course introduces students to basic emergency medical care. Topics include preparation, patient assessment, medical emergencies, trauma, how to treat infants and children, and basic operations. CPR training will be included in the course to American Heart Association (AHA) standards and mandatory for all students. Students in the EMT course have the added bonus of a school-sponsored internship, where they will be placed with an Iredell County EMS 911 unit to function under the supervision of a lead paramedic.
Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve North Carolina State or National Registry EMT certification.
Toby Nicholson, began her career as a Field Medic in the US Army. After completing her time in service, she returned home to Iredell County. Ms. Nicholson obtained her NC EMT Basic from Mitchell Community College and later completed both the AEMT and Paramedic courses from Mitchell as well.
Ms. Nicholson served the community as a Paramedic with Iredell County EMS for fifteen years; both full and part-time. Ms. Nicholson comes to CATS by way of Mitchell Commu-
nity College where she was employed as an EMT/ Paramedic instructor for eleven years.
Ms. Nicholson has been in Emergency Services for thirty-three years collectively including EMS, fire, and rescue. Ms. Nicholson has obtained an AAS in Emergency
Medical Science; as well as her certifications as a BLS, ACLS, and PALS instructor.
“Being a part of the CATS
program has given me new momentum for teaching. I am blown away with the drive and intelligence I see from these young people every day”, states Ms. Nicholson. “I would like to see these students succeed on their chosen career paths and be able to pass their knowledge and experience on to the next generation.”
Ms. Nicholson’s long-term goal for the EMR/EMT program at CATS is to produce highly qualified, street ready EMTs to supplement Iredell County and other surrounding counties with competent employees ready to serve their community.