Emergency Medical Technician
She thought her life as an EMT would involve lots of drama, like the show ‘9-1-1’ but found “it’s more like transport.”
FIRST CAREER NEVER A BINDING COMMITMENT
DJ started her adult, working career in childcare. But after several years of minimal raises, she was looking for a steady job with regular pay increases, overtime opportunities and scheduling flexibility. She wanted to be in a medical field that would lead to her lifelong ambition of becoming a pediatric respiratory therapist. Working as an EMT is “a stepping-stone.”
REQUIREMENTS TO WORK AS AN EMT
To become an EMT, DJ had to obtain a CPR certification, complete an EMT course and pass two exams – one a review of physical skills and the other a knowledge-based test.
DJ completed her EMT training at District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund in Philadelphia, a union and management-run institute that provides training to members and the larger community.
It is continuously important to remain physically fit to be able to help others.
TYPICAL DAILY ACTIVITIES OF AN EMT
Working as an EMT in an area with a high level of population (e.g., a city) means you and your EMT team (including an emergency vehicle driver) are responding to frequent calls for assistance, often consecutively with no ‘down-time’ between emergencies.
Driving to the scene of the emergency can be thrilling (especially early in your career) as your vehicle, with siren and flashing lights, speeds when it can and cautiously proceeds through red light-controlled intersections. But, such trips can also be hazardous to the EMTs and their passengers, both on the way to the scene (without a victim aboard) and after, while transporting the victim.
Having arrived at the scene, the crew must first assess whether there is continuing danger to others, including themselves, from such possibilities as fire, smoke inhalation, building collapse, gasoline tank or other gas related explosion or an active shooter. Next, find the injured person or persons; if more than one, assess the order of treatment, based on the seriousness of the respective injuries.
If medical ‘best practices’ indicate that a victim may be moved from the scene, lifting the victim may be problematic to avoid injuring the victim further and due to some victims being extremely overweight. All the while, being careful to avoid, to the extent possible, altering the circumstances at the scene to preserve it for use by investigators toward determining the cause(s) of the injuries.
During the transport of the victim, the EMT monitors vital signs and guards against anything which might negatively impact the victim’s circumstances.
When the victim is safely delivered for further evaluation and treatment, paperwork must be completed and then the mind cleared, to be ready to respond to the next emergency call or at the end of your shift, to be able to head home and relax, sleep and (often literally) jump into the challenges of the next day.
EMT JOB SECURITY
Unlike some jobs involving manufacturing or technology, DJ is not concerned about being replaced by a robot or artificial intelligence, neither of which could ever be programmed to promptly assess and respond, with life and death on the line, to widely differing, often continuously dangerous, circumstances.
Said DJ: “I don’t think EMTs can be automated. Even if machines become more proficient at tracking aspects of patient conditions, you need someone to interpret what’s going on. You need people to learn about the body, and when things are going wrong within the body, to know how to respond.”
EMT JOB CHALLENGES
Serving the public as an EMT is a tough job, both physically and emotionally. And the pay may be only a bit higher than some fast-food jobs, partly due to low government and private insurance reimbursements to ambulance companies, who then cannot afford to pay more.
Stressful burnout is very real, notes a teacher of EMS classes. Dealing with patients at vulnerable moments in their lives can take a toll on the EMT.
EMT IS A FREQUENT PATH TO OTHER HEALTHCARE CAREERS
EMT training and experience provides a solid basis to advance to a paramedic position, after more classroom and hands-on practice followed by another pair of tests.
(Editor’s note – see the story of a medical doctor who started as an EMT, under the career category: ‘Healthcare & Medicine – Pulmonologist / Critical Care’)
CAREER SATISFACTION
With above average turnover among EMTs, finding employment is relatively easy and there’s the opportunity for career growth.
Most important, EMTs routinely save lives of adults and children. EMTs are frequently called ‘Heroes’. Very, very few careers inspire such admiration and satisfaction.
This story is based, in part, upon an article (4/18/21) within the Philadelphia Inquirer’s series “The Future of Work” by Jane M. Von Bergen. The Editor has added the section ‘Typical Daily Activities of an EMT’ from discussions with EMTs, including his grand-nephew, Matt Burch.
