Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

What is an emergency medical technician (EMT)?

An emergency medical technician (EMT) provides out-of-hospital emergency medical care. They also provide transportation if you need the emergency medical services (EMS) system in the United States — usually with an ambulance.

EMTs have the basic medical knowledge and skills to safely get you to the hospital.

What does an emergency medical technician (EMT) do?

EMTs respond to calls for medical assistance outside of hospitals. Roles of an EMT include:

• Quickly assessing a person’s condition and determining what treatment they may need
• Providing basic medical care and first aid
• Preparing sick or injured people for transport to a hospital, like lifting them onto a stretcher
• Safely transporting people to a hospital — either driving the ambulance or providing care on the way
• Documenting any treatment they provide and sharing information with healthcare providers at the hospital

Specific medical interventions an EMT can perform include:

• Maintaining a person’s airway, breathing and circulation with CPR and defibrillation
• Controlling any external bleeding with bandages and tourniquets
• Preventing shock
• Preventing further injury by immobilizing potential spinal fractures or other bone fractures
• Providing oral (by mouth) medications, like activated charcoal, NSAIDs, nitroglycerin and oral glucose gel
• Providing supplemental oxygen with a nasal cannula
• Assisting a paramedic with other treatments

EMTs can’t give treatments that break your skin, except epinephrine injections (EpiPen®) to treat severe allergic reactions. They can also give some nasal spray medications, like naloxone (Narcan®) for substance overdoses.

When would I receive care from an EMT?

You may get help from an EMT for medical situations outside of hospitals, like:

• Medical emergencies (like a stroke, substance overdose and severe allergic reaction, for example)
• Vehicle accidents
• Severe injuries and traumas (like those from a shooting, stabbing or severe fall)
• Emergency childbirth outside of a hospital
• Fires
• Near-drownings
• Rescues
• Mental health crises

Who do EMTs work with?

EMTs work closely with other professionals who are part of the comprehensive EMS response system, including:

• Paramedics: These professionals do more extensive pre-hospital care than EMTs. They can give a wider range of medications and do advanced airflow management. Paramedics can use all types of medical equipment in an ambulance.
• Advanced emergency medical technicians (AEMTs): The roles of AEMTs overlap with those of EMTs. But AEMTs can also start IV lines and give certain medications. They can use basic and some advanced medical equipment in an ambulance.
• Emergency medical responders (EMRs): EMRs arrive at the scene of emergencies and can do CPR. They only need first responder certification for this. Firefighters and police officers typically have EMR certification.