EMT-Basic

You're the entry point to emergency medicine — first on scene, first to assess, and first to realize that most 911 calls are not what you trained for. You'll take vitals, stabilize patients, and drive the ambulance while your partner works in the back. The certification takes 6 months, the pay is insulting, and you'll see more of humanity's worst moments before age 25 than most people see in a lifetime.

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

• 01Respond to 911 calls and assess patients before paramedics arrive
• 02Take vitals, apply splints, and control bleeding — the basics that save lives
• 03Drive the ambulance at speeds that would terrify you if you weren't the one behind the wheel
• 04Document patient care reports in the rig between calls
• 05Perform CPR and use an AED — the two skills you pray you never need and always do
• 06Restock the ambulance with supplies that mysteriously vanish every shift
• 07Eat cold pizza at 2 AM because that's what passes for a meal break in EMS