General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Paramedic Who Makes $15/hr. Destroys Every Complaint About Fast Food Workers Earning The Same Amoun [View all]Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)People are using the term EMT and Paramedic interchangeably a lot here- but they typically represent two very different skill levels.
There are in most states 4 main levels of medical responders- First Responder or Medical Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Ingermediate, and EMT-Paramedic.
There is very little difference between your First Responder level and EMT-B in most cases. It takes around 150-200 classroom hours and then around 40-50 hours in the field as a student on an ambulance and that's it. There are places that offer an accelerated EMT-B where you go from start to National Registered EMT-B in 3 weeks.
We did First Responder as part of the Basic Law Enforcement Training (NC's version of an "academy" and it was the same class work, just without the ambulance ride time.
An EMT-B will do basic first aid, bandage you, and drive you to the hospital. No meds, no reading a cardiac monitor, no IV's.
A Parameidic had passed through both EMT-I and the Paramedic courses with about 2-2-5 more years of classes and a much harder certification and can read a cardiac monitor, administer IV's and drugs, intubate and much more. In most states they can do a lot of things an RN is not allowed to and many ER's keep them on staff for that reason.
So when talking wages you have to be specific as to the job title.
And paramedics in most every state still make more tha cops working the same locations- if paramedic pay worries you about what kind of service you may get....