Health Careers
EMT/Paramedic
Professional Activities
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Mobile Intensive Care Paramedics (MICPs) are called “pre-hospital providers” since they usually provide emergency medical care until arriving at a clinic or hospital. The environment in which EMTs and paramedics work is physically, emotionally, and intellectually challenging.
At each progressive level of certification or licensure, the roles and responsibilities of the caregiver increase. All EMTs are taught to assess the emergency scene, control bleeding, apply splints, assist with childbirth, administer oxygen, and perform CPR and other basic life support skills. An EMT-I may assist a patient with medications their doctor has given them for chest pain, asthma, or allergic reactions. EMT-II personnel may also use devices to breathe for people who have lost consciousness, place needles in people’s veins, and provide certain medications for diabetic emergencies, dehydration or bleeding, and drug overdose. Those at the EMT-III level can also use electronic heart monitors and deliver shocks to restart the heart of patients whose hearts have stopped due to a heart attack. The medications given by the EMT-III assist them in improving the chances of survival for individuals who have suffered a heart attack. MICPs have the most training and expansive scope of authorized activities. They administer more emergency medications and perform a wider variety of procedures.
In rural Alaska, most EMTs volunteer for fire departments or ambulance services. In larger communities they often work for paid departments. All Community Health Aides (CHAs) take Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) training as part of their CHA training. ETTs are trained to what is known as the “First Responder” level. This level of training is not as thorough as that received by EMTs, but provides a solid understanding of first aid, especially for people who have been injured in some type of accident. Certified Community Health Practitioners (CHPs) must maintain a valid ETT or EMT credential. A unique aspect of rural emergency medical care is the need to take care of patients for longer periods of time because of the long distances between communities.
The job market for EMS personnel in Alaska is relatively small, but growing, and an increasing number of agencies are requiring that applicants be licensed (or eligible for licensing) as a mobile intensive care paramedic.
Educational Requirements
As mentioned above, there are five levels of EMS training, with MICPs having the greatest educational requirements. EMTs are certified through the Department of Health and Social Services’ EMS Unit (http://www.chems.alaska.gov/). MICPs are licensed by the Department of Community and Economic Development’s State Medical Board (http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pmed.htm). The educational requirements for EMTs and MICPs are defined in Alaska regulations. The regulations can be accessed on the EMS unit website.
In general:
1. EMT training does not require graduation from high school (some courses are even offered in high schools). A person must be 18 years of age or older to be certified as an EMT. A person must be 19 years of age or older and be a high school graduate to become licensed in Alaska as an Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic.
2. Although there is no prerequisite to EMT-I training in Alaska, to enroll in an EMT-II course a person must be certified as an EMT-I and must have provided care to ten patients after becoming certified. To enroll in an EMT-III course, a person must be certified as an EMT-II, have provided care to ten patients as an EMT-II, and have successfully inserted needles into ten patients’ veins. To enroll in a MICP course, a person must hold credentials from either the state or the National Registry of EMTs (http://www.nremt.org) at any level.
3. Certification as an EMT and licensure as an MICP require successful completion of written and practical examinations.
4. Individuals who successfully complete EMT and MICP courses in Alaska are eligible to become credentialed by the National Registry of EMTs at the appropriate level.
5. EMT-II, EMT-III, and MICP level health care providers must have a doctor who agrees to be responsible for supervising them. Once certified, these individuals use prearranged treatment guidelines called standing orders to provide treatment to individuals when they cannot speak to a doctor directly.
Basic Summary of Training
Level---(Minimum Hours)---Prerequisites
ETT---(40 hours)---None
EMT-I (EMT-Basic)---(120 hours)---*CPR credential
EMT-II---(50 hours)---EMT-I certificate plus 10 patient contacts as an EMT-I
EMT-III---(50 hours)---EMT-II certificate plus 10 patient contacts and 10 IVs as an EMT-II
MICP---(500 classroom, 232 in-hospital and 480 field internship)---Must be an EMT
*May be offered at the start of the course
EMTs and paramedics trained and credentialed in other states may apply for Alaska credentials.
Academic Programs
Emergency Medical Technician courses are taught throughout Alaska, by Regional EMS Offices, local EMS squads, cities, boroughs, the University of Alaska, and others. All EMT courses taught in Alaska must be approved by the Department of Health and Social Services. The EMS Unit within DHSS maintains a list of EMT and MICP courses taught in Alaska on its web site at http://www.chems.alaska.gov/EMS/. In addition, the site contains contact information and links to regional and local EMS training resources.
There are two paramedic training programs in Alaska.
Kenai Peninsula College
34820 College Drive
Soldotna, AK 99669
Contact: Paul Perry, Course Coordinator
Phone: (907) 262-0378
Email:
Web site: http://www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/Paramedical.html
UAF Tanana Valley Campus
Emergency Services-Paramedic Program
P.O. Box 758120
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
Contact: Chuck Kuhns, EMS Coordinator
Phone: (907) 455-2895
Email:
Web site: http://www.tvc.uaf.edu/programs/health/emer-med.html
Contacts
State Contact:
For additional information about emergency medical services in Alaska, contact:
Section of Injury Prevention and Emergency Medical Services
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services
Box 110616
Juneau, AK 99811-0616
Phone: (907) 465-3027
Fax: (907) 465-4101
Web site: http://www.chems.alaska.gov
National Contacts:
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
Rocco V. Morando Building
6610 Busch Blvd.
P.O. Box 29233
Columbus, Ohio 43229
Phone: (614) 888-4484
Fax: (614) 888-8920
Web site: http://www.nremt.org
National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
P.O. Box 1400
Clinton, MS 39060-1400
Phone: 1 (800) 34-NAEMT
Web site: http://www.naemt.org
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on July 19, 2007
