An EMS academy is an educational institution for career training in Emergency Medical Services. There are many of these training centers all over the U.S. Many EMS academies are now partnering at the state and city level with universities and colleges to offer affordable educational opportunities in this field.
An EMS academy trains the various levels of Emergency Medical Technicians, which include EMS basic, EMS intermediate and EMS paramedic, which is the highest level of training for this type of emergency service.
At EMS academy, the curriculum combines classroom instruction with clinical internship training at hospitals, fire departments and ambulance services. EMT-B training requires approximately 120 to 150 hours of training. After you complete the coursework, you must take a state certification test to practice in the field. To become a paramedic, you must first become a basic EMT before you can enroll in an EMS academy for the additional training, which requires an additional 1,200 to 1,800 hours of training. Some paramedic programs require you work as an EMT for six months or so before enrolling in an EMS academy for the additional training.
The areas of instruction at an EMS academy depend on the level of EMT training the student is undergoing. During EMT basic training, the curriculum includes instruction in airway management, defibrillation, non-intravenous drug administration, emergency child birth, hazardous material response and patient assessment skills.
EMS academy instruction at the EMT intermediate level includes: patient assessment techniques, intravenous fluid therapy, immunizations, subcutaneous medication administration and I.V. medication administration. Paramedic instruction includes intravenous fluid therapy, immunizations, pharmacology, airway management, subcutaneous medication administration, I.V. medication administration, nebulization therapy and patient assessment skills.
After you receive training at an EMS academy, you must take your state’s certification test in order to practice at all levels of the profession.
The EMS jobs you can be employed at after completing EMS academy training are varied and the prospects for employment are good, with emergency medical services jobs expected to grow at a rate comparable or better than in other fields. EMS personnel can work for an ambulance company, a fire department, a hospital, in medical transport on helicopters and airplanes, on offshore oil rigs and in education.
The range of pay for people who’ve been trained at an EMS academy depends largely on the venue in which you’re employed, as well as the geographical location. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the salary ranges in EMS professions:
- Basic EMT: $33,000 to $51,000 per year.
- Paramedic EMT: $40,000 to $70,000 per year.
Getting trained at an EMS academy is a great choice for anyone who wants an exciting career in emergency rescue services. It requires commitment to fulfilling the educational requirements, which at the paramedic level are particularly rigorous. It also requires a stable personality that can withstand the stress of working in crisis situations to perform the necessary steps to save lives. All in all, a career in EMS offers good employment opportunities and a chance to serve the public and make a difference in one’s community.
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