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Emergency Medical Technicians in Kern County currently earn an average of $41,300 annually, and salaries continue to climb!
Want a career with endless potential? Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the first responders to emergencies and on the front line of health care. As an EMT, you’ll help save lives and provide much needed care to patients in need. If you’re wondering how to become an EMT, you’ll find all the information you need right here.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the job description for an EMT is:
From 2020 to 2030, the EMT response field is expected to increase 11%. With the population aging, medical emergencies will only increase and EMTs will be called to respond to this crisis.
As in all professions, more education means better job opportunities. The demand for paramedics is generally greater than the demand for EMTs. Regardless, medical emergencies are recession proof and demand will only continue to increase.
That depends on which school you're interested in attending.
The EMT program at Bakersfield College is one semester long, 8.0 unit course. The program is 160 total hours, with 24 hours of ambulance ride-along/emergency room training. BC's EMT program provides all students with the proper knowledge, skills, and assessment abilities to care for the injured and/or ill.
Successful completion of the program leads to eligibility to take the National Registry examination for certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic. Successful completion of the National Registry examination enables the student to become certified through the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority, as well as the local EMS department.
The program follows state regulations, as well as the United States Department of Transportation’s Emergency Medical Technician-Basic National Standard Curriculum (DOT HS 808 149).
Prerequisites:
Taft Community College offers a comprehensive Emergency Medical Technician program, approved by the National Registry of EMTs, State of California and County of Kern, as well as an Emergency Medical Technician recertification program.
Their program is 1 semester long, and worth 5.5 units. It is a total of 160 clock hours. Although the class lasts an entire semester, class only meets every Saturday.
Taft Community College also offers an Emergency Medical Technician 1-A refresher course for students who are already EMTs.
Many students who enroll at TCC will qualify for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG), formerly known as the Board of Governors' Fee Waiver (BOGFW). The California Promise Grant covers tuition and other costs associated with attending college.
The Emergency Medical Technician job certificate (10 units) at Cerro Coso Community College is designed to provide career pathways into emergency medical services through pre-hospital and clinical education from basic body systems to the intricate and often changing emergent medical care provided to the sick and injured.
Successful completion of this job certificate provides a wide range of components for those interested in entering the job market directly or progressing to paramedic, nursing or moving into premedicine to become a physician assistant or medical doctor.
Hall Ambulance has been a fixture in Kern County for over 50 years. If you live in or around Bakersfield, you've most likely seen their ambulances. Hall Ambulance is the 911 paramedic provider for 90% of Kern County,
Hall Ambulance's EMT Academy is an 8 week training program. Upon completion, students will be eligible to take the National Registry exam for EMT certification.
The Hall EMT Academy is not a school, but a pathway to starting a career at Hall Ambulance. Recruits are full-time employees who learn everything they need to get started working as an emergency medical technician in the Hall Ambulance 9-1-1 system.
Once you’ve decided a full-time career in emergency medical services is for you, or you plan to volunteer as a responder, you first step will be to obtain training and certification as an EMT-Basic, commonly referred to as an EMT-B.
The role of the EMT-B will vary depending on the employment setting and the makeup of the crew with which they work, however, a standard list of responsibilities for the EMT-B may include:
Prior to applying for certification with the NREMT as an EMT-Basic, candidates must successfully complete an approved EMT-B training program which meets the standards of curriculum set forth by the United States Department of Transportation. The training courses are widely available throughout most states and municipalities.
The modules in which these critical skills areas are introduced and covered will vary from one provider to the next, but will very often be grouped into relevant skill sets as set forth by the NREMT.
To apply to the NREMT for certification as an EMT-Basic, an individual must:
The standards set forth by the Department of Transportation have broken the EMT-Basic training modules down into a format that requires 120 hours for completion.
Some providers offer extended training in various areas of development and courses can reach 160 hours in length and additionally, some states have various requirements which are different from the NREMT standards.
These courses may take anywhere from three (3) weeks to three (3) months to complete depending on the course format.
The costs associated with EMT-B training will vary depending on the provider. Private EMT training courses are generally less expensive than those offered by community or vocational colleges.
Programs at one of California's community colleges(in Kern County, those are Balersfield Community College, Taft Community College, and Cerro Coso Community College) cost approximately $450($250 for tuition and $200 for books & supplies).
Since professionals certified as EMT-Bs make up the largest number of EMS professionals, they are staffed at a wide range of pre-hospital care providers within the United States, ranging from fire departments to private ambulance companies.
Many newly minted EMT-Bs find work with private ambulance organizations and spend the first few months of their employment doing patient transports which allows them to gain some field experience prior to responding to 911 calls. However, employment may be found at local hospitals which offer ambulatory service or with fire departments.
Fire departments will generally fall into two categories: those that have a dedicated ambulance unit staffed with certified EMS professionals and those that require certification as both a firefighter and EMT.
Private ambulance services number in the tens of thousands within the U.S. and as previously stated can be a common entry point into the profession.
Some of these companies require a paramedic within the ambulance to be able to respond to emergency calls, however, the EMT-B may begin on a patient transport unit with no prior experience or advanced pre-hospital care training beyond the EMT-Basic certification.
If a candidate receives EMT-Basic certification between the months of January and June of the calendar year, certification is valid until March 31 two (2) years in the future. For example, if a candidate receives certification on January 15, 2022, certification is valid through March 31, 2024.
If certification is received in the months of July to December, expiration falls on March 31 three (3) years in the future. This means, for example, if EMT-Basic certification is received on August 1, 2022, it is valid through March 31, 2025.
For EMT-Bs that simply to re-certify because of an upcoming expiration date, a state-approved continuing education course must be completed and an application for re-certification must be filed with the NREMT prior to March 31 during the year of expiration.
Continuing education courses for the EMT-B are called refresher courses and generally consist of 24 hours of training in each of the original modules learned in the EMT-Basic training course. Candidates for re-certification must also be able to prove that they are actively engaged in the emergency medical services profession.
For lapsed certifications, a candidate may re-apply for a new EMT-B certification through the continuing education (refresher course) path so long as their certification expired within a two (2) year period from the original date of certification. If the lapse period has been longer than two (2) years, the candidate must complete a full state-approved EMT-Basic training course again before applying with the NREMT.
The average starting EMT salary nationally is $38,640, which works out to $18.57 hourly. However, the pay for EMTs in California is significantly higher, at $41386 annually. Kern County's EMTs make an average salary of $44,720 per year, which works out to $21.50 hourly.
Of course, MANY students become EMTs with the intention of joining a fire department or advancing to become a paramedic.