What is the difference between a paramedic and an EMT?

What is the difference between a paramedic and an EMT?

• I've found out that paramedics had more hours of training but that is about it. But is there something more that a paramedic can do than an EMT? How do you know which is in the ambulance? Is it one of each? Thanks

• Answer:

  An EMT is an emergency medical technician. There are different levels of being an EMT. There is EMT-B (basic) they do basic first responder type stuff, vital signs, assessment, splinting, bandaging, etc. All basic level of care but no advanced life support skills like IV's, heart monitoring or advanced drug therapy. There is an EMT-I (intermediate) which can do a little more, they can do IV's and some heart monitoring skills and give a few more drugs than the B level but not a many as the next level which is the EMT-P (paramedic) The paramedic level is the most advanced pre hospital care provider. They can do just about everything they would need to do to save your life outside of a hospital setting. We are all essentially EMT's but most of us in the field just shorten it to EMT for the basic providers and paramedics for the P level providers. There aren't many intermediate's anymore in our area. It's hard to tell the difference in certification levels just by looking, but many depts will wear dress shirts that have a patch sewn on and sometimes it will say EMT basic or paramedic. Not all depts are the same when it comes to staffing. Some states require 1 basic and 1 paramedic at all times, some require 2 paramedics always. Our dept always runs 2 paramedics at all times and we just take turns driving, but our skill levels are the same. Hope that helps...