Emergency Medical Technician - Basic

Responsibilities:

Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic (EMT-B) respond to emergent and non-emergent calls to provide efficient and immediate care to the critically ill, injured, and any patient needing to be transported via stretcher to or from a medical facility.

After receiving the call from the dispatcher, the EMT-B drives the ambulance to address or location given, using the most expeditious route, depending on traffic and weather conditions. The EMT-B must observe traffic ordinances and regulations concerning emergency vehicle operation.

The EMT-B:

• functions in uncommon situations.
• has a basic understanding of stress response and methods to ensure personal well- being.
• understands body substance isolation.
• understands basic medical-legal principles.
• functions within the scope of care as defined by state, regional and local regulatory agencies.
• complies with regulations on the handling of the deceased, notifies authorities and arranges for
• protection of property and evidence at the scene.
• Upon arrival at the scene of crash or illness, the EMT-B parks the ambulance in a safe location to avoid additional injury.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• opening and maintaining an airway.
• ventilating patients.
• administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including use of automated external defibrillators.
• providing prehospital emergency medical care
• transport patient to and from various facilities or residences for scheduled appointments.

The EMT-B is responsible for:

• safely transfer a patient to and from an EMS stretcher
• lifting the stretcher (be able to lift and carry 100 pounds),
• placing it in the ambulance and seeing that the patient and stretcher are secured
• continuing medical care while enroute to the medical facility.
• identifies assessment findings, which may require communications with medical control, for advice and for notification that special professional services and assistance be immediately available upon arrival at the medical facility.
• assists in lifting and carrying the patient out of the ambulance and into the receiving medical facility
• reports verbally and in writing, their observation and emergency medical care of the patient at the emergency scene and in transit, to the receiving medical facility staff for purposes of records and diagnostics
• upon request provides assistance to the receiving medical facility staff.

After each call, the EMT-B:

• restocks and replaces used supplies,
• cleans all equipment following appropriate disinfecting procedures,
• makes careful check of all equipment so that the ambulance is ready for the next run
• maintains ambulance in efficient operating condition
• ensures that the ambulance is clean and washed and kept in a neat orderly condition
• in accordance with local, state or federal regulations, decontaminates the interior of the vehicle after transport of patient with contagious infection or hazardous materials exposure.

Additionally, the EMT-B:

• determines that ambulance is in proper mechanical condition by checking items required by daily checkoffs. Maintains familiarity with specialized equipment used by the service
• attends continuing education and refresher training programs as required by employers
• maintain current certifications as required by SC DHEC and NREMT as well as state, local and federal guidelines.