EMT-B courses for people under 18

[silver]

Does EMS do that?

Yes, my parents signed a consent form when I was under 18.

 

[akflightmedic]

We are speaking in broad terms here, not the pocket of space you currently inhabit.

When comparing two things in a debate which one person has proposed is similar you must examine the truisms. In general, what I have written is true and the most common. There will always be tiny little exceptions here and there (your situation for example) however in general, no EMS does not do those things.

Do not lose focus of the debate and do not swing the argument on an irrelevant tangent or baseless comparison.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

I'm not trying to pick apart your post, but I believe this raises a good point:

The age requirement for an LEO is actually 20 1/2 years of age at time of application and 21 years of age at time of academy..[/b]

nineteen to enter the academy

 

[silver]

We are speaking in broad terms here, not the pocket of space you currently inhabit.

When comparing two things in a debate which one person has proposed is similar you must examine the truisms. In general, what I have written is true and the most common. There will always be tiny little exceptions here and there (your situation for example) however in general, no EMS does not do those things.

Do not lose focus of the debate and do not swing the argument on an irrelevant tangent or baseless comparison.

How is that irrelevant, the State of Connecticut requires it, and I am sure other people can say that New Jersey and all the other states require the same.

Of course the training of boot camp is nothing like that of the EMT-B though, so that is where it can't be compared.

 

[nswAU]

In Australia

Just to let you know,

In Australia I am a st john cadet (they provide first aid/pre ambulatory care at events) and I as well as many of the other cadets are just Senior First Aid & ALS but in the USA we are classified as EMT-B, plus I was only 14 when i passed the course. (since i am under 18 i am not allowed to administer and pain relief without adult supervision(like the green whitlse, Nox etc) but I can administer paracetamol, aspirin, the epipen, oxygen, ventolin and assist with giving insulin.

 

[wyoskibum]

I have never seen or heard a more disrespectful, unthinking crowd in my life.

Welcome to the forum! It is true that there are member here who are very passionate about their views and perhaps unwilling to agree to disagree. Many of us are willing to have thoughtful discussions though, so stick around.

 

[wyoskibum]

Yeah, and we have already discussed and dissected how effective they are.............

Really? You have first hand knowledge of this service?

They must be very effective since they have existed for 30 years. Otherwise, the city of Darien would have gone to a different system a long time ago.

 

[Flight-LP]

Really? You have first hand knowledge of this service?

They must be very effective since they have existed for 30 years. Otherwise, the city of Darien would have gone to a different system a long time ago.

Or you could with the hypothesis that silenced ignorance is bliss. Any community that has the belief that primary BLS 911 (much less with high school kids) is the optimal way to go is grossly undereducated on the benefits of a quality EMS system. Does it work? Perhaps, but does that make it optimal for the community? Nope......................

It is nice that they have ALS backup from Stamford, albeight slightly delayed. Figuring no traffic on 95, it takes them what, about 8-10 minutes from time of dispatch (which will already be 2-3 minutes into the call)?

From their website............

Post 53’s EMS personnel, onboard our state of the art ambulances and our fully equipped mobile “fly cars”, arrive moments after the Darien Police. Post 53 assumes control of patient care, providing extensive Basic Life support as well as Advanced Life Support such as: Intravenous (IV) Therapy, Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garments ( PASG), blood sugar testing, and injections of epinephrine when needed.

Need I say more?????

 

[Fedekz]

Hey,

I just wanted to give everyone an update. I did go through, and register for an EMT-B class in Louisiana, where you can register for the class if your an incoming senior in good academic standing from what I understand. The course was 2 months long, and started with 23 people; as the course went on, it was narrowed down to about 11 people actually finishing. I completed the course, class ranked 2/11. I never experienced a "are you sure your old enough to be doing this?" question while doing my 36 hours of ambulance time; it's for a 911 service, and the call volume is pretty high. My age was never an issue to anyone, the crew on the ambulance didn't treat me any different, and if anything, they were impressed. I saw some head on collisions, stabbings, shootings, etc. which everyone was explaining in this thread as something a "kid" my age shouldn't see, as it may ruin them. Sure, I felt bad a diabetic didn't check their glucose, and eat something; she was hypoglycemic ..... extremely hypoglycemic, had an episode of snycope, and hit head on with another driver, and hurt a little kid; but this didn't do what everyone said it would do to me ... didn't affect me too much at all.

All in all, it was a great experience, and looking back, I would definitively do it all over again.

Actually, I am enrolled in a paramedic class, so in theory (assuming I pass the course) I'll be a paramedic at 18.

 

[Explorer127]

I haven't posted here in a while, but I feel there's too much generalizing going on.

I, like some of the other posters, am also from Connecticut. I'm 16 years old, and there are extremely mature 16 year olds in EMS, who are genuinely interested in medicine. Very few of the teenagers in EMS that I have met are in it for the lights and sirens. In fact, there are many young people who in my opinion, are much more competent than some of the adults. There could be the argument that a teen might be affected psychologically. Isn't it the same thing with an adult? I believe Rid commented on how teens can be exposed to certain diseases. An adult can't?

Like someone else on here, I took my first CPR/first aid class when I was 11 years old. (I actually volunteer at the same ambulance corps & ER as my instructor from 5 years ago.)

Someone else commented that volunteering distracts people from school. False. I'm planning on becoming a physician. Does EMS distract me from my school work? Absolutely not. I am in all honors & AP classes, and get straight A's. It increases my interest in medicine, and makes me work even harder so I can get into a good premed program, and eventually medical school. I've taken anatomy & physiology classes, been to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, started the national Health Occupations, Students of America club at my school, seen surgeries, shadowed doctors, not only volunteer EMS, but also volunteer in an ER. I've also done some volunteering in other countries to help poor sick people.

The point I'm trying to make is there are very few negative effects from a teenager volunteering in the medical field, and we are absolutely, positively, not less competent than an adult with the same experience.

 

[el Murpharino]

Very few of the teenagers in EMS that I have met are in it for the lights and sirens. In fact, there are many young people who in my opinion, are much more competent than some of the adults. There could be the argument that a teen might be affected psychologically. Isn't it the same thing with an adult?

How many teenagers in EMS have you met outside your little sliver of the world? I'm willing to bet of the tens of thousands of teeny-bopper EMT-wannabe's out there, a fair majority of them think that the "red lights are cool", or "I like the woo woo".

What do you base "competency" on? Passing a minimum-level state exam written to a 10th grade level, or their GPA in regards to standardized state tests? Yes, I may not be able to rattle off they Pythagorean theorem anymore (ok, I actually can), but if you're basing competence off grades and not life experience, then you're way off base. Most teens have taken a few explorer classes, maybe some CPR...even seasoned EMT's have some sort of training basis, experience, and continuing educational requirements that they must meet each year.

Adults can most certainly be affected by the events that we see. Adults, however, have better coping mechanisms than a 16-year old, not to mention a better understanding of the idea of death. I've had 18-year old EMT students on my rig when we've been to a rather gruesome or challenging call...I've had some students leave after the call, go home, and quit class altogether. I don't think your teenage-brethren have a full understanding of what they're getting into.

Someone else commented that volunteering distracts people from school. False. I'm planning on becoming a physician. Does EMS distract me from my school work? Absolutely not. I am in all honors & AP classes, and get straight A's. It increases my interest in medicine, and makes me work even harder so I can get into a good premed program, and eventually medical school. I've taken anatomy & physiology classes, been to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, started the national Health Occupations, Students of America club at my school, seen surgeries, shadowed doctors, not only volunteer EMS, but also volunteer in an ER. I've also done some volunteering in other countries to help poor sick people.

How many teenagers in EMS can say the same? And you're comparing yourself to them? Let's be honest, most of your teenage counterparts are too worried about getting their drivers license, getting booze for the weekend, and getting laid rather than studying up on the endocrine system and going to national health club meetings. There is another thread on here (I'm too lazy to find it) that mentions an under 21 EMS squad that had zero-point-zero members show up for a training. Are you telling me that despite all of the superior maturity and knowledge they have over adults, they don't need to attend trainings and further their skills? Most teens don't grasp that if they want to be in EMS, they'll need to recheck their priorities...and remove themselves from the center of the universe. Few can do it, most cannot.

 

[Shishkabob]

a fair majority of them think that the "red lights are cool", or "I like the woo woo". ... most of your teenage counterparts are too worried about... getting booze for the weekend, and getting laid rather than studying up on the endocrine system

I'm 21 and I STILL think like that

 

[el Murpharino]

I'm 21 and I STILL think like that

Doesn't make you a bad guy...heh heh.

 

[Achromatic]

Or you could with the hypothesis that silenced ignorance is bliss. Any community that has the belief that primary BLS 911 (much less with high school kids) is the optimal way to go is grossly undereducated on the benefits of a quality EMS system. Does it work? Perhaps, but does that make it optimal for the community? Nope......................

It is nice that they have ALS backup from Stamford, albeight slightly delayed. Figuring no traffic on 95, it takes them what, about 8-10 minutes from time of dispatch (which will already be 2-3 minutes into the call)?

From their website............

Post 53’s EMS personnel, onboard our state of the art ambulances and our fully equipped mobile “fly cars”, arrive moments after the Darien Police. Post 53 assumes control of patient care, providing extensive Basic Life support as well as Advanced Life Support such as: Intravenous (IV) Therapy, Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garments ( PASG), blood sugar testing, and injections of epinephrine when needed.

Need I say more?????

This surprised me when I read it. Regardless of the ups and downs of BLS and what it is and isn't, we have on one hand the discussion about raising the bar of education... the other of situations like this... People here worry about the lack of prereq A&P, etc, and how it's lowering the bar... I'm sorry, I am still struggling with the concept of a high school junior administering me an IV. And I say that as someone who graduated high school at the age of 15, and college at 18.

 

[RescueYou]

Virginia law says age 16 is the minimum. The only reason you would not be able to take an EMT-B course at age 16 or 17 here is because some instuctors personally feel that anyone 18 isn't mature enough for the EMS field demands, but it's rare and that's up to them to decide. For the EMT-P though, 18 is the minimum nationwide.

 

[Company25Probie]

I started working with Centre Lifelink EMS in PA when I was 16. Being 17 now, I cannot drive due to our insurance policy, therefor I run as a 3rd attendant on ALS trucks. When I work on the BLS truck I tech all the calls and basically have an other EMT drive me around. If you do live in PA, talk to your local service and they may make an exception.

 

[RescueYou]

I started working with Centre Lifelink EMS in PA when I was 16. Being 17 now, I cannot drive due to our insurance policy, therefor I run as a 3rd attendant on ALS trucks. When I work on the BLS truck I tech all the calls and basically have an other EMT drive me around. If you do live in PA, talk to your local service and they may make an exception.

that's pretty cool. here in VA, nobody under 18 can drive a truck period. no exceptions. you can take EVOC at age 18 and drive a truck in non-emergencies only. once you turn 21, you can take EVOC 3 and drive in emergencies.

 

[joanybologna]

Hi sorry to start this entire thing up again
I want to do an emt-b junior training program so that I can volunteer in an emergency room or intern. I have some friends who have done this but their information hasn't really helped me. I will be turning 16 at the end of this march and was hoping to take a course over the end of the summer and begin volunteering at the end of summer/beginning of new school year.
Can someone give me information for such training courses in CT?
thanks!!

 

[Explorer127]

Hi sorry to start this entire thing up again
I want to do an emt-b junior training program so that I can volunteer in an emergency room or intern. I have some friends who have done this but their information hasn't really helped me. I will be turning 16 at the end of this march and was hoping to take a course over the end of the summer and begin volunteering at the end of summer/beginning of new school year.
Can someone give me information for such training courses in CT?
thanks!!

Joany---PM me if u want and i can help you out. I'm also in CT...

 

[wildmed]

Im going to be honest... If I got in an accident , there is no way that i would want a pimple faced 16yr old or even an 18yr old sitting in the back of the rig working on me, even if they where with a medic. Im pretty sure that the majority of the US population would agree with me on this. If grandma hasn't already had a heart attack, she sure will when she sees the kid with the pants around his ankles in the back of the bus hahaha. It's not that I don't think that a 16 or 17 yr old would be competent enough to take the class, I just don't think that it is appropriate to have someone that young in the field. Even at 18 I think it would be best to stick to SEMS at your university for a year or so before you go out in the field. For all you 16yr olds... stick to volunteering at your local hospital. In the long run, spending those 200hrs you would spend on your emt class in a hospital or clinic will look way better on your future med school applications so you can make those millions of $$$ and own those ferraris you dream about at night :wacko: