Paramedics

Paramedics are medical professionals trained to provide lifesaving, advanced prehospital care at the scene of a disaster or other emergency as part of a comprehensive emergency medical services (EMS) system. Working under the authority of a supervising medical control physician, paramedics provide advanced emergency medical and trauma care in the field, where early assessment and treatment have the greatest impact on patient outcomes if delivered within the “platinum 10 minutes” immediately following an injury. The diverse requirements of providing emergency medical care outside the hospital call for paramedics to cultivate a range of skills and expertise in addition to their medical training. Competencies in rescue practices, hazardous materials response, patient transportation, communications, logistics, interagency operations, documentation and reporting, and other disciplines are directly relevant to ...