Emergency medical technician

An emergency medical technician (EMT) is a medical professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found serving on ambulances and in fire departments in the US and Canada, as some departments require their firefighters to be EMT certified.

EMTs are often employed by public ambulance services, municipal EMS agencies, governments, hospitals, and fire departments. Some EMTs are paid employees, while others (particularly those in rural areas) are volunteers. EMTs provide medical care, primarily basic life support, under a set of protocols which are typically written by a physician.

EMTs often work alongside other EMS professionals such as paramedics, who receive additional training and are granted a greater scope of practice.