Paramedic is the top level of EMT and involves a large amount of training in advanced life support (ALS) practices.
The following is a list of requirements you will need to satisfy prior to becoming a licensed EMT in the State of Utah :
- 18 years of age
- EMT-Basic certification
- Criminal background check, criminal records may result in rejection; if you have a criminal record it’s best to contact your local EMS Agency before you invest time and money
- CPR course certificate
- Paramedic training
- High School diploma
- Valid drivers license not a requisite for an EMT license but may be required for better job prospects
Step 1
Find a local approved training facility and register for the Paramedic training. The minimum course duration is 1,200 hours and is split into a minimum of 610 hours of training and 596 hours of clinical and field experience.
Prior to contacting the training facility you should get proof of immunization and verify with the training facility what other immunizations you will need prior to registering. A lot of training providers will require that you have your CPR certification card before you start the course, so it is advisable to check with the training providers if they offer CPR training as well.
It is absolutely crucial that you only register for an approved training course at a state approved facilityThe Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services provides a great search function for scheduled courses: https://bems.utah.gov/bems/do/courseScheduleAction?dispatch=viewSearch
Due to the long duration and intense content, paramedic courses do not come cheap. While prices vary between facilities an applicant should expect to pay $4,000 to $10,000.
Step 2
In order to submit an application an applicant must do the following:
- Complete the application
- Bring the application to your EMT training provider
- Upon successful completion of the training and related exams your instructor will complete the application and send it back to the OEMS
- Submit a photo with your application
- Submit copy of valid CPR certificate
- Submit documentation of completed courses in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- Submit payment of initial certification fee of $260 plus $35 for fingerprinting (check or money order)
- Submit criminal background check results
- Submit tuberculosis test results
- Submit course completion documentation
Step 3
Paramedic license applicants must pass the NREMT exams, which are made up of two parts, a written cognitive exam and a psychomotor exam. For the written exam an applicant will need to register with the NREMT (http://www.nremt.org) and pay the $110 application fee. When the applicant is ready to take the exam they will need to get in touch with Pearson Vue (http://www.vue.com) who provide the computer based testing for the NREMT exam.
For the psychomotor examination you should check with your Paramedic training provider whether they are able to provide such certification in conjunction with the Paramedic course. Alternatively contact your local EMS Agency for details about test schedules. Note that this exam tests the applicant for 12 separate skills and is likely to incur a fee by the training facility.
Once the applicant has received certification for both exams they will be issued with an NREMT certificate which is valid for 2 years; this certificate is needed for the state EMT license application and should be forwarded to the EMS Authority.
Knowing all these steps in advance will greatly help in planning your training and ensuring a quick and efficient process as possible.