Students who care about making their community a safer place to live, enjoy excitement and a good challenge, highly organized, and can “think on their feet”, should explore exciting training and career opportunities in Emergency Medical Services! The EMT program is a one (1) year program that prepares students for the certification exam administered by the Virginia Department of Health and employment as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and/or for entry into post-secondary Paramedic or Public Safety programs.

Students become skilled in identifying and dealing with emergencies such as bleeding, fractures, airway obstruction, cardiac arrest. Instruction emphasizes proper care and use of common emergency and safe methods for lifting, moving, and transporting injured persons. Supervised on-the-job training, patient care experiences, and a clinical rotation in a local hospital are components of the instructional program.

Occupations: Emergency Medical Technician; Paramedic; Home Health Aide; Medical Assistants; Nursing Aides; Registered Nurse¹

Typical Salary in Virginia: $19,000- $51,000 depending on education level and specialization²

Employment Outlook: Employment of EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.³