Five Things You Should Know About Emergency First Response

Working in emergency first response means dealing with stressful situations where important decisions must be made quickly in order to save lives. Before you consider becoming an EMS responder, here are five things you should know.

1. Basic responsibilities
As the name suggests, first responders are the first on the scene of an accident. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, EMS responders are expected to:

Assess a patient's condition
Manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies
Care for patients at the scene of an accident and while transporting them by ambulance to the hospital under the direction of more highly trained medical personnel

2. Required training
The National Association for Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) states that first responders must previously have earned their high school diploma and go through 40 hours of classes and training in order to become certified.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, training for EMS responders focuses on learning how to:

Manage respiratory, trauma and cardiac emergencies and patient assessment
Deal with bleeding, fractures, airway obstruction, cardiac arrest and emergency childbirth
Use and maintain backboards, stretchers, splints, oxygen delivery systems and other emergency equipment

3. Working hours
Emergency first response does not follow the average 9 to 5 working day. Because emergency medical services are needed 24 hours a day, EMS responders must work various shifts throughout the day (or night). And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, depending on location and job position, many EMS responders are expected to work more than 40 hours a week.

4. Physical expectations
Working as an EMS responder can often be physically strenuous – heavy lifting is a regular part of the job. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also lists dexterity, physical coordination and good eyesight (with or without the aid of corrective lenses) as physical attributes that are beneficial as an EMS responder.

5. Stress and emotional stability
Due to the nature of the job, EMS responders must deal with high stress on a daily basis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they are often faced with unstable or combative patients, suffering patients, death and other difficult situations while on the job. It is important for professionals working in emergency first response to be emotionally prepared to deal with these types of events.

Health Ed Solutions provides leading resources for ACLS, PALS and BLS certification courses for individuals interested in entering this demanding and rewarding career path. For more information, view our course catalog.