Emergency Medical Technician

College of DuPage offers an Emergency Medical Technician certificate program each semester. Students interested in completing this eight-credit-hour course are encouraged to enroll early, as the classes fill up quickly. See certificate requirements below.

Completing EMT training is a first step toward becoming a paramedic and is also a great way for students to decide whether this is a career they would truly like to pursue. Emergency medical technicians are trained in basic emergency skills, rescue techniques, assessment of illness and the handling of hazardous materials. An EMT is trained to care for patients at the scene of an accident and while transporting patients by ambulance to the hospital under medical direction. The EMT has the emergency skills to assess a patient's condition and manage respiratory, cardiac and trauma emergencies.

Most fire departments prefer hiring candidates who have already met state certification requirements for firefighter, emergency medical technician and paramedic. Emergency medical technicians work for fire departments, ambulance services and hospital emergency units. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook, job openings in these careers are expected to grow by as much as 27 percent by 2014. For more information on career outlook and salary information for EMTs, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

• Certificate Requirements, PDF
  
  

EMT Application

• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Information Packet (PDF)
• Health Requirements Information Packet (PDF)

 

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Dan Krakora, EMS/Fire Science Manager
Homeland Security Education Center (HEC), Room 1018
(630) 942-2107

Health and Sciences Division
HS 1220, (630) 942-8331