by Bruce Ziebarth

Created on: May 07, 2010

Colorado's demographic and geographic characteristics require a robust Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System. Colorado's EMS system is called upon to respond to a variety of emergencies from hikers becoming lost and exposed to the elements, rock climbers falling, or just campers becoming ill. Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) allows you to join this noble profession.  This article provides information on how to become an EMT in Colorado.

Colorado issues three types of EMT licenses; EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Every aspiring EMT must begin as an EMT-Basic. To obtain your Colorado EMT basic license you will need to review course prerequisites, identify and EMT basic course near you, enroll and successful complete the course, successfully pass EMT-Basic national registry exams, and apply for your Colorado EMT-Basic license.

The first step in becoming an EMT is to complete course prerequisites. EMT-Basic training programs require students to be at least 18 years old. This is due to liability issues.  Students also need to possess a valid, healthcare provider level, CPR certification. Appropriate level CPR certifications include American Heart Association's healthcare provider certification and American Red Cross's CPR for the Professional Rescuer certification. You will also need to obtain or provide proof of proper immunizations such as hepatitis B, MMR, tuberculosis, and tetanus. These prerequisites may vary slightly from course to course; however, completing this for requisite list will cover most EMT-Basic course entry requirements.

What you have completed the course requirements, you will need to identify a local EMT-Basic course. EMT-Basic courses are provided by such agencies as fire departments, hospitals, colleges, even ambulance services. To begin your search, we have described several EMT-Basic training providers and listed their contact information below.

Front Range community college provides training courses for EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Front Range community college is EMT basic certificate is a 10 College credit hour course.  This program cover such topics as assessing patients, administering airways, oxygen administration, an introduction to the emergency medical services system.  This training program exceeds the minimum 100 classroom hours, required by the US Department of Transportation. You can find out more information at http://www.frontrange.edu/FRCCTemplates/FRCC1.aspx?i d=683

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