Emergency Medical Technician — about the profession
Depending on the number and severity of injuries, major roadway accidents can require multiple ambulances, as well as fire and rescue vehicles.
Every place that people live, work and play is the site of a potential emergency – homes, apartment buildings, roads, office towers, playgrounds, factories, churches, schools, movie theaters and ships just start the list.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates jobs for trained EMTs — Paramedics will increase 9 percent through 2018, about average for all professions. Several factors will contribute to the growth. As the Baby Boomer generation hits retirement and beyond, large numbers of older adults will likely have more medical emergencies.
Many emergency rooms in U.S. hospitals are overcrowded, which increase the time it takes to transfer patients from an ambulance into the care of hospital staff and increases the time EMTs and paramedics spend with those in their care. Overcrowded hospitals at times divert new incoming emergencies to other facilities, which increases transit time. Specialization among hospitals – facilities dedicated to cardiac care, for example – also will increase the need for patient transfers.