A Lifetime Skill, A Lifeline Skill

My family is full of emergency room workers and nurses, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMT). We have people at Jamaica Hospital. We have people at Northwell LIJ. We have people in the FDNY. Each one takes pride in their job. I know a family friend who is a surgeon but started as an EMT. Another family friend started as an EMT and is an EMT to this day. As I make my way to a new college to study economics and take premed classes, I am using this semester to complete my EMT training. I’m scheduled to finish by June.

Regardless of what career direction a person takes after becoming certified as an EMT, he or she will have skills that will prove useful somewhere down the line. EMT certification opens up several doors. Of course, you can work for volunteer and paid ambulance companies, providing on-the-scene, stabilizing help that allows people to survive and get to the trained professional healthcare workers they need. You can also use your acquired skills, however, in interesting venues such as a sporting events, concerts and festivals to help keep people in the crowd safe. You can help people as an EMT full time or part time. Or you can simply be capable of helping someone, some day in ordinary life.

Beyond the rewards of helping others, EMT jobs are projected to grow in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the total number of EMTs and paramedic jobs will increase by 24% in New York by 2026.

EMTs provide emergency medical support to people who are critically ill or injured. They transport them to a medical facility for further assistance. EMT training prepares you to be a first responder and take the appropriate steps and remain calm during emergencies you will encounter, from car accidents, to allergic reactions, to heart issues.

Anyone hoping to be an effective EMT needs to be able to keep their composure during stressful situations. He or she needs to be physically fit. Most importantly, an EMT must have compassion for people during what might be the worst time of their lives.

Speaking to an EMT of more than 20 years, she told me that she feels like an asset to her community. Her days are never monotonous. She sees new challenges every day. She comes home from work each time feeling connected to people. She loves to go to work. That’s the working definition of a great job.