Utah EMT Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

How to Become a EMT-Paramedic in Utah - EMT-Paramedic Programs in Utah

Probably one of the most vital people in the medical community, aside from doctors and surgeons, are EMT-Paramedics. Whenever there is an accident or any other type of emergency situation, the EMT-Paramedic responds to the call and does their best to make sure the patient gets to the hospital alive. The EMT-Paramedic must be able to look at a situation and be able to come up with a plan to help the patient get out of it. That means, if the patient is trapped inside of a car, the EMT-Paramedic, with the help of other emergency workers, has to determine the best course of action to get the patient out as safely as possible. Also, the EMT-Paramedic is the one responsible for determining what treatment is needed for the patient while they are in the ambulance.

Living in Utah, there is a tremendous need to make sure there are enough EMT-Paramedics to serve all of the communities. That is why there are many EMT-Paramedic training programs at various places, such as community colleges, technical schools, and facilities that are just for training emergency personnel. It usually takes a year for an EMT-Paramedic to complete their first level of training. Once that is completed, the EMT-Paramedic gets certified so they can work. Your training is not finished, however. The EMT-Paramedic continues their training until they move all the way up to being just a paramedic, which is the highest level in this field.

Because of the need for enough EMT-Paramedics throughout the nation, not just Utah, this healthcare field is estimated to grow by 33%. That is extremely large, especially for the healthcare industry. There are hundreds of thousands of EMT-Paramedics, so imagine how many jobs that will be added to this career field in the next eight years. There will be thousands. As more people are populating Utah, the number of EMT-Paramedics will dramatically increase in order to keep up with the pace.

Those who want to be EMT-Paramedics are probably interested in the annual salary. EMT-Paramedics average out making somewhere around $30,000 a year. It is not much, but then this is a job that should largely be done because you feel a calling for it and want a rewarding career all the way around. Still, the pay is not really all that bad when you factor in the amount of education required in order to find work. Just remember, it is a calling and not a job and the pay is just a special bonus reward.

• Utah Department of Health
• Salt Lake Valley Health Department