WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.266 --> 00:00:02.766
Ambulance sirens are a

2
00:00:02.766 --> 00:00:05.566
daily sound backdrop to city life;

3
00:00:05.566 --> 00:00:08.066
TV dramas and real-life news programs alike

4
00:00:08.066 --> 00:00:10.666
feature high-speed trips to rescue victims

5
00:00:10.666 --> 00:00:13.466
and speed them to life-saving medical care.

6
00:00:13.466 --> 00:00:14.732
Inside the ambulance,

7
00:00:14.733 --> 00:00:16.033
the on-site care providers

8
00:00:16.033 --> 00:00:17.933
are emergency medical technicians

9
00:00:17.933 --> 00:00:19.433
—known as EMTs—

10
00:00:19.433 --> 00:00:21.133
and paramedics.

11
00:00:21.133 --> 00:00:22.499
These professionals respond to

12
00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:24.066
911 emergency calls,

13
00:00:24.066 --> 00:00:25.666
evaluate a patient’s needs,

14
00:00:25.666 --> 00:00:27.999
and perform needed medical services,

15
00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.200
such as administering CPR,

16
00:00:30.200 --> 00:00:31.966
stabilizing a trauma victim,

17
00:00:31.966 --> 00:00:33.699
or dressing a wound.

18
00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:35.666
Some paramedics serve on rescue crews

19
00:00:35.666 --> 00:00:38.099
based on helicopters or airplanes.

20
00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:40.200
Most paramedics and EMTs work for

21
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:42.466
ambulance services, local government,

22
00:00:42.466 --> 00:00:43.899
and hospitals.

23
00:00:43.900 --> 00:00:46.233
Their work requires frequent kneeling, bending,

24
00:00:46.233 --> 00:00:49.233
and lifting to care for and move patients.

25
00:00:49.233 --> 00:00:51.399
EMTs and paramedics may be exposed to

26
00:00:51.400 --> 00:00:54.166
contagious diseases and dangerous situations,

27
00:00:54.166 --> 00:00:56.499
and may need to treat combative individuals

28
00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:58.300
who don’t want treatment.

29
00:00:58.300 --> 00:00:59.800
Their work schedules vary:

30
00:00:59.800 --> 00:01:01.766
volunteers are scheduled as needed,

31
00:01:01.766 --> 00:01:03.799
while most paid staff work full time in

32
00:01:03.800 --> 00:01:06.000
12- or 24-hour shifts,

33
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.466
including overnights and weekends.

34
00:01:08.466 --> 00:01:10.799
A formal educational program and licensure

35
00:01:10.800 --> 00:01:12.533
are required for this field,

36
00:01:12.533 --> 00:01:14.199
though states vary in what tasks

37
00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:16.966
they allow EMTs and paramedics to perform.

38
00:01:16.966 --> 00:01:18.832
Some states may require paramedics

39
00:01:18.833 --> 00:01:21.133
to have an associate’s degree, for example,

40
00:01:21.133 --> 00:01:23.233
to qualify to administer medications

41
00:01:23.233 --> 00:01:25.099
and use complex equipment,

42
00:01:25.100 --> 00:01:26.966
such as EKG monitors.

43
00:01:26.966 --> 00:01:29.266
In case of emergency—it’s reassuring to know

44
00:01:29.266 --> 00:01:31.132
that EMTs and paramedics 

45
00:01:31.133 --> 00:01:33.733
are ready to respond at a moment’s notice.