People's lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics (EMTs with additional advanced training to perform more difficult pre-hospital medical procedures. Automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, and gunshot wounds are examples of incidents that would require emergency medical care. EMTs and paramedics provide this vital attention as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
             Depending on the nature of the emergency, EMTs and paramedics typically are sent to the scene by a 911 operator and often work along side police and fire personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and severity of the victims condition while trying to decide if the patient has pre-existing medical issues. Care is give following very strict rules and guidelines; and when necessary they transport the patient to a hospital or trauma center.
             10 am shows a peak in heart attack calls. Many times the patient's family goes to check on someone who hasn't gotten up yet to find that they had passed away during the night. The diagnosis is very easy, their heart stopped, and the prognosis is also very predictable. The success rate for unwitnessed out of hospital heart attack is around 3 percent. Where paramedics save the most lives is in people that have been having chest pain and contact emergency personnel immediately. "On average paramedics run into one or two critical chest pain per day." Paramedic David Ashley said.
             Many paramedic services run on a 24/48 hour schedule. A person would work 24 hours straight, then would get 2 days off. "If the area isn't that busy if can be good but it could be quite grueling if your zone runs 20 calls a shift." Ashley said.
             Coursework typically emphasizes emergency skills such as managing respiration, trauma, and card
             ...