Please be advised that in order to attend our EMT/EMR class, all students will be required to be Covid-19 vaccinated and show proof of vaccination.  All students will be required to follow the Covid-19 protocols of the Town of Westport, WEMS and WVEMS.

For more information, or to register for the class please email training@westportems.org

Applications and payments are required before the first class.  The class will be filled on a first come first serve basis with EMT students getting preference.

Spring 2023 class will begin on Tuesday February 28th and end in June.  A full schedule will be posted soon. 

Applications can be dropped off or mailed to:

WVEMS- EMT Class

50 Jesup Road

Westport CT 06880

WVEMS is very pleased to announce our EMR/EMR class will be taught by our resident Paramedic and EMSI Rick Baumblatt.  Rick has over 40 years of emergency services experience under his belt and will be a wealth of knowledge for all of our students. WVEMS is very proud of our classes and our members. Over time we have had at least 14 members go on to medical school and others have become nurses, physician assistants and paramedics. 

The class size will be limited and EMT students will get priority over EMR students.  The cost will be $1250 per EMT student, or $750 per EMR student which includes the classes, book, stethoscope and BP cuff. Subject to the Westport PD’s use of the classroom, classes will generally be held on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings with some Saturday day classes.  Tuition is non-refundable after the first class.

To encourage new members, WVEMS can reimburse for the cost of our class after they are cleared as a regular member of WVEMS. New members can request reimbursement pursuant to the rules adopted by the WVEMS Board of Directors below.

WVEMS TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

EMR classes are not reimbursable by WVEMS.  The EMT-B Course Tuition Reimbursement Program requires that interested members make a request in writing to the attention of the President or any other member of the Board of Directors after successful completion of their WEMS internship. Such requests will receive consideration only if the member submits evidence of tuition payment along with his or her number of volunteer hours.  The member may only apply for reimbursement of an EMT-B program within two years of the course completion.  The member should further certify that no other means of reimbursement is available (e.g. through another EMS corps or through tuition scholarship).

Reimbursement authorizations are issued for half the tuition after the member has volunteered a minimum of 75 hours over a six months period of continuous volunteer service. The second half is reimbursed after an additional 75 hours during the second six months of continuous volunteer service, up to a maximum of the current WVEMS tuition.  During this time, the member must be cleared off intern status and maintain active service.

For more information, or to register for the class please email training@westportems.org

CLASS DETAILS:

Our highly respected Emergency Medical Technician program provides students with the skills to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care for those who are sick or injured. The program also prepares students for the state of Connecticut written and practical (psychomotor) certification exams, which are required to become an EMR or EMT-B. Upon completion of these exams, it will make it possible to join the WVEMS family and to save lives in the community. 

• You must turn 14 years of age by the end of the EMR Program
• You must turn 16 years of age by the end of the EMT-B Program

INSTRUCTION INCLUDES:

• Traumatic Injury Management
• Medical Emergencies
• Childbirth/OB GYN
• Breathing emergencies
• Cardiac emergencies
• Pediatric emergencies 

COURSE FORMAT:

This course is scheduled to include classroom lectures, skill lab sessions, online modules, and field training with ambulance crews. If necessary, the course could be held online if the Town of Westport deems it necessary.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon successful completion of a course the student will be certified in CPR and Stop The Bleed, as well as being eligible to sit for the State of Connecticut EMR Exam or the National Registry of EMT’s Exam. Successful completion of these exams, along with a practical skills exam will earn you a State of Connecticut Emergency Medical Technician or Emergency Medical Responder license and the ability to join WVEMS.

For more information, or to register for the class please email training@westportems.org

EMT FAQS

WHAT IS AN EMR, EMT AND EMT-PARAMEDIC?

The most common certifications in Emergency Medical Services are the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). There are four levels of certification that are common to almost every state; EMR, EMT-Basic, EMT-Advanced and EMT-Paramedic. Within the industry, it is very common to refer to a basic EMT as simply EMT, and to refer to EMT-Paramedics as Paramedics.

SO, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The biggest differences between paramedics, EMR’s and EMTs are the training and the scope of practice (what they are allowed to do).

• EMR’s usually receive 80 - 100 hours of training
• Basic EMT’s usually receive 120 - 180 hours of training
• Advanced EMT’s usually receive 150 - 300 hours of training
• Paramedics get anywhere from 1,200 hours to 1,800 hours of training. Paramedic programs often award two-year degrees.

The scope of practice differences between EMR’s, EMT’s, EMT-A’s and Paramedics can be summed up by the ability to break the skin. Most states do not allow basic emergency medical technicians to give shots or start intravenous lifelines. Paramedics, on the other hand, can give shots as well as use more advanced airway management devices to support breathing. Basic EMTs are usually restricted to using oxygen, glucose, asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors (a common exception to the no-needles rule). Paramedics are trained in the use of 30-40 medications, depending on the state.

For more information, or to register for the class please email training@westportems.org