EMT certification in California requires a candidate to complete national level certification and obtain licensure from a local EMS agency. There are three levels of EMT in California: EMT-I, EMT-II, and paramedic. While EMT-I and paramedics can obtain a statewide license, EMT-IIs are licensed to work in a specified local area and/or county only.

The job of an EMT is to provide emergency medical care to patients both on the scene and during transport to medical facilities. The importance of their role makes it necessary to ensure that only certified and licensed professionals undertake these activities.

EMT Certification in California

The NREMT certifies a candidate as a national level EMT. Those who have completed entry level EMT training are eligible to apply for certification. The candidate must then successfully complete the certification exams to be certified as a national EMT.

The NREMT recognizes five levels of EMT, and its certification is valid for two years at a time. In general, the application for certification must be made within two years of completing an entry-level course.

The NREMT certification exam is composed of a cognitive and a psychomotor exam. The former tests the candidate’s theoretical knowledge about EMT care, trauma, bleeding, oxygenation and other relevant areas. Roughly 70 to 120 questions have to be answered within two hours for EMT Basic certification. A total of six attempts, with a gap of fifteen days between successive attempts, are allowed to clear the cognitive exam.

The psychomotor exam tests the practical ability of the candidate to deal with patients suffering from trauma, bleeding, cardiac problems, bone and joint injuries and other medical emergencies.

What Is EMT Achieve?

It’s essential for students to take an EMT practice test in preparation for the NREMT exams. While not required, practice tests are especially helpful if you’ve recently failed your exam the first time around and you need to be reminded of what you learned in EMT school.

A prep site such as EMT Achieve, which features effective notes, animations, and illustrations, will help jog your memory when it comes to your EMT training.

Becoming an EMT in California

After completion of the NREMT certification of the appropriate level, the candidate can file for EMT licensure with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) through a local EMS agency. Statewide licenses are available for EMT-I and paramedics and these are obtained after the candidate provides proof of completion of certification and verifies the background of the candidate for criminal antecedents. Certain convictions automatically disqualify a candidate while some proven criminal acts make the candidate ineligible for certain durations (ten to fifteen years) only.

If you’re been arrested or convicted of any kind of felony, its best to come clean about your past transgressions should you want any semblance of hope in acquiring a paramedic licensure.

For the EMT-II level, technicians are not eligible for statewide licenses. They must apply with a local EMS agency and may have to undergo additional exams that test the compatibility of the candidate with local conditions. Here is a link to the EMT Initial Certification Application with the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency: http://ems.dhs.lacounty.gov/certification/EMT-InitialCertApp.pdf