Emergency medical services personnel are the first to evaluate the nature and extent of a medical problem.  They determine the number of people injured, types of injury present, degree of trauma, and any pre-existing medical conditions the victims may have – such as allergies, epilepsy, or diabetes – which require special medical attention.  They then stabilize and safely transport each patient to a health care facility.  The levels of training for emergency medical services personnel in Texas are: Emergency Care Attendant (ECA), Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B), Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate (EMT-I), and Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic (EMT-P).  Emergency medical services personnel must observe strict guidelines and work under the authority of a medical director.

Areas of Specialization
Areas of specialization for emergency medical services personnel may include air medical transport, critical care transport, off-shore/industrial medical care and search and rescue.

Work Environment
Emergency medical services personnel may work in a variety of settings including fire departments, municipal ambulance services, private ambulance companies, hospitals, clinics, rural volunteer groups, medical flight companies, private businesses such as oil companies and educational settings.

Communities rely on EMS personnel as the first-responders to a medical emergency.  And in many rural communities with limited health care resources, volunteer EMS personnel are an especially vital part of the healthcare team.

Advancement
Upon receiving additional training and passing state-approved exams, emergency medical services personnel can advance from the basic to the paramedic level.  Some emergency medical services personnel may decide to go on to become mid-level health professionals, nurses or doctors.  Many also become instructors for emergency medical services personnel training programs.