EMS – San Angelo

The Paramedic must be a confident leader who can accept the challenge and high degree of responsibility entailed in the position. The Paramedic must have excellent judgment and be able to prioritize decisions and act quickly in the best interest of the patient, must be self-disciplined, able to develop patient rapport, interview hostile patients, maintain a safe distance, and recognize and utilize communication unique to diverse multicultural groups and ages within those groups. Must be able to function independently at an optimum level in a non-structured environment that is constantly changing.

The Paramedic must be able to deal with adverse and often dangerous situations which include responding to calls in districts known to have high crime and mortality rates. Self-confidence is critical, as is a desire to work with people, solid emotional stability, a tolerance for high stress, and the ability to meet the physical, intellectual, and cognitive requirements demanded by this position.

Physical Demands

Aptitudes required for work of this nature are good physical stamina, endurance, and body condition that would not be adversely affected by frequently having to walk, stand, lift, carry, and balance at times, in excess of 125 pounds. Motor coordination is necessary because, over uneven terrain, the patient’s, the Paramedic’s and other worker’s well-being must not be jeopardized.

The EMS-Paramedic Program is a fast-paced, condensed program that covers 38 credit hours in less than 12 months. Once accepted into the program, students attend class 40 hours per week. Once completed, graduates are able to take the national exams and work in a variety of areas.

Job opportunities include working with:

• Private ambulance services
• Fire departments
• Police departments
• Emergency 911 services
• Hospitals

ACCREDITATION

The Howard College Emergency Medical Services Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for Emergency Medical Services (CoAEMSP) and is certified by the Bureau of Emergency Management, a division of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Certification levels consist of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification and Paramedic certification. A student may stop at any one certification level or continue through each level to the next. The Texas Paramedic now has the opportunity to become a Licensed Paramedic rather than a Certified Paramedic if he or she has an Associate Degree in EMS or higher degree.