Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)

What is an AEMT?

The primary focus of the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) is to provide very limited advanced emergency medical care and transportation for emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. The AEMT possesses the basic knowledge and skills necessary to provide basic patient care and transportation to non-emergent patients. AEMTs function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight and typically as part of an advanced EMS team response with a higher level provider. AEMTs perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found on an intermediate care ambulance. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician is a link from the scene to the emergency health care system.

What is the Scope of Practice of an AEMT?

An Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) may, under the direction of a Committee approved Medical Director:

1. Perform all procedures that an EMT may perform;
2. Initiate peripheral intravenous (IV) lines in unconscious patients;
3. Maintain peripheral intravenous (IV) lines;
4. Initiate saline or similar locks in unconscious patients;
5. Draw peripheral blood specimens;
6. Insert an uncuffed pharyngeal airway device in the practice of airway maintenance. A cuffed pharyngeal airway device is:
   1. A single lumen airway device designed for blind insertion into the esophagus providing airway protection where the cuffed tube prevents gastric contents from entering the pharyngeal space; or
   2. A multi-lumen airway device designed to function either as the single lumen device when placed in the esophagus, or by insertion into the trachea where the distal cuff creates an endotracheal seal around the ventilatory tube preventing aspiration of gastric contents.
7. Perform tracheobronchial suctioning of an already intubated patient; and
8. Prepare and administer the following medications under specific written protocols authorized by the Medical Director or direct orders from a licensed consultant physician:
   1. Physiologic isotonic crystalloid solution IV or IO
   2. Anaphylaxis: epinephrine IM
   3. Antidotes: Naloxone hydrochloride SL, IM, or IV
   4. Antihypoglycemics: Hypertonic glucose IV;
   5. Catecholamine: Epinephrine 1:1000; Epinephrine 1:10,000 IM or IV
   6. Parasympathetic Blocker: Atropine IV
   7. Nebulized bronchodilators: as determined by the Medical Director
   8. Non-Opioid Analgesics for acute pain as determined by their Medical Director
9. Prepare and administer immunizations in the event of an outbreak or epidemic as declared by the Chief Public Health Officer or designated public health officer, as part of an emergency immunization program, under the Medical Director’s standing order;
10. Prepare and administer immunizations for seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccinations according to the Chief Public Health Officer’s recommended immunization guidelines as directed by the agency’s Medical Director’s standing order;
11. Distribute medications at the direction of the Medical Director as a component of a mass distribution effort;
12. Maintain during transport any intravenous medication infusions or other procedures which were initiated in a medical facility, if clear and understandable written instructions for such maintenance have been provided by the physician at the sending medical facility;
13. Perform electrocardiographic rhythm interpretation of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, pulseless electrical activity, and asystole; and
14. Perform cardiac defibrillation with a manual defibrillator.