Paramedic Training in Alaska

Paramedics are at the top level of Alaska's six tiers of emergency medical services. Training programs for all of the EMT levels as well as the paramedics are available through out the state. Paramedics and other EMT professionals have the responsibility of treating victims at the point of injury or helping patients with other medical emergencies and stabilizing them for transport to the hospital, if necessary. EMS providers in Alaska are both paid and volunteer responders who deal with the distance between communities, weather and geographic challenges presented daily.

Types

• There are six levels of training for EMS professionals in Alaska. The first is the ETT, emergency trauma technician and includes 40 hours of class teaching basic medical care. The next level up is EMT I is the same as the nationally recognized EMT basic level. The training course for EMT I is 120 hours and you must already have CPR certification prior to taking the course. Defibrillator technician is a separate level offered to EMT I technicians and includes an additional 16 hours of training. EMT II in Alaska exceeds the national requirements for EMT Intermediate. The class is 50 hours and the student must have 10 patient contacts as an EMT I and be sponsored by a department approved physician. EMT III level training is at least 50 hours with additional stipulations of at least 10 patient contacts and 10 venipunctures as and EMT II along with the sponsorship of an approved physician. The paramedic level in Alaska is actually the MICP, mobile intensive care paramedics and they are licensed by the Alaskan Department of Commerce and Economic Development.

Function

• MICP's in Alaska are directly or indirectly supervised by physicians. Paramedics are generally found in towns and cities with the largest populations. In some cases, all pre-hospital medical care is completed by mobile intensive care paramedics. In others, MICP's are EMS directors or supervisors.

Identification

• Enrolling in a paramedic training program in Alaska requires that you are a current, registered member of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, NREMT at either the basic or intermediate levels or be certified in Alaska at the EMT I, II, or III levels. Once you have completed your paramedic training program and been certified as a NREMT, you will need to contact Alaska's state medical board for a license.

Considerations

• If taking the NREMT exam is a daunting prospect, there are practice exams available to help you prepare. There are only around 175 MICP's presently in Alaska, according to the EMT national training website. This is not a large number for a very large state, so it stands to reason that the job market for qualified candidates is good.

Benefits

• Base salaries for MICP's in Alaska can range from $33,000 to $57,000 per year, according to salary.com. Your salary is based on experience, education, and the city or town where you are employed. In a recent report, The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimated a 19% job growth for paramedics through 2016.