The Star of Life, a global symbol of the emergency medical service

Learning to evacuate an injured person

An emergency medical technician (EMT) is someone who works on an ambulance and takes care of sick and hurt people. EMTs used to be called "ambulance drivers," since much of their work is bringing people to an emergency room. Their other main duty is first aid including:

• Doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and give electric shocks to a person's chest if their heart is beating in a way that could kill them
• Giving oxygen (or force oxygen into a person's lungs) if they stop breathing or are not breathing well enough to survive
• Inserting a breathing tube down someone's windpipe to help them breathe better.
• Stopping hemorrhaging (bleeding so bad that it will kill a person if not stopped)
• Treating burns
• Treat very bad physical trauma (injuries)
• Helping people who are pregnant give birth
• Treating broken bones, dislocated joints, sprains, and wounds