Emergency Medical Services

Overview

This program offers three stackable levels of certification as well as an Associates of Applied Science in EMS. The Associate in Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Services is designed to produce high-quality, entry-level paramedics who can serve the community with advanced life support care via the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards (NEMSES).

Program Requirements

Students must:

• Be 18 years of age before enrolling in any EMS course with an EMS prefix greater than EMS 120
• Be 16 years of age to enroll in the EMT course with parental permission
• have a current Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS) approved CPR provider/instructor card, or enroll in the EMS 100 course
• To enroll in the Advanced EMT or paramedic course, students must have completed a high school diploma or equivalent
• Students must either be certified through VAOEMS at the Advanced EMT level or successfully completed the following courses and course requirements in order to enroll in the paramedic program: EMS 123, EMS 170, EMS 180, EMS 181, EMS 182, EMS 183, EMS 184, EMS 185, and EMS 186

Program Options

Associate in Applied Science

• Emergency Medical Services A.A.S.

Career Studies Certificates

• Paramedic
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Advanced Emergency Medical Technician

Clinical Education

BRCC offers this academic program through partnerships with local healthcare agencies and community affiliates to provide clinical education opportunities for students.

BRCC has not determined if the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) program meets the requirements of any other states.

Careers

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) respond to emergency calls, perform services under medical supervision, and transport patients to medical facilities.

Graduates of the EMS programs at BRCC are eligible for testing through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), which is mandatory for Virginia certification.  Students may test at the EMT, AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician) and Paramedic levels after meeting program requirements for that level. 

Graduates of the Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S) in Emergency Medical Services are eligible to sit for the National Registry Paramedic cognitive and psychomotor examination if the students have completed all other program requirements in order to sit for certification.

Resources

• National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
• National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services
• Central Shenandoah Emergency Medical Services Council

Accreditation

The Blue Ridge Community College Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).