EMT courses, licensing, and certification in the state of Georgia are governed by the Georgia Department of Emergency Medical Services, a Division of Georgia Public Health. The Georgia Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma oversees the EMS training for the state.
The state of Georgia also requires individuals who have completed GA EMT training to pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam. Georgia also recognizes the NREMT exam for current EMT certification taken in other states.
Georgia has three levels of certification: EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic. In the state of Georgia EMT training programs must meet minimum standards for coursework and clinical experience to be accredited.
To become a certified EMT in the state of Georgia an individual:
• must be at least 18 years of age
• must enroll in EMT-basic training and pass EMT certification (for paramedic levels)
• must pass a fingerprint criminal background check
• must have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent
• must pass a drug screening
• must possess current CPR certification
Georgia requires EMS programs to be certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), which only grants accreditation to schools who follow the National Standard Curriculum established by the U.S. Department of Public Transportation. This ensures qualified EMS personnel to be working in the state, as well as access to employment due to the high standards of requirements in regards to certification.
Programs and Licensing
Training programs in GA vary in length and credit hours due to the variables in each program. In addition to the program course hours, clinical experience is required for each GA EMT training program and certification level. The clinical rotations include fieldwork in different specialty areas such as pediatrics and obstetrics. A George EMS license application form can be found online at the contact information website noted at the end of this article. Other EMS application and certification forms are also available online, including a Reciprocity application.
Georgia EMTs must also renew their certification every two years. This re-certification requires completing continuing education (CE) courses during each certification period. In the state of Georgia, 40 hours of approved continuing education courses are required for renewal of EMT certification.
Most Georgia training programs are through local community colleges and technical schools. Chattahoochee Technical College Paramedic Program and Gainesville State College EMT Training Program are two Georgia paramedic schools offering certification courses.
Georgia requires EMT training programs and paramedic programs to be certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), which only grants accreditation to schools who follow the National Standard Curriculum established by the U.S. Department of Public Transportation. This ensures qualified EMS personnel to be working in the state, as well as access to employment due to the high standards of requirements in regards to certification.
EMT training programs vary in length and credit hours due to the variables in each program. In addition to the program course hours, clinical experience is required for each EMT training program and EMT paramedic training level. The clinical rotations include fieldwork in different specialty areas such as pediatrics and obstetrics.
Georgia EMTs must also renew their EMT and EMT paramedic certification every two years. This recertification requires completing continuing education (CE) courses during each certification period. In the state of Georgia, 40 hours of approved continuing education courses are required for renewal of EMT certification.
According to the United States Department of Labor:
Employment of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics is expected to grow by 19 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
There are additional requirements for pursuing training in each region, and details of these are fairly common state to state. Read the articles found in EMT Training Top Tips and Paramedic Training Best Tips for details and a list of these requirements.
Contact Information
Further information can be obtained by contacting the State EMS Department in Atlanta, GA
or by calling the office: 404-679-0547.
Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS)
2600 Skyland Dr., Lower Level
Atlanta, GA 30319
Email: dph-phemsinfo@dph.ga.gov
The following are EMT training and paramedic schools in Georgia offering accredited courses:
Atlanta Technical College in Atlanta, Georgia offers an EMT paramedic program providing graduates with a Paramedic Technology diploma.
Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, Georgia offers an Associate degree program in paramedicine.
North Georgia Technical College in Clarkesville, Georgia has a paramedic technology diploma that begins
in the fall and takes 5 quarters to complete
Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro, Georgia is a diploma paramedic program consisting of 79 credit hours.
Southwest Georgia Technical College in Thomasville, Georgia has a paramedic training program that is a 6 semester program beginning in the spring and continuing to certification as an EMT paramedic.
Savannah Technical College in Savannah, Georgia provides EMT training programs for both a Paramedic Diploma level and an Associate Degree level Paramedic.