Minimum age...

[chappy]

I think chappy was most likely making reference to being an EMT. We allow students to enroll so long as they turn 18 before they complete the EMT studies.

Well, I wish...Here in North Carolina, many of the rescue squads even have Jr. Members, riding the ambulance, who are 13-17 years old. Anyone who can pass a reading test at a seventh grade level can take the Basic EMT course, even before the age of 18. One cannot test until the age of eighteen.

Once you have your Basic EMT and HS Diploma, you are immediately eligible to take the NC Paramedic class. Our current Paramedic class will last exactly one year. We have one person in our class who just turned nineteen and we graduate in September. She's not old enough to drink, but she will be able to push narcotics.

[Richard B the EMT]

NY State minimum age for EMT-B is 18. I know of one became an EMT prior to her 18th birthday, but when the investigation ended, she was already past the 18th birthday, and they left her alone. She retired from EMS activities as a Paramedic Lieutenant, some 20 or so years later.

Someone correct me if I am incorrect, but I seem to recall a program in the state of New Jersey, where teenagers as young as 16 were in EMT programs, and riding on some of the community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, but a key word on that was, they NEVER rode without a fully qualified NJ State EMT in the back with them. Teaneck, NJ had several features on the "Emergency Service Ride Along" shows, popular late Saturday night/Sunday mornings in the late 1980s.

As for me, when I started in Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps (Rockaway Beach, NY) in 1973, I wanted to drive. The new organization told me, "No", stating "Insurance policies, ya gotta be 21 to drive". I was 19, then.

[the_negro_puppy]

As Kiwi states its much the same here in Aus-

Youngest can be usually 20, graduating high school at 17 then 3 years of uni.

Having that we have 17-20 year old uni students riding along with us and they vary greatly in life experience and maturity. Many of these young adults still live at home with their parents, are from a middle class background and have never had to deal with a drunk, drugged or aggressive psych patient screaming in their faces. Many have not had a family member die or seen a dead body. There's a first time for everything I guess.

[Kiwiology]

Having that we have 17-20 year old uni students riding along with us and they vary greatly in life experience and maturity. Many of these young adults still live at home with their parents, are from a middle class background and have never had to deal with a drunk, drugged or aggressive psych patient screaming in their faces. Many have not had a family member die or seen a dead body. There's a first time for everything I guess.

I agree, in my exp there is the one few and far between young person who is quite mature etc but the vast majority are green as grass and have no idea how it is out on the street in the big wide world because they've never exp'd it and are fresh out of school or uni etc so just do not have the life skills required to do ambo work

[c9b5]

NY State minimum age for EMT-B is 18. I know of one became an EMT prior to her 18th birthday, but when the investigation ended, she was already past the 18th birthday, and they left her alone. She retired from EMS activities as a Paramedic Lieutenant, some 20 or so years later.

Someone correct me if I am incorrect, but I seem to recall a program in the state of New Jersey, where teenagers as young as 16 were in EMT programs, and riding on some of the community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, but a key word on that was, they NEVER rode without a fully qualified NJ State EMT in the back with them. Teaneck, NJ had several features on the "Emergency Service Ride Along" shows, popular late Saturday night/Sunday mornings in the late 1980s.

As for me, when I started in Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps (Rockaway Beach, NY) in 1973, I wanted to drive. The new organization told me, "No", stating "Insurance policies, ya gotta be 21 to drive". I was 19, then.

In NJ, 16 year olds can become EMTs as long as they are 16 prior to the start of the class. According to state law, any EMT under 18 must be accompanied by an EMT older than 18 when in the back of a rig.

[Arctickat]

I did my first ambulance call when I was 11 years old. Back then we only required a driver but my dad didn't like going alone with no one to watch the patient. Usually my mother or older brothers went with, but in this case no one else was available and I got to bring home a post surgical hip fracture.

[runswithneedles]

When I was in EMS the first time, back in the late '80s - early '90s, I was 18 and on fire. I thought I was "IT." I knew everything, I knew I was all grown up, I knew I was mature, etc. In other words, I had the typical thought process for a young adult. Now, with more than twenty years of life-experience, I have somewhat of a different view of things. I see now that I was not on fire like I thought. I wasn't the uber-mature, end-all, gift to paramedicine (or the world) that I thought I was.

Granted, in a lot of ways, paramedicine is a young person's sport. But is there some room to consider the idea of requiring paramedics to be at least 21? If you think about it, we have 19 year old medics who can push narcotics, but cannot purchase liquor!

I know the debate about degree medics is also raging, but should there be a requirement to work at a certain level for some time before advancing? That would build in a waiting and maturing period.

Its hard to say. Im twenty and got my EMT-B when I was 18. Ill be sitting for my paramedic licensure in less than a month and I know I have the mental capacity to handle the responsibilities I will be granted upon licensing. Some of my previous post may reflect otherwise but its because I came to this site and posted them I am beginning to understand the magnitude of what you (currently acting and retired paramedics) do, have done, can do, and ultimately what a outcome could be if a medic should make a error in judgement.

It truly depends on the student and how serious he takes this massive undertaking and if he is willing to take the time to do outside research and reach out to find mentors to help guide them.

[island emt]

Good onya Mike: You are learning young Jedi !

[Richard B the EMT]

Learn young, and gain more knowledge and experience as you age, young grasshoppers.

[Eydawn]

I don't believe in minimum ages for EMS (although I am loathe to go younger than 14 for First Responders- there's only so much babysitting one can do when one is trying to treat a patient.)

A lot depends on the individual in question. Remember, many of you would not have known I was in my 20's based on my writing... I seem to remember some folks insisting I had to be in my thirties...

I do think in general, it is not a good idea to have 16 year olds on an ambulance, but there is a huge difference between age 16 and age 18, and 18 and about 23-ish.

I'll take a very mature, open to direction 17 year old working with me over a 19 year old hot shot who's convinced they know everything. I think it takes getting a little older to realize exactly what you don't know, but there are advantages to being younger as well (physical stamina, energy, quick mental processing). Therefore, I think minimum ages are irrelevant. It all depends on the person. The self motivated, intelligent, willing to learn 19 year old paramedic will provide good patient care, whereas the hot shot will screw up or get moved along in some other fashion, or will grow up and become a better provider for it.

Case in point-- recent Century Ride in my state... I was at the finish line, and we got SWAMPED with patients. I had two brand new, just passed their test First Responders aged 16 and 17 with me. A little direction here, a little oversight/cross checking there, and those two literally saved the bacon, as there were so many patients that it would have been impossible for me to treat all of them. Would I work with them again? Absolutely. Would I trust that they knew what they were doing? Trust but verify- provide guidance and teaching, and soon they'll really be rock stars.

I've also worked with 17-18 year olds in the past who were so gung ho on "being the medic" that they provided treatment that made absolutely no sense and I had to step in and take over for them before they REALLY screwed up... like I said, it all depends on the person. (Those gung ho idiots are all now fully grown and responsible citizens, and some of them actually went into EMS and seem to be doing pretty well for themselves... so they just needed a little seasoning...)

Wendy

CO EMT-B

RN-ADN Student