EMT is a dynamic small business meeting the evaluation, management and training needs of public and nonprofit organizations nationwide. For, over two decades, EMT has conducted evaluation research, provided management consulting, and administered training programs focused on substance abuse prevention, mentoring, and related fields of health and human services.
The EMT I, II, III, and IV program came into existence on July 1975 with House Bill 2107. The EMT II, III, and IV certification levels became the responsibility of the Board of Medical Examiners, while the EMT I certification level was under the Health Division. The statutory language set forth the EMT II, III, and IV certification levels, as well as the composition of an advisory committee that advised the Board on educational requirements and scope of practice for advanced EMT’s. There were eight members related to the advisory committee:-
- Two were physicians, who treated emergencies like trauma and cardiovascular injuries,
- Five were Oregon certified EMT’s II, III, and IV, and
- One lay person.
Each Congressional district was to be represented by at least one member who resided in the district at the time of his appointment.
Between 1975 and 1979 the committee worked on drafting guidelines to grandfather in existing EMTs, determining their certification level and the examination(s) they were required to pass in order to be certified, developing curriculam and educational standards for the EMT II, III and IV courses, writing the examinations for these certification levels, and developing continuing education requirements. In 1978 rules were adopted that specified that an EMT could not function as an EMT without a Board approved “controlling physician.” This was later changed to “supervising physician,” and rules were written to specify the requirements to be an EMT supervising physician or agent, and their duties in supervising, providing continuing education, and ride-along time. Legislation was introduced in 1979 to move the EMT I program from the Health Division to the Board, which would have merged all the certification programs together. But unfortunately, this bill did not pass, as there were some funding and staffing issues. In 1983 a scope of practice for the EMTs II, III, and IV was written as an administrative rule. Once the scope of practice was defined, the Committee held annual scope of practice meetings. Because the scope of practice was still evolving, these meetings were often large and lively. During this same year the Committee drafted administrative rules that defined the qualifications of an EMT supervising physician and his/her duties. In 1985 the Committee developed the EMT II-D (defibrillation) certification level, its scope of practice and examination. Shortly after the transfer of the EMT program to the Health Division, the Board determined that there was still a need for an advisory committee on EMT scope of practice and EMT supervising physicians. A committee was created to provide recommendations to the Board on issues pertaining to scope of practice, the development by the Health Division of three new levels of EMT certification, curricula development and the drafting of administrative rules. The Board discusses and votes on the recommendations of this advisory committee. The EMT Advisory Committee is currently composed of five members: two physicians who are EM/trauma physicians and EMT supervising physicians, and three EMT-Ps, two of whom practice as paramedics, and one who is an instructor/coordinator of the EMT paramedic program at OHSU/OIT, and is also member of the State EMS Committee.
On 1989, EMT II, EMT III, and EMT IV went undet the control of the Health division and the board took the responsibility of the scope of practice and the qualifications and qualities needed to become an EMT physician. On 1995 legislation added the responsibility of developing and maintaining a scope of practice for the first responders and a scope of practice was developed and was added to the administrative rules.
After going through all these processing’s and decisions EMT came into being and became one of the very important organizations which help in the well-being of people when they are in distress or trouble.
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