EMT Certification

The EMT Original/EMB 105 course is the first course you'll take as an EMT student. It's an intensive 200+ hour program designed to train you to provide emergency care to patients in the pre-hospital setting based on the scope of practice defined by the NYS Department of Health and U.S. Department of Transportation Emergency Medical Technician curriculum. When you successfully complete this course, you will be eligible to take the NYS Department of Health EMT Certification exam.

Although not necessary, we recommend that you complete high school prior to enrolling — it's likely to be required by potential employers. See how DCC can assist you with your high school equivalent.

You must be 17 years old by the last day of the month you are taking your your course. For example, if the end of course date is Aug 15, you have to be 17 by Aug 31.

No prior experience is necessary, and there are also no pre-admission or testing requirements to start.

No, per NYS, all students will take CPR as part of the course.

No, but you will need to complete a DCC Health Clearance Packet prior to the start of the course.  Upon registration, you will receive an email from the EMS Programs office detailing these and other requirements.

Attendance is required— there's a lot to learn. Any missed lab time must be made up in open lab, and classroom time must be made up per the instructor's requirements. The attendance policy will be reviewed in the first class.

Generally, allow for 15-18 hours each week for outside reading and additional assignments. That's about 2 hours per every lecture hour, and 1 hour per every lab hour. We have open lab sessions available during the week for additional practice, by appointment.

Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured Digital Advantage Package, Twelfth Edition and AHA BLS for Healthcare Provider (2020) are the two required textbooks for the course. Please note that the Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured textbook is sold in digital format, physical textbook format, and as a bundle of both formats. You'll need to buy at least the digital format for the course.

You'll need a computer with reliable internet to complete online quizzes and homework. You'll also need to complete mandatory FEMA classes online. And reliable transportation to class is required.

Course Schedule and Locations:

• Credit-Free EMT Original Course
  • Offered in the fall, spring, and summer sessions
• Credit-Bearing EMB 105 Course
  • Offered in the fall and spring semesters

Class Schedule:

• Fall/Spring Semesters: Tuesdays and Thursdays (one morning and one evening section)
• Summer Session: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (to accommodate the shorter semester)

Location:
Courses are typically held in person at the DCC Poughkeepsie campus. Occasionally, classes may be offered at DCC Fishkill or other offsite locations.

A five-hour clinical experience involving contact with a minimum of 10 patients is mandatory for this course. The five-hour clinical experience will be arranged for each student at a local hospital. If the student does not have contact with at least 10 patients within those five hours, they will need to complete additional hours.

Hours may be available to ride on an ambulance. But this is done on a case-by-case basis and is based on the availability of shifts. If scheduled, this would be in addition to the hospital clinical.

Yes. You must have up-to-date immunizations and a current physical exam that does not expire until after the course is complete on file with the DCC Health Office. Students must also pass a background check and drug screening. A flu shot or flu shot declination waiver and a respiratory clearance are also required. It is important to have all of this paperwork on file within the first two weeks of the course.

Course Tuition and Additional Costs:

• Credit-Free EMT Original Course Tuition: $950
• 6-Credit EMB 105 Course Tuition: View tuition details here.

Note: Tuition does not include clinical requirements and textbooks. Additional costs include:

• Drug Screening and Background Check: Approximately $150
• Required Textbooks: Approximately $300

You are responsible for full payment at the start of class. Upon successful completion of the state exam, many volunteer agencies may request reimbursement for your tuition through the NYS Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. You must have a NYS Department of Health 3312 form on file at the start of the class to be eligible.

If you are paying via credit or debit card, registration is done online. If paying with check or money order, you must come to campus to the Registrar and Student Financial Service Offices. Registration for the fall semester usually opens in June, registration for the spring semester usually opens in November, and registration for the summer semester usually opens in March.

EMB 105: Emergency Medical Technician is offered as a credit course during the spring and fall semesters. Tuition for the credit course is assessed at current credit hour costs. For more information on how to register for credit courses, please consult the Registrar's Office. For assistance please email registrar@sunydutchess.edu or call (845) 431-8020.

As part of the EMT Original/EMB 105 class, you will take the NYS Practical Skills EMS Examination upon successfully completing all coursework. After passing the practical exam, you’ll be eligible to sit for the NYS Written Exam. Upon passing the written exam, you will be certified by New York state.

The cost of the NYS Practical Skills EMS Examination is included in your tuition. To complete your NYS EMS Certification, you will need to pay fees for the Written EMS Examination. To achieve national certification, you must pass the National EMT Exam and the National Registry Paramedic Written Examination. The fees are as follows:

• NYS Written EMS Examination (taken at a PSI testing center): $31
• National EMT Exam (taken at a Pearson testing center): $104
• National Registry Paramedic Written Examination: $175

No, you must go to a testing center. You'll get a printout of the results as soon as you complete the NYS exam. If you passed, the printout can be used as a temporary card. National results usually take 3-5 days.

EMT certification is required by most ambulance agencies to work in an ambulance. Newly certified EMTs will be able to function as a first responder, volunteer, or paid staff after state certification. Additional training requirements like Emergency Vehicle Operations will be conducted at your agency.

EMT certification must be renewed every four years. There are two ways to do that. One is to enroll in an EMT Refresher class and recertify. The other is to enroll in the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program, which requires a specific number of CME hours. You recertify by attending classes which cover specific areas of the curriculum. Many of these CME classes are offered free by local hospitals and EMS and fire agencies.

Please contact the DCC EMS Programs office at (845) 431-8390.