Florida has 40+ colleges offering various EMT Training programs. In general, the colleges in Florida offers these three training programs: EMT education diplomas, certificates and associate’s degrees. They also provide opportunities for Paramedic training programs. These programs educate students through practical lab work, courses and clinical programs. For EMT Certification students, it is essential to pass the NREMT exam while the Paramedic certificate is awarded by passing the exam developed by the state.
Education for an Emergency Medical Technician program includes of 250 hours of class studying, skills practice in a lab, hospital emergency room and ambulance experience and a field internship. Skills included in the curriculum are; Basic Life Support (BLS) including CPR, physical assessments, bandaging and splinting, spinal mobilization, airway management and childbirth.
EMT Educational Requirements:
- Meet all applicable requirements of the Florida Department of Education.
- Submit a complete application for approval of an EMS Training program.
- Successfully demonstrate course requirement documents.
Career Overview.
EMTs work at what most people consider irregular hours and are mostly required to work 12 hour shifts including weekends and holidays too. Some of the daily duties of EMTs include:
- Responding to 911 calls for emergency medical assistance.
- Assess a patient’s condition and determine appropriate treatment.
- Create patient care reports that document the medical care provided.
- Replace all used supplies in the ambulance.
- Check and clean all medical equipment in the ambulance between each emergency call.
EMT Certification Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older
- Must have successfully completed a state-approved EMT program within the last two years.
- Have a clear criminal background.
- Must be certified by the NREMT before being certified by the state of Florida.
EMT Schools in Florida.
Brevard Community College.
Located in Cocoa, offers an EMT Diploma, paramedic certificate or an associate’s degree program. The EMT Diploma can be completed in one semester while the paramedic certificate program can be completed in three semesters. The associate’s degree program involves students in paramedic courses, lab and clinical experiments.
Broward College.
Has campuses at Davie and Coconut Creek, courses offered include an EMT Diploma, paramedic certificate and an associate’s degree program. The EMT Diploma program involves educational course, lab and field internship. The Paramedic certificate program takes four semesters. The Paramedic certificate and associate’s degree program requires students to complete various EMT lectures, skills labs, field internships and hospital clinical requirements.
Florida State College of Jacksonville.
This college is located in Jacksonville and offers the Paramedic certificate program. It requires applicants to hold an EMT Certification and covers topics such as; patient assessment, airway management, emergency procedures, pharmacology and cardiology.
Hillsborough Community College.
Situated in Tampa, offers an EMT Certificate, Paramedic Certificate and EMS associate’s degree program. Students in these programs are taught how to perform advanced life support techniques and administer medications.
Indian River State College.
This college is located in Fort Pierce and offers three EMT programs; EMT Diploma, Paramedic certificate and EMS associate’s degree programs. The Paramedic Certificate and associate’s degree programs consist of two paramedic courses, two field experiences and a field internship. The associate’s degree program also has an additional general education coursework.
Miami Dade College.
Located in Miami, offers three EMT programs; the EMT certificate program that can be completed in two semesters, the Paramedic Certificate program and the EMS associate’s degree program which takes five semesters to complete. The paramedic programs consist of lectures, labs and clinical work.
Palm Beach State College.
Situated in Lake Worth, offers EMT programs at the certificate, diploma and associate’s degree levels. The EMT- Basic diploma program and the Paramedic certificate program include three classes each. The Paramedic Certificate program also includes three clinical requirements and a field internship. The EMS associate’s degree program includes general education requirements, EMT training and Paramedic coursework.
Seminole State College of Florida.
Located in Sanford, offers three EMT Programs; the EMT Certificate program, the Paramedic certificate program and the EMS associate’s program.
St. Petersburg College.
This college in Clearwater offers EMT, paramedic and EMS programs. The EMT advanced technical diploma program can be completed in 16 weeks during the daytime or evening sessions. After earning EMT licensure, students can continue their education in the paramedic certificate program. Topics covered include patient assessment, transportation and medicine administration. The EMS associate’s program, in addition to paramedic training, also provides an opportunity to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at the same college.
Valencia College.
Has campuses in Orlando and Kissimmee. Offers the EMT Diploma program, the Paramedic certificate and EMS associate’s program. The EMT Diploma program courses include fundamentals of emergency medical technology and EMT clinical education.
- American Medical Academy – Miami, FL
- College of Central Florida – Ocala, FL
- Daytona State College – Daytona Beach, FL
- Florida Gateway College – Lake City, FL
- Lake Technical Center – Eustis, FL
- Manatee Technical Institute – Bradenton, FL
- Pensacola State College – Pensacola, FL
- Polk Community College – Winter Haven, FL
- Santa Fe College, Gainesville – Gainesville, FL
- Tallahassee Community College – Tallahassee, FL
Tuition and Fees.
| College | In-state | Out-of-state |
| Brevard Community College. | $2,496 | $9,739 |
| Broward College. | $2,830 | $8,952 |
| Florida State College of Jacksonville. | $2,878 | $9,992 |
| Hillsborough Community College. | $2,506 | $9,111 |
| Indian River State College. | $2,764 | $10,201 |
| Miami Dade College. | $2,838 | $9,661 |
| Palm Beach State College. | $2,444 | $8,732 |
| Seminole State College of Florida. | $3,131 | $11,456 |
| St. Petersburg College. | $2,682 | $9,286 |
| Valencia College. | $2,474 | $9,383 |
School Reviews:
Broward College.
Most professors are willing to help students succeed and the teachers really know what they are teaching. Broward has an extraordinary quality of learning, it is flexible, fun and a great place for advancing your career!
Palm Beach State College.
Palm Beach is well known in its area and provides numerous scholarships for the students. The college is affordable, it is a great college to begin your career and leave an impact on the community.
EMT Training Online – Florida
Online training is a learning method designed to enable students to work at their own pace and flexibility. It is a great help for students who are working or parenting during the week.
The online EMT Training Program offered in Florida consists of Didactic, Psycho-motor and Clinical.
Instructors teach what was taught in a traditional classroom but in an online way, that is, through power point presentations, videos etc. They also provide you with home-work assignments and research exams for practice purposes.
There are also weekly instructor/student chat rooms that cover scenario training, documentation and legal scenarios. This gives students the opportunity to ask questions on course material. Students can attend as many chat rooms as they wish, however, they must attend at least two in order to complete the course. Students must complete a 100 hours of clinical rotation, skill days are the first and third Monday of every month from 9 in the morning to 4 in the evening.
FAQs.
What is field internship? Field internship consists of 8-12 hour shifts where the student rides in an ambulance and functions in the capacity of an EMT under direct supervision of an instructor.
What are the physical requirements of the EMT- Basic program? Students need to be physically strong as they may sometimes be required to lift up to 100 pounds. You are required to complete a physical examination with a physician’s signature proving that you are physically capable of performing an EMT’s tasks.
How often is EMT Training offered? EMT training is offered during the spring, summer and fall semesters.
Do I need CPR certification before I start EMT Training? No. CPR will be taught during the clinical course.