What Tools Does an EMT Have at Their Disposal in the Ambulance?

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Carpenters have saws, drills and hammers and chefs have pots, spoons, and knives. However, when it comes to treating the sick and injured what tools do EMTs have? EMT supplies range from IV bags to cots and it’s all used to transport, diagnoise, and treat the patient. Let’s look at the tools of the trade.

Transporting the Patient

Oftentimes, patients can’t walk and need to be lifted or wheeled into the squad and they rely on stretchers and collapsible wheel cars to get them there. Stretcher can fold up for storage and the bed can be moved into a position that allows the patient to sit up or be laid flat. If a patient is seriously injured in a fall or car crash, it’s extremely important to keep their neck and spine still to avoid paralyzes, so EMTs deploy backboards and c-spinal collars to keep everything in place.

Diagnosing the Problem

Once an EMT gets to the scene, he or she must immediately start trying to figure out what’s actually wrong with the patient and what treatment is necessary. One of the most important thing EMTs do is check a person’s vitals, which are their pulse, blood pressure, and respirations; for this they use blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes to gather data. ECGs measure the electrical pulses of the heart and put them in a chart that a medic can read to diagnose what’s wrong with the heart. With all the high tech offerings of the ECG, the EMT’s stethoscope is still one of the most important of the EMT supplies. With it, they can discover problems with the lungs. There’s a reason it’s an international symbol of the trade.

Treating What’s Wrong

Once an EMT knows what the problem is they can begin to treat it. All EMTs carry bags called med kits that carry all the bandages, gloves, and tape an EMT will need. Think of them as an advanced first aid kit. When a patient can’t breathe properly, EMTs have a host of tools at their disposal, from oxygen masks for those with light breathing issues, to endotrachial tubes and suction devices for those who are having extreme trouble breathing and/or are unconscious. EMTs also have splints to keep broken bones in place, IVs to give fluids like saline, and defibrillators to help a person’s when their heart stops beating.

Of course, not all supplies are medical, and EMTs always carry their radios on them to contact their dispatcher or the hospital. Perhaps the greatest tool an EMT has is the squad itself, a vehicle big enough to hold everything an EMT needs and still reach almost 100 miles per hour down a freeway. The main intent of all EMT supplies, and the profession in general, is to get a patient to the hospital in the best condition as possible. If this sounds like an exciting career to you, you do have plenty of opportunity as you do not have to pursue several years of schooling just to find a good job.