• Emergency Medical Responder
• Primary Care Paramedic
• Advanced Care Paramedic
• Critical Care Paramedic

In British Columbia Emergency Medical Responders are often the first professional health care providers that a patient encounters. Emergency Medical Responders, working for BC EHS (the provincial ambulance service), provide a vital link in the care of the ill or injured patient by providing life saving aid and transportation to the hospital.  

Emergency Medical Responder is also a pre-requisite to enrol in further paramedic education.  

In addition to the role Emergency Medical Responders play with BC EHS, many fire departments are currently upgrading their licensed First Responders to EMR, greatly increasing the medical care they can provide while awaiting arrival of the BCEHS paramedics.

About the Emergency Medical Responder course:

Your Emergency Medical Responder course will be taught by paramedics with decades of experience, who have done thousands of 911 calls. The course provides a mix of lecture, group activities, practical skill stations and practical scenario practice, allowing you to build on your existing First Responder knowledge base while learning and practicing EMR skills.

During the course you will work with the same equipment currently used by providers in British Columbia’s 911 system (fire fighters and paramedics from BC Emergency Health Services). This will allow you to gain comfort and experience using the same pre-hospital equipment you will use when employed as an EMR.

By the end of this course you will feel confident responding to care for car accident victims, people experiencing heart attacks, patients with fractures and spinal injuries, unconscious diabetics, and many more!

 

 

What will I learn about?

• The Professional Emergency Medical Responder
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Prevention of Disease Transmission
• Managing the Emergency Scene
• Pharmacology (including the administration of Entonox for pain management, Nitro and ASA for chest pain, and Naloxone for opioid overdose)
• Patient Assessment (primary and secondary survey, including blood pressure assessment, pulse oximetry (SPO2 monitoring), and chest auscultation)
• Airway & Ventilation (including the use of oral airways, nasal airways, suction, oxygen therapy, pocket and bag valve masks)
• Respiratory Emergencies (Asthma, COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, CHF. Also included is assisting with patient medications for asthma/COPD and anaphylaxis)
• Circulation Emergencies (including care of the angina and heart attack chest pain patient, assisting with patient medications (nitroglycerin and ASA) for chest pain, care of the stroke patient, and CPR and AED use)
• Shock & Bleeding (including tourniquet application)
• Head & spine injuries (including spinal grips, spinal rolls, helmet removal, hard collar application, use of the spine board, clamshell, and KED for spinal immobilization)
• Chest, Abdominal, and Pelvic Injuries
• Fractures & sprains (including use of the Sager traction splint)
• Soft Tissue Injuries
• Sudden Medical Emergencies (fainting, seizures, and diabetes. Included is the use of a glucometer and oral glucose for managing the hypoglycemic diabetic patient)
• Environmental emergencies (heat and cold emergencies)
• Poisons
• Special Populations
• Childbirth
• Crisis Intervention
• Reaching & Moving People (including an ambulance orientation and use of common patient movement devices such as stretchers and stairchairs
• Multiple Casualty Incidents

Course Delivery Format:

The 124 – 128 hour Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder course is comprised of:

• A pre-read home study package (approximately 20 hours)
• 80 hours of EMR classroom time
• All Schedule One and Schedule Two content from the new 2023 EMA Licensing Scope of Practice Update (4-8 hours online plus 16 hours in classroom)

 

Course completion requirements:

Successful completion of the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder course is based upon:

• 100% attendance in the full EMR process described above (approximately 124 – 128 hours)
• Completion of two practical scenarios (one medical and one trauma)
• A 75% or higher mark on a written knowledge examination

Upon successful completion of the Canadian Red Cross EMR course you will receive certification in Emergency Medical Responder, including BLS CPR certification. These qualifications are valid for 3 years, and are nationally recognized.

 

How long is the certificate good for?

Upon successful completion of the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder course you will receive nationally recognized certification that is valid for 3 years.

About Licensing:

In order to practice professionally as an EMR in the 911 System you must first obtain EMR certification, and then successfully examine for and obtain a license to practice from the regulatory body that governs pre-hospital care in your province. In British Columbia, this body is the Emergency Medical Assistant’s Licensing Board (the EMALB). 

More information on becoming licensed as an EMR in BC can be found on the Emergency Medical Assistant’s Licensing Board’s website HERE.

The process to become licensed in BC and eligible for employment in the 911 system is essentially as follows:

1. Successfully pass the Emergency Medical Responder Bridging course
2. Once certified, apply for and successfully pass the EMALB EMR Examinations (2 practical scenarios, one multiple choice medical exam, one jurisprudence exam)
3. Apply for an EMR license with the EMALB

NOTE: The EMALB Licensing exams are separate from your Emergency Medical Responder course. Any costs associated with obtaining your EMALB license are separate from the course fees paid to Priority Care First Aid for your EMR course.

How much does the course cost:

The Emergency Medical Responder course costs $1,560 per participant with a digital copy of the Emergency Care manual (456 pages), or $1,685 with a full colour printed copy of the textbook.  

A minimum billing of 8 participants will apply to private group courses, and the Red Cross allows a maximum of 12 participants in each class.

Priority Care is not running individual enrolment public EMR courses at this time.

Our EMR Bridging courses are offered on a group course basis, and are available throughout the Greater Vancouver area (Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Langley, Cloverdale, Surrey, White Rock, Delta, Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver) and the Fraser Valley (Mission, Aldergrove, Abbotsford, Chilliwack).

 

Booking a group course:

If you would like to book an Emergency Medical Responder group course for your organization please CONTACT US.