Prerequisites

High School Diploma or G.E.D.

Government Issued Photo ID

Current CPR Certification

(American Heart Association or Red Cross)

Current EMT-B Certification

(State or NREMT)

Proof of Current Health Insurance Coverage

Proof of Immunizations

Completion of a Human Anatomy & Physiology Course**

Acceptance Interview

*Previous college credit or Completion of Madison Fire Department’s online Anatomy and Physiology course prior to, or within 90 days of, paramedic program start date.

Technical Standards

As a paramedic student, it is necessary to possess certain physical, mental, and emotional abilities/skills to function effectively and efficiently in the role of health care provider. The paramedic student must also demonstrate a set of abilities/skills referred to as ‘technical standards’ which include the following six (6) categories: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, behavioral/social, and emotional intelligence.

Reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities will be considered on an individual basis, but a student must be able to perform in an independent manner. The following abilities/skills are required, with or without accommodations.

Abilities and Skills Necessary for the Profession

  • Physical and mental proficiency
  • Energy to fulfill responsibilities of the role
  • Visual acuity (with corrective devices as needed)
  • Color vision, depth perception, peripheral vision
  • Auditory acuity (with corrective devices as needed)
  • Speech which can be understood by all persons across the lifespan
  • Tactile ability
  • Manual dexterity of all limbs
  • Strength to push, pull and lift
  • Strength/ability to carry, stoop, squat, and bend
  • Ability to:
    • Reach above shoulder height
    • Stand/walk for long periods of time
    • Organize and effectively manage time to meet deadlines
    • Perform neat and accurate work
    • Respond to increasing pressure, emergencies, and workloads
    • Set priorities
    • Communicate effectively with the health care team and consumer of health care services, both verbally and non-verbally
    • Document completely and legible, using acceptable professional terminology
  • Computer literacy

Additionally, health care and Emergency Medical Services are often delivered in high stress areas, requiring management of multiple roles, tasks, and decisions simultaneously. The equipment and supplies used in the delivery of care may present a danger to individuals with sensitivities and allergies, especially to certain fumes and/or latex products.

The Paramedic student must be aware of potential risks related to the delivery of health care which may include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Exposure to communicable and infectious diseases
  2. Exposure to blood and body fluids
  3. Exposure to radiation
  4. Cuts and punctures
  5. Environmental hazards (e.g. slippery floors, various levels of lighting, various room temperatures, etc.)
  6. Exposure to biological, chemical and/or electrical hazards
  7. Assault and battery
  8. Legal/Ethical Dilemmas
  9. Liability Issues

Click below to read the Technical Standards.

EMS students must have sufficient sensory capacity to observe and participate in the classroom, laboratory, and all clinical settings.
  1. Functional vision
    1. see from 20 inches to 20 feet and beyond
    2. use depth perception and peripheral vision
    3. distinguish color and color intensity
  2. Hearing
    1. Be able to hear sounds at varying levels
      1. normal speaking volume, faint voices, faint body sounds and equipment alarms
    2. Olfactory
      1. Be able to detect odors from patients and the environment
    3. Tactile Sensation
      1. Be able to adequately and accurately observe or assess clients and to elicit information through procedures regularly required in the care of clients or groups of clients

Paramedic students must be able to communicate effectively in the classroom, laboratory, and all clinical settings. Students must be able to:

  1. Communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing
  2. Recognize, understand, and interpret instructional material required during medical education
  3. Use appropriate grammar, spelling and vocabulary when completing classwork and clinical documentation that is submitted into Platinum Planner, and
  4. Work cooperatively and professionally with others (i.e., EMS, fire, hospital, patients, family, etc.)

Paramedic students must have sufficient motor function to participate in basic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and to provide effective, quality care to clients. Motor function includes both gross and fine motor skills, strength and coordination, physical stamina.

Gross Motor Skills

Paramedic students must be able to:

  • Sit and stand while maintaining balance in the educational setting and in the ambulance, and while working above and below waist height

Fine Motor Skills

Paramedic students must be able to: 

  • Write, type, pinch, pick up, grasp, squeeze, or otherwise work with fingers

Strength, Coordination and Stamina

Paramedic students must be able to:

  • Stand, stoop, move quickly, do repetitive movements, walk, climb stairs, back-up stairs with weight (50 pounds), push/pull (up to 100 pounds)
  • Lift (up to 100 pounds)
  • Crouch, kneel, bend and twist for extended periods of time
  • Lifting and carrying a minimum of 30 pounds several times an hour
  • Lifting and moving up to 300 pounds with the assistance of 2-3 persons

Paramedic students must be able to perform measurements and calculations, read charts and graphs, adhere to professional ethics, and demonstrate a professional manner and insight in the communication process. In order to complete any coursework in the paramedic program, the student must be able to demonstrate mastery in reading and comprehension and use them together to demonstrate critical thinking and clinical reasoning (plan/control activities for others, use appropriate knowledge and skills, and sequence information).

Paramedic students must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and prompt completion of all academic and client care responsibilities. The development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with clients and other members of the health care team is essential. The role requires flexibility, compassion, integrity, motivation, and the ability to control interpersonal conflict, respect differences among patients and other medical staff, and establish rapport with patients and their family members and co-workers.

Paramedic students must possess and further develop emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence encompasses knowledge and management of one’s own emotional life and the skills to process the various workplace and client situations that arise including death of a client unexpectedly or with prolonged suffering, negative responses to care, or strained work environments or coworker relationships. Responses to giving and receiving feedback both positive and negative are also a part of emotional intelligence. Paramedic students must be able to adapt to ever-changing, unpredictable, and stressful situations, monitor own emotions, perform multiple responsibilities concurrently, handle strong emotions during and following stressful events from patients, family members, bystanders and other professionals and recognize, process and develop coping strategies that may be used to mitigate the emotional toll that highly intense situations encountered with EMS may take on the technician.

IT Requirements

To ensure a smooth and effective learning experience, we recommend the following IT requirements for students enrolled in our online paramedic program. These recommendations are designed to help students stay current and fully engaged with their coursework:

Recommended Hardware and Software:

·         Computer/Laptop: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 (or higher), 8GB RAM, SSD with at least 256GB, HD webcam, microphone, and speakers/headphones.

·         Internet Connection: High-speed broadband (minimum 25 Mbps).

·         Mobile Device: Smartphone or tablet.

·         Operating System: Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 (or higher).

·         Web Browser: Latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari.

·         Office Suite: Microsoft Office 365 or Google Workspace.

·         Learning Management System (LMS): Access to the program’s LMS (e.g., Blackboard, Canvas).

·         Video Conferencing Tools: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet.

·         Security Software: Antivirus software (e.g., Norton, McAfee).

Additional Recommendations:

·         Backup Solution: External hard drive or cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).

·         Technical Support: Access to IT support services provided by the educational institution.

·         Accessibility Tools: Screen readers, speech-to-text software, or other assistive technologies if needed.

·         Ergonomic Setup: Comfortable chair, desk, and proper lighting.

·         Regular Updates: Keep all software and hardware updated.

 

While we highly recommend these specifications to optimize students learning experience, students are welcome to use their existing devices and software as long as they meet the basic requirements and are kept up-to-date. Our goal is to ensure students have the tools necessary to succeed in the paramedic program.