OEMS - EMS Education and Training

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EMR, EMT, AEMT and EMS-I Initial or Refresher Course

Approved EMS Initial Courses (updated July 2021)  All EMS initial education programs in Connecticut must be approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services.  Contact the course coordinator directly for course information such as dates, times, costs and registration.  OEMS does not conduct EMS certification programs.  This listing includes training for the following:

• EMR – Emergency Medical Responder (60+ hours)
• EMT – Emergency Medical Technician (150+ hours)
• AEMT – Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (150-300 hours)
• EMS Instructor (must hold EMT or higher to enroll)

Approved EMT / EMR Certification Practical Exam Schedule (updated March 2021)

Please note: All EMS “Refreshers” will end on 12/31/2019.  Starting 1/1/2020, EMS personnel are required to complete Continuing Medical Education at the appropriate level.  This is a combination of the NCCR (described below) plus an equal number of elective CME hours.  For example, an EMT must complete a 20 hour NCCR program plus 20 hours of CME.

Approved EMS Continuing Education (updated July 2021)  All EMS continuing education programs in Connecticut must be approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services.  Contact the course coordinator directly for course information such as dates, times, costs and registration.  OEMS does not conduct EMS continuing education programs.  This listing includes the following:

• EMR National Continuing Competency Requirement (NCCR – 8 hours)
• EMT National Continuing Competency Requirement (NCCR – 20 hours)
• AEMT National Continuing Competency Requirement (NCCR – 25 hours)
• Paramedic National Continuing Competency Requirement (NCCR – 30 hours)
• Continuing Medical Education (applicable to all levels)

Pre-Approved Standardized Courses (updated May 2020)  Various standardized EMS courses are pre-approved for continuing education credit.  Any certified or licensed provider may use these hours towards their CME requirements.  Any person who is an approved instructor of the accrediting program may conduct these courses. For example, an EMT may claim the hours from an AHA BLS course despite the instructor not holding EMS instructor certification.

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Connecticut and the National Registry of EMT (NREMT)

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Initial Paramedic License Applicants – Public Act 19-191 requires that starting on January 1, 2020, any initial applicant for licensure MUST submit with their application "evidence to this Department with their application that they have completed mental health first aid training as part of a program provided by an instructor certified by the National Council for Behavioral Health."  No other brand of training is accepted under this Public Act. Please note that this course does not have to be part of an approved paramedic course, nor does the instructor need to be a certified EMS instructor. This training is not required for certification as an EMR, EMT and AEMT.

This information was communicated to the EMS community on September 24, 2019 by OEMS Communication Statement 19-09 and updated on March 10, 2020 by OEMS Communication Statement 20-03.  This Department does not recommend or approve one program over another, however provides this non-exclusive list in an effort to aid applicants in complying with this law.

Information is available from the NCBH at https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/find-a-course/

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