EMS Education

Overview

Florida has two levels of certification for prehospital providers: Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic. Florida has over 61,500 certified EMTs and Paramedics.

There are currently 70 Educational Programs offering  175 state approved initial educational programs for individuals desiring to become certified as EMTs and Paramedics in the state of Florida.

Students will be trained to a national standard to enter the workforce as an entry level provider.

Important Notice to Paramedic Students!

Students that enter a paramedic program after January 1, 2013 that is not accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP), or in the Letter of Review (LoR) process will be considered "state recognized" only.  They will no longer be eligible for national EMS certification or reciprocity in states that require national EMS program accreditation. (This includes any state that is delaying the implementation of a paramedic program accreditation requirement).

Requirements of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Educational Programs

• Meet all applicable requirements of  the Florida Department of Education or Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education (CIE) as applicable
• Submit a complete application for Approval of an EMS Training Program
• Successfully demonstrate documentation of course requirements as outlined in Florida Statutes, Florida Administrative Code and National EMS Education Standards during on-site visit for each location
• Forms for EMS Training Programs

Initial Educational and Continuing Education Programs

• Listing of Initial Educational Centers
• Continuing Education Approved by the EMS Program
• Approved CPR/ACLS Equivalents
• Initial Educational program application
• Continuing Education application
• CPR/ACLS equivalent application

Testing Information

• EMT-Paramedic Testing Information
• EMS Training Program's State Exam Report
• EMT Exam Statistics Report
• Paramedic Exam Statistics Report

Useful Links

• Florida Association of EMS Educators (FASEMSE)
• National Registry of EMTs (NREMT)
• Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Profession (CoAEMSP)
• Continuing Education Coordination Board of EMS (CECBEMS)
• Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education (CIE)