What is the primary responsibility of an EMT in Sacramento County?

The primary responsibility of an EMT in Sacramento County is to provide basic life support and stabilize patients. This involves assessing the patient's condition, performing necessary interventions that fall within the scope of basic life support, and ensuring that patients are stable for transport to a higher level of care when needed. EMTs are trained to handle a variety of emergencies, including cardiac arrest, trauma, and medical emergencies, providing essential care such as CPR, maintaining an open airway, and controlling bleeding.

This foundational role is critical in the pre-hospital setting where rapid intervention can make a significant difference in a patient's outcome. The stabilization aspect ensures that patients are in the best possible condition before being transported, which is a vital part of the EMT's responsibilities.

Advanced life support, surgical assistance, and exclusive transport to hospitals are roles that fall outside the standard EMT scope of practice, emphasizing the importance of basic life support as the primary focus for EMTs in Sacramento County.