What is "emergency medical technician"

n. (context emergency medicine English) A basic ambulance worker training in patient stabilization and emergency transport; not a paramedic

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and ambulance technician are terms used in some countries to denote a health care provider of emergency medical services. EMTs are clinicians, trained to respond quickly to emergency situations regarding medical issues, traumatic injuries and accident scenes. Under the British system and those that are influenced by it, they are referred to as ambulance technicians (often shortened to techs), whereas in the American system and its influenced countries, they are known as emergency medical technicians.

EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances, but should not be confused with "ambulance drivers" or "ambulance attendants" – ambulance staff who in the past were not trained in emergency care or driving. EMTs are often employed by ambulance services, governments, and hospitals, but are also often employed by fire departments (and seen on fire apparatus), in police departments (and seen on police vehicles), and there are many firefighter/EMTs and police officer/EMTs. EMTs operate under a limited scope of practice. EMTs are typically supervised by a medical director, who is a physician.

Some EMTs are paid employees, while others (particularly in rural areas) are volunteers.